52 ANNUAL EEPOETS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



in all parts of the United States. Legislative authority for its fur- 

 ther development in connection with live-stock market supervision 

 should be continued and extended. Finally, better organization of 

 live-stock producers and closer cooperation between their organiza- 

 tions and those representing the different classes of intermediaries, 

 all working in harmonj' with agencies of the Government directly 

 concerned, will also increase the effectiveness of regulation and pub- 

 licity, make for the maximum of efficiency, and conduce to the wel- 

 fare of the packers and distributors as well as of the producers and 

 consumers. 



FEDERAL FEED AND FERTILIZER LAWS. 



At present, in order to secure for the public the benefits of the 

 provisions of the Federal food and drugs act with reference to 

 animal feeds, it is necessary to rely on the appropriate statutes of 

 the different States. These are not uniform, and there are a few 

 States which have no laws that can be invoked. It is believed that 

 it would be wise to have a comprehensive Federal feed law placed 

 upon the statute books, under which the Government could proceed 

 in a uniform manner and secure to consumers adequate protection 

 against misbranded, adulterated, and worthless feeds entering into 

 interstate commerce. It is probable also that similar legislation 

 would be feasible and valuable with reference to fertilizers passing 

 into interstate commerce. It is obvious, of course, that if such laws 

 could be enacted they should result in the protection not only of the 

 consumer but also of the honest manufacturer and distributor. 



I am convinced that there is much indiscriminate use of commercial 

 fertilizers in this country and, therefore, much waste of money. This 

 arises from the lack of available satisfactory data. Soils require 

 careful treatment just as does the human body. A number of States 

 have conducted fertilizer experiments over a long period and have 

 obtained and disseminated valuable information. Because of the 

 importance of this matter for the whole Union, I believe that the 

 Federal Government should participate in this work and that an 

 adequate sum should be made available to the Department for co- 

 operative experiments with State institutions. 



EMERGENCY PRODUCTION WORK. 



As has been indicated, during the last year and a half, under the 

 food-production measure, the activities of the Department have been 



