No. 6. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICUI/TUIIE. 223 



Also wish to direct your special atteutiou to tlie reductiou in tiie 

 number of brands and materials registered during the year and 

 the amount of registi-ation fees received by the l)e[)artment and 

 compare the same with the registration for the year 1914. 



The tendency of the trade in general lias been to reduce the num- 

 ber of brands, which has resulted in a loss of revenue, while the total 

 tonnage of fertilizers consumed in this State has remained normal. 



An effort was made by the State Board of Agricnltui'e at tlie 

 last session of the Legislature to amend the fertilizer law by chang- 

 ing the manner of collecting this revenue from a fee tax to a ton- 

 nage tax. The bill met with strong opposition and was defeated. 

 The wisdom of this cliange is now slioM'n in a y)ractical way and 

 must come sooner or later if this work is to be self-sustaining, if not 

 susi)ended, unless given State aid from other sources. 



The work also should be organized in such manner as to enable 

 the agents to be in the field for a longer period than four weeks each 

 season, or a larger number of agents should be emx)loyed for the 

 short period. This latter arrangement would be preferable on ac- 

 count of the rapid movement of fertilizers, especially during the 

 spring season. 



I would also recommend that one sample of fertilizer be an- 

 alyzed for each 50 tons of a single brand sold in this State, the prac- 

 tice of composing three samples to be continued and all sami)les to 

 be run in multiples of three, the agents being careful not to dupli- 

 cate samples of the same shipment. 



In conclusion, permit me to call to your attention the loyalty of 

 the field force and the manner in which they co-operated with the 

 Department in prosecuting this work. They have been faithful to 

 Their trust and not a single complaint has reached the Department 

 with respect to their work. 



Kespectfully submitted, 



HENRY E. KLUGH, 



