124 Report of the Chemist 



farmers of the State desire to try the soft phosphates on their 

 lands the department of agriculture wishes them to do so with 

 their eyes wide open, and on this account has forbidden the sale 

 of this material under a name which indiactes that it is of the 

 same character as (acid) phosphates, which it most certainly is 

 not. It more closely approaches in character a finely ground 

 phosphate rock. We have permitted the sale of these soft phos- 

 phates under their correct name as ' soft phosphate ' just as we 

 would any crude fertilizing material. There has been a special 

 effort made by several parties to secure permission to sell this 

 material, mixed with potash and ammonia, as a complete fer- 

 tilizer. The sale of such a mixture has always been forbidden, 

 if it contained less than ten per cent of plant food, as clearly 

 a violation of the State laws. Any material which will furnish 

 plant food to our farmers cheaply will be welcome to us, but 

 many cannot afford to use such unproven materials and will not 

 use them if they are aware of their unproven character; hence 

 we have ruled and insisted that soft phosphates must be sold 

 as ' soft phosphates ' and not masqueraded as something else." 



5. Selling Price and Actual Value of " Natural Plant 



Food.-' 



One other point to which attention should be called is the 

 price at which " Natural Plant Food " is sold. The lowest price 

 reported to us has been $17, and this was when a farmer bought 

 direct from the company. When sold through dealers, the price 

 has been from $25 to $28 a ton. The commercial value of these 

 goods, as based on their composition, would not exceed $10 a 

 ton, and it is probable that their agricultural value is even be- 

 low this. 



It is not probably within the power of this Station to prevent 

 the sale of " Natural Plant Food " in this State through the 

 courts; and the only method of preventing continued imposition 

 upon our farmers is to make the foregoing statement. 



Whenever farmers are offered fertilizers of which they have 

 no knowledge, they should secure information from this Station 

 before purchasing such materials. 



