Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1901-12-26
OUR NEW FERTILIZER LAWS.

Four years ago began the fight In the
general assembly OF this state 20 secure
the the enactments OF fairer and better
fertilizer laws. We publish IN this issue
OF The Semi-Weekly the new law. which
passed unanimously IN the senate, ana
with only six dissenting votes In the
house. during the last day OF the recent
session. The general law which Is reel
ted. ahead OF the Ellington and Calvin
bills IN this act. Is the bill which was
drawn at Hot Springs. Ark. october 10th,
inst during the annual meeting OF the
southern commissioners OF agriculture, at
which meeting / was present and aided
in formulating the bill 10 meet the re-
quirements OF existing conditions The
biz Is similar to the Jordan bill introduced
BY myself last year. but which was held
I'D at the request OF the commissioners OF
agriculture until after their session In
1871
:. m-se desire OF the commissioners was to
secure the enssSsnent OF a uniform law
which would be agreeable to all the south
ern states using fertilizers and this bill
represents the wisdom and experience IN
the fertilizer business OF the commission
ers. their able corps OF chemists, and SO
FAR as Georgia Is concerned, the almost
unanimous approval OF both branches OF
the general assembly. Ny great desire
has been TO secure the enactment OF a law
which would require the manufacturers
70 file with the commissioner OF agricul-
ture on each and every brand or kind
OF goods they offered for sale the sources
from which the plant foods out OF which
the fertilizers are made. were obtained;
also TO allow only the minimum guarantee
OF analysis stamped on the sacks. and
lastly. but most important Of all, to raise
the standard OF guano. and shut out for
ever in this state the sale OF all low grade
70 per cent spurious guanos. These three
features are all clearly defined In the new
Law. as VIII be seen from its reading and
after this season. no kind OF fertilizer
analyzing less than Il per cent available
plant food can be offered for sale in GeOr-
gfa and no complete fertilizer can be
branded standard" or high grade"
which contains less than two per cent
OF ammonia. and two per cent OF potash.
Where these two elements OF plant food
are wanted IN less percentages they can
be bought OF course. but not under the
brands as above stated, which can only
be used TO designate a complete fertilizer
containing ammonia and potash OF two
per cent each.
Need Of Uniform Law.
The fertilizer business is now handled
BY large companies mainly which supply
the southern states with all commercial
fertilizers needed by the farmers. If each
state has a different law requiring a diff
ferent analysis. necesitating changes IN
mixing different brands on sacks, etc,
IL necessarily causes an additional expense
10 the manufacturers, particularly IL any
goods left over in one state are required
for the trade In another state. Every
item OF expense in the manufacture Of the
goods IS charged up in the cost of selling
price. and in the end comes out OF the
farmers pocket. In addition 10 this, the
commissioners OF agriculture, II all are
acting under the same law, VIII I'm their
annual meetings be more apt TO detect
flaws or evils and take steps 10 remedy
them
The manufacturers also desired a uni
form law. particularly those who do an
interstate business. The other states viii
doubtless adopt this law at the next meet
ing OF their different legislatures. Under
the old fertilizer law OF Georgia the farm
ers had but little protection against the
imposition Of low grade. cheap guanos. In
all low grade 10 per cent guanos. several
hundred pounds Of a foreign element were
used. designated as "filler'' or make
weight" I'm each ton. and IN which there
Is not a pound OF plant food. The prin-
cipal material used for that purpose Is
ground railroad cinders, treated with lamp
black. and ground slate. which Is mined
principally in Dade county. Georgia The
sanction OF the law 70 such fraudulent
dealing OF course opened the way TO a
wildcat business. which Is not only an
outrage perpetrated on the farmer. but TO
a great extent handicaps the honest man
ufacturer who wants TO make good.
straight fertilizers
II q farmer wants a low grade guano
let him buy a ton OF good fertilizers and
mix with that a ton OF sand OF pulverized
dirt and he win then have two tons OF
low grades and win have saved 20 himself
the cost Of paying a manufacturer TO mix
Il and viii save the extra freight and cost
OF sacking. A law such as this one which
win require all manufacturers to make
honest goods, and which enforces a heavy
penalty on all violators OF the law, will
not only give 10 the farmers Of Georgia
a better grade OF guano. but the price
charged VIII be less in proportion 70 the
true value OF the material. Every farmer
should remember that in the purchase Of
guano he wants plant food and not brands
or weight. The best fertilizer is the one
which shows the highest analysis and is
richest In those elements OF plant food
which the consumer wants for his crops
Defining Section 4.
Under the old law. II a fertilizer analyz-
ed substantially" the ingredients as guar
anteed r. percentages Of plant food stamp
ed on the sack. then the purchaser could
make no plea OF partial or total failure
OF consideration What the word sub
stantially'' meant. had TO be determined
Us the luuhe anu jury ueIOre WnOm any
case was tried. where a certain guano run
under the guaranteed analysis and the
farmer sued 70 recover damages. In sec
tion - OF the new bill. II viii be observ-
ed that the word substantially" In the
old law Is fully defined. giving the manu-
facturer a reasonable variation. and when
the analysis Of his goods by the state
chemist falls below per cent Of the total
commercial value OF his goods, then the
penalty Is fixed by law without a trial
Section should be clearly understood.
lest II be misconstrued. The commercial
value OF fertilizers Is based upon the
wholesale spot cash price OF the ingredi-
ents. composed OF ph0sphoric acid. potash
and nitrogen. delivered at the port at Sa-
vannah- For instance, a standard
grade. - per cent complete fertilizer con-
tanning per cent phOsphoric acid. per
cent potash and per cent ammonia. based
upon its total commercial value at the
ports would be about sl400 per ton. This