No. 7. DEPARTMENT OF AGKlCLli.TURE. 11 



less and deceptive feeds from the markets of the State. It is worthy 

 of note that comparatively few of the fraudulent and defective feeds 

 were manufactured within our own State. 



Among the samples collected by the agents of the Department, 

 there were many that represeuited coudimental feeds sold under 

 the name of stock and poultry foods. An examination of these 

 showed that they contained a small per cent, of feeding value which 

 was usually derived from cottonseed or linseed meal, corn meal or 

 other ground grain, to which was added wood-ashes, charcoal, sul- 

 phur, common salt, Epsom salts, coperas or iron oxide, crashed 

 weed seeds and a small per cent, of powdered gentian and fenugreek 

 seed. 



The selling prices of these coudimental feeds as reported by our 

 agents, are entirely out of proportion to their real value. 



If such articles are to be sold under names that indicate 'that they 

 possess any feeding value. I regard it as important that they be 

 placed under the same legal provisions regulating the sale of other 

 feeding stuffs. The owners of livestock should be protected from 

 the imposition they suffer at the hands of the compounders and 

 vendors of all such materials, and I would commend such legislation 

 to the consideration of the law makers of the State. 



The w^ork of Linseed Oil examination as provided for by Act of 

 23 April, 1901, was continued at intervals during the year, and it is 

 gratifying to be able to repeait what was stated in last year's report, 

 that a comparatively small per cent, of the samples examined were 

 found to be adulterated. Of the 503 samples examined during the 

 last two years, but 26, or 5 per cent, of the whole were adulterated. 

 Owing 'to the large and constantly increasing purposes to which 

 linseed oil is applied as used in paints and varnishes, as well as in 

 the linoleum, rubber and soap industries, all of great importance to 

 the citizens of the Commonwealth, it is important that these ex- 

 aminations shall continue to be made. The cost is quite small and is 

 abundantly recompensed by the result of keeping the supply of this 

 important commodity pure. 



The examination by chemical analysis of the Commercial Fertil- 

 izers sold within the State received the attention that has been given 

 it in the past. Fourteen agents were employed during both spring 

 and fall sampling seasons, to gather in specimens of the fertil- 

 izers found upon the market, which were analyzed and results made 

 public through the bulletins of tlie Department. While most of the 

 fertilizers sold show a disposition upon the part of manufacturers 

 to meet the guarantee they are required by law to file with this 

 Department, it is to be regretted that in some instances (far too 

 many) either carelessness or a desire to secure undue profits leads 

 to abuses that ought to be corrected. 



Section 5 of the Act of 25 March, 1901, commonly known as the 

 Fertilizer Law;, provides a penalty for furnishing a guarantee that 

 is misleading or false, and makes it the duty of the Secretary of 

 Agriculture to enforce the provisions of the act, but unfortunately 

 the amount of money that may be used for this purpose after deduct- 

 ing the cost of securing samples and having the same analyzed, is not 

 sufficient to cover the expense that must be incurred in prosecutions 

 were brought in every instance where there is reason to believe that 

 the action would be sustained bv the rourts F-f)r fliis reason the 



