The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1900-05-01

from farmers asking me where they
can bnv the materials for mixing
their own fertilizers This is hard to
answer lust now. There have been
Two trusts formed in the fertilizer
trade. one controlling the Northern
States and the other the Southern.
The farmers everywhere have been
Getting so much IN the habit Of mix
mo their own fertilizers that the fer
rililer manufacturers have taken the
aarm and are trying TO prevent their
Getting the materials. The large
dealers who buy acid phosphate in lots
not less than 1900 tons, can get it
meW at lower figures than last year,
and they in turn sell to dealers in
.,.~ of 1000 tons or over at $40 per
tom nj the seaboard. But the trusts fix
the price to the farmer at from SlG
T., >1I per ton as to distance from
0.c Seaboard.
1t is evidently a plan to put the
.l.jce of acid phosphate to the mixers
sat "a price that will enable them to
mix a fertilizer at lower rates than
he farmer can mix it for himself.
~o lQno as farmers keep the men in
power who are controlled by trusts
mSt so long will they have to pay
Whatever the trust charges. Farmers
write that the dealers who last year
sold them lntIrite of potash and 9th
cr things for mixing, now refuse to
sell 10 them. There is only one way
that we can see around this and this
is for a number Of farmers TO club to-
hai
cash through q local dealer. allowing
him Il fair percentage for making the
transaction. and in this way they can
ecJ very large reductions and get the
materials. We know OF some who
have done this and have gotten their
fertilizers at Il much lower rate than
tuc dealers are asking for them.
one Of the chief reasons for the
Ilgh price of fertilizers is the long
rrrdi1 system. \ man with the cash
eun buy almost anything he wants at
fair price but the man who gives
81 mortgage on the future crop cannot
oct amy but the highest rates. This
is another inducement to practice a
diversified agriculture so that the far
mcr may have cash coming in at all
seasons Of the year. Those who merely
crop cotton or tobacco. cannot deal
ON Il cash basis unless they have
large reserved capital on which to
do business. Il state of affairs not
common among Southern farmers.
Ihe same conditions prevail in other
States. We had today letter from
the Commissioner of Agriculture OF
Virginia. saving that the dealers in
fertilizers there were all of them re-
fusing 10 sell materials to the farm
prs to mix their own fertilizers with.
The whole Of the importation of pot
ash salts in this country is controlled
by the German Kali Works, of New
York city. and they Will tell YOU who
will sell YOU goods in small quanti
ties. John \. Myers. of New York
city. has the control Of the Nitrate of
soda importations and he can tell YOU
where YOU can buy this. Cotton seed
meal is one OF the best sources of
nitrogen in fertilizers and any of the
oil mills viii sell YOU this. Acid
phosphate is the source for phOSphO-
ric acid. and this the trust has put
$50, i'm price. but it is easily gotten.
But after all what our farmers
arcd 10 learn mainly is that in any of
the upIand country of North Carolina
it is perfectly feasible to do with
far less OF commercial fertilizers than
they are accustomed to use. if not to
f|i~ lItilSc WIN tntHl tItjIfFlN- W II II
any proper course OF farming in a
-hort rotation of crops on any OF our
upland clay soils or soils with a good
red or yellow clay bottom. there need
uc no need of buying any fertilizer
except moderate quantity OF acid
phosphate for the pea crop. In fact
Du any of our red lands | feel sure
hat q farmer may bring his land up
TO the highest state OF prOductlveneSS
without buying any fertilizers at all
lt he uses a business like rotation and
applies lime once in six years TO all
his land in connection with the
growing Of peas. Our red clay soils
are all soil down to the bed rock,
and they result from the decomposi-
iICH of granite rocks that cOntain an
."cNhaustible supply of potash in the
.Grm of an insOlubIe silicate. which
the lime will help us to get. Then by
the growth of peas once or twice in
rhree years we can keep up the sup
ply Of nitrogen in the soil and the
drep roofing peas if allowed to get
down into the subsoii by deep subsoil-
ing will find phosrhoric acid and
ring it up TO the surface for many
'tarS 10 come. OF course we can
improve the land faster by the judi
r'ouS use of acid phosphate. but be
.Ievc ii is perfectly possible to so farm
"or red clay soils by the growing
". forage and the feeding Of cattle
'h"t We will be perfectly independent
"i the fertilizer mixer. If the farm
"f~ ln general could be induced to
"oopt this course, the fertilizer trust
""dld soon be ON its knees begging
or sales at a lower rate than now.
Many Of our friends are asking MS
.' tell them all about the culture Of
"I"om corn. The broom corn is now
"2normallF high in price This state
aHaIrS was brought about by the
remedy low prices that have pre-
."ii'u Tor years. which drove many
.F"WrrS OUT of the business. Years
ago the fertile lands of the Mohawk
|aIIeN IN New Aorll State were large
~ devoted 10 the culture of broom
corn But the growers on the western