The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1896-12-28

tionate 2 TO per cent of potash, as found
in the average fertilizer. TO per cent is
positively demanded and must be supplied
before the essential requirements of the
plant OF tree are satisfied or the drain upon
the soil made good Not only is this true
of fruits and vegetables. but IL Is also true.
though TO a somewhat lesser extent, of al
most every crop that Is raised on the Or
binary farm the percentage OF phosphoric
acid as contained in the factory-rnixed fer
tIizer IS Internationally high and its
percentage of potash correspondngly low.
entirely inadequate TO supply the demand
made upon the soil by the various plants
growing thereon. The more honest manu-
facturers claim, justly so. too. that there Is
mo profit" to them In increasing the per-
centage of potash in their fertilizers on ac-
count of the h gh price and heavy freights
they forced TO pay ON potash as com
pared with phosphate, which latter IS
abundant and cheap and right at their own
door. Now, while it may be true
that tho profits of the mahpula-
tor are greater on selling phosphate
than they are on handling the necessarily
more expensive potash; how Is II with ms
poor ignorant dupe. the soil tlller! HOW
does the matter of profit and loss stanu
with him? How those magnificent
crops that ne had-in contemplation ana
fond anticipation What think you are ms
feelings when he finds that he has been
''gulled" by specious teaching on the part
of his crafty, tricky and shrewd school
master?'' Better move to another school
and take lessons from some less selfish and
more disinterested and philanthropical IN
structor, the agricultural and analytical
chemists OF tire several experiment sta
lions. the agricultural press, etc
2. If not why not? Fertilizer manufac-
turers claim that heir facilities for mix
ing are superior to anything the farmer
has or even can have. that As conse-
quence they cannot only make a better
mixture. but they can also make il cheaper
than can the farmer" Admitting. as we
are perfectly willing TO DO. their superior
facilities" It by no means follows that the
! farmer is the who profits by those
| facilities as they claim II costs them 50
| to $40 per ton TO do that the farmer could
| do very well for 81 on the other hand, we
claim that the mixing business has been
oYcrdoue anyway. and that both the farmer
ana fertilizer manufacturer are being IN
| Jured thereby. the former by losing money.
actual cash. the latter by loss Of conh-
dence IN not only his own integrity, but
also the integrity of the article or articles
manipulated or mixed by him. In pur-
chasing complete fertilizer. It's true the
farmer may be getting just what he wants
and exactly what both soil and crop need,
but owing TO the peculiar and TO some eX-
tent Incompatible nature Of Ingredients
contained therein. he fails TO derive the
benefit from its application that he might,
could and should have obtained had each
ingredient been applied at the right time.
For instance, the fact has been demon
strated that phosphates and potash are
best applied in the fall or at least some
months previous TO planting time IN spring.
If a complete" fertilizer was thus APP
piled. an unavoidable loss Of nitrogen
would be the logical sequence. II. on the
contrary. the application is postponed till
spr ne, the most favorable time for the
ann lion in tf nh X
lost If the season be very dry they remain
in the ground uudissOlvcd and results from
them that year are nil. Even in applying
easily soluble heterogeneous fertilizers as
nitrate of soda. "a. planting time. unless
another application Is made, stll later on.
the corn IS over-st INFLATED, it grows lux
urlantly. the foliage IS Of an intense deep
green color, ii has a tendency TO over
shoot itself. and all the force Of the
nitrate having exhausted itself IN making
stalk and then being used up" just at the
critical junCtUre when most needed earring
timel. really less corn viii Zoe made than on
land imMt diateiy adjoining that received
no fertilizer az all. AS we have exceeded
the apaee intended we must defer furlner
consider alton OF ttis sgtject Uutu some
future time. ard briefly CONSIDER the third
query.
From whom should the farmer purchase
his material fer home mis- iug2 again we
would say; Purchase from none but re-
liable manufacturers and under Il positive
guarantee. Secondly. purchase as CON
veuIcnt to home as circumstances will
admit I'm order 10 save freight charges, ana
for same reason purchase all chemicals
Of high grade 1t don't pay 10 pay heavy
transportation rates on lowgtdde feru-
lizers and again purchase in quantity TT
You need but a small amount yourself.
then club On with your neighbors and pur-
chase In carload lots wherever practical
They can be bought cheaper and freight
can D" sawed thereby. Lastly. purchase
from those who make e. business Of keep
ing iu stock such articles ass You require.
To those whose experience i'm the way Of
purchasing chemicals for nome mixing WAS
but limited, this latter advice would seem
TO be altogether superiiuous; but L would
be surprising 20 many Of our brother farm-
ers if they knew just exactly ho~ few.
ont of The many SO-callad 'mauufactur-
ers" that keep such chemicals as the or
binary farmer woIld require in COM
pounding his own simple home mixtures. A
case i'm point occurred IN our immediate
ne Ehborhood last Writer. Myself and
some Of my ueighhors desired some chem
icals Tor compromising. notably kainit and
muriate OF potash 1--WE already had cotton
seed meal. and phosphate could be Oh
tanned In any quantity close by: do YOU
think we could obtain them iu the state
OF AIississippi2 II YOU do. Won Oile We
wc-c) are Wocfuly mistaken. although we
have several -o-called fertilizer factor
los" IN this state We found the same com
cItiou Of THINGS existing IN Tennessee
Alabama louisiana and Georgia. barely
one dealer in ten having the required
chemicals for SALE or if they had them.
they did not want 20 let them go. From
answers received by myself and neighbors
from above named states. il almost looked
like there was a deeply laid and wisely
connected plan laid among our manufac-
tuners to chcctullly prevent southern
farmers from doing their own horne
mixing and TO force them 10 purchase their
wares or go without Nc did neither.
Part of our fertilizers this year came from
Nashville. Tenn. the balance from New
York. Unless matters improve IL Will be
that way the neXt time you hear from Us.
We believe in patron zing home iustitu-
tions' and "home Industries" when we can.
hut if we can't, II they won't let us. how
can we? Many of the sO-called ''fert lizer
manufactures" are not IL ctories at all.
they are simply mixing establishments.
they manufacture nothing excent the aame
Of their faVorte mixture or brand"
Everything they do. the farmer could do.
right at home. fully we'll as they. Aga n,
we saw. Purchase your chemicals from