35^ MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REIPORT, 



This is not a new branch in State work. A great many of the 

 eastern states now have inspectors of stock feeds. Practically all of 

 the New England states send out inspectors each spring and fall, who 

 take samples of feed here and there. Every sack of feed put on the 

 market by any firm must have on it a tag giving the analysis of that 

 feed. If the feed does not analyze up to the guarantee, that firm is 

 liable to prosecution. I really do not believe that that would work a 

 hardship on many. I honestly have enough faith in humanity to feel 

 that the majority of men selling these feeds have been forced to adulterate 

 their goods in order to meet the prices of those who adulterated first; 

 for when one man adds ground cob and oat hulls to his bran and sells 

 his goods cheaper than the other fellow, the other fellow, in order 

 to sell his goods, has to bring them down to the same price, 

 which can be done only by adulteration. There is already in the 

 State a fertilizer control under the management of the Agricultural 

 Experiment Station. This institution sends out each spring and fall an 

 inspector who gathers samples of fertilizers ; these are analyzed at the 

 Experiment Station, and the result is that when you buy any fertilizer on 

 the market it contains the ingredients — nitrogen, phosphoric acid and 

 potash in the proportion named on the tags giving the analysis. 



Now, whether this inspection of feeds be placed in the hands of the 

 State Dairy Commissioner or the Agricultural College, it makes no 

 difference, just so we get the work done ; but it is time, as soon as the 

 Legislature meets again, that we, as dairymen, through the Association, 

 demand action on that point. 



There are other adulterations, which would hardly come under that 

 of grain feed. There is a new feed on the market — alfalfa meal — 

 which is an especially fine feed when it is pure, but which, being ground 

 fine, has the disadvantage of easy adulteration, and samples have been 

 analyzed in this State which, instead of being pure alfalfa leaves and 

 stems ground up with a protein content of 16.50 per cent, contained 

 other feed, such as timothy or prairie hay, which reduced the protein 

 content to 12.50 per cent, and which was not recognizable because of 

 the very fine condition of the meal. I would suggest to those buying 

 feeds which have been ground to such a fine state that the original 

 kernel or stalk in that feed is not recognizable, that they have it an- 

 alyzed. So soon as the identity of the grain or stalk is destroyed, adul- 

 teration becomes easy. I was authorized yesterday by the State Chemist 

 at Columbia to say that if you are going to buy any feed in carload 

 lots (would not bother about analyzing a few sacks) at high prices, you 

 first get a guarantee from the concern from whom you buy of the 



