The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1898-03-15
FERTILIZERS.

c,--.znondence Of the Progressive Farmer.
WAS glad to read the very sensible
orticIe of Prof. Irby g In your issue Of
7Torcb1 The farmer who misses these
letters from Profs. Irby and Emery
Ioses a great deal that might prove of
value to him. Especially was I graft
sed at the position Prof. Irby takes in
regard to high grade fertilizers. If
our farmers can be educated up to
using high grade goods, then they will
have made q long stride in the right
direction. We all want lower freights-
this is the most effective way to get
them, To illustrate: A certain brand
Of suano contains nearly twice the
plant food that another does; that is,
the higher grade contains 800 pounds
Of plant food In ton, while the lower
grade contains only $50 pounds in a
ton. The price Of the ingredients at
mort. is the same per pound In each
rrsde, 90 that the ingredients in the
high grade are worth just twice as
much az those contained in the low
vrsde. Il am speaking Of the three
ingredients mentioned In the analysis:
smmonia, phosphoric acid and potash).
The mixing of the two grades cost just
he same The bags, the tax and the
rreiQht 20 destination costs the same
On each grade. So that for actual plant
bod contained I'm each, the high grade
costs one half, per pound or per unit
h value, for mixing, bags, tax and
,eight "a much as the low grade
hereby reducing these expenses In the
high grade to Just half what they are
ia the low grades. There were, ! think,
about 2Oe, 900 tons of fertilizers sold IN
the State last year. Suppose these
could have been reduced TO 100, 600 and
still have contained all the plant food
that the original amount did, there
would have been a saving 10 the farm.
ers in freights and other expenses an
amount sggregating a quarter million
dollars AS a class, we are not in
position 20 shut our eyes to such leaks
ss this. Nor are we in North Carolina
alone in this particular. In looking
over the Practical Farmer, / notice an
article from Mr.. T. B. Terry, touching
along this line. Mr. Terry says:
THE ignorance Of many farmers
about the simple ingredients contained
10 ncommercial fertilizers iG deplorable.
They are ready 20 be mystifled azd
talked into anything by windy agent
They neglect to get the bulletins Of the
experiment. stations, which are pub
Rhed in their interests entirely, and
Which are as reliable as the best pres
ent knowledge can make them. DR..
Vordan, Director of the N. Y. Expert
nent Station, said recently at an insti-
'uee that farmers often buy fertiliBers
~aWleeIy and unnecessarily. And /
aE an honest look Of deep regret pass
o7er his face as he said it. knowledge
power. Ignorance keeps a farmer
aOHn and lets others live on him. A.
aFner went into certain warehouse
SS' season, and said he wanted ''somo
paoaphate. The dealer showed him
.@ good fertilizer Of a high-gradO at
~ ~ Ton. t'Oh, no." said the farmer,
'uN Ia more than / will pay" The
a'AeF then showed him some bags of
4s'aef Kind ct t32 ton. But no, he
.nI.,. u : want that "Haven't you got
S%ung cheaperi" he asked. ''Why,
sS. sad the dealer, here Is Q brand
eo,., : '0n' but it is not nearly As well
shoHa, '0e money as the first kind I |
he tsrms.ooO r you" "Let me see It," says
nd a~s'' tha The agent opened o bag, |
hand ~, tSfner took out some in his
bsIisva snelled of it, and said: 81
top NJ :. sua' Is pretty good. I'll take q |
can ne =" The gentleman, whom |
his 80. who stood by and heard |
a. glie'ly took the analysis from a |
nersS;.I ugured up the value Of the |
that ,'u'S ~ 10 the fertilizer, and found |
ese5 &c ae Sd could have bought them, deliv- |
tsrmsr -. LIS station for &1S a ton. That
pO.s,b uaa no more idea of nitrogen,
ad And 5'c than his syear old child |
aOes 1u1 ne was paying for his izno- |
put On - tne state obliges the mixer to |
5 bOvs naS ao oags just how much of the |
0u ingredients they contain,