Genera! Discussion on CoMereial Fertilizers, 



By C. A. GOESSMANN. 



The present condition of the trade in Commercial Fertilizers offers 

 exceptional advantages to provide efficient manures for the raising 

 of farm and garden crops of every description congenial to soil and 

 climate. Tiie various essential articles of plant food are freely 

 offered for sale in forms suitable to render the different kinds of the 

 manorial refuse material of the farm in a higher degree fit to meet 

 the special wants of the crops to be raised. Mixed fertilizers, 

 designed to supply the essential articles of plant food with reference 

 to the needs of special crops, and containing them in every conceiv- 

 able proportion, are asking for the patronage of all parties interested 

 in the raising of jjlants. 



The general character of the mauurial substances, simple and com- 

 pound, presented in our markets has on the whole been improving 

 from year to year, in regard to their chemical composition as well as 

 their mechanical condition. This circumstance is no doubt largely 

 due to the introduction of a well regulated sytem of collecting sam- 

 ples of commercial fertilizers in the general market for a chemical 

 examination and subsequently publishing results obtained for the 

 benefit of farmers and dealers. 



As the physical conditions and chemical resources of soils on 

 available plant food are knoion to differ loidehf even on the same 

 farm no definite rule can he given for inamirivg farm lands beyond 

 the advice to return to the soil those pAant constituents lohich the 

 crops raised duri)ig iveceeding years have abstracted in an exception- 

 ally large proportion, and tvhich will be especially called for by the 

 crops to be raised. To assist farmers in selecting their fertilizers 

 with reference to the wants of the cro[)s they wish |to 'cultivate, the 



