Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-12-11
INFORMATION ron FARMERS.
commissioners Rcport to he Dis
tributcd Among Rural Districts.

The Commissioner of Agriculture Is ar
ranging to have his annual report. which
has just been presented to the Cover
nor. printed IN pamphlet form, and gene
rally distributed throughout the rural dis
tricts OF the state. The report is very
comprehensive and exhaustive document,
dealing with every material interest of
the farmers Of the Commonwealth. In
reference TO fertilizers. he says:
There has been received for fees on
| fertilizers this fiscal year Sl,SW. The cN-
penditurcs by the department have been
! az follows: On the fertilizer fund. 81 osSN ;
on the general fund. 81 .0s6. sS-making the
total expenditure by the department for
the quarter ending December 81. 1894.
| S26Sj.69."
The Commissioner treats in most ex-
haustive manner the question OF immi-
! grafton 20 Virginia. He speaks OF the
/ patural tide from the Northwest 10 the
. South. and presents in most attractive
! way Nireinia's many resources and aG-
vantages. and the means OF getting ther
properly before these Immigrants.
FERTILIZER 1NSt LECTION.
With reference 10 fertilizer inspection,
! the Commissioner says:
THE Inspector reports thar 1Ji brands
! Of fertilizers were sound scattered over
! the State which had not been registered
Land were offered for sale without the tax
! being paid Although most OF these cases
arose from fOrectful1css, ignorance. or
| mistakes still il not found and reIorted.
sometimes seized. rhe Stat, would lose
! the tax, and II the goods were had
farmers would he injured. These were re-
ported. registration. and guarantees re-
quired. and the tax paid. am bunting TO
M 80
entire cost OF Inspection. including
salaries. This fact emphasizes the value
90 an extensive close. and thorough in
sPection. as prdcticed i'm Georgia.
"Thc present fertilizer law is unequal
T. collected from fees on fertilizers du-
ing the fiscal year 1915 s9.llO The
control and inspection cost 1896. and yet
the law only gives 5000 to the fertilizer
work. and required s6,ll0 to be turned
INTO the Treasury. This required the
board 10 take S3.s57.S9 of the general APP
preparation for agricultural purposes ana
apply 1t to fertilizer inspection. Let the
fertilizer tax only pay the cost of exc
cutting The fertilizer law; II the general
appropriation for agriculture is too large
Ghea u should not cover. as il does i'm
mliation, roads drainage and irriga-
ton and industrial statistics. SO far as
We have any law. cut it down from
$1,000. This would greatly simplify the
work"
INTERESTING STATISTICS.
Colonel Whitehead has much to say on
the labor question. the subject OF good
roads: presents some very interesting
facts with reference to stock and cattle
raising, Horticulture. etc. in the State.
and concludes with a statement of the
receipts and expenditures Of the depart
ment for the fiscal year ending Sep
TENDER 90 1895, and the crop-aversges for
the years 1894 and 1885.
Receipts and exp nditures for 1875:
Regular appropriation ........... SO. 900 90
From fees on fertilizers ............ 9ll0 90
Total receipts .... ...............Sl9.1lO ~
TOTAL expenditure ...........,.... n .S36 10
Leaving in the Treasury ..........s 1913 81
1t also appears that this department
cn.y lacks ..725.le OF being support
inc
The following is contrast Of the ave-
rage OF crops for the years 1894 and 1895:
70: 1891: Prospect Wheat 81; corn. 90:
oats. 90: hay. 81; cotton. So; tobacco. ~.
Irish potatoes. IS; sweet potatoes IS: pea
nuts. "; pastures. IS; apples, GS; peaches.
.; pears 3: grapes, -
ACrea se- Wheat -: corn. 90: oats. %:
hay. 90; cotton. l02: tobacco. 81; Iiish po-
tatoes, l02; sweet potatoes. -; peanuts
-: pastures. IS
For 1895: Wheat. 90: corn, 81
oats 50; hay. ~. cotton. 7s; tobacco, ~
Irish potatoes. 81; sweet potatoes. So: pea
nuts, So; pastures. IS. apples. GS peaches,
g.: pears. g. grapes 81.
Aseage-Wheat. s.; corn, %: oats. 81
hay. 80; cotton. GS: tobacco. s.; Irish po-
tatoes. 102: sweet potatoes. 81; peanuts, 81:
~ ..nrc4 u