4 PREFACE. 



we possess on the subjects treated in this book. 

 We shall unmask practices that have been 

 backed up by favorable reports, and artfully 

 designed statements, falsely claiming to be bene- 

 fits conferred on the community, and which, from 

 a want of knowledge to distinguish real from 

 imaginary good, have passed currently as such. 

 We shall not attempt to disprove the statements 

 of dishonest manufacturers of fertilizers by mere 

 reasoning; we only desire the reader closely to 

 scrutinize arid compare the facts as given, and 

 make his own deductions. We challenge the 

 parties assailed to disprove them. 



We expect to offend some : when wrongs are 

 exposed, this is inevitable; and those parties may 

 endeavor to refute the statements made. Our 

 justification is written down in the following 

 pages. In the language of Cicero, we shall 

 " Neither dare to say anything that is false, nor 

 fear to say anything that is true." 



PHILADELPHIA, 

 May 1st, 1871. 



