No. 4.] REPORT OF SECRETARY. xiii 



is perhaps regrettable but true that the unemployed of our 

 cities do not fill these requirements. Most of this help which 

 vibrates between shop and farm is of the poorest quality, but 

 if it could be kept in one place long enough to give it adequate 

 training, it might prove of some value. 



Fertilizer Situation. 



The war in Europe, and the consequent difficulty of producing 

 , and transporting certain fertilizing elements, particularly potash 

 and basic slag, both of which are produced in large quantities 

 in Germany, has resulted in a great shortage of both these 

 products, but particularly of potash, and many farmers who 

 have been used to mixing their own fertilizers from the raw 

 products will find themselves more or less handicapped this 

 year, principally with potash, as dealers are refusing to sell this 

 product separately. There seems to be a fair supply of basic 

 slag, and nitrate of soda is being offered at practically the same 

 prices as last year. ]\Iost of the fertilizer dealers are offering 

 mixed goods with a guarantee of 4 per cent of potash, and it 

 will be necessary in most cases for farmers to buy these in 

 order to get potash this season. Some chemists are advising 

 the use of common salt, where no potash is used, applied at the 

 rate of 500 pounds per acre. 



The lack of potash in our country this year recalls forcibly to 

 our minds the rather humiliating position that this country is 

 placed in regarding this element, and of our almost complete 

 dependence upon Germany and other countries for our supply. 

 There are several sources of potash in our country and, no 

 doubt, large deposits could be discovered were the matter taken 

 up seriously by the government. Seaweeds of various kinds 

 contain a large percentage of this element, and there are other 

 sources w^hich might bring a fair supply. 



The future of agriculture depends upon conserving the 

 fertility of the soil, and potash is one of the elements necessary 

 to that conservation. 



Basic slag, containing a large percentage of phosphorus, is 

 also imported from Germany, while Germany takes large 

 quantities of our rock phosphates. It would seem as if our 

 farmers should use more of our natural rock phosphates, both 



