The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1910-03-10
Good Attendance at Regular Meeting
Of Science Club.
GROWING INTEREST IN CLUB WORK.
Excellent Lecture on the "kanuiaC.
ture and Uses Of Commercial Fer
filters" Much Interest Shown.

and Others concerned was discuss
Ell before the regular monthly
meeting Of the Science club last
Monday evening by Mr.. George
Nash, general manager of the
Virginia Carolina Chemical Com
pany of Durham. His subject
was "The Manufacture and Uses
of Commercial Fertilizers" The
substance Of Mr.. Nash's lecture
was as follows: Ii is somewhat
astonishing that in the purchase
of commercial fertilizers only a
very small percentage Of the con-
suners in this country pay any
attention to the requirements
of the soil which they are TO cul-
tivate, or to the crops they wish
to produce. 1t is first necessary
to determine by chemical analysis
OF the character of the soil which
is to be cultivated and next the
chemical analysis of the crop to
be harvested, in so far as both OF
these subjects relate to the ques-
ton OF civilizations and the fer.
tilizer material which is shown
to be absent in the soil, and which
is required for the crop. We are
realizing more that our farm lands
shonld be made more productive,
and this can only be accomplished
by more intense cultivation, which
should include a more jddicious
application Of iertilizing material
1t has heen shown that this coun-
~ produces an average Of only
~ bushels Of wheat 10 the acre,
while the European countries
produce As, which clearly goes TO
show that We are not obtaining a
proper returns from our labors,
and income to be desired
from the investment in our farms.
Cotton statistics show that We
olny produce fonr-tenths Of a bale
to the acre, while it has been
proven beyond the question Of a
doubt that one and. one-llalf &c
two bales can be produced, with
but very small additional outlay
in labor and cost Of fertilizer. Al
a cost Of sI5.oo per acre for fer
tilizers, one and one-half bales oI
cotton can be produced per acre.
That the country is realizing the
importance Of this subject, may
state that the consumation Of fer.
tilizer has increased during the
past fifteen years 50 per cent, o.
expressed in tons, from two mil
lion 70 tour million tons per an
mum, with an invested capital O
about one hundred million dol.
lars.
Having given The importance
OF fertilizer the speaker directed
attention % il proper compost.
ton sources Of supply aud manu-
facturc. The composition Of fer.
tilizer Is phosphenic acid. Potash
and Amonia, and IS desired from
ground bones and phosphate rock,
The phosphate rock IS minec
chiefly ii tie States Of SOUTH
Carolina. Florida and Tennessee
The AMMONIA Is practically obtain.
"a from these sources; West coas'
81 Chill ana from tie refuse 3
slaughter houses. ely luse sno
fsh. Tie processes through
which ,.ies ingredients bad L
y q Is b - Available forn
ior use Nefe minuisI decnbed
Tie manufacture u fertilizers IL.
o3efei 81 exec eut 6e.d i.r afs
10 Tie chemist ard the c6e.nie
En- 4eer. Tie phosphate focI
must be treated with 81 a,
acid, which IS the be- acl =
tainble. It can be got itoM Ba.
two sources, commercIa 81 sn
phur or birthstone and 81 ilae 8