ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION 289 



The mechanical analysis of the sample of bone meal in- 

 cluded among the licensed brands of fertilizers gave the follow- 

 ing results, the portion passing through a sieve of one-fiftieth 

 inch mesh being designated as fine-ground, and that remaining 

 on such a sieve as coarse. 



Table IV. — Mechanical Analysis of Bone Meal, 1907. 

 Station Brand. Fine- 



No. Ground. Coarse 



Per ct. Per ct. 



9 Swift's Bone Meal 66 34 



Fertilizer Inspection. 



It is impossible to tell from the appearance or the smell of a 

 commercial fertilizer whether it contains a large amount of val- 

 uable fertilizing ingredients or only a very small amount. 

 There is therefore a strong temptation for irresponsible parties 

 to make and sell inferior or even worthless goods as standard 

 fertilizing articles ; so much so, that it has been found necessary 

 in all states where the fertilizer business has grown to be of 

 any importance, that the state should in some way supervise 

 their sale. Laws regulating the sale of commercial fertilizers 

 are at present in force in nearly every state in the Union. The 

 Wisconsin fertilizer law which was passed by the legislature 

 of 1895 is given in full in the following pages. According to 

 the provisions of the law, all commercial fertilizers sold in this 

 state at a cost exceeding $10.00 per ton must be licensed for 

 sale. They must be sold on a guarantee of their contents of 

 valuable fertilizing ingredients, and the director of the experi- 

 ment station, on whom is laid the duty of enforcing the law, is 

 authorized, in person or by deputy, to take samples of all com- 

 mercial fertilizers sold in this state which come within the 

 scope of the law. In case of licensed fertilizers it may thus 

 be ascertained whether these come up to the guaranteed com- 

 position, and when it is found that parties are selling fertiliz- 

 ers without complying with the provisions of the law, they may 

 be brought before the proper legal authorities and convicted 

 according to section 1494d of Wisconsin statutes of 1898. This 



