Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1906-02-22
HUDSON'S LETTER TO
GEORGIA FARMERS,
Issued By State Agricultural
Department.
MANY SUBJECTS DISCUSSED
Report of Commissioner Hudson at the
Last Gathering of Commissioners Of
Agriculture of the Southern States,
Held at Richmond, Va.
Atlanta. Feh. /. 1qnG

3
Held at Richmond, Va.
Atlanta, Feb. /, 1906.
The Georgia Department OF Agri-
culture is not sinecure TO either the
Commissioner or his assistant, or 10
any of the clerks, whose duty il is to
look after its business. We are ex-
pected TO be wide awake to all the
interests Of the farmers, who consti-
tute by lar the larger portion Of our
population. Such has been the in
crease in the sale and use OF CONNER
cial fertilizers in Georgia that By far
the greater portion of our time must
Of necessity be devoted TO the regis
tration, inspection and analysis of the
brands of fertilizers manufactured for
use upon the farms of our State and
making reports of the same.
Under the laws of Georgia the man.
ufacturer or mixer, whether a resi-
dent of our own or some other State.
Is required 10 register with the De.
partment of Agriculture the name OF
his brand or brands, giving the guar
anteed analysis and source from which
the plant-food is derived. After he
has complied with this law, then ne
can procure from US at the rate of
10 cents per ton all the fertilizer tags
that ne may need. The manufacturer
is required by the Department to re-
port to US all sales or shipments Of
goods, stating whittier they are
shipped and TO whom and giving the
name and guaranteed analysis of the
brand thus shipped. This is put on
/ record, thus enabling Us to keep track
of all fertilizers shipped and send our
inspectors to get samples.
Twelve inspectors are kept on duty
the year round by the Department.
but since during the busy season this
number Is not sufficient TO do the
work properly, we are compelled to
put on an additional number to serve
for short terms. The inspectors pc,
sition is one of great importance and
responsibility and should be filled by
intelligent and reliable men. So much
money IS invested by the farmer in
fertilizers that he is entitled to pro
lection against spurious and worth
less fertilizers. This security the De
partment of Agriculture affords him
through its inspectors and State
Chemist Since the farmer has not
the legal right to refuse payment for
a bogus fertilizer on the plea of fail
ure Of consideration, it would be Grim
inal in the State not to give him pro
lection.
We deem it well to give here a re.
port of some Of the things done by the
Georgia Department of Agriculture
during the past business season of
twelve months
During the past year we succeeded
in having a law enacted giving the
Commissioner of Agriculture the pow
er to employ a Veterinary Surgeon
when necessary, looking to the sup
preston of all contagious diseases
among the live stock of the State.
We have made some progress in
the northern part Of our State in Grad
icating the cattle tick (Boophilus An.
nulatus). Our State gives a small
sum for this purpose, and we employ
four inspectors during the spring and
summer months who look after this
work. We need more effective aid
from the United States Government
in the progress of this work.
The Department has sent out
through the weekly press six columns
of printed matter, which has been
published in about one hundred and
eighty-tive county papers This print
ed matter has not been sent out reg
ularly every month, but from time to
time as in his judgment the Com
missioner thought best This matter
costs the Department about s185.00
per issue.
During the past year we issued five
or six thousand books, prepared bv
Prof. J. T. Derry, Historian and
statistician, and r. F. Wright, AS
sistant Commissioner, covering the re.
sources and advantages of our State,
most of which have been distributed.
We have also issued and distributed
about twenty-four thousand copies OF
the commercial fertilizer Bulletin No
az, for season of 1904-1905. This but
letin was in the main prepared bv
our efficient State Chemist, Prof. John
NJ. McCandless. Within its two hun.
bred pages are found the tables and
analyses of commercial fertilizers sold
In the State of Georgia during the
season 1904-1905, and we note with
pleasure that these tables show an
Improvement in the quality of fertiI.i
fzers sold in this State, and thew
further show that our farmers are
fast learning the benefits accruing to-
them by the use of fertilizers of =
high grade. In this bulletin will be-
found also the laws, rules and regu.
lations governing the manufacture and
sale of fertilizers; letters on agrf.
cultural chemistry; comparative analv.
ses of the soil and the wheat crop: Q
treatise on fertilizers and fertilizer
materials: fertilizer formulas for all
Tbe successful glue manufacturer