140 MAINE AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. I914. 



of the state and 52 tons shipped to different points within the 

 state. It was also ascertained from the different people to 

 whom these goods had been shipped that actual sales had taken 

 place; possessed of this evidence, a hearing was arranged with 

 the New Mineral Fertilizer Company and a request made for 

 an explanation as to why registration had not been arranged. 

 At this time a refusal to register their product was made through 

 their attorney. Samples of the goods were obtained throughl 

 several sources and analyses made and the parties to whom the 

 goods had been shipped, the Director of the Experiment Station 

 and the writer, appeared before the Grand Jury in Portland at 

 the September term of court. A true bill was found by the 

 Grand Jury but, owing to the congestion of business at that 

 time, the case was continued and will probably be brought up 

 in the next term of the Superior Court of Cumberland County. 

 After all that has been written warning people concerning the 

 worthlessness of this product for fertilizing purposes, it seems 

 almost incredible that this company were able to dispense 275 

 tons. The writer only recently received from one of the users 

 of this product a statement that, in his opinion, ordinary road 

 dust would have served better for fertilizing purposes than did 

 this rock dust. 



As several inquiries have been received regarding just what 

 the attitude of this department will be towards the fertilizer 

 companies selling goods containing less potash than formerly, or 

 brands with their guaranty changed from what it has been in 

 previous years, it may be well to state that we have replied to 

 all such inquiries to the effect that there will be no interference 

 with any brand when the guaranty on the certificate and on the 

 package as to the amount of potash agree with that found in the 

 analysis. There is nothing in the law that prevents the sale of 

 a fertilizer that contains no potash, and realizing the dearth 

 of potash and the hardship to the manufacturers, it will be the 

 policy of this demartment to assist and cooperate with the 

 manufacturers in every way possible, keeping always within 

 the limits of the law, however. 



