PURCHASE OP ARTIFICIAL MANURES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2308, 26 May 1898, Page 4

PURCHASE OP ARTIFICIAL MANURES.

Compelled by the huge vo'ums »ntf \aristy of low-grade manures under effer to British farmers, and which seriously handicap manufacturers and importers of genuine article*, the Tynesids manure merchants have issued the following warning to purchasers of superphosphate: — "Tha commercial value of a. superphosphate entirely depends upon its guaranteed minimum psicentaga of soluble phosphate, though all superphosphates, of whatever strength, contain at the very least 2 per cent, of i insoluble phosphate. Boms unscrupulous dealers, however, by adding the soluble and insoluble phosphates together, convey an entirely false impression of tbe strength of the raanure, and secure for theanelees thereby at least 2s 6d per ton extra profit;. A superphosphate, for example, of 28 to 30 per ce?it. soluble phosphate and 2 to 3 ditto insoluble phosphate contsins a total of 30 to 33 per cent, phosphates lime, bub is only sold by the manufacturer as a 28 per cent, manure. A (superphosphate invoice, therefore, which merely specifies a guaranteed percentage of • phosphates lime,' instead of a guaranteed percentage of ' soluble pbospbate,' ia a distinct violation of. tbe Fertilisers and Feeding Stuffs Acts and renders the sender liable to a penalty not excecdiog_ "£2O. Farmers are consequently warned against accepting invoices o? this character, which are usually intended nob only to maka tbe sepcrphosphates appear of higher analysis and commercial value than they really arc, bub to handicap the hontsfc dealer who strictly retails the same strength ss he himself tai'jhsses wholesale-. This warning, however, doe 3 not invariably apply to bone manures." In rsferencs to the acuon of the T?neaide

merchants, it should he unnecesas.ey to remind readers of the farm columns of the Witness how' persistently farmers h»ve been warned that they themselves, ia the purchase of coaGures,"arß the chief sources of errors iri this department of their business^/It would.seera self-evident that the price pstf'ton of a fertiliser must be secondary to, and largely regulated by, tha nature and percentage of the plant food, ffe contains, and clearly it is a mistake to pay even sv properfcionste amount for trifling quantities ofthis plant food associated with much water, sand, or other worthless matter, particularly when co&t of carriage is taken into consideration. An occasional low-grade article sometimes passes as a fertiliser endowed with properties much superior to those which conld fairly be claimed for it, because )t contains a stnail quantity of fertilising matter in a specially suibable condition to mee 1 ; some special requirement, and to thab exrent stimulates vegetation. With, perhaps, a previous experience of this inadequate benefit., tbe fanner is dispostd to.conclnde he i 3 reeeiviug full value for his money, and takes no thought of the amount pof ton of absolutely worthless matters he is buj'ing, and for which lie incurs ia addition the cost cf carriage to his farm. It irf not surprising th^t in these days of keen competition and low prices cheap sources of plant food should be ia request. This inclination to buy excessively cheap, which has again and again been found mistaken economy, is beyond doubt greatly encouraged when the proffered articles are supI ported by numerous glowing testimonials, which, so far as they go, are perhaps x rue, but theyncver go safficiaatly far, inasmuch as they eff > i rd no inf orra&tiou as to the constituents of the material certified to. It certainly should not be overlooked how beneficial the mere mechanical aotion of a dressing of many substances may be to a soil. However, ihis, too, is only profitable if obtained at a reasonable rale. Under prevailing circumstances farmers undoubtedly lose heavily by paying relatively fcigh prices for fertilising elements contained in snpposUitioualy cheap manures. In comparison, guaranteed standard manures are cheap- particularly when i carriage to the favrn ia taken into consideraj Won, and therefore the judicious course to pusrßue is to pay legitimate prices and to have a guarantee that what is bargained for is obtained.

Japanese Plums.— Tbe latf sfc and best sorts pf this va'uabie class of fruit obtainable from Nimmo and Blair, Dunedic,