The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1900-09-04
DO NORTH CAROLINA FARMERS BUY
FERTILIZERS FOR BRAND NAME Or
FOR VALUE OF INGREDIENTS

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80, 1900.
Attendance on Farmers Institutes
and conversations with fertilizer
agents and farmers have shown us
that some farmers-we don't know
how large the number may be-de-
eide on the fertilizer they will pur-
chase for a particular crop or for all
crops, by the name of the brand
rather than by what the fertilizer
actually contains. If it is called a
Special for cotton, corr or tobacco
it is purchased and used for the crop
without investigating as to whether
or not it contains such quantities
and proportions of nitrogen Gam
monia), phosphoric acid, and potash
as will justify it's claim to the name
of a specific fertilizer for the par
ticular crop in question.
It is we'll to bear in mind that fer
tilizers are used for the sake of the
nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash
they contain and the prices paid for
them should be governed entirely by
the amounts of these constituents
and regardless of the brand names
by which they may be sold on the
market. It will be a most fortunate
day for the farmer when he forms an
idea, based on observations and ex-
periments performed by himself and
by institutions established for the
purpose, as to what are the best pro-
portions of nitrogen, phosphoric
acid and potash to be supplied in the
fertilizers for his different crops and
soils, and also what are the best pay
ing quantities to use.
A good number of our farmers
have already pretty we'll established
ideas on these points and they buy
fertilizers, or else purchase the ma
terials and mix their fertilizers, so
as to get percentages of the three
valuable fertilizer constituents they
have found best suited to their crops
and pay no attention to the name of
the fertilizer. It is not a question
with them, what is the brand name
of your fertilizer, but what are the
percentages of nitrogen, phosphoric
acid and potash in it? These three
are all they are after and they do not
care to pay for anything eIse-not
even Il name.
Every farmer should buy fertili-
zers on this basis, and we hope it
will not be long before all users of
fertilizers will purchase them, not
by the name by which they are known
and sold on the market, but after
seeing the amounts of nitrogen,
phosphoric acid and potash they con-
tain and considering whether or not
these are the fertilizers needed for
cotton, corn, or tobacco.
1t will also be a step in advance
when manufacturers brand their
goods SO as .to show what they act
ually contain and sell on this basis
only, and call fertilizers specials"
for particular crops only when there
is good ground for the name. Per
haps most of our manufacturers are
conscientious on this point now and
have only called their fertilizers
specials after obtaining sufficient
experimental evidence to Justify
them in giving the name. We are
aware that there is great need of ex-
periments to show the fertilizer re
quirements of different crops and
soils and we hope we shall gradually
come into the possession of such evil
dence along this line as will enable
all concerned to come to a reasonably
fair understanding as to what are
the best suited fertilizers for various
crops and soils.
Aside from this, it appears at pres
ent that some fertilizers of the same
composition are sold as specials"
for a number OF crops and that they
r often bought by brand name
without special reference to their
contents of nitrogen, phosphoric
acid, and potash. This may be illus
trated by the brands of 8-2-2 goods.
Last season there were registered
for sale in the State sol brands of
fertilizers SO of these brands were
guaranteed to contain 8 per cent. of
phosphoric acid, 2 per cent. of am
monia, and 2 per cent, of potash.
The brand names indicated these to
be special fertilizers for the fol
lowing crops:
For no special crop. 81