Lancaster enterprise. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1891-1905, 1902-09-03
THE COMMERCIAL AND AGRICUL.
TURAL VALUE OF FERTILIZERS.

What is known as the commercial
value OF fertilizers as published in
agricultural bulletins and similar doc
uments, is a valuation made up bs
adding together the average value OF
the chemical ingredients which are
contained in the fertilizers
The agricultural value of fertili-
zer is variable according to the skill
OF the farmer and according to the
crop, and according to the seasons. 1t
crop, and the seasons. II is the
practical result obtained in apply
ing the fertilizers. The two values
ought to be about the same, and on
the average they probably are about
the same, but the individual farmer
who gives careful personal attention
tn his values will be able to make con-
siderable difference in his results by
studying the uvLerlying PRINCIPLES
The chemical ingredients which are re-
coSniZed as imparting commercial
value to fertilizers are nitrogen, phoS-
phoric acid and potash There is but
one source OF phosphoriC acid which
is at all practical and which is made
use of in the manufacture OF fertiliz-
erS in the South This ia acid phos-
phate, which is made by treating
phosphate rock with sulphuric acid.
the most ordinary source of potash Is
kainit, which is mined i'm Germany
The phosphOriC acid and the potash
which are derived from these Sources.
are about the same in their results on
crops as the phosphorus acid and pot
ash derived from any other sources,
but the sources OF nitrogen are num-
eTOuS. This is the most important and
expensive ingredient in fertilizers
Ihe commercial value of fertilizers
based on the analysis OF the contained
nitrogen. is reckoned just the same no
matter from what source the nitrogen
is obtained. and this fact Is apt to
mislead the farmer in his estimate of
the kinds of fertilizer to use for GER
tain crops. For example: a fertilizer
containing nitrate of soda contains a
splendid form of nitrogen, and one
which Is very soluble; therefore, IL ~
very good for early vegetables and
quick growing crops. but 1t is entirely
too soluble for use in the cotton crop
The cotton plant is of slow growth and
needs to have it's food supplied
throughout Il long interval. A fertili-
Ger containing cotton seed meal, hav-
ing the same amount of nitrogen rs
another fertilizer made of nitrate OF
soda or any other source of nitrogen.
is much more valuable To the cotton
plant. even at the same commercial
value, than any other kind OF fertilizer
The nitrogen in cotton seed meal is nil
soluble, but 1t requires some time to
be put into complete solution. This ix
exactly what OW-grOWing crops like
cotton and corn require. therefore It
is important for farmers i'm the puT-
chase OF fertilizer To specify that this
iertllZer Is made with cotton seed
meal, rather than other chemicals uaad
as source of nitrogen COR. what is the
same thing, the source OF ammonia)
All fertilizers containing nitrogen in
any form are generally known as am
moniatcd fertilizers. Let evary farmer
see to it that his fertilizers are am
moniated with cotton seed meal, and
as he knows he can not get the meal
to better advantage than from any of
the local mills Of the Southern Cottoa
Oil Company of the Carolinas and
Georgia, or through their Headquarters
at Columbia. S. c.. Augusta, Ga, At
lanta, Ga, Savannah, GA, and Golda.
boro, n. c., or Charlotte. n. c..