The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1895-12-12
FINER FERTILIZERS.
Ecver Samples Found Deficient 3a1s
GEAR Than in ANY Year Previous.


Ecver Samples Found Deficient Ials
GEAR Than in ANY Year Previous.
Below is given the annual report OF
Secretary J. P. Smith Of the.State
board Of fertilizer control, contalnedl IN
the eighth annual report OF the Souta
Carolina experimental station, which
shows very fully the improvements
made in the grades Of fertilizers tuT'
nisned during the pastyear: and shows
the income derived by the State from
the fertilizer tax:
INSPECTION Or FERTILIZERS.
Owing to the great depression IN the
fertilizer trade the past year the SNIP
ping season did not open as early as
usual, consequently our inspectors wers
not started to work till about Feb: !,
and therefore had only about TWO
months in which to work. However,,
they made thorough canvass .ot the
State and visited most Of the shipping
points several times during the season.
Three hundred and forty samples OF
fertilizers, representing 206 brands OF
goods, were collected. AL OF these
except the duplicate samples, were ana.
lyzed and reported in, bulletin No. ~
OF the South Carolina experimental
station, 10000 copies Of which were
distributed throughout the State: Com
paratively few cases Of irregularities
we're discovered. The greatest difficulty
we have to contend with IN carrying
out the lew Of the State is the collec-
ton Of the privilege tax on cotton seec
meal. This continues to. give Us
trouble. Under the law, as construed
by this department, we tax the meal
when il is-sold as a fertilizer, and We
regard it all as fertilizer unless II is
branded as stock food, but IN many
cases it is bought by farmers ard deal
ers in carload lots, frequently trem
mills in other Stairs, without stating,
and perhaps not knowing tor what pur,
pose it is to be used, and is shipped
and distributed free Of the tax, when
doubtless large portion Of it is used
as fertilizer. As the law now stands,
persons who are disposed to disregard
It can easily do so and have O loophoie
Of escape from It's penalties. IL view
Of the difficulty O; enforcing the pres
ent law. and since cotton seed meal hss
come into such general use as a com,
mercial fertilizer, I would recommend
that the legislature be asked to place1t
on the same footing as other CONNER
cial fertilizers and make it liable to
the privilege tax in all csses. Inc
State of Georgia has had snch law IN
operation for several years, and teet
confident that it would be to the inter"
est Of the farmers to have the law 90
amended and that the manufactureEs
themselves would not object TO it. -
think it but just to state IN this CON
nection that I believe most mills IN the
State try to comply with the Law as .1s
is, and some Of them e,en pay the tax
on all meal they sell now rather than
run the risk of7iolating the State laws.
GUARANTEES.
It is gratifying to report that tewer
samples have beer found below the
manufacturers guarantees, than IN any
year since the organization OF this de'
partnent. Under the act OF 1884,
which allows limit of 8 per cent.
below commercial values, only. two
brands of goods were found deficient:
FARMERS SAMPLES. .-.
! greater number Of farmers samples
haze been received this year than last,
and all of those collected according to
the prescribed rules Of the department
have been analyzed and reportsdto the
persons sending them.
Instructions for collecting snd
fowarding these samples are always
furnished on application to the ter.
tilizer department and it is important
that farmers comply strictly with these
rules, as they have been adopted solely
for their benefit. -.
The following table shows tie work
Of the department this season, also tor
comparison the corresponding figures
OF 1894 are given:
Privilege tax collected, 1885, $780,
077.93; 1924, s43, 3,499.06. Amount Of
fertilizers sold in the State, (toas)
1895, 120,31l; 1894, 173,996. Mum
her OF samples collected by inspectors,
1895, $40; 1894, 500. Number Of sam
pies analyzed, 1895, 206; 1894 234.
Number of samples below guarantee,
1895. ~23; 1894, ~. Per ceat. OF
samples below guarantee, 1885, u;
1894, IS.
-Under the present law, which re-
ou;res that the commercial value based
upon the actual analysis shall not fall
} per cent. below the commercial value
based upon guarantees, only. Two
brands were found deficient.
The following statement shows the
total expense Of the department for
the past year: .,<
Salaries CT chemists and secretary -52,124a7
Ckerri..l snnnlies and fuel. 1886
pasta~n Stationary. etc :... 6372
Freight and expenses. =. ...........- 2E9s
Printing tax tags. ..:...... 5Ou.Vo
Sertices.of veterinary surSeon..... 34.D
Salaries and railroad fare Of iaspec-
tors. .................... 'fV.o@
Total. ...... ....................S4 ,3!Seo