No. 6. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 415 



this morning, with Dr. Marshall this afternoon, and others for proper 

 protection tor the people, the protection of stock and the protection 

 of the materials you bu}' from adulteration — all that is the great 

 work which the Department of Agriculture has to do, and that the 

 work of instruction, of ascertaining information through the experi- 

 ment station, of carrying that information to the people, better 

 methods, more economical ways of doing things on the farm — that 

 (hat belongs to the College; and they are trying to differentiate and 

 divide the work in precisely that way, so that the people will get the 

 largest return for the expenditure of their money. That is the 

 thing we are all interested in, and that is the great work we are 

 trying to do at the present time, and I know that no one more highly 

 appreciates this and is more deeply interested than the State Board 

 of Agriculture itself. And I want to say that we are trying, at the 

 College, to carry on the work for the best interests of the people, try- 

 ing to ascertain the facts through our various extension agencies 

 made possible by this Smith-Lever Bill, we are able to carry that out 

 in a way to give increased production and with increased production 

 comes increased prosperity and with increased prosperity comes hap- 

 piness for the people of the State. Thank you. (Applause). 



REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON COMMERCIAL FERTILIZERS. 



By F. S. BRONG, Chairman 



There is not another single item of expense for which the Penn- 

 sylvania farmer spends so much hard cash as for commercial fer- 

 tilizer. This report is in the interest of that farmer. Let it be re- 

 membered that we are not talking about regular truck farmers or 

 other highly specialized producers, though we believe in a general 

 way these recommendations will also apply to them. 



The first commercial fertilizer of which I have any recollection was 

 crushed bone or bone meal, which was closely followed by acid 

 phosphate and then by one after another of all the various combina- 

 tions that high salaried officers in fertilizer factories could create. 

 If we can take their word for it there are now nearly two thousand 

 brands, each one better than the other, from which the farmer can 

 take his choice. 



Commercial fertilizers are designed to supply any one, or two, or 

 all three of the plant food constituents generally conceded to be likely 

 to be lacking in available form in ordinary soils, viz: nitrogen, phos- 

 ])horus and potash. The nitrogen for the fertilizer may be derived 

 either from a mineral, a vegetable or animal product. It may be in a 

 form of immediate availability for plant use, or it may be slowly avail- 

 able, or it may be in such condition that scarcely five per cent, of it 

 can be used by the plants in any one season. Again certain products 

 carrying nitrogen are alkaline in their nature while others are neu- 

 tral, and still others decidedly acid. In a somewhat less degree the 

 same may be said of the materials from which phosphorus and potash 

 are derived. 



