Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1918-02-08
Mr.. williams Fertilizer Bill.

on Agriculture, to which has been referred
the bill of Senator Williams regulating the
sale Of commercial fertilizers in this State,
has announced meeting Of his commit
tee for three o'clock Thursday afternoon
of this week in Annapolis, at which time
all persons desiring to be heard on the
bill will be afforded an opportunity to APP
pear before the committee. That the manu-
facturers and the users of fertilizers might
be advised regarding the contents Of the
bill Senator Williams yesterday gave out
the following statement:
Fertilizers are plant foods. prepared I'M
der laboratory control and according to
definite formulas. Agricultural chemists
Of the world have found that plant growth
requires in quantity three chemical ele-
ments, nitrogen. phosphorus and potassium.
If these elements are lacking in the soil no
plant can grow, and one or more Of these
are the essential elements in every bag Of
fertilizer. The present fertilizer law re-
quires only that the chemical constituents, |
and their amounts be disclosed, while the !
bill under consideration seeks to have dis |
closed to the public the materials. or in
gradients, from which the chemical con-
stituents are derived There should be no |
objection to stating the contents Of fer
tilizer not only in terms of the chemical
analysis, which only the trained chemist
may understand, but also in language
readily understood those ingredients. or
constituents, familiar to every farmer, from
which the chemical analysis is derived.
For instance, the available sources of am
monia are derived from animal, mineral
and vegetable material. The value Of this
chemical constituent as a plant food de-
rived from such sources is readily and
promptly appropriated by the plant or else
becomes available to a crop during the
growing season. 1t can be readily under
derstood how unavailable as plant food is
the ammonia, equal in chemical analysis,
derived from fertilizer containing much
untreated peat, pulverized leather, hair.
wool waste, and similar material. Such
material is so generally used that the fer
tilzer laws Of many States require the
specific statement Of its use in commercial
fertilizers, but Maryland has no such pro-
vision in its present law. The bill in ques-
ton prohibits the use of such material
unless by proper acid treatment the
chemical constituent has been made avail
able, and the presence of such material,
even IL treated. must be disclosed. II is
not provided by the proposed bill that the
sources must be printed on each bag of
fertilizer. Those who have made thor
ough study OF this question think it unwise
to cover the bag with lettering. However,
the manufacturer is not prohibited from
stating the sources on the bags II he cares
TO do So The sources. however. of every
fertilizer must be disclosed to the Maryland
State College Of Agriculture and it in turn
will not only disclose these sources, but
will. am assured by Dr. Woods. issue at
least twice a year valuable information
regarding fertilizers sold in the State. the
use and compromising of commercial fertil-
izers. and valuable information concerning
the materials being used in the preparing
Of fertilizer by the manufacturers of the
State. The proposed Legislation takes from
the Professor Of Chemistry at the Mary
land State College of Agriculture the adj
ministration Of the fertilizer law of the
State. as now provided, and places the duty.
and the full responsibility, of progressive
and efficient administration Of the law in
the hands of the State Board Of Agricul-
ture. feel confident because Of the wide
experience Of DR.. Woods. and Of the com
plete and hearty cooperation given to me
in the preparation Of this measure by him.
and by DIR. W. w. Skinner. a member, and
the secretary, of the State Board, the
planters of Maryland will have furnished
to them full information concerning the
materials which have been used in the
preparation Of their fertilizer and valuable
information regarding its USE Other pro-
gressive States issue fertilizer bulletins Of
educational value. Maryland can do the
same.
There should be an end put to the practice
Of representing, or naming. fertilizer TO
be High Grade" or STANDARD when the
fertilizer from the standpoint of agricul-
tural chemistry is not a high grade or
standard fertilizer. Many of the States
have defined what constitutes High
Grade" or STANDARD" fertilizer. If the
terms are used, then the fertilizer should
conform to the requirements Of the stand
ard fixed Maryland declared what shall
constitute Low Grade" fertilizer. but
the present fertilizer law of the State is
silent in regard to the other more impor-
tant grades. Manufacturers do very little
advertising Of their Low Grade" fertilizer
BY the proposed legislation. when a fer.
tlizer is represented to be a"High Grade"
by the agent soliciting an order the farmer
will expect to see the words printed on the
bag when his shipment arrives at the farm
and IL they are there. although he may
know very little about the chemical terms
on the bag. he will know he has High
Grade" fertilizer. and II the words are not
on the bags then he will know he has been
defrauded and the manufacturer has not
shipped him high grade" material.
The present fertilizer law requires the
registration Of Brand" Of fertilizer which
means the full name. brand. and trade
mark. under which the fertilizer is sold. II