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valuable because most costly fertilizing elements out of manures, retaining them in a form 
not easily or not largely removed by rain, and yet accessible to the roots of plants—the so- 
called absorbent or fixing power of soils—has also been elaborately studied. We have thus 
a pretty complete knowledge of what acrop requires for its growth, what it carries off from 
the land, what is returned in straw or tops, and where we may look for the most effectual and 
cheapest restoration of the materials thus removed. The well-instructed farmer is thereby 
put in possession of the data for keeping accounts between his soil and his crops, so that 
he can estimate with accuracy what the soil itself can be relied upon to contribute yearly 
toward their production, and what must be supplied yearly or during each rotation, by means 
of manures, in order to maintain, to develop, or to increase the fertility of the land. 
THE EXPERIMENT-STATIONS AND THE TRADE IN FERTILIZERS. 
One very important feature of the work of the stations is the analysis 
of commercial fertilizers. ‘It is just about twenty-five years since in 
Germany, as here, the trade in superphosphates, guano, and similarcom- 
mercial fertilizers began. The same stupendous frauds by adulteration 
and dilution of good things were practiced there as they have been, and, 
we have great reason to fear, still are carried on here. But the experi- 
ment-station has perfectly cured and rooted out these evils in all the 
districts where it has been established and appreeiated. The experi- 
ment-station there is prepared to furnish the farmers, at small cost, with 
an analysis of any fertilizer he proposes to buy. The farmers avail 
themselves of this aid. They will buy no fertilizer without an exact 
statement of its composition, and they buy with the understanding that 
any deficiencies in the stipulated amount of fertilizing matters shall be 
made good or deducted from the payment. Under such circumstances 
manufacturers can sell nothing that is not substantially what it claims 
to be. A further result of this system is that low-grade fertilizers are 
little sought, and those makers who can supply the best article, of uni- 
form quality and at the lewest rates, have the business. With large 
sales the dealers prosper, while the consumers are satisfied with their 
purchases, and instead of trying to see how they can get along with 
small use of purchased fertilizers, they are studying how to use the 
greatest quantities to advantage. The fertilizer market in Saxony and 
Prussia, where the experiment-station has the universal sanction and 
confidence of the farmers, is just as settled and satisfactory as any 
branch of trade, and the farmers there buy superphosphate, guano, pot- 
ash salts, &c., with as much security of fair dealing as we can feel in 
the purchase of sugar or nails.” 
“The German fertilizer-control system” consists essentially in ar- 
rangements by which dealers place their wares under the supervision of 
the stations, and guarantee them to contain certain percentages of val- 
uable fertilizing ingredients; the guarantees being subject to verifica- 
tion by analyses made at the stations. Their stocks are also held open 
at all times to the inspection of the officers of the station, who, from 
time to time, without previous notice, select samples for analyses. A 
most important feature of the control consists in the provision very 
generally made by which purchasers have the privilege of having sam- 
ples of the articles they buy analyzed, at small cost, or for nothing. 
Just. here, indeed, is the superiority of the German system over the one 
in vogue in this country of having fertilizers examined by State inspect- 
ors. Besides an occasional examination of one or at most a very 
few samplés of each particular brand, as the inspector may find it, the 
German farmers have the still further security which comes from the 
testing of samples of the articles they actually buy. 
Ilustrations of the benefit of such control-systems are as numerous. 
as they are striking. ‘In the province of Saxony, in Prussia, there 
