10 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



Carolina Rock or from animal bone, basic slag, etc. The potash 

 they contain may be derived from muriate or sulphate of potash, 

 kainit, wood ashes, etc., while the nitrogen may be secured from 

 tankage, dried blood, nitrate of soda, cottonseed meal or a number 

 of other materials in which it is found. The readiness with which 

 these fertilizing elements dissolve, when applied to the soil, depends 

 largely upon the source from which they are derived; and in order 

 to apply them intelligently to his crops, so as to secure the greatest 

 benefits from their use. the farmer should know the source from 

 which they come. This mailer will be brought to the attention of 

 the next General Assembly, and a plea will he made for the needed 

 change in the law. 



Some manufacturers burden the statement the law requires them 

 to make, with superfluous information that is of no value and thac 

 many times leads to misapprehension on the part of the purchaser. 

 Such additional statements should be prohibited, and nothing more 

 than the statement now required by section one of the Act of March 

 25, L901, should be permitted, to be placed upon the package. 



SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT. 



The Farmers' Institute: I have already spoken of the advance- 

 ment made in the increased efficiency of farmers 1 institute work. 

 The progress made in this direction is phenomenal. During the 

 first few years after the introduction of this work into our State, 

 its friends could not avoid some apprehensions concerning the possi 

 bility of holding the work up to the high standard assumed at the 

 very start. Farmers, as a rule, are good students and apt learners, 

 and the question in the minds of many was, "Will it be possible 

 always to secure lecturers and instructors that will be able to keep 

 in advance of those who are to be taught?" The manner in which 

 this question has been answered in Pennsylvania is gratifying to 

 every one interested in agriculture. Institute instructors, from 

 the very beginning, saw the necessity of keeping close up with the 

 rapid progress that was sure to be made. The few who, either from 

 lack of inclination or failure to realize the necessity, were not willing 

 to labor for self-improvement, soon dropped out of the work and 

 their places were taken by others more active, the new supply 

 usually coming either as graduates or teachers from our own State 

 College, or from some other institution of the same kind. The lead- 

 ers in this work must be men thoroughly competent and well 

 equipped. Not men, as is sometimes asserted, who are able to an- 

 swer every question that may be asked, but men of sufficient mental 

 calibre and training, to answer most reasonable and proper ques- 

 tions that are likely to be asked, and who possess sufficient discretion 

 and common sense jo say. when if becomes necessary, "I do not 

 know.'' Such men are always in demand at good salaries, and if in 

 the future, we are to keep on the upward move, as we have done in 

 the past, our State law makers must be impressed with the im- 

 portance of granting liberal appropriations to institute work. No 

 surer indication of the prosperity of a State or Nation can be 

 found, than the prosperity of its agriculture, and money expended 

 to secure such prosperity is sure to yield a good return. 



Teachers and Superintendents of Public Schools: Public school 

 teachers and county superintendents of public instruction should 



