The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1903-11-23
DAILY MARKET QUOTATIONS
COMMERCIAL FERTILIZERS

| Every reader of the daily and the up
! to-date weekly newspapers is accustomed
to seeing in every issue of such a paper
one or more columns OF market reports,
| or quotations Of the prevailing prices OF
! staple commercial commodities In all
! the papers published in the cotton states
| the cotton market" occupies a prom-
ncnt. If not the first, place in these re-
, ports. The farmer who grows the cot
ton, the man who buys and sells cotton.
nearly every business man--indeed, nearly
everybody is Interested in the price of
cotton. Not only is the local market
quoted but also that Of every important
city in the United States, IS well tina
Of Liverpool. Following the cotton mar
ket reports come the stocks quotations.
railroad shares, money and bonds then
the market prices of corn. oats. wheat,
-four. bacon, lard live stock, and even
chickens and eggs, feathers, hides and
skins fish, butter. naval stores ind a
regular place In these market reports.
Has ii never occurred to the farmer to
ask why commercial fertilizers. and es
peclaly fertilizer ingredients. are not
also properly classified and included in
these daily and weekly reports?
have given tie subject some thought,
ton to find out why il is not done 1t
Is not probable that manufacturers of
fertilizers and dealers therein have delib-
eEately adopted or approved q policy or
silence in this mater Ii may be that the
fertilizer trade. being yet barely more
than 4 generation old, has not yet de
manded recognition in the martS OF trade.
The business has grown UP from such
comparatively small beginnings that is
present Importance has stolen upon the
country almost unawares.
Yet the cotton seed products-oil, meal
and hulls, rep esenung even younger
and perhaps less inportam position in
trade-are quoted daily
The Importance OF daily report Of
prices OF standard fertilizer Ingredients
Is perhaps already recognized by many
persons who nre engaged IN handing
hcse ingredients. and would almost GER
ralnly be al once recognized and appreci-
ate1 by thousands OF farmers VINO buy
and use them The trade in fertilizers
has grown 70 very large proportions, in
deed. and in the opinion Of those whose
judgment Is entitled TO weight the manu-
facture and ale Of fertilizers viii never
be less in magnitude and importance than
they are now Ii is business that
touches the farmer almost universally.
The cost of commercial fertilizers has
come to be a very important item in the
expense account Of d lara majority OF
farmers especially those who grow cot
ton, tobacco. sugar cane and wheat.
in this regard the well informed farmer
docs not care to know what the Nj
PQ Cos Cotton COMPOUND" or Bone
and Muscles Wheat Grower" or any
other proprietary brand OF goods is quoted
AT in Atlanta. Augusta, Charleston, jack
s0nville, Montgomery, etc. What he does
want to know, or should want 70 know,
is what lihosp horic acid potash aud nj
trogen, in recognized available forms are
worth. spot cash il carload lots or less
than carload lots. Freights are not sub
iect to much variation amt may be easily
estimated The insistance should be es-
peeially strong tina, the ingredients con-
tanning single yaluable plant food ele-
ments should &c quoted.
For ms auce. the farmer land the local
dealer as ven wants to Know the mar
ket price per ton COR per unit) Of acid
phosphate. the price OF potash in the
form OF murlate Of potash the price Of
nitrogen n the form Of dried blood, nj
tra,e OF soda, etc. in every case stating
The percentage, or units, of valuable ele-
ments.
Ii would not be Il difficult matter to
/ give quotations on what Is known as
4 complete fertilizer commonly called
/ 'Aguano. always baslng the quoted
| prices on guaranteed analysis. 1t would
/ be easy enough to quote 2 guano
I ct so much q ton. In carload lots; and
| 10 2, 50 much and so on. A farm
] er then. or q dealer, knowing the price
! Of. say, an 8 guano and the
prices or available phosphoric acid in acid
phosphate and Of potash in muriate Of
! potash ana III lSainit and the prices OF
/ nitrogen In its various forms, can decide
J whether it would be better to buy the
manipulated guano, or buy the separate
ingredients and mix them himself. OF
sentimes il would be found better to buy
the ready-made goods but there are many
farmers who viii prefer to buy separate
| Nv and mix according to his own notion.
Ii does seem clear that no reputable
! manufacturer, certainly no dealer In such
goods may consistently object to such
market quotations.
What say our brethren Of the agricul-
t,lral press? And what say the readers
: OF The CONSTITUTIONS
4 r. j. REDDING.