73 



The remaiuiug: Atlantic and eastern Gulf States report a growing dis- 

 position to supersede the use of coianiercial fertilizers by home-made 

 composts ; but the former are still somewhat extensively used on wheat 

 and cotton, and, in IvTorth Carolina, on tobacco. Several counties in 

 this State report that the use is confined to tobacco; in a majority of th^ 

 counties reported, they are either not deemed profitable, or only so to a 

 limited extent under specified conditions. In Caswell, there is a general 

 dis])Osition to dispense with them ; in Lenoir, less used than a few years 

 ago; in Martin, not one-fourth as much used in 1874 as in 1873; in 

 Chatham, less profitable than manure and home-made composts; in 

 Wake, " easily handled and well adapted to a thriftless farming com- 

 munity, they are used by every planter who has the money or the credit 

 to buy; but the more intelligent and successful planters are learning to 

 depend on home-sources for ammonia, and only purchasing the phos- 

 phates.'' A few returns are unqualifiedly favorable. Randolph reports 

 that on thin, worn-out land, 200 pounds of guano per acre frequently 

 increases the yield of wheat four-fold ; Cleveland, that they pay fully 

 50 per cent.; Duplin, that they are almost a necessity for the production 

 of cotton, paying 50 to 100 percent, on the investment; and Gaston, 

 that the use of them is on the increase. Several returns specity the 

 use of gypsum on clover with profit. In Clay, lime is found very "bene- 

 ficial; only one-third of the returns specify the proportion used, but, so 

 far as indicated, it amounts to about 13 per cent, against 36 of home- 

 made compost and 51 of farm-yard manure. 



Returns from South Carolina make the amount of commercial fer- 

 tilizers used equal to that of both farm-yard manure and home-made 

 composts. A majority report that they are deemed profitable; Barn- 

 well, that they yield 30 to 50 per cent, on cost ; Williamsburgh, that, 

 under favorable circumstances, they pay more than 100 per cent. But 

 there are some important qualifications: in Richmond, they are thought 

 profitable'*/ the farmer can pay cash down; in Beaufort, home-made 

 composts prove more profitable; in Fairfield, while the ammoniated su- 

 perphosphates are deemed paying fertilizers, the same value in composts, 

 with acid phosphates, is more remunerative ; in Greenville, the yield of 

 cotton, per acre, annually decreases, and the expense of fertilizers in- 

 creases. 



In Florida, returns indicate that the use is very limited and appar- 

 ently decreasing. Owing to a want of knowledge in their proper use, 

 and to impositions, they have grown into disfavor in Madison County; 

 in Gadsden, with few exceptions, the use of them is abandoned ; in 

 Suwannee, they are deemed unprofitable. Per contra : Orange reports 

 that they are profitable, and used more and more every year, Peruvian 

 guano being the favorite; and in Putnam and Santa Rosa they are 

 profitably used on garden-crops. Phosphates, bone-dust, salt, ashes, 

 gypsum, guano, and fish-guano are specified. 



Though returns from Georgia show that two-fifths of the fertilizers 

 used are commercial, only about one-fourth report them positively profit- 

 able ; another fourth, either of doubtful utility or less profitable than 

 other fertilizers ; and the remainder positively unprofitable. There ap- 

 pears to be a decided movement toward substituting for them home- 

 made composts, and a growing appreciation of farm-yard manure. 



Brooks : It is a questiou whether they have not doue more harm than good ; thou- 

 sands of dollars are paid out annually, and when the season is not suited it is demon- 

 strable that it would have been better if they had not been applied. Stewart: Laro-ely 

 used from 1809 to 1H72, inclusive, but less now ; certainly have helped to impoverish^our 

 people. Ui)son : Most are purchased on time, and when pay-dav comes round, planters 

 swear that the stuii' did no good and is the last they will ever buy. But when planting- 



