QUALITY OF C0:MMERCIAL FERTILIZERS. 181 



agricultural products of Massachusetts one per cent, increases 

 the value of the crops almost seven hundred thousand dollars 

 over their value at the present time. That is a very appre- 

 ciable difference, and it will keep up an experimental station 

 forever. There can be no question of its success. Who will 

 doubt that a first-rate experimental station, where you should 

 have a first-rate chemist, a first-rate physiologist, a first-rate 

 botanist and entomologist at work, and going up and down 

 the State for the benefit of agriculture and horticulture, — who, 

 I say, can doubt that such an institution would, sooner or 

 later, — give it what time you please, — increase the agricul- 

 tural products of Massachusetts one per' cent, without any 

 increase of cost, and that at once pays for the thing, so that it 

 can be begun to-day and run forever ? 



Now what I would like to know in regard to this question 

 which we have under consideration is, AVhat do the manufac- 

 turers guarantee that the fertilizers, which they sell at fifty 

 dollars a ton, shall contain? I do not understand that we 

 could safel}' put much money into them unless we know that. 

 I would like to know how much soluble and insoluble phos- 

 phoric acid, how much potash, how much lime, how much 

 ammonia they propose to furnish for the fifty dollars ; and then 

 I can tell whether I want to buy them, and I shall not know 

 until I have that information. The sources of all those sub- 

 stances are known to mankind in general. 



The fundamental substances in all valuable manures have 

 their sources in the ashes of plants, in the mine, and the 

 vesetable and animal remains, which can be used for these 

 purposes ; and it is our business as purchasers and users of 

 fertilizers, to know what they contain before we put our 

 money into them ; and certainly we should want more than 

 one year's experience to settle the value of any fertilizer. 

 What we want to know is, what the manufacturers will guar- 

 antee to furnish us of these substances in their fertilizers, and 

 when we know that we can figure up to suit ourselves. 



Mr. Lewis. This question of fertilizers is a very important 

 one. I soon found out, after I commenced farming, that 

 manure agreed with my land extremely well. I commenced 

 with this understanding, however, that I would never reach 

 out beyond my farm and purchase a pound of commercial 



