The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-12-08
COMMISSIONERS REPORT.
IN Abe Pspg Cd tbs Agricultural Con-
dltion Of Virginia.
TIC ANALYSIS OF FERTILIZERS,
Aud the Benefits Accruing to Farmers
Therefrom- The Imin grafton Question
Discussed expert Labor Needed.
The Importance of Good Roads.

Vi fdH his
report TO the Governor and 1t Is now
being printed in pamphlet form The pa
per is "A most able one and sets forth
fully and clearly the condition or the
State IN regard 10 agriculture, and the
work done by the state Board of Asri-
culture. The report also Emphasizes the
great good which mas resulted 10 the
State from the system Of fertilizer inspCc-
ton. and shows that thereby the farmers
lave been protected from being defrauded
by manufacturers OF worthless brands.
In part, the report has the following 10
say!
There has been received for fees on fer
tilzers this fiscal year. $i.SS1.O0. The cX-
penditurcs by the department has been
as follows: On the Fertilizer Fund ST.
tes.1i. on the General Fund, Sl,oS5.sS-mak-
ing the total expenditure by The De-
partment for the quarter ending Decem-
Der 81. 1894. s2.6s5s9.
Since the last meeting OF the Board.
the Agricultural Report for 1894 has been
published. The three thousand copies or
dered by the Board have been distributed
as follows: To the newspapers or the
State the correspondents of the Depart
ment I'm the various counties OF the State,
20 the Experiment Stations OF the differ
ent States. TO the State Departments OF
Agriculture. TO the various educational
Institutions OF the State. 10 the judges
and clerks of the County Courts. and TO
the Commissioners of Revenue OF the
State, 10 the members Of the Virginia
Legislature. to the Representative and
the heads OF the Virginia State Depart
snents. TO the members OF the Virginia
State Board OF Agriculture. and 10 vari-
Gus parties both in and out OF the State
applying for same. There are at present
on hand between 500 and 1900 reports,
which can be easily distributed this year.
THE IMMIGRATION QUESTION:
The subject OF immigration has excited
the people In and out of the state so that
we have only 1000 Hand-books on hand
and they Will be speedily exhausted as
IL Acrx md &c 81 o.
condition OF the Northwest is SUCH that
dissatisfaction and unrest prevail more
or less In every State and thousands
have come and are coming South. Inc
trouble in regard TO Virginia is the diff
ference in cost TO families coming 10 the
East and Southeast and those gong west
and Southwest. We believe that If al
lowed by law 10 act promptly and active
~ on the subject of immigration, the
State Board of Agriculture could, with
the money received from fertilizers, Sc
cure the Hons share of this moving pop
ulation. The large area of land for sale
jn the State at low prices admonishes
every thoughtful citizen that the sale OF
surplus lands, reserving the homes, IS
absolutely necessary 10 the prosperity OF
the State. The subject IS forced now on
the Department increasing the labor ana
claiming its time and means.
The long winter has crowded the ferti-
lizer work on the Department one in
spector was placed i'm Norfolk in time 10
look after the trucking interests About
the Isl Mdltn. IN llf lIltIfSt VI 'ioiAbiis
and on account of the increased once
work especially In the registration OF ad-
ditonal brands under the new law az any
time. ] put my messenger H. j.. JoDsoh'
IN the field. and he has done most enlcient
and skillful work. Up to LIST April, 90
brands have been registered, 81 OF the
500 certificates have been issued. y origi-
nal $40 certificates, and 81 certificates or
additional brands. Many farmers sam
pies have been received and analyzed, ne
cessaTily taking precedence OF regular
samples Applications for formulas ny
farmers desiring To make or mix their
own fertilizers have greatly increased,
entailng additional work. From Isl DC
tober. 1894. up to LIST April. 1872 $'.3bO nave
been collected OH fertilizer account, 800
samples have been taken by samplers,
and f27 analyses by Chemist. ana Two
bulletins issued and one in the hands OF
the printer containing the analyses.
Twentv-njne brands were found by the
famplers unregistered, and notified by the
inspector and required TO comply Win u,e
law Forty-nne irregularities IN brand
ing were found by inspection ana tntlf
correction required. The Board OF Build
ing Commissioners of the new Library
Building reported "A deficiency in the APP
equippfng of the laboratory ana II VIII
require about Sl15 to place the lapora-
tory In condition to carry on the cheIn-
Zeal work Of the Department
ANALYSIS OF FERTILIZERS.
The ANALYSIS of fertilizers is one of the
most important duties req ired of the De-
partment of Agriculture To establish con-
fdence between our manu-, acturers ana
our planters is the great work the Board
Is accomplishing.
Watchful, vet fair and unprecedented in
vestigation, in sampling, analyzng, ana
publishing all fertilizers offered for sale IN
Virginia. will give satisfaction 10 all the
honcst-both buyers and sellers. In plant
ing and trucking, commercial iertlllz-
ers have become q necessity, ana IN the
Improvement of large areas 81 exhaust
ed lands. great help. the Judlclous use
of those mineral ingredients in soils ne
cessary to produce a paying crop or 10
put a broken-down eild on its feet. - OF
the first Importance 10 most Virginia
land. owners The proper use OF CONNER
cial fertilizers, in conjunction with Iarm-
yard manure, Is increasing, ana - iouhd
most profitable in the production OF crops.
Last years report of my Inspector Of
Fertilizers shows a sale IN Virginia or
nearly 100000 worth OF ierfshzers, ana
these fertilizers were furnished by l@
manufacturers, of which n were In VIZ
gina. This is "A large work, and l call
your Excollency's attention TO the re-
ports Of the Inspector and Chemist, ac-
companying this report.
| would suggest the propriety or so
amending the present law as TO make vio-
lations a misdemeanor, and rot 10 re-
quire the Commissioner of Agriculture
or any citizen" 10 bring suit. In fact, the
law cannot properly toe enforced in any
other way. 7 am happy TO say that most
OF manufacturers. certainly IN tins state,
tween them and the buyers are few. and,
after investigation by the Department,
are easily and satisfactorily adjusted in
most cases.
The fertilizer law is an inspection law,
and the proceeds should properly and le-
gaily be applied 10 the securing and max
ing and publishing of full and correct
analyses So much should be collected as
will do this fully and literally, and no
greater charge than this should be made.
es II is really paid by the farmers who
pso the fertilizers. This would secure per-
feet protection. full information OF values.
INSPECTORS REPORT.
The Inspector reports that ia brands OF
State which had not been registered. and
were offered fer sale without the tax be
Ing paid Although most Of these cases
arose from forgetfulness, ignorance or
mistakes. still N not found and reported.
sometimes seized the state would lose
the tax and ~ the goods were bad.
farmers would DE injured. These were re-
ported. registration and guarantees re-
Quired and the tax paid. amounting 10
g. s9o-a sum greater by S21664 than the
entire cost OF inspection. including saIa-
Yies. This fact emphasizes the value OF
an extensive. close. and thorough inspec-
ton. as practced IN Georgia
The present fertilizer law IL unequal. |
IL collected from fees on fertilizers dur
fng the fiscal year 1875, $g.fi0 The /
control and Inspection cost S6.S56, and yet /
the law only gives 5000 to the fertilizer
work, and required sGil0 to be turned /
into the treasury. This required the /
Roard 10 take &C. S57s9 Of the general APP /