Tin-: Analysis of Feutii.izeks. 285 



a once fertile soil. In spite of the uncertainty of their com- 

 position, caused by a lack of knowledge, a lack of care, and 

 ii lack of honesty the demand for concentrated fertilizers is 

 on the increase. 



The fertilizers offered in market mostly go under the 

 name of " superphosphates," the insoluble calcium phos- 

 phate or " bone phosphate" having been treated with sul- 

 pluiric acid and so rendered more or less soluble. 



We have perhaps no trustworthy data on which may be 

 based an estimate of the quantity used in our own country. 

 But the amount is enormous. Fair estimates for certain 

 States and towns wo have and from these we may form some 

 idea of the amount demanded by the present system of 

 agriculture. 



The State of Georgia is officially estimated to expend 

 annually $10,000,000 in the purchase of fertilizers. Secre- 

 tary Flint states that many of the towns of Massachusetts 

 are yearly paying from $25,000 to $45,000 for concentrated 

 fertilizers. Prof. Johnson says that single towns in Con- 

 necticut expend annually from $30,000 to $50,000 for 

 guano, phosphates, etc., besides using large quantities of 

 home supplies. Number if we will the towns in the sea- 

 board States and use this number as the multiplier of the 

 above sums, and we get a glimpse of the amount of money 

 paid for fertilizers by the farmers of the older States. And 

 wc may hope that the manufacture and sale may go on and 

 increase until as an adjunct of the home gathered manures 

 they may restore our fields to their original productive 

 power. 



This is to be noticed in this connection : it is not by the 



