442 ANNUAL. REPORT OF THE Off. Doc, 



sent for which revealed the fact that the $18.00 goods represented 

 8 per cent, phosphoric acid and 2 per cent, potash, a fertilizer not 

 worth over $11.00 or |12.00 on the market. This man was paying 

 $6.00 per ton more than he should actually pay or more than the 

 actual value of the fertilizer. 



This conclusively shows that the analysis is the only safeguard 

 to depend upon. This is only one instance which came to light, and 

 is a fact. Hence, farmers must get down to a reckoning system of 

 figuring out the worth of a fertilizer, or give good money awaj^ with- 

 out getting anything for it. No business outside of farming could 

 stand such business methods. 



Our present law compels every manufacturer to stamp upon the 

 outside of the bag just what it contains inside. Now all ingredients, 

 such as nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash have their values 

 placed upon them and by a little calculation upon the part of every 

 farmer thousands of dollars can be saved. The present law might, 

 however, be so amended compelling the manufacturer (in addition 

 to the markings on the bag), state the source from which he obtains 

 the elements nitrogen acid and potash. The farmer by this, who 

 studies his soil and the needs of his crops, can use fertilizer more 

 intelligently. 



In one of 'the northern counties in our State, a gentleman writes 

 that the use of fertilizer is rapidly increasing. He further says 

 that much is being used indiscriminately or without reference to 

 crop or soil requirements. Quite a number of farmers are adopting 

 home mixing. He further adds that the demand for raw m.aterial is 

 increasing and that home mixing is being more and more practiced 

 each year. Some farmers are beginning to understand further that 

 fertilizer, as a substitute for manure, ought to be applied in amounts 

 of equal value with the manure, the place of which they take and 

 that $5.00 worth of fertilizer per acre can do as much good as $15.00 

 worth of manure. Also more farmers are adopting the lesson of 

 getting the nitrogen (which is the most expensive element), from 

 the air by the growing of leguminous crops and thus save buying it 

 through the fertilizer bag. 



The more that farmers sell from their farms the more deficient 

 their land becomes in fertility. One hundred bushels of wheat sold 

 from the farm, means $25.00 worth of fertilizer hauled away. One 

 hundred bushels of corn sold, means $1,600 worth of fertilizer gone. 

 One hundred bushels of oats hauled away means $12.00 worth of 

 fertility gone; likewise with hay and straw that is sold from off 

 the farm. Therefore if this fertility be hauled away, it must be 

 returned or the land wiil become exhausted. We have a nice bank 

 account but if we continue checking it out and do not deposit, we 

 will soon find to our sorrow that we will grow rapidly poor. "Feed 

 your land properly and it will feed you." Again, a ton of butter 

 carries away only 40 to 50 cents worth of fertility from the farm, 

 while a ton of milk sold carries away $2.00, or a 2,000 pound ox sold 

 will take away "^ 10.00 worth of fertility. 



Considering how easily the fertility drifts away from our farms, 

 it certainly behooves u to be more careful of that great commodity, 

 which we most carelessly look after, and that is farmyard manure. 

 It is said, upon good authority, that only 1-3 of the real value of barn- 



