No. 



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



197 



before the courts of this Commonwealth, will, in accordance with your 

 instruction, be reported to you for prosecution. 



The Department has terminated fifteen cases for the violation 

 of the Act of May 1, 1909, and the Act of April 23, 1909. 



The fines received from these prosecutions were flOO.OO aud turn- 

 ed over to the State Treasurer. 



During the year just ending there were 1,482 brands of commer- 

 cial fertilizers, and fertilizing substances, registered with the De- 

 partment. The license fees amounting to |26,170.00, were received 

 from this registration and turned over to the State Treasurer ac- 

 cording to law. 



The reported tonnage of fertilizers sold in this State, with its 

 respective cost to consumers at points of delivery, is as follows: 



Tons 



Average 

 selling 

 price 



Total 



178,770 



70,596 



19,876 



8,455 



1,042 



293 



1 



146 

 995 



14 

 180 

 316 



46 



282,729 



Complete fertilizer, at 



Rock and potash, at 



Acid phosphate, at 



Bone, I at 



Muriate potash ! at 



Sulphate potash, at 



Nitrate soda, at 



Kainit, at 



Dried blood, at 



Tankage, - i at 



Basic slag, I at 



Lime and potash, at 



The cases of departure of goods from their guaranteed composi- 

 tion observed this year, includes only those cases in Avhich it amount- 

 ed to two-tenths per cent, or more, and has resulted in greatly re- 

 ducing the percentage of brands found deficient as reported during 

 previous years. 



The unanimity existing between the computed valuations of the 

 fertilizers sold during the year and the reported selling prices, has 

 been such as to attract attention, and proved conclusively that the 

 average manufacturer is endeavoring to give the consumers full 

 value. 



In conclusion, permit me to call your attention to an improve- 

 ment that can be made in our present law "Eegulating the manu- 

 facture and sale of Commercial Fertilizers," etc. While many manu- 

 facturers label their sacks in strict conformity with the Act, others 

 attach much superfluous matter, such as equivalents of substances 

 previously stated, which, in the end, are very confusing and in some 

 instances misleading to the purchasers of the same. The improve- 

 ment in the Act can be made by prohibiting the use of any state- 

 ments, whatsoever, upon the package containing said fertilizer, other 

 than those required by the Act. 



Respectfullv submitted, 



H. E. KLUGH, 

 Dept. of Agriculture, Clerk of the Fertilizer Control. 



Harrisburg, Pa. Dec. 31, 1910. 



