The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1900-02-14
FOR SALE BY j. E. KAUFMAN,

uately 700 pounds, and cotton seed
meal is now worth IS 90 per tor
more than last year, which is @q1lva'
lent to 3oc. per 100 pounds, and
700 pounds would cost $40 more
than it did last year. Now add 20
for extra cost for the bags aud you
have $3.50 per ton more for the ma
terials th IN we paid for these same
materials last year.
If tankage or blood was used for
the source of ammonia instead OF
cotton seed meal, the advanced cost
wei last year would be 50 20 per
ton. as ammonia from tankage or
blood is now 60. per" unit higher
than last year, so for p per cent OF
ammonia the extra cost over last
year would be 81 sc.
Solphate Of ammonia is the only
other source of ammonia commonly
used in the manufacture of fertilizers.
Twelve months ago this article was
selling at about $4,000 per ton. We
paid for it this week $4,000 per ton.
Now I assert that the price Of fer
tilizers has not advanced nearly SO
much as the price of raw materials
going into them. Let US see who is
to blame if any one,for the advance
of these crude materials. Take
Psrites: We buy from Spain more
than three-fourths of all we use
Nitrate of Soda: We buy entirely
from South America. Potash Salts:
We buy entirely from Germany. So
it cannot be said that our company
controls or is in any wise responsible
for the advance of these materials, as
We have no interest whatever in any
of these properties, either directly or
indirectly.
Take phosphate rock. We dc
mine a small proportion Of our wants
of phosphate rock, but We mine none
FOR sale and we buy from other mines
more than two-th;rds of what we con
sumo. So no one will suppose that
We were anxious to put UP the price
of phosphate rock.
As for cotton seed meal we have
no interest either directly or Indirect
ly in any cotton seed oil mill, so We
are not responsible for the advance
in this article. Blood and taukage
are made by the large packers in the
West, and We have no interest and
no control over these products in any
way.
Why, then, should the Virginia
G .rolina Chemical Company be blam-
ed for the advance in the cost of
crude materials, and would it lie
business like for Us to want an ad-
vance in crude materials, of which
we have to buy almost entirely all of
our needs and of which we produce
absolutely nothing, except a small
quantity of phosphate rock?
It is our aim and purpose to man.
ufacture fertilizers as cheaply as
possible and to sell them at as low a
price as We can aford, thereby stimu
lating a large consumption of fertil-
izers AMI their general use for all
crops.
Let US see how the farmer is stu
ated: He is getting this year from
q to Sc. a pound for his cotton
more than last year, and We under,
stand that fer a great deal of the
cotton seed the cotton seed oil mills
are now paying Csc. per bushel.
Are these advances wrong, and are
the manufacturers who are having
to use this product condemning the
parties who produce them simply be-
cause the demand is such that the
price has increased 80 enormously
over last year. At present prices
the farmer can sell the cotton seed
from one acre cf land and buy as
much fertilizers as be usually puts
over two to three acres, even though
there is a small advance in the price
Of fertilizers. caused by the manu-
facturers having to pay high prices
for the materials entering iuto them.
We propose to be perfectly fair
and candid in our statements and be,
lieve that when an uDprt ldiced
farmer looks into the situation he
will realize that he is not charged as
much for fertilizers as the COST of
materials under present conditions
warrant.
Yours very respectfully,
S. T. MORGAN,
Pres. Virginia Carolina Chemical Co.
Il had dyspepsia for years. NJ
medicine was so effective as K)Gol