The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-01-24
SHIPPING ACID TO CHINA.
xrw OPENING FOR FERTILIZER
BUsINEss IN THE EAST.

,, Is Also Taking Considerable
phosphate ROck-Manager Huger,
e tbe Virginia-CarOIina Chemical
couuany Discusses Fertilizer Con-
a,tons-Shipments Have Been
rfobt This Season, So Far Due to
che smaller Output and Higher
p.tces-The Advance in Fertilizers
49,. FIRST in over 20 Years-Cotton
seed Veal Is Also Much Higher.
..n, Won know that we are shipping acid
-s,snbate to China?" said Mr.. John w.
fl+.u,r southeastern manager of the Vir-
,.t,-rarolina Chemical Company, who
pas in the city yesterday. I'VE are doing
's,t cerv thing. 1t is true the business
s.srot reached any large proportions, but
,t4.a good indication of the signs of the
times
Mr. Hueer said that some Chinese mer-
.s,rts had purchased several hundred tons
of acid phosphate from the works of his
..rnanv in Baltimore for shipment to
chin, He did not know what their plans
ware but supposed that they had learn
ID rbe value of commercial fertilizers from
choir countrymen who are engaged In
,ruek growing in this country.
oTbis country is also shipping phosphate
,oq, 10 Japan" said Mr.. Huger. I'm fact,
the word at large is taking more phos-
rbats rock from this country than ever
tsfors in the history of the trade. Ameri-
can high grade rock is in great demand
4, Europe This accounts largely for the
heavy increase in the cost of phosphate
rock in this country"
Mr. Huger reported that fertilizer ship
m4pts are light so far this season. This
is attributed 10 two causes, the shortage
in the supply and the higher prices.
.,Tbe shortage is due to many of the
factories having shut down during the dull
times last summer said Mr.. Huger AS
cotton was then bringing only little over
cents and the outlook was not partic-
ularjv bright, many of the factories con-
ended that it was a good time to shut
down for repairs, and, having once shut
down they were rather dilatory in open
ing up again. Had they foreseen the pres
ent high prices for cotton their policy
would doubtless have been different Fer
nlizer manufacturing is different from
most other lines of business. The capac-
itv of factory depends upon the capac-
itv of its acid chamber, which is usually
kent going day and night. Every hour
LOST by the acid chamber is so much lost
off t'e years output"
Il have no doubt that the higher prices
have effected the demand somewhat said
Mr.. Huger. The advance has been from
SlO to $3.50 per ton. When you take
into consideration the heavy advance in
phosphate sulphuric acid and everything
that enters into the cost of fertilizers, the
advance in prices is very moderate.
have been in the fertilizer business a good
many years and every year since l have
been in it, until this year, there was a
drop of about a dollar a ton. The farm
ers never made any kick against this, but
they are kicking like steers now because
Of the advance. Capt Hansell of Ma
con tells me that he has been in the fer
tiHzer business twenty-three years, and
that this is the first time that he has
known of an advance in prices over the
previous years. Isn't it about time that
things were taking turn the other way?
Cotton seed meal, too" remarked Mr..
Huger, lis costing us more this year than
ever before. Meal now costs $21 a ton
f. o. b. at the factory, an advance of IS
a ton over the prices of last year. The
+oiHP'lc arr StlllnS ABOUT 20 per cent.
more for their cotton seed than they did
last year and the oil mills have a de-
mand for every gallon of oil they can pro-
duce at 30 cents gallon for the crude oil,
as against about 1874 cents a year ago.
The farmer is getting more for his cotton
and his cotton seed, and as other people
are paving more for his products he has
| no rsht to grumble If the fertilizers with
which he makes the cotton cost him a lit
lie more this year than last"
Mr. Huger said that the Central Rail
Ney was about $50 cars behind in it's fer
ulzer shipments, while the other roads
are about in the same proportion. The
fertilizer people are not worrying about
'ne light demand, however, as owing to
me limited output. they expect to be able
10 dispose of all the goods they have on
hand.