September i, 1887.I THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
177 
THE TRADE IN DOUBLE MANURE SALT. 
The manufacture of ' double manure salt" has 
become an impoitant industry within the past few 
years, the centre of produciion being at S assfurt, 
in Germany. The import of the article into this 
country, where, as its name implies, it enters into 
the production of chemical fertilizers, has been on 
a steadily increasing scale since its first introduction, 
about ten years ago. At first the quantity made 
was not of enough consequence to entitle it to a 
prominent place among merchantable commodities, 
but of late years the Stassfurt manufacturers have 
paid moro attention to its production, and it is now 
brought over here and is consumed extensively by 
the manufacturers of phosphates. Double manure 
salt is a sulphate of potash and sulphate of magnesia, 
being a concentrated form of kainit and kieserite. 
The manufacturers, finding it a good substitute for 
the pure sulphate of potash, have gradually given 
it preference over the latter, until it has practically 
superceded the sulphate. With the manure salt the 
manufacturers are able to use the moist ammoniates 
in the production of superphosphate, as according 
to their testimony the sulphate of magnesia, which 
constitutes forty to forty-five per cent, of the salt, 
absorbs the moisture and produces a '■' drillable " 
fertilizer. For most purposes, however, the pure sulph- 
ate of potash would no doubt be given the pre- 
ference, but for the great difference in cost. Sulphate 
of potash pays a duty of 20 per cent.,* while manure salt 
is admitted free ; hence wnile the former is quoted in 
this market at two and a quarter to two and a half cents 
per hundred pounds for 05 to 98 per cent, sulphate of 
potash, the latter is obtainable at 1"05 cents per 
hundred pounds for 48 to 50 per cent, sulphate. 
Other competing products have been affected adversely 
by the introduction of manure salt, principal amoug 
which is muriate of potash, which, although impor- 
ted on a larger scale than before the manure salt 
was introduced, does not enter as extensively into 
the composition of superphosphates as formerly. The 
growth of the chemical fertilizer industry in this 
country has been very great during the past few 
years and a comparison of the imports of double 
manure salt with those of competing chemicals would 
therefore be valueless as showing to what extent 
the former has supplanted the latter in the estimation 
of superphosphate manufacturers. The receipts of 
kainit and kieserite as would naturally be inferred, 
show a falling o(T in consequence of this competition, 
the superphosphate manufacturers preferring the double 
minure salt which although composed of kieserite 
and kainit contains a much smaller percentage of 
chlorine, and element injurious to plant life. On tho 
other hand the receipts of muriate of potash have 
increased which is to be accounted for by the fact 
that agriculturists in many cases prefer to use this 
chemical by itself as a fertilizer. — Oil, Paint and 
Drug Reporter. 
«, 
A BURDEN UPON AGRICULTURE. 
Tho following article from a publication sent to us 
from tho United States Department of Agriculture, 
shows that mortgages aro not lighter in America 
than in Ceylon i — 
A mortgage is a blessing when it enables a poor but 
industrious young man to secure a home and a profit- 
able business and to pay for it in sure and easy 
installments ; it is a withering curse when it makes 
production dear and difficult* consumes a crop before 
I it is made, and renders indebtedness hopeless. The 
system of advances by merchants or hrok-rs upon 
growing crops is especially dangerous and disastrous. 
It is not usually a prevalent practice, except in districts 
where a single crop dominates rural industry and brings 
i ready money at any time, rendering bon owing easy 
ami encouraging the habit of spending before earning. 
It b.M been prevalent from lime immemorial — at h 3,-1 
for forty years, from personal knowledge of the writer— 
I in the cotton SUtes. No product of agriculture is 
more surely a money crop in any part of the world 
than cotton, and nono moro promptly traverses the 
• In tho United States.— Ed, 
2d 
ways of cumineice. It u-is ihecfoo become wLh 
perhaps one priucipa.1 associate— m ze; almost the 
sole product of large dist icts of count. y, rendeiiug 
necessary the purchase abroad of supplies of all 
kinds, agricultural and industrial, and their original 
cost, long-distance transportation and wholesale and 
retail profits, render them exceedingly expensive. Ib 
is selling the cheapest cotton in the world and buying 
all supplies at enormous prices — a practice with which 
only fertile lands, abundant crops, and persistent 
industry can save from bankruptcy. In the Northwest, 
where wheat is a specialty and the predominant crop, 
the mortgage appears to be one of the essential 
equipments of the farm. The extent of indebtedness 
there, deserves future investigation. Our correspondents 
have so frequently referred to this burden upon agri- 
culture, advances secured upon the growing crops and 
permanent indebtedness resulting mainly from this 
practice, that the State agents of the cotton States 
have been asked to state the facts an I make som; 
estimates of the extent of the evil. As a result the 
following answers are given : [Then follow replies thus 
summed up] 
This record makes a burden of interest that is 
unendurable. The estimate of North Carolina is 25 
per cent., including the advanced prices of supplies 
furnished; of South Carolina, 15 per cent.; of Georgia, 
50 per cent, in the prices of advances, and 10 per 
cent, interest on pastive indebtedness; of Florida, 
10 per cent. ; of Alabama, 50 per cent, increase in 
price of goods and 20 per cent, on mortgages ; of 
Mississippi, 15 per cent, on advances, without reference 
to increase of prices, and 10 per cent, on general 
indebtedness; of Louisiana, 15 percent., bi sides higher 
prices of goods and more fur advances by country 
merchants; of Texas, 12 per cent, nominal interest for 
supplies charged at excess of 25 to 50 per cent. ; of 
Arkansas, 10 per cent, by contract, on supplies cb trgi d 
an extra profit of -10 per ceut. These are the averages 
assumed by our State agents as the cost of interest 
on advances secured by crop liens. It appo.irs that 
a large proportion of cotton planters are in deb r . for 
current supplies, and that the loss resulting amounts 
to five million dollars per annum in some Siates, and 
absorbs nearly or quite all the profits of production, 
while the soil is wearing away, with the lives of tho 
cultivators, for the benefit of the commetchl c'ass. 
♦ 
ROYAL GARDENS, KEW. 
(From the Bulletin of Miscellaneous Information.) 
Annatto. 
(Bi.ra Orel/ana, L.) 
From the seeds ot Bid- '. Orel/ana is obtained a colour 
ing sustance which is known under various name's. 
It is called Anuatto, Aruatto, or Annotto in Jamaici; 
in the Fiench islands it is known as Roue m, Urucu, 
liocour ; while on the Spanish Main the Indians call it 
Achiotl. This colouring substance has long been know J 
and used for various purposes. It is, howtver, liable 
to so maDy fluctuations, and tho prices generally 
are so low, that it has never received serious attention 
in British Colonies, and hence few, if any, plantations 
have been exclusively devoted in such colonies to tho 
Annatto plant. The Annatto of commerce is p aeM- 
cally, therefore, a forest pro uct obtaiued frooi wild 
or semi-wild plants, and the supply has oniv k-<pl 
pace with the demand. Of late j ears a slight rtvival 
has taken place in the use of An atto, rsppci ly in 
America, and inquiries have in c inseqnetico been in • le 
for iiilnrmation as ro.ards culiure a.. pr pit idon, 
which it is proposed to supply as briefly a- p -siblo in 
tho following notes. 
The Annatto plaDt is a native of tropical AroeticP, 
but is now widely distributed throughout m «■ tro - 
ical countries where it is ott-n fou.id in a n I'uraliz d 
state, and growing free y in wastaipl^pra nn.l nr H'nl 
n.itivo villages. It seldom attains a grenter height, 
than 8 to 1-! POet, but is of Mont bushy hab.t. • n 
well turuisned «i h hrghl •var*-sh , >> cd p into 1 *V - 
Th. Fe aro ni out l inches ion,' nnd 2 n <.ad. wi" ri' • 
ft long petiole, an I dotted. Tho shows llo r s aro 
produced In loose panicles at tho cuds of iho oiancuif, 
