REPORT OF BUREAU OF MARKETING AND SUPPEIES. I29 



in the case of fertilizer, if the farmer could not make sure of 

 the quality of the goods he purchased, then he should buy the 

 various ingredients and practice home mixing. However, if the 

 farmer is a member of an association he can be reasonably 

 sure that his fertilizer is made of ingredients available as a 

 plant food and that no so-called filler enters into its make-up. 

 During the last five years the farmer has been paying too 

 much money for his fertilizer and the Board of Directors of the 

 Farmers Union of Maine decided to enter the business of sup- 

 plying the Union members with this important article. The 

 manager was instructed to contract for 2,000 tons. Proposals 

 for bids were sent out to all reliable companies operating in 

 Maine, but we were unable to get prices from any one of them 

 and in fact two of the companies refused to sell to any farmers' 

 organization. This enabled the manager to contract with the 

 I. P. Thomas & Son Company whose office is located at 1000 

 Drexel Building, Philadelphia, Pa., and whose manufacturing 

 plant is located at Mantou Point, N. J. The goods of this 

 company had been thoroughly tested by the manager when con- 

 nected with the Long Island Potato Exchange of Riverhead, N. 

 Y., and in every case proved highly satisfactory, A contract 

 was made for the following grades: 4-8-7, 4-8-10, .|-6-io, 

 5-8-7. The price paid, delivered at any point in Maine, was 

 as follows : 



4-8-7 $29 00 



4-6-10 30 50 



4-8-10 31 00 



5-8-7 32 00 



By vote of the Board it was decided to retain a profit of 

 $2.00 per ton, $1.00 of which was to go to the Farmers Union 

 of Maine and $1.00 to the local exchanges, it being understood 

 that if this money was not required to meet expenses it 

 should be divided among the various organizations. This in- 

 creased the price to the stockholders, making the cost as follows : 



4-8-7 $31 00 



4-6-10 32 50 



4-8-10 33 00 



5-8-7 34 00 



