126 AMERICAN MANURES. 



performed. Thus, a saving of nearly fifty per 

 cent, of the money now paid to these manufac- 

 turers might be effected. The application of a 

 manufactured manure is very often considered 

 an experiment by farmers ; they use it doubt- 

 ingly, not expecting to be benefited in propor- 

 tion to the amount invested. This lack of 

 confidence is caused by the high prices charged, 

 and the suspected immense profits of the manu- 

 facturers. For these reasons many who really 

 need fertilizers, and who would be benefited by 

 their use, even as they are now made, and at 

 their present exorbitant prices, look on them 

 with distrust and try to get along without them. 

 It requires no stretch of fancy to picture the 

 condition of this country, which has not unaptly 

 been termed the granary of the world, if those 

 needed fertilizers were manufactured honestly, 

 and fair prices asked, so as to make them popu- 

 lar with all the farming community. So far 

 their use has been comparatively confined to a 

 few, and hence commercial fertilizers have not 

 that effect on the prosperity and productiveness 

 of the country they should have. Besides, if a 

 good article had been generally made, and sold at 

 a fair price, the amount used would be enormous, 

 and the aggregate amount of money made by the 

 manufacturers much greater than it is; and the far- 

 mer, at the same time, would have been corres- 



