No. 6. 



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



31 



''The Diicroscopic examination of the nitrogenous fertilizers for 

 leather, hair, and other materials the use of s^lilch without notice is 

 prohibited by the act of May 1, 1909, revealed in no case such quan- 

 tity of any of these substances as might not fairly be regarded as an 

 accidental trace. No instance has been reported by the sampling 

 agents in which a declaration of the jiresence of such material has 

 been made. It is, however, a matter of quite general knowledge 

 that substances of this kind are being largely used in fertilizer mix- 

 tures ; but, in most cases at least, only after such treatment as re- 

 sults in the destruction of the characteristic tissues and, at the same 

 time, wholly or partly in that of organic compounds originally 

 present. The Pennsylvania Agricultural Experiment Station is now 

 conducting, under the writer's supervision, an investigation to deter- 

 mine the degree to which the acid treatment usually employed im- 

 pioves the availability of the nitrogen in these substances. 



''In conformity with the requirements of the act of April 23, 1909, 

 many firms dropped from the brand names of goods manufactured 

 by them the word 'bone' hitherto forming part of said names. Where 

 such change in name appears, it may be taken as evidence that the 

 phosphoric acid is derived, at least in part, from something else than 

 bone." 



During the year just ending there were 1,575 brands of mixed 

 fertilizers and fertilizing materials registered with the Department. 

 License fees amounting to |27,9G0.00 were received from the above 

 registration and paid into the State Treasury, as provided by law. 



At the present writing (April, 1912), one hundred and seventy- 

 four reports have been received from manufacturers and importers, 

 containing statements of their sales in this State during the year 

 1911, amounting to 281,782 tons, covering all materials used for 

 fertilizing purposes. 



After comparing these reports with reports showing the tonnage 

 of 1910, I find there appears a decrease in the amount of mixed 

 fertilizers consumed during the year, ^and a marked increase in the 

 amount of the raw materials used. This condition, in a measure, 

 is brought about by the extensive education that is being published 

 concerning the economy of "home mixed" fertilizers, and also by the 

 zealous efforts of manufacturers' agents to execute contracts when 

 they are unable to sell their legular brands. 



For your better information 1 have prepared the following table 

 showing the reported tonnage, for both the years 1910 and 1911, 

 of the several classes of fertilizers: 



1910. 



Complete, 



Rock and potash, 

 Aeid phosphate, . 

 Bone, 



Muriate of potash, - 

 Sulphate of potash. 

 Nitrate of soda, ... 



Kainit, 



Blood, 



Tankage, 



Basic slag, 



Miscellaneous, — 



Total, 



1911. 



282.729 



281,782 



