The Newark journal. (Newark, Ark.) 1901-1959, 1916-02-03
/. THE USE OF COMMERCIAL FER
TILlZERS-HlSTORY.


show how this great industry began
and grew in the Southern United
| States. Generally speaking, the far
mers of this generation inherited the
habit of applying fertilizers to soils,
but have not been taught the underly
ing principles Of the industry
The use Of some kind of manures on
soils with crops for the purpose of in
creasing the yields goes back to an
ctent times. We know that many an
efent people applied animal manures
TO their soils for this purpose The
Chinese centuries ago, applied ma
nures of various kinds to their soils
| and gardens and with phenomenal re-
suits. In Won Tshudi's Travels in Pc
ru we find that as early as the middle
of the last century notes were being
taken on the actual value of Guano BY
the Peruvians
Bousingault speaks of seeing fields
in Peru on which wheat had been
grown every year for two centuries.
and the yield still high and the grow
ers prosperous
The practice OF using mineral fertt.
lizers was introduced direct from Pc
ri t the United States in the year
1916, and was based on such reports
as We find above. 1t had already been
used in England before it found its
way into the United States but Peru
seems to be the country in which the
application of minerals 10 soils as
plant food originated. We do not
know this is true, but all evidence
points to this 1t is of greater interest
TO us therefore that we know about
the customs in Peru.
The first man in the Southern States
to use this Peruvian guano was David
Dickson, of Sparta, Ga, who saw an
advertisement of it in the old Ameri-
can Farmer published in Baltimore
The South has perhaps never had a
more successful farmer than David
Dixon. who made many millions OF
dollars farming, and who was a pio-
neer in many other lines as we'll as in
the use of mineral fertilizers. In the
year 1916, the year after il was intro
dueed into the United States. he bought
three sacks and used it, and on find
ing that 1t paid him, bought 1t in in
creasing quantities till the year 1853
and 1856, when he went into it fully"
As is suggested above this is no doubt
the first instance of the use of a con
centrated mineral fertilizer on cotton
in the United States
The universal success with which
Mr.. Dickson met in the use of this Pc
ruvian guano led many other promi-
nent farmers to follow his example
and in every reported case success
followed its use. We are constrained
to believe that the way that the app}i-
cation of this mineral fertilizer to the
cotton anu other crops in the South
could not possibly have been an acct
dent Its success was unquestionably
based on the actual needs of the soil
\ quickly available manure was what
the crop needed. and when this vas
once applied results we're evident
After time it was found that the
Peruvian guano, which contained prin-
stalk and not much increase in the
yield of fruit, and hence us use was
somewhat discouraged for a season.
About this time the war between
the States began, and at the same
time the discovery OF the potash BEDS
OF Germany, also, the Offering on the
market of various kinds of mineral
fertilizers resulting from the teach
ings OF on Liebig of Germany, who
was at that time the greatest cham
pion in the world of agriculture and
its possibilities. AS result the pop
ularity of Peruvian guano subsidized
and more study was given to the gem
eral question of the use OF mineral
manures, both by farmers themselves
and the students of agriculture.
Two great contributing factors TO
the rise of the fertilizer trade in the
South are first the abolition of slav-
cry, and second, the rise of agricul-
tural education. Before the war the
question of land was secondary. IL
growing farm crops in the South wore
the land out" there were plenty OF
| slaves to take in more land" 1t was
cheaper to take in land than to pay
for any artificial manure. In 1862,
the Morrill, Bill passed Congress-
creating agricultural colleges in the
various states, after which there be-
gan a campaign for improving meth
DDS in agriculture. Experiments at
I public expense were begun on a small
scale, and the public was induced to
make greater use of plant foods of all
| kinds, as we'll as to improve methods
of tillage. This, of course, caused an
immediate Increase in the use OF min
eral plant foods, and out of which
| grew demands for great quantities of
| fertilizers. From this great demand
there sprang up fertilizer factories in
all parts of the country. All kinds OF
| materials were tried out, some was
good. and some was not. but much of
| both kinds used. The factories had
| no restrictions and many of them