No. 6. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 417 



soils we believe the use of floats or finely ground Tennessee Phosphate 

 Rock direct from the mine to the farm will pay in connection with the 

 above treatment. 



Availability. What sins have been committed in thy name! In- 

 stead of assisting nature to grow our crops in nature's way, we have 

 depended, on tlie factory made nostrums to feed our crops. The re- 

 sult is that we have so depleted the organic matter in our soils that if 

 it does not rain for eight or ten days during the growing seasoln 

 we become panic stricken. With a little available plant food we 

 have stimulated the soil to over exertion and the succeeding crops 

 show the reaction. Availii>ility. To get it, fertilizer concerns will 

 gather up any old thing with an acid to break down the organic struc- 

 ture, and then use it in complete fertilizers. In nature, the breakiag 

 down of the organic structure of plants or animal products in the 

 soil results in bacterial action and is of very great importance in its 

 relation to plant growth. Even bone meal, animal tankage, and 

 ground fish are now often aciduated to make them available. The 

 fertilizer concerns do it for a price; but the farmer who uses these 

 products should have his sanity inquired into. 



It is my firm conviction that it is just as great an offence against 

 morality to swindle a farmer as it is to goldbrick a mason. It is 

 not my desire to ask special legislation for the farmers' uplift. He 

 would resent that. All he looks for is simple, old fashioned justice. 

 The fertilizer companies boast that they can and do use materials in 

 their fertilizer against the laws of the State. I would have the leg- 

 islature rewrite those laws. In addition to the present requirement 

 of the per cent, of available nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash 

 printed on the bag, there should also appear the name of the material 

 or materials from which the difl'erent elements have been derived. 

 In the case of organic material the law should require the statement 

 as to whether the organic structure remains or has been broken down 

 by the use of acids or other chemical action. The condition of the 

 contents of the bag as to acidity could be indicated by one of thre« 

 words; Neutral, Acid or Alkaline. 



If proper penalties are provided, — and it is absolutely essential 

 that there should be, — for those who would defy the law, these re- 

 quirements could be easily enforced by the Department. Then would 

 the farmer know what he was putting into his soil and Pennsylvania 

 agriculture would take a long step in advance. 



REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON WOOL AND TEXTILE FIBRES 



By MR. S. C. GEORGE, Chairman 



Mr. Chairman and Members of the State Board of Agriculture: 

 In attempting to report on this subject, I feel it is too difficult for 

 one of my ability or experience to cope with; but never wishing to 



27—6—1915 



