No. 4.] COMMERCIAL PLANT FOOD. 61 



reached by the chemical analyses. When fertilizer control 

 was first inaugurated in this country, a table showing the 

 composition of a superphosphate would have been meaning- 

 less to most farmers, and it was felt necessary to present 

 some sim})le standard, even though an imperfect one, l)y 

 which the various brands of goods could be judged. This 

 was wise. Such money valuations have Ijeen a most effi- 

 cient means of pointing out cases of extortion and over- 

 charge. 



The fertilizer manufacturer has never ceased, however, 

 to rebel at these station valuations. He has declared that 

 they are unfair, because they take no account of the quality 

 of the nitrogen ; and are misleading to the farmer, l)ecause 

 he erroneously assumes the agricultural value to be })ropor- 

 tional to the station valuation. 



These are some of the much-discussed and troublesome 

 points involved in fertilizer control, the further considera- 

 tion of which I will resume a little later. 



A second noteworthy feature of the fertilizer trade is 

 the manner of advertising, which prevails to a large and 

 unfortunate extent. 



In commenting upon this, I hasten to acknowledge, first 

 of all, that the ethics of advertising are past finding out. 

 All intelligent and discriminating persons have long ago 

 given up taking at their face value the advertisements of 

 the merits of various wares. We have come to expect 

 tricks of the imagination and distortion of facts, and so by 

 common consent we pass mild judgment upon the person 

 or corporation who "bears false witness" in the advertising 

 columns of our weekly paper. Why we do this is not 

 evident, unless for the reason that familiarity with sin has 

 hardened our hearts. We do not mention the fertilizer 

 manufacturer in this connection because he is worse than 

 his neighl)or, but because in so many instances *he is no 

 better. He is not dealing with a nostrum, or at least he 

 should not be, ])ut with one of the great economic facts of 

 human living. His stock in trade consists of materials as 

 essential to the continuance and welfare of the human 

 family as are food and clothing, — in fact, consists of 

 materials that are fundamental to the production of food 



