The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1902-09-03
THE COMMERCIAL AND AGRlCUL'
TURAL VALUE OF FERTILIZERS:

What is known as the commercial
value of fertilizers as published III
AGRICULTURAL bulletins and similar doc
uments, is a valuation made up by
adding together the average value OF
the chemical ingredients which are
contained in the fertilizers.
The agricultural value of fertili-
ger is variable according to the skill
of the farmer and according to the
crop, and according to the seasons. 1t
crop, and the seasons. 1t 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
to his values will be able to make con-
siderable difference in his results by
studying the underlying principles
The chemical ingredients which are re-
cognized 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 is acid phos-
phate, which is made by treating
phosphate rock with sulphuric acid.
The most ordinary source of potash is
kainit, which is mined in Germany.
The phosphoric acid and the potash,
which are derived from these sources,
are about the same in their results on
crops as the phosphoric acid and pot
ash derived from any other sources,
but the sources of nitrogen are num-
erous. This is the most important and
expensive ingredient in fertilizers.
The 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: fertilizer
containing nitrate Of soda contains a
splendid form of nitrogen, and one
which is very soluble; therefore, it is
very good for early vegetables and
too soluble for use in the cotton crop.
The cotton plant is of slow growth and
needs to have its food supplied
throughout a long interval. A fertili-
zer containing cotton seed meal, hav-
ing the same amount of nitrogen as
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 all
soluble, but it requires some time to
be put into complete solution. This is
exactly what slow-growing crops like
cotton and corn require, therefore. it
is important for farmers in the pur-
chase of fertilizer to specify that this
fertilizer is made with cotton seed
meal, rather than other chemicals used
as a 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
moniated fertilizers. Let every 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 Cotton
Oil Company of the Carolinas and
Georgia, or through their headquarters
at Columbia, S. c., Augusta, Ca, At
lanta, Ca, Savannah, Ca, and Colds
boro, n. c., or Charlotte, N. c.