222 TWENTY-FIFTH ANNIVERSARY REPORT. 
to secure the punishment of violations of the law by legal process 
in the courts. 
In 1896 the statute was completely revised and greatly simplified, 
and in this new form was enacted into law. Under this and the 
preceding enactments, the cost of executing the law was borne by 
special State appropriations. Under these circumstances manufac- 
turers increased the number of brands to an extent undreamed of, 
the different brands of fertilizers offered for sale jumping from 245 
in 1890 to nearly 2,300 in 1899. This condition greatly increased 
the cost of executing the law and was, moreover, a practical 
hindrance rather than a help to farmers. To meet this condition, 
the law of 1896 was amended in 1899 by requiring a license fee of 
$20 a year for each brand offered for sale in this State and also 
extending the law to all goods selling for more than $5 a ton, the 
former law placing the limit at $10. This at once reduced the 
number of brands from nearly 2,300 to about 600, near which the 
number has since remained. In 1904 the law was further changed 
so as to place the collection of samples and the responsibility of 
making prosecutions in the hands of the State Commissioner of 
Agriculture. Also, specific provision was made for the publication 
of the results of analysis. 
FERTILIZER LAW. 
The main provisions of the law, as it now stands, are as follows: 
To what goods the law applies— The provisions of the statute 
apply to “any commercial fertilizer or any material to be used as 
a fertilizer, the selling price of which exceeds five dollars,’ when 
such goods are sold, offered or exposed for sale in this State. The 
law, in its past interpretation and in the intention of those who drew 
the first laws, applies to all mixtures containing nitrogen, phos- 
phoric acid or potash, or any combination of these, and also tc all 
unmixed fertilizing materials containing any of these elements of 
plant-food when sold for more than $5 a ton. Therefore, such 
materials as nitrate of soda, potash salts, dried blood, tankage, acid 
phosphate, etc., come under the provisions of the law. 
What must be stated on each package of fertilizer— The 
statute requires that four things shall be stated on each package of 
fertilizer : 
(1) The net weight. 
(2) The name, brand or trademark. 
(3) The name and address of the manufacturer. 
