No. 6. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 17 



same. The data does not come to the people once a year, as formerly, 

 consequently was of no benefit whatever, but montlily and fresh from 

 the hundreds of responsible collectors in every county of the Com- 

 monwealth. T am glad to state to your Excellency that these monthly 

 crop rojiorts and the otlior data published in connection therewith 

 has attracted Nation-wide comment and has been favorably spoken 

 of by many in the State and through the public press. In an edi- 

 torial in one of the leading newspapers of the Commonwealth the 

 editor referred to the magnitude and value of the various crops in 

 the State as published in the Crop Eeports, and that the Bureau 

 had done more in one year to inform the people of the food supply, 

 tlian was done in a decade previous. 



The Bureau of Statistics, through its monthly livestock, crop and 

 market reports and the publicity that is given them, acts as an 

 agency to bring the consumer and the producer together for their 

 common good. The statistical reports show the production and 

 price of farm products in the various townships of the State and 

 afford the commission agents, and all other buyers information that 

 leads to the farmer finding a market for his produce. This fea- 

 ture is being enlarged upon each month and promises to be a big 

 help in solving the marketing problems of the farmers of the State. 



The report with its valuable information and comparisons finds 

 its place in this Annual Report of the Department. There are two 

 things I would call to your Excellency's attention in the report of 

 the Bureau : First, to the immense values locked up in farmers' home 

 fertilizer, manure, coming from the farm alone, the approximate pro- 

 duction of which is shown as |14,.322,000. This is a great asset to 

 the farmers of the State, which costs but little, and adds very largely 

 to the maintenance of the soil and the increased production of the 

 staple crops of Pennsylvania. The people of the State have been 

 slow to see the importance of this great fertility agent and its proper 

 conservation. 



The second statement taken from the report of the Bureau, to which 

 T would call your attention, is the very complete data relating to the 

 killing of sheep by dogs in 1914. No comment is necessary as the report 

 shows the State-wide loss that comes to the farmers of Pennsylvania. 



Two important publications were published as bulletins of the De- 

 partment, prepared and compiled by the Statistician, viz: "Un- 

 occupied Farms for Sale in Pennsylvania," and "Creameries, Cheese 

 Factories, Milk Condenseries and Canneries," in operation in the 

 State. Another bulletiii, giving a more complete list of farms for 

 sale in the State, is about ready for the printer. This publication 

 gives a description of over 300 farms for sale located in fifty-six 

 counties. 



COMMERCIAL FERTILIZER 



The fertilizer control work, as usual, has been directly under the 

 supervision of the Secretary, wlio has charge of the administration 

 of the laws regulating the sale of same. Tlie tonnage reported as 

 sold in the State during the year was 316,319 tons, valued at $8,500,- 



2—6—1915 



