The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1902-07-05
FARMER AND PLANTER.
THE FERTILIZER LAWS.
The Farmer At the Mercy Of the
Manufactures and Compelled to
Pay Tribute TO Him.

we desire to call attention to the
situation as shown in Col. Peek's
communication in recent issue.
The Georgia law as interpreted by the
attorney general, forbiGs any one
selling fertilizers to farmers in bulk.
This simply means that 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.
1t places the farmer at the mercy
OF the manufacturer, and complies
him to pay tribute to him.
This Is an Ubiquitous law. It pre-
vents the farmer from buyirg the
material in bulk and doing his own
mixing. 1t compels him to pay sew
eral dollars extra for each ton of fer
tiiizers he uses. The farmers of Geor-
gia use about 100000 tons annually.
On this they pay at least four dollars
per ton more than 1t would cost them
II they bought the material and
mixed for themselves. This is s.. 60O,-
600 each year that the farmers are
forced to pay the manufacturers.
This IL an outrageous and enor-
nous tax. Farmers, can you afford
to submit to it? 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, but was con-
strued to mean that the farmer could
buy the material for his own use If
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 not
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
init to be robbed.
There is no secret value in ma
chine-mixed fertilizers. Experience
shows that any farmer can mix his
own to better advantage with a
shovel and hoe. 1t is not the mix
ing, sacking or tagging that gives
value to fertilizers. That value de-
ponds entirely up the quantity and
quality Of soluble plant food which
they contain.
The farmer can get The same bene-
at from their use without mixing
them at all. He can put 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 paying.
1t now requires about four hun
ared pounds of these ready-mixed |
goods to make good crop where two |
hundred pounds used to be enough.
1t is time for rebellion or a strike |
or boycott. We are opposed in prin-
siple to all of these, hut sometimes |
nothing else will do.
Demand of your several lcgisla-
lures to change the law so ms to give
you a chance to purchase the raw
in open market at the same
terms as any one else.
II man is manufactures he can
buy at a cheap price; it he is a farmer
be must buy at higher price.
This we call class legislation Of the
rankest kind. This is protecting the
wrong party. A great trust or cor
porntion, the Virginia & Carolina
chemical Co., for instance, can buy
It the original market and the low
st price, but the farmer can not.
Any little factory that will set up
! grinder and brand the sacks, can
'uy a. the lowest figures, but the
'armer can not.
Better do away with the whole
business of state inspection than
protect the farmer in any such way.
The Virginia & Carolina Chemical Co.
5 now entire master If the whole
Cultivator.
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