34 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE "^ Off. Doc. 



For mixing, an allowance of fl.OO per ton on complete fertilizers 

 and rock-and .potash goods. 



For agents' commission, an allowance of 20 per cent, is added to the 

 cash values of the goods ready for shipment. 



The mean quotations on freight from New York, Philadelphia and 

 Baltimore to Harrisburg, in January-, 1897, was $1.68 per ton, in lots 

 of twelve tons or over; in May, 1899, quotations by the Pennsylvania 

 Railroad were: From New York, |2.40; from Philadelphia, $1.70; 

 and from Baltimore, $1.55; mean rale from the three points, $1.88. 



The use of concentrated manures has been increasing in this State 

 until, during the year, one thousand and one distinct brands were 

 upon the market, and there was expended for them, according to the 

 census in 1899, the enormous sum of $4,680,080. The benefit of 

 their application is no longer questioned by progressive and intel- 

 ligent farmers, and yet large as is the number of those who use them, 

 many others who fully appreciate their value, hesitate to incur the ad- 

 ditional expense of their purchase, for fear lest an unfavorable season 

 or some insect pest, cause a failure of the crop and the money thus 

 invested be temporarily lost. 



The farm lauds of the State have been gradually yielding up their 

 valuable plant food to the crops which they have produced, until now 

 in many districts, one or more of the necessary ingredients have be- 

 come exhausted and the land refuses any longer to yield full crops 

 without the restoration to it of some fertilizing ingredient which sup- 

 plies this need. The problem of restoring lost fertility to the soil is, 

 therefore, forcing itself upon the farmers of the State in a way and to 

 a degree that demands immediate attention. 



The great obstacle in the way of securing abundance of fertilizers 

 i&, of course, the cost; and yet this can in most cases be greatly re- 

 duced, if the farmer will study his soil and test its requirements. 

 After doing this he may discover that a single and compaiiitively 

 cheap ingredient is all that is necessary, and he can consequently 

 save the money that he otherwise would have spent for several other 

 costly ingredients which his soil did not need. 



The securing of the costly fertilizer, nitrogen, through the use of 

 leguminous crops, is now practiced by all advanced agriculturists, 

 and the time doubtless will come, when the sale to the general far- 

 mer, of fertilizers containing this ingredient, will largely cease alto- 

 gether. Many are also discovering that "cultivation is manure." 

 Thorough cultivation has done marvelous things for poor soils and 

 will continue to pay those who practice it a large percentage on the 

 labor exj)ended. It does this not only in eilecting the more rapid de- 

 composition of Ihc MwK < !• IK. f'ts. freeing them foi* the use of the 



