234 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Jan., 



analysis made by the New York State chemist, it was very 

 satisfactory to me. I looked up the matter and after figuring 

 upon this basis, I found that Peruvian guano was worth some 

 170 a ton. Their corn manure figured $51 a ton and they asked 

 $60. Their potato fertilizer, as near as I remember, figured 

 about $33 or $84 a ton and they asked $50 for it. Some of 

 their fertilizers ran above and some below. The value of none 

 of the fertilizers that were figured in the list ran much 

 above the cost, while Peruvian guano ran very much above. 

 I wrote to six other firms, and four gave guaranteed analyses ; 

 the other two sent me no guaranteed analysis, but said, "You 

 will find it in our books." I said, " If you cannot give me a 

 guaranteed analysis in your circular, I don't believe you want 

 to have me figure on it very much during the winter, but 

 would rather I would buy your fertilizers when I am in a 

 hurry about it." I went down to New York intending to buy 

 Peruvian guano, but the gentleman whom I saw at the Mapes 

 company's office rather discouraged me by saying, " You 

 know it is an imperfect fertilizer ; there is too much phospho- 

 ric acid and too much nitrogen for the potash ; you will run 

 your land like fury." " Well," I said, '^ I want to run my 

 land like fury ; if I can get a big crop the first year I am sat- 

 isfied." "You can do it," said he, "but you will take the 

 potash all out of your soil. Don't you see that you have got 

 22 per cent, of phosphoric acid here, nearly six per cent, of 

 nitrogen, and only four of potash ; whereas, if you take our 

 complete fertilizer, it has four per cent, of potash, from eight 

 to ten of phosphoric acid, instead of 22, and from two and a 

 half to three of nitrogen instead of six ; and that excess of 

 phosphoric acid and nitrogen in Peruvian guano will so force 

 the crop that it will take all the potash out of the soil, and 

 in time you cannot raise a thing with your Peruvian guano." 

 " Yes," I said, " but you have offered me potash at four cents 

 a pound, in the form of muriate of potash, and why can 1 not, 

 after I have got one crop by the use of Peruvian guano, buy 

 your potash, sow it on broadcast, and so give a sufficient supply 

 of potash to the soil right along." He said, " 1 don't 



