The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1899-02-21
RALEIGH. N. G., FEBRUARY 81, 1899.

all drawn from dealers stocks, all this
years goods Three. quarters of the
total number were above guarantee in
every respect, nine teuths were essn-
TALLY equal TO or better than Ruaran
tee and all afforded the commercial
equivalent OF their guarantees. Thir.
teen brands fell short i'm one ingredient
and two were lacking in two ingredi
ents. In either case were both inpredi
ents seriously deficient. The applica
Glon or pepsin digestion and alkaline
permanganate distilation methods to
the several brands indicated that the
quality of the organic nitrogen of
about dozen brands, notably the out
put OF two concerns, was some what
questionable. One hundred and five
brands were guaranteed directly or
lnfere ntially) to contain potash as sui
phate. claim which was verified in
but 19 cases.
The average valuation" was found
to be $17 45, and the average selling
price $29 O4. Two dollars out of every
five invested in fertilizers paid for
costs Of manufacture and sale. A dol.
lar spent Tor average low priced goods
(0elow $26 per ton) bought So cents
worth plant food; a dollar invested
In average medium grade brands $26
to S32 per tori, 60 cents worth; and q
dollar paid out for average high priced
goods (&32. so and upward), 67 cents
worth. A dollar bought 79 cents wor tn
of plant food in one brand and but 80
cents worth in another Aftth of the
entire number of brands sold furnished
less than SIS cents worth of plant food
for q dollar.
The average imposition of the goods
has not varied materially from that of
last year. Selling prices are the same,
plant food in mixed goods is as cheap
as it ever was, but owing to the low
prices Of raw materials the practice of
home mixing is proportionately more
prof table now than hitherto.
Home mixtures made in this State
furnished from 80 to so per cent. more
plant food at the same cost than did
average manufacturers mixtures.
1t may not be amiss to describe
briefly the process OF home mixing. A
tight barn floor, platform Gales, screen,
shovel and hoe comprise the outfit
The materials being weighed, screened
and Jumps pulveriz9d, the most bulky
goods Casually the acid phosphate) are
spread in an oblong pile from to IL
inches deep. Upon it's leveled top are
placed one above another the other in
gradients, the resulting pile resem bling
layer cake. The pile is then mixed
by careful shoveling, the shovel cut,
ting down through all layers each time.
The pile may then be screened again
and the operation thrice repeated. The
mixture may then be screened again if
desired.
At present prices for crude stock and
for mixed goods the intelligent farmer
who uses a ton or more yearly, by buy
ing and mixing nitrate Of soda, cotton
seed meal, acid phosphate and muriate
| OF potash, can save money and be as,
surcd Of as good fer tiliz9r as can be
made. The station stands ever ready
to aid and advise inquirers on this as
well as on any matter connected with
agriculture.
Those WHO prefer to buy mixed goods
rather than raw materials, might well
combine and buy fertilizers of specified
comp 0sition made from standard crude
stock on competitive bidding by man
! utacturers. This method Of purchase
is largely in vogue in some localities
and is decidedly preferable to that com
monty practiced.
Vermont farmers seldom think OF
cotton seed meal as fertilizer, yet
hundreds of thousands of tons are thus
] used yearly in the South and large
quantities even in New England. It ie
undoubtedly batter TO feed it to stock
in moderate quantities, enriching both
ration and manure, thus getting two
returns for one expenditure. But
where more nitrogen is needed than
the manure pile supplies, it is safe to
say that at the prices ruling during
the past few years, no cheaper source
of readily available organic nitrogen
has been offered in small quantities in
our markets than in cotton seed meal.
The schedule of trade values fused by
this as well as other New England
stations allows IA cents a pound for or
ganic nitrogen at the seaboard. Ithas
cost this vaar on the averaOe in COTTON