The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1900-03-13
MERTING>oF TaR BOARD OF
AGRICULTURE.

Luz OH6R0 y al - Vi ~
some good work at it's meeting in this
city last week, the best, perhaps, be-
ing the appointment of a committee to
investigate the cause of the rise in price
of fertilize RS. Tnis committee is com
posed of Mr.. 8 L P asterson, OommiE'
sioner of Agriculture; D.. B. W. XII
gore. State Cnemis5, aud Messrs. J.
Bryan Grimes, w. A Graham and j
9. Cunningham. Col. Grimes, to use
a slang expression, seems to have put
the dead wood" on the fertilizer trust
in g. speech which he delivered before
the B3ard. We are indebted to the
r ,leigh dailies for the following report
OF tie speech, which will be read with
interest by ali WAC buy fertilizers:
"Mr. Grimes then tated that he be
lieved the dep artment should go further
in it's invesuga alton of the causes that
lead to the rise in price OF fertilizers
and did not believe the present high
prices made by the Fertilizer Trust
was justified by the advance in raw
material.
He stated that almost all large
dealers and manufacturers contracted
for their goods in advance, especially
for raw material, which he said he was
reliably informed was almost always
bought, probably a year in advance,
and that a very large part of the goods
now being sold was made from raw
material bought cheap. He showed a
contract for tobacco fertilizer. bought
of q small and financially weak con
Germ, unable 20 carry large holdings or
buy much in advance, in which they
sold goods this year several dollars a
ton cheaper than the same goods are
sold by the trust. H3 was informed
that 10 was now almost impossible for
independent dealers to buy chemicals
for fertilizers unless the independent
manufacturer agreed to sell at trust
prices.
"'While the department is powerless
to aid the farmer in buying at lower
prices it can make az honest investiga
ton and let the people know where to
place the responsibility
He believed that phosphates were
high because they were controlled by
combinations-though the Fertilizer
Commission claimed that it had here
tofore been 'unbusiness like parties
who knew little of the actual cost and
selling worth. He showed a letter
from one Of the largest fertilizer con.
Germs in America ofering high grade,
ii per cent acid phosphate at seaboard
for December, 1899. delivery in 2, 900
con ssoss a. 90 S6.5 &c rc7 tcct He read a
letter that offered nitrate soda for
February delivery al 81 IS and cheaper
for future delivery-this is one of the
main sources OF ammonia and is just
a slight fraction higher than prices
ruled for 1899
Cotton seed meal and tankage are
admitted to be some higher. He PIE
sented circulars from the American
representatives of the GeEman Kali
Works, Offering potash goods, deliver
ed at Washington, as follows:
Feb. 80. Feb. 1900.
Muriate potash 81 per cent.....$l84 $19J
Rsfn1t i Pq per CENT? en- per cent. =, 5 s. G006555
I'm the tace of these figures he
CLAIMED that the present great rise was
unjust and extortionate and it IVES
ridiculous to contend that the present
were due to natural conditions
and rise in price Of raw chemicale. He
wanted absolute justice done the fer /
companies, but he thought it
their duty to protect farmers from i'm
position aud enlighten them as to the
true situation, it possible, and help
them il they could"
The annual report OF Commissioner
Patterson showed that the totas sales
Ot fertilizers from D9cember 1, 1898, to
March 1, 1899, were $18 2l6 IL, and the
sales from December 9. 1899, to March
} 1900, were $40 rs o., an increase of
over IS per cent, consIdering the differ
snce in the tax rate.
The Board will ask the General As
to Increase the tonnage tax on
from 30 cents to % cent per
ion. The last Legislature reduced the
'onnage tex from % cents to 20 cents.
1t was stated thai che reduction had
lone the farmers no good, as the fer
il'zsr companies have arbitrarily in
creased the prices OF their products.
DIST BLANKETS In IMMRsnrA