188 FOOD FOR PLANTS 



Nitrate of Soda is essentially a seaboard article; 

 supplies at interior points are not always available, 

 hence the ports of entry are as a rule the best sources 

 of supply. 



The improvement of our water-v^ays, so long urged 

 by us, seems at last to be in sight ; and farm chemicals 

 at lower rates should ultimately be expected, even at 

 interior points. 



It has been the custom of the railroad companies 

 to discriminate heavily and unfairly against Nitrate 

 of Soda by charging almost prohibitory chemical 

 rates, instead of equitable fertilizer rates, and it is 

 hoped by correctly designating the material, the dis- 

 crimination will not be practiced. 



Farm newspapers, generally, are quite willing to 

 publish wholesale quotations on all those things 

 which the farmer has to sell, and they have not, as a 

 rule, published wholesale quotations on those articles 

 which he has to buy. Among the latter, agricultural 

 chemicals occupy a position of prime importance, not 

 only as to actual effect on farm prosperity, but as to 

 the actual amount of cash which the farmer has to 

 spend, for his produce cpmes out of the soil and its 

 amount and quality is determined by the character 

 of the chemicals he puts into it. Agricultural jour- 

 nals generally should make a continued effort in the 

 direction of enhancing his purchasing power, by en- 

 deavoring to make him more prosperous. 



