The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1902-1905, 1905-01-13
FERTILIZER "MAKE-wR1GHTs.

rails often contain foreign sub.
stances. of little or no fertilizing
value, added by the manufacturer
for the purpose of bringing the
weight of the mixture up to an even
1900 lbs. This belief is fostered by
well-meaning advisers, who are ut
terly ignorant of all the details OF
the fertilizer trade aud the practical
manufacture and sale Of commercial
fertilizers.
As is always the case with wide
spread error, some foundation for
the belief must exist. In this case.
however. it is wholly without actual
foundation as a business or trade
condition. The only basis for the
suppOsition lies i'm the fact that
when formula for a desired fertili-
yer is mixed, the percentage of the
composition and the kind of materi-
ais to he used in mixing both being
determined in advance, the total
final product, or mixed fertilizer
does not always amount to exactly
1900 lbs.
An actual case will illustrate the
point. Suppose that mixed frrtili-
ger consists Of 500 pounds of acid
phosphate, 800 pounds OF Nitrate of
soda and 800 pounds of muriate of
potash. The combined weight of the
materials is 1000 pounds. The ton
is the basis of sale and for percen-
raga computing. Therefore, say the
fertilizer tyros, there must be 400
pounds of "make-weight' added to
make the 1900 pounds in which the
percentage would be as. II. 5.
The actual and important practical
fact, however, is that the manufac-
turer is never restricted both as to
the percentage and kind of material
he shall mix to produce a fertilizer
of a specified composition. He has
at his disposal different materials OF
the same general character, equally
available to the crop and desirable
to the purchaser, but varying very
greatly in strength or concentration.
To illustrates: He may use Belgian
Phosphate with only per cent of
phOsphoric acid, or double super
phosphate'with 40 per cent. He may
use nitrate OF soda with 10 per cent
Of nitrogen or sulphate of ammonia
with 20 per cent. He may use high
grade sulphate of potash with 80 per
cent of potash, or low grade sulphate
with 80 per cent. Either of these
materials is equally desirable so far
as its relations to crop production
easily possible, by slight variation
in the selection of the raw materials.
to be mixed to produce any desired
per cent of each of the three essen
tials, and have exactly 1900 pounds
of the mixture without in any way
changing the character of the fertili-
ger produced.
Suppose we mix such a fertilizer
as an illustration. Take a common
orange-tree formula. Itshall contain
per cent, available phosphoric ac-
id, 8 per cent nitrogen, and II per
cent, of actual potash. All ingredi-
ents shall be from mineral sources,
the approved Orange-tree materials.
BY using common low-grade acid
phosphate with only II per cent,
phosphoric acid, the mixture of 1900
pounds would either fail of contain
ing quite the specified s per cent, or
in securing the per cent the total
would slightly exceed the desired
1000 pounds. By the simple eXpedi-
ent of using a better grade of acid
phosphate, the standard 10 per cent,
grade, an even 2.0cO pounds may be
mixed which shall have exactly the
specified composition, as follows:
Acid phosphate $3.50 1l2O pounds;
nitrate of soda, $3.50 100 pounds;
OF potash, 5000 $50 pounds.
Total 1000 pounds with the stipulat-
ed per centage of S-S-l2
1t must be remembered that fertili-
zers are sold on guaranteed compo-
sitiOns determined by officicial gov
eminent analysis. There is not the
reason or necessity for any
"make-weight. 1t is never resorted
to by intelligent or skillful manufac-
turers. 1t only exists in the iInagi-
nation. 1t is an utterly foolish
phantom. the shadow of which
should be banished from the mind of
every rational user of fertilizers.
NATURAL COLD STORAGE.
My old friend Gen. j. Briggs. of
Russellville, KY, is out with an offer
TO the grapefruit growers of Florida
which may solve the present difficult
ties of their existence. Gen. Briggs
is a winter resident of Winter Park,
Polk Co., where in the old days he
was one of the largest tomato grow
eTs of the state. He owns cave at
Russellyille, which has permanent
all the year, closely ap-
proXimatiug freezing as deg.) He
offers free storage of grapefruit il.
this cave. till the glut Is removed
and the fruit will be valuable next
spring or summer. He has kept
lemons there in perfect condition
'Or years. The only charge would
be the local R. R. rate of $500 per
,ar from Russellville to the cave and
&c per box drayage each way, on
ruit delivered there. The offer is
we'll worth testing, particularly as
he location is good one for subse-
iuent distribution. Glasgow juno
ion, Ky. is the station for the cave,
md the railroads have offered
through rate of 46 cents per box on
Only car lots will be
eceived.
QUESTIONS ANSWERED.
Q. How is Fuller's earth used for
Clarifying strip?
A. No method available to the |
mall sirup maker has yet been de-
Used. l have made most beautiful |
irup by the use of this material for |
larifying the juice. The method Is
ften a total failure, inasmuch as
he product often tastes so strongly |
+ the earth as to be useless. Its APP
earance is superior to that obtained |
4 any other way, aud the taste va
les, sometimes being hardly noticia-
lie. The field is a hopeful one for
experimentation, but not one open TO
he man dependent on his product
Dr. a profit.
A. When was the lowest tempera-
Ire ever recorded i'm Florida?