REPORT ON COMMERCIAL FERTILIZERS. 311 



in their various forms, has changed permanently but little 

 during the past year. The market records of Boston and 

 New York at the beginning of the year, the period when the 

 largest bulk of fertilizers for the ensuing season is usually 

 manufactured, have been adopted as the basis of the valua- 

 tion carried out within this report. 



The alteration of our laws for the regulation of the sale of 

 commercial fertilizers, suggested in my previous report (V.), 

 and indorsed by this Board, has since received, as far as. 

 the most essential points are concerned, the support of the 

 lesrislative authorities of the State. The laws of 1874 have 

 been repealed, and new laws, embodying an essential portion 

 of the desired changes, have been in active operation since 

 the 15th of May, 1878. As the changes are practically con- 

 fined to the first two sections of the previous laws, I enter 

 here on record those sections of the enactments of 1874 

 which have been greatly altered, and state subsequently the 

 new law in full for the benefit of farmers and dealers. 



[Chap. 206.] 

 An Act concerning Commercial Fertilizers (1874). 



Be it enacted, Sfc, as follows : — 



Section 1. Every cdmmercial fertilizer offered for sale within this 

 Commonwealth shall be accompanied by an analysis stating the percent- 

 age therein of nitrogen, of anhydrous iDotassiura oxide, or its equiva- 

 lent of potassium, in any form or combination soluble in distilled water, 

 and of phosphoric oxide or anhydrous phosphoric acid in any form or 

 combination soluble in a neutral solution of citrate of ammonia at a 

 temperature not exceeding a hundred degrees Fahrenheit ; the percent- 

 age of phosphoric oxide not soluble as above shall also be stated in said 

 analysis , together with the material from which it is obtained: provided, 

 that no analysis shall be required for packages of fertilizers which are 

 sold, offered, or exposed for sale, at a less rate than fifteen dollars per ton, 

 or which contain none of the above constituents. A copy of the analysis 

 required shall accompany every parcel sold, offered, or exposed for sale. 



Sect. 2. Every manufacturer or importer of commercial fertilizers 

 as specified in Sect. 1, before offering the same for sale in this Com- 

 monwealth, shall take out a license as a manufacturer or importer, and 

 pay into the treasury of the Commonwealth fifty dollars annually as a 

 license-fee for each kind of fertilizer so offered, and shall at the same 

 time file with the Secretary of the State Board of Agriculture a paper 

 giving the names of his principal agents, and also the name and compo« 

 sition of the fertilizer manufactured or imported by him. 



