On the Valuation of Japanese Fertilizers. 
By 
Dr. O. Kellner. 
The concentrated fertilizers, chilisaltpeter, sulphate of 
ammonia, Peruvian guano, superphosphates, Thomas phos¬ 
phate, potash salts, etc., are still almost entirely unknown 
to Japanese farmers. The first attempt to manufacture 
superphosphate in the country itself has only just keen 
made, and the products placed on the market are still too 
expensive and of inferior quality. Instead of introducing 
such kinds of these fertilizers as would convince the far¬ 
mers of their great efficacy and establish a demand for 
artificial manures, the importation of raw phosphates and 
the manufacture of superphosphates was at once com¬ 
menced, and products were thrown on the market, which 
have a very doubtful value, and are, of coarse, too expen¬ 
sive, since the transport of a rock of 24 °/o of total phos¬ 
phoric acid from Europe or America to Japan costs about 
twice as much as the import of a concentrated superphos¬ 
phate of 40 - 50 % of soluble phosphoric acid. If artificial 
manures of low fertilizing power continue to be recom¬ 
mended to the fanners, just the opposite of what is aimed 
at will be arrived at ; people will refuse to purchase a 
second time manures entirely new to them, unless they 
really find them profitable when trying them for the first 
time. 
At present, the only trade in fertilizers, worth speaking 
of, is that in dried fish, various kinds of brans, oilcakes, icoocl 
