448 ANNUAL ItEl'ORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



cold storage of eggs would send winter eggs to a dollar a dozen, at 

 this period of high food prices. 



Where agitation against rotten eggs and cold storage eggs should 

 begin is with the farmer and producer. These two must be made, if 

 necessary, to (luit sending fertile eggs to market. To quit this 

 offensive practice without having laws to that effect would be the 

 easiest — and the more profitable. Let us hope, this Board some day, 

 by resolution, will recommend to the farmers and egg producers of 

 this State that they will quit producing and sending to market fer- 

 tile eggs, or eggs, that are eventually bound to be, rotten eggs. 



]:i:p()kt of committee on fi:rtiltzers 



By A. T. HOLMAN, Chairman 



The use of Commercial Fertilizers upon the farms of Pennsylvania 

 is increasing at an enormous rate, more and more each year — eight 

 million dollars worth being used last year in the State. The sub- 

 ject being so broad that it cannot be given justice in a short paper 

 like this. One of the most deplorable facts is that farmers as a 

 rule use fertilizers without knowing the contents thereof. 



There are two lame points in the Fertilizer Law that are of much 

 importance. First. The law should compel manufacturers to put 

 but one row of figures on the bags. Second. Farmers and gardeners 

 should be compelled to learn to read the analysis intelligently. It is 

 estimated that not over two per cent, of farmers can read the analysis 

 on the bags intelligently. This gives the manufacturers an oppor- 

 tunity to put two or three rows of glaring figures on the bags so 

 as to confuse the buyer. I have met farmers, when you ask them 

 "Whose make of fertilizer do you use?" will answer, Coon Brand, 

 Wheat and Grass Producer, Harvest King, etc.. and never know the 

 name of the manufacturer. 



HOME MIXING 



Some people seem to think this is the only way to get just what the 

 plants need. It is my opinion that it is a waste of time for the rea- 

 son that no one can mix fertilizer by hand with the same accuracy 

 that manufacturers can who are equipped with the proper machines 

 to thoroughly mix the different ingredients. Any person who would 

 want only a few tons of a special brand and call the attention of 

 the manufacturers they will thoroughly mix just what you w^ant and 

 at a very slight additional cost. The only home mixing practical 

 on the farm is to buy phosphoric acid or acidulated rock and use 

 on the stable manure. In this way you get a more equally balanced 

 fertilizer from stable manure. However, the value of stable manure 

 depends upon the kind of animals that produced it, and the care taken 

 of the liquid portion which contains more fertilizer than the solids, 

 and it is a deplorable fact that this portion is often left to leak 



