FOURTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT 



COMMERCIAL FERTILIZERS, 



By C. A. GoESSMANN, State Inspector. 



The consumption of commercial fertilizers is apparently, 

 from year to year, still increasing. Lower prices and better 

 returns, in consequence of a more judicious selection to meet 

 the deficienc}'" of the soil under cultivation, tend to increase 

 the demand. 



Most of our standard fertilizers have maintained their good 

 reputation, as far as a satisfactory mechanical condition and a 

 fair compliance with the guaranteed composition are con- 

 cerned. The reduction in the cost of soluble phosphoric 

 acid, of the best forms of organic nitrogen and of the sul- 

 phate of potash has not infrequently lowered their valuation 

 from three to four dollars per ton, as compared with that of 

 the preceding years. The lower grades of compound fertil- 

 izers have proved, as on previous occasions, the more costly 

 articles for the consumer. The unusual large margin of this 

 class of fertilizers has, no doubt, misled consumers in their 

 choice. Some farmers seem to forget that the responsibility 

 of the dealer ceases with furnishing an article of the lowest 

 stated guaranty. No redress can be secured by law as long 

 as the analysis shows that the composition of the article is 

 still within the lowest guaranty, however inferior and worth- 

 less it may be. 



The only safe course for farmers to pursue is to discard 

 all fertilizers which are offered for sale without a printed 



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