A WORD FOR SUPERPHOSPHATES. 147 



under ten, $42.50 a ton ; ten tons and over, $40 a ton. 

 Bear in mind, that to every ton of this fertilizer, we add 

 from three to four hundred pounds of Stassfurt potash, giv- 

 ing about five or six per cent, of sulphate of potash, and two 

 or three per cent, of what is known as oxide of potassium. 

 A gentleman who is in this audience was in my office last 

 week, Dr. Fisher, of Fitchburg, and he figured the value of 

 that fertilizer from a chemical stand-point, taking the analy- 

 sis which Dr. Goessmann had sent us, and I think he made 

 it worth about fifty-three or fifty-four dollars a ton, taking 

 the materials at the pmces which are established by German 

 chemists. 



Mr. LAWRENcr.. As we are talking about fertilizers, and 

 as this seems to be a time when supeiphosphates have been 

 found entirely wanting, and fiirmers are going into the dried- 

 meat system, perhajJs a few words from one who has been in 

 the business of manufacturing fertilizers for some years may 

 not be inappropriate. 



I have been very much pleased with the remarks of the 

 young gentleman, v/ho has just taken bis seat, with regard to 

 the cost of commercial fertilizers. I have been in this busi- 

 ness some seven years, and I do not believe that any man 

 would dare to say to me, personally, that I am not an honest 

 man ; but it has become so fashionable lately, in every agri- 

 cultural meeting, for somebody to denounce the phosphate- 

 maker as a rascal, the phosphate-dealer as a scoundi;el, and 

 the man who uses phosphates as a fool, that a few words 

 seem to be necessary upon this subject, which may have the 

 effect to remove some of the impressions under which you 

 are now laboring. 



The truth of this matter is, that several years ago, the ag- 

 riculturists of this country made up their minds that they 

 could not get enough from their lands, by the use of such 

 manures {is they could make alone, to pay them for working 

 their farms. As a matter of course, the scientific men of the 

 country said, "We will help you out. We will give you fish 

 guano ; we will give you Peruvian guano ; we will give you 

 a fertilizer composed of hen- manure," etc. Finally, it got 

 down to the manufacture of a manure which was called su- 

 perphosphate of lime. A great many farmers bought it, and 



