Evening star., 1925-03-16
FERTILIZER PRICES
ABOVE LAST YEAR
Dealers Deny $4,000, 900
Boost in Cost of 1925
Cotton Crop.
By j. C. ROlLE.


Special Dispatch TO The Star.
CHARLESTON, S. c., March 10
Emphatic denial was made here today
that the price Of fertilizer would add
$10,000,0O0 to the cost of producing
The 1925 cotton crop. Leaders in the
fertilizer manufacturing industry. OF
which Charleston is u center. asserted
that prices for their product were not
higher than those which were current
4 the start of the 1924 selling sea
and were fully warranted by the laws
OF supply and demand.
They admitted, however, that condi-
tons in the fertilizer industry might
result In the use of less soil improver
ny planters this seasons and that this
night reduce the yield and tend to-
ward higher cotton prices. Charleston
Formerly was a leader in production
OF phosphate rock, but discoveries OF
more cheaply mined phosphates in
Florida and Tennessee turned this sec
tion away from mining to manutac-
ture.
Present stocks Not Larger.
The growers used about SIS, 600
tons OF fertilizer last season" said
J. Ross Hannahan, president of the
Planters Fertilizer and Phosphate Co,
today "I anticipate that thy viii
spread not less than 100000 tons this
sea ason. Prices for acid phosphate te
are Just about where they stood a
year ago.
Shortly after this time in 1924
however, the Virginia Carolina Chem
ical Co. a leader III the industry,
went into bankruptcy. The concern
had enormous stocks of phosphate and
these were dumped on the market by
he receivers. The fertilizer selling
sea son is short and manufacturers
cannot afford TO have their money
tied up for months in larger stocks
Of finished product so other producers
followed the Virginia Csrolina's lead.
This broke the price and resulted
in the closing down of many factories
in this section which could not afford
10 manufacture at the low price
levels.
Demand Very Heavy.
AS result of the curtailment of
production. there are no larger stocks
this season. The demand is greater
than the factories here can supply.
In spite of this the prices of fertili-
zer now arc nearer pre-war levels
than farm crop prices. In 1918 a bale
of cotton would buy 5,342 pounds of
will purchase S.55S pounds of soil
enricher.
For every dollar the farmer received
for his cotton before the war, he now
IS paid SIZE while he can buy the same
amount of fertilizer which formerly
cost him 81 for S1.06. The increased
cost OF fertilizer will add little 10
the cost of cotton production this
year, prvided the weather is favora-
hle for the plant and unfavora bic
for the boil wecvil.
EuyipE Has Been Very Slow.
$50 far the buying of phosphates
in the cotton belt has been extremely
slow. For one thing. plowing has
been greatly delayed. Then, too. pur-
chasers held off TO take advantage OF
the readjustment of the freight rates.
The latter hope has now gone glim-
operation of the new rates, which
we're to have become effective March 8.
other plants have been holding off.
hoping for a break in prices such as
took place last year. / am conSinc ed
that they will be disappointed and
they may wind up by paying more
than the present quotations. This does
not mean necesSar rily that little ferti-
lizer will be used. It is cuStomary
10 put fertilizer under cotton, but i,
the plants look good it is likely tha,
many farmers will spread it on the
side"