Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1902-05-22
FARMERAND PLANTER
THE FERTILIZER LAWS.
Manufactures and Compelled to
Pay to Him

We desire to call attention TO the
situation as shown in Col Peek's
communication in a recent issue.
The Georgia law. as interpreted by the
attorney general. forbics any one
selling fertilizers to farmers in bulk.
This simply means that 4 farmer can
only buy fertilizers in sacks from
manufacturers But the manufac-
turers can buy in bulk. That means
that the consumer can not buy with
out paying the manufacturer for
sacking. mixing. inspection and ham
ding.
II places the farmer at the mercy
of the manufacturer. and complies
him 10 pay tribute 10 Elm.
This Is an iniquitous law. IL pre-
vents the farmer from buy ing the
material in bulk and ling his own
mixing. IL compels him q pay sew
eral dollars extra for each ton Of fer
filters he uses. The farmers Of GeOr-
ria use about 100000 tons annually.
On this they pay at least our dollars
per ton more than il would cost them
IL they bought the material and
mixed for themselves. This is 5 $780,
900 zach year that the farmers are
forced to pay the manufacturer
This l. an outrageous and enOr-
nous tax. Farmers. can you afford
to submit TO il? Will you submit to
it,
Rather than do so. you had better
not Use fertilizers at all.
The law has been upon the statute
books for many years. hut was ron
Strued To mean that the farmer could
buy the material for IL own use il
he did not wish to sell again Under
that construction they were permit
ted To buy and mix.
But now the Virginia and Carolina
Chemical Co. having secured control
of the Carolina phosphate. refuses to
sell To the farmers in bulk. and force
them To buy their manufactured
goods at higher prices.
They claim that the law will o
permit them to sell to the farmer.
The attorney general sustains their
claim
So the poor farmer. Who uses all
the fertilizers. finds himself at the
mercy Of this one company. Tied
hand and foot. he must tamely sub
NIT to be robbed.
There Is no secret value in ma
ehine-mixed fertilizers. Experience
shows that n farmer can mix his
nun ra has~ar .lv,r. v~r-H
shovel and a hoe. IL i not the mix
ing. saeking or tagging hat gives
value To fertilizers That value de-
ponds entirely up the quantity and
quality Of soluble plant food which
thev contain
E The farmer can get the same bene-
TT from their use without mixing
them at all He can Pu: in his cot
ton-Seed meal and get the same re-
suits The mixing only saves time
and labor in distribution.
We say the time has come when
farmers must either buy the material
and do their own mixing or use less
fertilizers They can not stand the
enormous cost they have been paving.
II now requires about four hun
pounds of these ready-mfxed
goods To make a good crop where two
hundred pounds used to be enough
II Is time for a rebellion or 4 strike
or a boycott We are opposed in prin-
eiple 70 al Of these. but sometimes
nothing else Will do.
Demand Of your several legfsla-
lures TO change the law so as To give
you a chance to purchase the raw
material in open market at the same
terms as ans one else.
II a man is a manufacturer he can
buyat a cheap price; if he is a farmer
he must buy at a higher price.
This We call class legislation of the
rankest kind This is protecting the
wrong party. \ great rust or cor
poration, the Virginia & Carolina
Chemical Co, for instance. can buy
at the original market and the low
est price. but the farmer can not.
ANY little factory that will set up
a grinder and brand the sacks. can
buy at the lowest figures. but the
farmer can not.
Better do away with the whole
business Of state inspection than
protect the farmer in n such wav.
The Virginia & Carolina Chemical Co.
Is now entire master cf the whole
sltuation-SOuthern Cultivator.
cAUrNn m raD ---