The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-08-02
STATE EEISTE.ILEf BS;.IivI>
DISCUSSED.
Ct. IVey, in Apex Journal.)

Ct. Iyey, in Apex Journal.)
A study OF the Fertilizer Bulletin.
This little booklet is a very valuable
publication, issued twice u Gear by the
North Carolina Department. of Aeri-
protection of the farmers against
fraud in fertilizers. This bulletin.
brlstling with Information, is sent
free to every farmer who Will ask for
it. 1t is worth while for every farm
er to get his name upon the mailing
list of the Department and have his,
with valuable bulletins, sent to him,
and then study them.
The only objection to the fertilizer
bulletin is the lateness of its appear
ing. The 1910 spring bulletin dated
March didn't appear till April IS,
after all OF u fertilizer
had been bought and most
Of it applied to the soil. 1t contains
this slightly inconSruOus statement:
THE farmer can know by, or before,
the fertilizers are put in the ground
whether or not they contain the fer
tiiizing constituents in the amounts
they We're claimed to be present. Had
it appeared earlier this statement
would have carried some force. It
embraces analyses only of the fail
samples. 1t serVes, however, to put
the manufacturers en- guard against
spurious goods.
The farmer would like to have the
analyses in advance Of purchasing fer
t~ilizers, but his seems Impossible, as
the samples have to be collected with
out the knowledge of the manufac-
turer from goods shipped into, or with
in, the State. But the analyses serves
a good purpOse-the manufacturer
knows that it will always be made
and any shortage discovered and ex-
49, - 4In -, =. -1,,1! 10
cline 20 buy goods that continually run
short. There is q principle in law re
curing the manufacturer to reimburse
the farmer for any shortage diScOv-
cred in any lot of fertilizer for which
he has paid the market price.
Tho new bulletin contains the anal
yses Of abou 1874 samples, represent
ing forty-One different grades, col
lected from various points in the
State. OF the analysed samples 46
show a deficiency below the guarantee.
What does this mean? II the work
of the Department is a true criterion,
it means that more than % per cent of
the fertilizer sold in North Carolina
during the fall of 1909 fell short of the
analysis guaranteed by the
turer. he greatest deficiency OBJ
served in any one sample is No. 1911
in which the value fell short 1921 per
ton and it being a low priced guano 70
start with. Look at it and see whose
brand it is. This same manufactures
had - other samples anaiyZed and SIX
of them fell below the guarantee. This
seems to indicate on the part OF this
manufacturer an negll-
gence, or a studied effort to deceive.
To be sure, samples run slightly
above the guarantee, but that does
o reimburse the poor fellow VINO
buys the short. Thanks to the De
part1nent of Agriculture for MAKING
his disclosure.
Other valuable items of Informal
ton are also contained in the bulletin
You will observe that already 24I3
brands OF fertilizers have been enter
ed for sale for the veal 1910. 1t YER
riIy looks like the farms in this state
are run for the benefit of the fertilizer
factories. The bulletin gives a very
simple explanation Of the terms USED
in the analysis, Is Well as the source
and character Of the ingredients used
in fertilizers. This is made SC plain
that any farmer who can not under
stand it should hardly trust himself
to buy fertilizers. From the instruC-
one can determine the relative
vaIue of the different grades of fer
tilizers.
One thing do not find would d
interest to the bulletin: For the De
partment to state what 1t cost the
farmers to have this work done, that
is. how much per ton, What the az
erecate and how the money is eX-
pended.
The bulletin also contains a table
of freight rates from the Seaboard to
inland points which is very handy as
ready reference.
THE s:TYPHOID" OR HOUSE FL.