The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1891-07-15
The Agricultural Bulletin
Gives an Insight into the
Customs of the State
Department.
ROBINSON AND MR.
BATTLE TAKEA HAND---TIIE
BEAUTY OF THEIR con-
sIsTENCY.

"A Big Dish Of Food for the People TO
Digest.
We have anxiously awaited a com
munication from Commissioner Rob
inson answering our inquiries in last
Mondays issue, and we feel assured
our readers would be glad to hear
from him again on that subject. But
somebody, 1--WE suppose Mr.. Robinson
or Mr.. Battle has sent us two mark
ed copies, both same date, Of the De-
partment Bulletin. We are OBJ
liged to the sender, whoever he is,
for he furnishes us food for thought
and what we read in the June tBul-
letin, purporting to come over the
official signatures Of Commissioner
Robinson and State Chemist Battle,
suggests a few more questions which
we desire to ask.
We notice that Mr.. Robinson and
Mr.. Battle have devoted nearly six
columns Of the Bulletin" 10 the IN.
C. official Farmers Alliance guano,
manufactured by the Durham Ferti-
lizer Company This Bulletin ar
ticle starts out with a preliminary
statement which reads well, and we
quote it, "The Department OF Ag-
riculture is charged primarily with
the inspection and control of CONNER
ciaI fertilizers, in other words, it is
charged with the protection of the
purchaser Of fertilizers against fraud,
no matter in what form fraud may
appear. The Department is always
impartial in it's action, and endeavors
to treat all alike Now we like that
word sIMPARTIAL, and if Mr.. Rob
inson would answer our former ques-
tions upon this branch Of the 'cus-
tom Of the Department in dealing
with other manufacturers our read
ers would perhaps be able 70 form
their own conclusions from the facts
rather than have to take the bare as-
sertions Of Mr.. Robinson Of his 'en-
deaaor 70 treat all alike.
In this very June issue of the Bull
Iletine pages and lO,l the Depart
ment processes 10 publish all the am
alyses of goods Of all manufacturers
which have been "made since the is
sue Of the May Bulletin, 1891, and
the whole number of such analyses is
forty.four (44), including in that
number only al four Of goods made
by the Durham Fertilizer Company.
Now, out Of the forty-four analyses
Of goods Of all the Companies the
Balletin shows there were twenty
one C2D-nearly oSE-HALF Of the
whole--found 10 be below the guar
antee Of the respective manufactur-
ers. We find, for instance, that a
sample taken at warrenton Of goods
other than Alliance goods, having a
..guaranteedr commercial value Of
s23 90 per ton. being analyzed, the
State Chemist s.foundr only Sl9.1O
per ton, making $500 per ton below
guarantee. A sample Of goods made
by this same firm, taken At Saxon,
n. G., and guaranteed at $3.50 per
ton, analysed only si2.9l per ton,
being short Or below guarantee ~
50 per ton. But We have another
where the deficiency il even greater
still. and the Bulletin shows TINT d
sample taken IL Roxbocl. n. q u
goods. other than Alliance goods,
which the manufacturers guaranteed
nj ss4. 40 perion, the analysis found
only s2s " Per ton, i being short Or
below guarantee ts6.il) SIX DOL.
LARS AND FOURTEEN CENTS.
Now, Mr.. Robinson, we are told
that you have seized and brought
suit 10 conascale the Alliance goods
Of the Durham Fertilizer Company
at oxford, which, by your analysis,
.hnw lesa deficiency than those Of