HOME-MIXING OF FERTILIZERS 



ently sought to discourage the practice of home- 

 mixing, but their statements cannot be accepted 

 as the evidence of disinterested parties. It has 

 been represented to farmers that peculiar and 

 mysterious virtues are imparted to the plant-food 

 constituents by proper mixing, and that really 

 proper mixing can be accomplished only by means 

 not at the command of farmers. Such state- 

 ments are misrepresentations, based either upon 

 the ignorance of the person who makes them or 

 upon his determination to sell commercial mixed 

 goods." 



Criticisms of Home-mixing. The manufactur- 

 er's advocate formerly laid much stress upon the 

 danger attending the treatment of bones and rock 

 with sulphuric acid. That is a business of itself, 

 and the home-mixer has nothing to do with it. 

 He buys on the market the acidulated bone or 

 rock, just as a manufacturer makes his pur- 

 chase. 



It is claimed that the manufacturer renders a 

 great public service by using supplies of plant- 

 food that the home-mixer would not use, and thus 

 conserves the world's total supply. Let us see 

 the measure of truth in the statement. The 

 manufacturer gets his supply of phosphoric acid 



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