Report of the Commissioner of Agriculture of the State of Georgia, year ending September 30, 1897

REPORT
OF THE
Commissioner of Agriculture
OF THE
STATE OF GEORGIA.
Year Ending September SOth, 1867.
R. T. NESBITT, Commissioner.
To His Jjxoelkncy, W. Y. Atkinson, Governor: I have the honor to submit the following report of the transactions
of the Department of Agriculture for the year commencing October 1, 1896, and ending September 30, 1897:
CLERICAL FORCE.
1 here has been no change in the clerical force of the department since my Inst report. The following persons are now employed in the department: R. L. McIntosh, general correspondent and bookkeepei; II. G. Hardeman, fertilizer clerk; H. L. Bennett, mailing clerk. The salaries of these gentlemen amount in the aggregate to $3,720 annually. When I became Commissioner the salaries paid in the office amounted to $4,500 annually. I reduced this amount to $3,300, saving by this means $1,200 a year for other purposes. The work of the department has grown so enormously that I have thought it but right to give a moderate increase in salaries, and now,though the amount is $3,720 annually, it is still $780 less than was paid before I took charge of the office, while the amount of work and responsibility is vastly greater than at that time.
FERTILIZER INSPECTION.
So great has been the increase in the fertilizer trade that it has necessitated the appointment of a large number of inspectors for the past season. To keep down expenses as much as possible, only four of these inspectors were appointed for the full time. The others were appointed for a term of three months only, and during the busiest part of the fertilizer season. To fully protect the farmers from spurious goods, when four hundred thousand tons of fertilizers are to be sold in a period of a few months, requires a large force of active, energetic men,otherwise it would be impos-ible to cover prop erly the entire extent of territory. The following gentlemen were employed as inspectors, and in the discharge of their duties have given entire satisfaction:

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3. B. Scott, Atlanta_____ ___________ _____$ W. W. Dews, Cuthbert__ ________________ 3. R. Kilpatrick, Waverly Hall ______ ___ H. M. Stanley, Savannah..... . ___________ W. A. Cooper, Lawrenceville . ____________ J. S. Reid, Eatonton___________ _ ____ W. S. Schell, Hampton_____ _____________ W. A. Terrell, Greenville_____ _____ _ M. L. Johnson, Cass Station______________ S. R. Fulcher, Green's Cut ______________ T. E. Summerour, Warsaw________ _____ J. A. Massey, Gordon_____ _______________ J. Y. McWhorter, Woodville___ _______ E. P. Dobbs, Marietta__ ______________ F. W. Griffin, Americus -________ ______ J. E. McDuffie, McRae_______ ___________ D. D. Strong, Blakely_________ ______

Salaries.
999 9& 999 96 999 96 999 96 333 32 333 32 333 32 333 32 333 32 333 32 333 32 333 32 333 32 333 32 333 32 333^32 333*32

$8,333 00
This amount is not as large as was formerly paid to six inspectors under the old system, when but little more than half the number of tons was inspected, and the increased number of inspectors has en abled the department to thoroughly cover every nook and corner of the State.
The following statement will show the receipts and expenditures on account of fertilizers for the past twelve months:

RECEIPTS.
Balance from season of 1895-96.....................$ 3,007 24 From sale of tags season of 1896-97 .............. 40,480 77

EXPEXDITURES.

$43,488 01

Salaries of inspectors......................................... $ 8,333 00'

Traveling expenses of inspectors.................... 2,802 17

Paid for tags........................................................ 6,987 20

Bottles, corks, etc....................................... . . . 174 17

Express............................................................*

46 40

Turned into Treasury......................................... 23,083 28

$41,426 22

Balance on hand.

$ 2,061 79*

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRicXJLTURE-GEORGJA.

The above statement shows that while Georgia has the lowest in spection fee (10 cents per ton) of any State in the Union it is still amply sufficient to cover all expenses, and leave a handsome profit to the State. This fee of 10 cents a ton is paid by the manufac turers, and not by the farmers, for being so small, and the competi tion in fertilizer business so active, the goods are sold at the same price that would be asked if there was no inspection fee. Other States have inspection fees of 25 cents and some even 50 cents a ton, and where these charges prevail, the manufacturers add them to the price of their fertilizers, and the farmers, of course, pay this tax.
STATEMENT.
The following consolidated statement gives the amount of oil in spected by the inspectors in the different districts:

DISTRICT.

No. Gallons. Inspected.

INSPECTORS.

Fee Received.

Savannah ........... Atlanta................ Augusta................ Rome................... Athens................. Dalton ................ Columbus............ Macon................... Americus ............ Gainesville........... Brunswick ........... Griffin.................. Albany.................. Fort Valley.......... Cordele ............... Washington........ Elberton.............. Milledgeville........ Dawson .............. Tennille................ Cooper Heights.... Rising Fawn........ Waycross ........... Thomasville ........ Marietta.............. Hawkinsville....... West Point........... Newnan................

1,172,812 J. I. Morrissey ......................... 381,625 J. W. Nelms, l .......................... 990,799 E. M. Durant, T......................... 523,677 Glascock Barrett......................... 174,071 H. A. Dean......... ..................... 237,700 J. R. Lyle................................... 50 491 J. R. McAfee............................ 241,923 J. W. Murphey, Jr........... ........ 269,601 R. H. Smith, 1 ........................... 213,833 T. J. Carling, /........................... 111,367 J. A. Fort.................................. 51,126 T. C. Candler............................. 283,313 P. W. Fleming .......................... 13,797 A. C. Sorrel........ 1 .................... 65,307 W. T. Trammell..( ................... 110,610 Robert Blappef.......................... 39,462 L. P. Gray.................................. 13,731 W. B. Marshall, 1 .................... 3,610 B. K. Marshall, f.... ................ 12,775 J. W. Armstrong.................... 31,661 W. W. Reese............................. 65,048 R. N. Lamar............................ 3,100 W. B. Oxford ....... ................. 45,129 J. C. Harman.,........... ............... 13,686 W. C. White............................. 3,483 J. C. Nisbett............................ . 12,057 E. C. Murphy ............................ 18,603 J. S. Hopkins............................ 98,525 F. B. Barber............................... 3,046 W. J. Holder ........................... 3,125 E. E. Barker ............................. 3,096

5,864 17 1,908 12 4,956 97 2,618 37
870 34 1,190 04
253 45 1,215 06 1,347 99 1,069 13
556 79 255 60 1,416 55 68 98 326 51 552 97 197 29 64 68 18 05 63 88 158 25 325 55 15 50 231 54 204 22 51 20 60 74 93 02 492 62 15 23 15 62 15 48

5,262,189

$ 26,393 91

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377

COVERED IN' TREASURY BY INSPECTORS.

Name of Inspector.

Account.

J. I. Morrissey..................................................... $ 4,145 98.

J. W. Nelms........................................................ 1,523 87

E. M. Durant....................................................... 3,637 55

P. W. Eleming..................................................... 420 34

Glascock Barrett.................................................. 1,089 76 .

J. A. Port............................................................. 110 91

Robert Slappey....................................................

9586

H. A. Dean........................................................... 206 76

J. W. Murphey, Jr............................................ 327 61

R. H. Smith .. .................................................. 726 69

T. J. Carling........................................................ 414 35

J. R. Lyle............................................................. 357 36

R. N. Lamar........................................................

50 07

A. C. Sorrel..........................................................

14 66

W. T. Trammell..................................................

5892

J. R. McAfee.......................................................

8 49

W. W. Reese.......................................................

228

J. C. Harman.......................................................

1566

J. S. Hopkins.......................................................

14 34

T. C. Candler.......................................................

43 43

L. P. Gray............................................................

24 08

E. C. Murphy........................................................

358

W. B. Marshall...................................................

14 55

E. B. Barber........................................................

89 19

Total................................................................. $13,396 31
DUTIES OF THE DEPARTMENT.
The work devolving upon this department is of a two-fold nature. 1st. The police supervision and inspection of all fertilizers and illu minating oils sold in the State. 2d. The building up of the agricul tural interests of the State, by means of publications, addresses, etc.
The tables given elsewhere in this report will show you just what work has been done on the first line this year, but as a matter of inter est to your Excellency, and to the public generally, I append a table showing how great has been the increase in the use of fertilizers in Georgia in the past two decades. I have also added some suggestions regarding so important a matter:
Tons Season of1874-5................................................ 48,648.00 Season of 1875-6................................... `........... 55,316.00 Season of1876-7................................................ 75,824.00 Season of1877-8................................................ 93,178.00 Season of1878-9................................................ 85,049.00

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE--GEORGIA.
Tons.
Season of 1879-80...............................................119,583.00 Season of 1880-1................................................152,424.00 Season of 1881-2................................................125,327.00 Season of 1882-3................................................125,377.00 Season of 1883-4................................................151,849.00 Season of 1884-5................................................ 170,153.00 Season of 1885-6................................................ 160,705.00 Season of 1886-7................................................160,078.08 Season of 1887-8................................................208,007.39 Season of 1888-9................................................202,869.36 Season of 1889-90...............................................288,122.30 Season of 1890-1................................................ 306,734.00 Season of 1891-2................................................ 296,342.00 Season of 1892-3 for...........................................307,519.30 Season of 1893-4 for...........................................315,612.00 Season of 1894-5 for...........................................226,532.20 Season of 1895-6 for...........................................335,617.80 Season of 1896-7 for...........................................402,110.10
You will notice that there has been an increase in the use of fertilizers amounting to over 800 per cent., and the question very naturally presents itself, "Does it pay our farmers to use commercial fcrnlizers to such an extent?" I answer without hesitation, that it does, provided they are used judiciously and with some knowledge of the requirements of the soil and of the crop to be grown on it. The indiscriminate use of fertilizers on land devoid of vegetable matter, leached and exhausted by continuous cropping in cotton, is suicidal, and must end in ruin to those who practice that method. But for the farmer, who by a proper rotation of crops, by the use of cow peas or other legumes, by terracing,and by deep plowing, keeps up the fertility of his land, commercial fertilizers are an essential help, and are profitable.
Statistics show that of the farms sold under mortgage in the United States 98 per cent, are of those where the one crop system is followed, whether it be cotton, tobacco, wheat or corn; while only 2 per cent, are of those where a diversified system of farming is carried on. The big cotton plantations, turned over to careless tenants, the land unterraced, no peas planted, no diversity of crops practiced, with only cotton planted year after year, will demonstrate finally and unfailingly that there is little or no profit in using commercial fertili zers in that way, and that a change must be made iu these methods, or the lands will be left without tenants, as they can no longer make a support from them.
I am glad to be able to say that this system is gradually disappear ing in. our State, for while in 1870 there were in Georgia 70,000 farms, in 1880, 138,000, there were in 1890 171,000, and the num

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ber will probably now reach 200,000. When it is taken into con sideration that Georgia has about ten million acres of improved land in farms, the use of 400,000 tons of commercial fertilizers does not seem excessive. Again, when we compare the crops of corn and cot
ton made in 1880 and 1896, it would seem that the use of fertilizers is productive of good. In 1880 there was used 119,000 tons ot commercial manures, with a yield of 23,000,000 bushels of corn and 908,000 bales of cotton. In 1896, with the use of 335,000 tons of fertilizers, there was produced 33,000,000 bushels of corn, and 1,300,000 bales of cotton. Here we have an increase of 10,000,000 bushels of corn and 400,000 bales of cotton, brought about doubtless in large measure by the increased use of fertilizers. Our people are not noted for thriftlessness or indifference to their own interests; on the contrary, by their energy, industry and thrift, Georgia has at tained and deserved the name of the "Empire State of the South." I believe that most of our fanners are wide awake and alert to their interests, and when they buy one-fifth of the commercial fertilizers sold in the United States, and double as much as any other State in the Union, I feel sure that they do it as they have done the past year, advisedly and advantageously, pre-eminently so where they plant a diversity of crops.
There is a growing disposition among farmers to diminish the cost of their fertilizer bills, by buying the materials and doing the mixing themselves. This I have encouraged, both in my addresses and publications. By a general adoption of this plan there would be saved at least two dollars on each ton of fertilizer, amounting in the aggregate to several hundred thousand dollars annually.
Before leaving the subject of fertilizers, I desire to explain to your Excellency, a matter that has recently caused some adverse crit
icisms of the Department. It has been charged that I have hereto fore paid too much for fertilizer tags. When I took charge of the Department, I found the Public Printer supplying the tags, and learned that this had been the custom since the use of tags had been inaugurated. I very naturally followed the practice of my prede cessors and continued purchasing tags from the Public Printer, but gradually getting his price reduced from $2.00 to $1.60 per thous and, at which figure I purchased the tags for the past season. For these tags the State received $10.00 a thousand, a handsome profit. Upon one occasion, I ventured to purchase a few tags from another party, ignoring the State Printer. Thereupon he raised the point that furnishing the tags had always been and was still the prerogative of the State Printer, and in this position he was sustained by the "State Printing Committee," and I therefore made no further
opposition. Thus matters stood until last winter, when a firm from Savannah came forward and insisted that they had a legal right to make a bid for supplying tags to this Department. To finally settlethe question I appealed to the Attorney-General for his opinion in:

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DEPARTMENT OP AGRICULTURE--GEORGIA.

the matter. After careful consideration, he decided that the Public Printer had no exclusive control of the business and that the De partment could purchase tags in the open market. Upon this de-cision I entered into negotiations with other parties, then called for bids, and finally awarded the contract at a very much lower figure dhan they had ever been bought before.
ANOTHER DUTY OF THE DEPARTMENT.
The second, and really the most important duty of this depart-meat, is the " Building up of the Agricultural interests of the State" at my command. If Georgia is to continue to hold her enviable position among her sister States, it must be done through that Agricultural education which will enable our farmers to keep fully .abreast with the times. As I stated to my audience in a recent ad dress, "The farmer of the future, with pur increasing population, will have to ask and require more of the soil, and he must be better fitted to achieve this result." This Department has done what it could on this line, by means of publications of various kinds, sending out annually thousands of bulletins, crop reports, etc., and by num erous addresses, delivered by the Commissioner, whenever invited to do so by the farmers. The most effective means used by the depart ment to reach the farmers, is the publication in most of the weekly papers of the State of the "Monthly Talk and Answers to Ques tions." The information conveyed in this manner, reaches doubt less seventy-five to a hundred thousand farmers in Georgia, and many have been the letters of thanks, received by the department, for the information thus given. No other Agricultural Department in the United States reaches the people as does this, which practically furnishes an Agricultural journal to every farmer who takes his county paper.
As an evidence of the good results following education on a cer tain line, I will call your Excellency's attention to the amount of terracing done in this State in the past few years. Again and again, have the farmers been urged to do this work, and the response has been so unanimous, that at this time there are few good farmers in the State 'working rolling lands, who have not terraced their fields. The result has been most gratifying, the terraced land everywhere showing its superiority to that not terraced. The contrast between Georgia and her neighboring sister States, in this respect, is very noticeable, and has been called to my attention by travelers, who at once have seen and commented upon the fact, that while Georgia farmers were trying to save and improve their lands, those of neigh"boring States seemed indifferent as to whether their soil was washed away or not. In addition to the means I have mentioned, we should encourage what are called "Farmers' Institutes," in this State. These

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are being organized in all the progressive States of the West, and areproductive of much good. A "Farmers' Institute" is simply a gathering of farmers, to hear addresses from practical men, who are ex perts in their line. It is, in other words, a school where they receiveoral instruction in different branches of their pursuits. To inaugu rate and carry on this method of instruction would necessitate the ex penditure of some money, which could easily be spared from the amount turned into the State treasury by this department. I am' confident that an expenditure for this purpose would result in great good. The farmers are entitled to it and should have it.
AGRICULTUEE.
This industry upon which all others in the State are absolutely de pendent, is year by year assuming larger proportions, and slowly but surely getting on a more solid foundation. Cotton is no longer raised as a speculative crop, and yet its production has increased from 496,704 bales in 1879 to 1,800,000 bales in 1896. The production of food crops has kept pace with that of cotton, while the fruit in dustry, begun but a few years ago, has now reached large propor tions. While cotton will probably always continue to be our chief money crop our farmers have nearly learned the lesson that it does not pay to plant all their land in cotton, and very few are now pur suing this mistaken policy, once so common.
The result is that we. are less dependent on the West for corn and' meat; much of our land is yearly improving in fertility; the cattle' and hogs on our farms are better bred than formerly, the Jersey cow having largely replaced the "scrub," and the Berkshire, Essex and Poland-China hog having almost driven out the"razor back." In every county may be seen more comfortable farm houses, better barns and tenant houses, fatter mules and horses. AH' these indicate diversified' farming, and also that many of our farmers are' enjoying a greaterdegree of prosperity, than was theirs when the "all cotton " craze was so prevalent. The crops this year, with the exception of cotton, are all fairly good. The cotton crop was badly injured by excessive1 rains in August, causing shedding everywhere and rust in many counties. While there is a slight increase in the cotton acreage, as well as in the use of commercial fertilizers, over last year, I look for but little, if any, increase in the crop, and I fear that the fall itr prices will leave many of the farmers in a bad condition financially.
FRUIT GROWING
Has not been a great success the past season, the dry spring cutting off the berry crops in many counties as well as the watermelon yield in South Georgia. Peaches were very disappointing also, only a few favored localities having any for shipment. Plums, grapes, pearsand apples have been abundant and good!

382

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE--GEORGIA.

Under this head, I desire to call the attention of your Excellency to the urgent need of a State Entomologist. Our fruit growers are .setting out yearly hundreds of acres of trees, with a strong probabil
ity that their entire expense and labor will be thrown away on ac count of the insect pests, which are now firmly established in the State. Many of the orchards that have reached the bearing age, after several years of expensive care and cultivation, are now suifer-
ing and dying from the attacks of insect enemies, whose presence is totally unsuspected by the grower, who wonders why his trees do not any longer respond to his care and attention. The San Jose scale, the most dreaded of all insects, because the most difficult to fight successfully, is now known to be in several counties in the State.
There is not another State in the Union so indifferent to her fruit growers as is Georgia, and unless some step is taken to protect the industry, it must certainly languish and die. This matter is of vital importance to. every man who has a fruit tree growing either on his farm or on his town lot, and I would urge its importance upon your Excellency. The salary of an Entomologist (and he should be a thoroughly equipped one) could be paid from the funds arising from the inspection of fertilizers, all of which, in my judgment, should be devoted to the Agricultural interests of the State.

DAIRYING.
This industry, I regret to say, is not prospering in Georgia. The hard times and low prices prevailing for several years past, have in jured it; but its worst enemy has been, and is, the imitation butter, with which the State is flooded. The dairymen making a good arti cle of Jersey butter, cannot compete with a compound made of beef tallow and cotton seed oil, which in looks, smell and taste, so nearly resembles his product that it takes an expert to tell the difference. In the States north of the Ohio river, the dairy interest has been strong enough to drive these imitation butter compounds out of the market, to the extent that if sold at all, they are sold under their true names. The consequence has been that Georgia and the neigh boring States are made the dumping ground for vast amounts of this stuff to the ruin of our dairying industry. Our laws are perhaps good enough in relation to this matter, but they are entirely ignored, and no prosecutions are made for violating them. No one can object to the use of these compounds, if sold on their merits, but to put on the markets a compound of tallow and cotton seed oil, mark it pure Jersey or pure creamery butter, and sell it for twelve to fourteen cents a pound, is ruinous to our dairymen, and active steps should be taken to stop it.
It must be borne in mind that we now have to compete with an ever increasing acreage of fertile, fresh land in Texas, and only by a judicious use of fertilizers can we hold our own in that competition.

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Since the commencement of my administration of this depart ment, there has been sold in the State, 2,190,466 tons of fertilizers, necessitating an immense amount of work on the part of the chem ists, clerks and inspectors connected with the office. In all this vast amount there have been but few samples that have not eomci up to the State's requirements, thus proving that this strict system of in spection thoroughly protects the farmers, and they can buy their fertilizers with the practical assurance that they will come up to the legal standard. The Georgia laws relating to the inspection and sale of fertilizers are undoubtedly the best in the United States, and in the protection afforded to both the farmer and the manufacturer there is not much room for complaint.
There is one point, however, to which I call the attention of your Excellency, in which a decided improvement might be made. I have, on former occasions, asked of the Legislature for some relief in the matter, but without avail. The trouble is in the multiplicity of brands sacked out of the same pile, and with the same analysis, but bearing different names. This is a growing evil, which has already reached large proportions, and which should at once be stopped, for it not only adds greatly to the work of the chemist, but is calculated to mislead the farmer into buying goods that he does not want. I trust that the Legislature, during its approaching session, will enact a law to put a stop to this practice.
TENNESSEE CENTENNIAL EXPOSITION.
During the session last February the Legislature appropriated $2,000 (borrowed from this department), with which the State wTas to make an exhibit at the Tennessee Centennial Exposition, to be held in Nashville, from May 1st to October 31st, of this year.
Five hundred dollars of . this money was, by the resolution of the Legislature, to be used by the Women of Georgia, for an exhibit of their own.
The Commissioner of Agriculture, with the State Geologist and State Chemist, was authorized to use the remaining fifteen hundred
dollars to the best advantage in exhibiting the resources of the State. By having on hand many of the exhibits made by the State at the Atlanta Exposition, we have managed even with the small appropria tion, to make for the State a most attractive exhibit of its varied re sources. Prof. Yeates, the Geologist, and Dr. Payne, the State Chemist, both deserve credit for the very complete and attractive dis plays made by them respectively; the former having charge of the mineral and forestry, and the latter, the Agricultural and Horticul tural exhibits from the State. The display of the marbles and other building stones attracts much attention, as does also the handsome exhibit of fruits and other Agricultural products. Mr. A. DuPont, the Commissioner from Georgia to the Exposition, has had personal

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE--GEORGIA.

charge of the entire exhibit, and has taken much interest in calling: the attention of visitors to the resources of Georgia. I feel fully assured that the money spent for this purpose has been well invested,, and that the State will be amply repaid for the amount expended. At the close of the Exposition, I will transmit to your Excellency, an itemized statement of the expenditure of the money, with vouch ers for the same.
In this connection, I will call the attention of your Excellency to' the fact that this department is in pressing need of the money bor rowed from it, to make the exhibit at Nashville, and I trust that as"soon as the Legislature assembles, it will be immediately repaid,, otherwise the work of the department will be seriously interrupted,, as there are now bills due and falling due, which can only be mete by the reimbursement of this money to the department.
Respectfully, R. T. NESBITT, Com. of Agriculture..

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LaGrange, Ga., Oct. 2, 1897.

Col. It. T. Nesbitt, Commissioner of Agriculture, Atlanta, Ga.:

Dear Sir:. I submit herewith my annual report as Fish Commissioner

of Georgia for the year ending June 30, 1897. Not haring the exact figures

at hand, I cannot give the amount of distribution as I desired, giving also

the name and address of each person getting fish from the department

during the year. I must admit I have met with very stubborn opposition

in my efforts to have the fish laws enforced. I get letters from wardens

constantly telliing me of gross violations of the law, and asking my advice-

in the matter. I have advised prosecution, when milder means failed. It

is hard, however, to successfully prosecute without funds.

In my next annual report I hope to give some results of the plantings in

various parts of the State since I have been in office. There is good pros-

pect now of soon getting the United States to establish a hatchery in Geor

gia. Mr. George A. Seagle, who was recently commissioned by the depart

ment at Washington, D. C., to come to Georgia and examine the waters,

with a view of establishing a hatchery in this State, has finished his work.

Maj. A. O. Bacon was largely instrumental in this matter. Mr. Seagle will

report on his finds to the Department of Fish and Fisheries, at Washing

ton, and upon that will depend the result. I feel confident, from his talk

with me just before he left, that his report will be favorable. He was

highly and very agreeably surprised at the fine cold waters in Georgia and.

the very fine sites for a hatchery,

I would recommend that the Legislature pass a law prohibiting all sein

ing or the catching of fish in any manner whatever in the fresh waters of'

the State, except with ordinary hook and line, for at least two years, and

then have a close season for say 30 or 40 days of each year.

Unless we can do something to stop the wholesale destruction of our fish

supply, for a while at least, I am afraid our streams will be entirely de

pleted. I have examined the fish way at Augusta since my last report,

and find it in good condition. When this fish way has to be replaced I

shall recommend one of different construction, of a later plan and cheaper.

I am inclined to the idea that those having fish ponds do not feed the

fish sufficiently. When the water stands at same height all the time' the

fish do not have the opportunity to capture food as is the case in streams

constantly rising and falling, and should therefore be fed at regular Inter

vals. No more Carp or Tench will be hatched by the department, they

having decided these were not worthy. Some large carp have been taken

from our streams of late, numbers of them, weighing 10 to 18 pounds, and'

while the meat is rather coarse, their rapid growth yields a large amount

of food. I have not been able so far to get the fish laws in book form, but

hope to do so at an early date.

Respectfully,

J. D. EDMONDSON,

Fish Com'r. of Georgia.

REPORT OF THE CHEMIST.
Laboratory of the State Chemist.
Atlanta, Ga., Aug. 12, 1897. H<m. R. T. Nesbitt, Commissioner of Agriculture of the State of Georgia.
Dear Sir :--The season just closing marks another phenomenal year in the fertilizer business of the State of Georgia. The amount of commercial fertil izers used per acre in farming operations, is to some extent a criterion of the advancement and intelligence of a people. As mankind has increased in number and spread over the earth, the demands made upon the soil by the larger and larger crops has also increased. There is no doubt that in the earliest days of man upon the earth it was soon observed that manure in creased the fertility of the soil. At one time it was believed that the fertility of the land could be only maintained by the raising of cattle and the use of their manure. > This plan is self-evidently inadequate, as the cattle can only return what was secured from the farm, and hence all crops or cattle sold would cause that much unreplaced loss from the soil. The disintegration by various agencies of the solid rock masses upon the surface of our planet has caused the formation of soil. These agencies continue to work, and slowly bring the plant-food in the rock and soil into available forms. These pro cesses, however, are too slow for the heavy demands of large successive crops, and hence lands which are steadily cropped are rapidly exhausted. It has long been recognized that cultivation and deep plowing in many cases accel erate the chemical and mechanical changes which promote the fertility of the land, but this method is also too slow to meet the urgent demands so fre quently made. Besides, some rocks do not disintegrate into fertile soils, and even fertile soils by long cropping become almost completely exhausted of certain plant-foods. The advantage of bringing material upon the farm from outside sources to add to its fertility has long been recognized, and the practibility of securing in concentrated form only those materials which are actually needed has been the cause of much study and invest gation.' It has been found as the result of these studies and investigations that the average so-called "worn-out" soil of our modern times contains ample plant-food with the exception of phosphoric acid, nitrogen and potash. While ordinary manure contains small quantities of these bodies in an available condition, other substances have been found to contain these desirable plant-foods in much more concentrated forms, and in the manipulation of such materials there has sprung up a tremendous business throughout the civilized world. The value of commercial fertilizers is now fully recognized. Large areas of once poorly productive lands are steadily producing better and better crops, and becoming more and more fertile soils. While the usual aim of the farm ers seems to be to get the fullest possible returns from his investment each season, yet each year there is left behind for the next season a small amount of fertilizer which the crop did not secure.
The quantity of fertilizer used per acre is steadily increasing as the farmer notes the greater benefits to his crop. No matter how fully one may appreciate the value of fertilizing chemicals, he is yet powerless to use them unless he

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fcas the money or credit wherewith to buy. The poor tenant is sometimes care less and indifferent and his landlord may feel some doubt as to the wisdom of buying the fertilizer necessary for the crop of so shiftless a fellow, but to the farmer who can command cash or credit, the modern commercial fertilizer has become a necessary factor for a good and profitable crop. - In the rich agricultural sections of Germany and France 1000 pounds of high-grade fer tilizer per acre is commonly used. A frequent application in Georgia has been 200 pounds of low-grade fertilizer per acre. Higher grades of commer cial fertilizers are finding more customers, and 300 pounds and upwards per acre is becoming more and more frequently applied. The use of commercial fertilizers in the State has steadily advanced with tremendous strides, and their manufacture has more than kept pace with their consumption. In the -seasm of 1874-5, after the Department of Agriculture was first organized, the amount of fertilizers consumed was, in round numbers, 48,000 tons, nearly all of which was produced outside of the State. In the season of 1888-9 the consumption had reached 202,000 tons, and seven years later, during the sea son of 1896-1897 just passed, over 400,000 tons were used, of which latter amount about 75 per cent, was manufactured in the State of Georgia,1 This great industry which furnishes the plant-food for our crops also gives employ ment to many, and keeps capital at home. Large as are the interests of the manufacturers, the interests of the consumers of their products are still greater. By the failure of a farmer to pay the manufacturer, a manufacturer loses the value of his goods; by the failure of the manufacturer to supply a good article of fertilizer, the farmer not only loses what he pays for the goods, but also his time and labor and the crop the fertilizer should have produced. The loss of the manufacturer in such a case is only a small percentage of his business ; the loss of the farmer of small means under such circumstances means overwhelming disaster.
The manufacture of fertilizers in Georgia is a business of huge proportions, and founded, as it is, upon well known facts in chemistry and physics, it is somewhat surprising that operations are sometimes carried on in total igno rance or disregard of these well-established laws. Georgia, with her present start, has an opportunity to be the center of the fertilizer industry of the United States, and possibly of the whole world. This cannot be with the present rough methods, but with the employment of a competent chemist in every factory which does not employ one, the profits can be increased, or the price decreased, as seems best in the judgment of the management.
Manufacturers are beginning to appreciate the fact that it is cheaper for them to buy the high-priced concentrated muriate of potash in place of kainit, yet they do not seem to understand how much more difficult it is to dis tribute 40 pounds of muriate in a ton of acid phosphate than it is to dissem inate 170 pounds of the more bulky kainit. A considerable number of brands usually fall lower in potash than is expected by their manufacturers. An qual number, no doubt, run somewhat higher than anticipated. oOf these latter, however, the manufacturers do not often complain. It is surprising that manufacturers will carefully grind their phosphate rock and cotton-seedmeal and use the more concentrated muriate of potash in an unpowdered condition.4, .It is no uncommon thing for samples which reach this laboratory 'to still contain unbroken crystals of muriate of potash. Manufacturers pow

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DEPARTMENT OP AGRICULTURE--GEORGIA.

der their phosphate rock, because they are compelled to do it to permit the sulphuric acid to decompose it properly. They also grind their cotton seed cake, because, otherwise, its board-like form would totally unfit it for its cus tomary uses/ The objection to powdering the muriate is the supposed extra expense and trouble. In the first place, the more even and reliable character of the goods more than warrants the additional expense, and, in the second place, the expense is far more trifling than would appear at first glance. A very liberal estimate upon the cost of grinding phosphate rock would be $2.00' per ton, hence the much softer muriate would cost no more. But for each per cent, of actual potash guaranteed to be in the fertilizer, only from 40 to 50 pounds of muriate are used, say at most 1-40 of a ton. One-fortieth of $2.00 is five cents. ^ The additional cost would then only be five cents for each per cent, of guaranteed potash. The usual standard goods are rarely guaranteed over 2 per cent, of potash, and in such goods the increased cost would only be ten cents per ton, which would be a very small figure, considering the more -eliable character of the product. It would be better if the muriate could be fully dissolved in the watery acid before the other ingredients are added, but this is not always practical. In dry mixing it is advisable to mix the pow dered muriate thoroughly with four times its bulk of one of the other ingre dients before mixing it with the remainder of the material. In a wet mix the manufacturer often dumps in the roughly mixed materials, and gives them a few stirs in the mixing pan, and takes for granted that the potash salts are all dissolved, and that the coarser crystals have not settled to the bottom, which is not, always the case. In some instances the goods of reputable manufac turers have shown less than one-fourth of the potash percentage which they guaranteed. Badly mixed goods are certainly most unsatisfactory to the far mer, and it would seem that the trouble in collecting for such compounds would eat a much more considerable hole in the profits than the small expense, of proper mixing.
The multiplication of the names of brands referred to in the report of last year still continues unabated. This is in some cases due to the desire of deal ers to appear as manufacturers. It would be an additional guarantee of the character of the goods, if the name of the actual manufacturer should appear on each sack, and all brands registered with the department by the actual, manufacturers in each case.
The following are the usual materials of which commercial fertilizers are
made: Acid Phosphate--From phosphate rock and sulphuric acid. Complete Fertilizers--From acid phosphate, cotton-seed-meal, blood, tank
age, nitrate of soda, kainit and muriate of potash. . Formerly all of the acid ptu sphate was made from Charleston phosphate
rock, a good article of which contains from 55 to 60 per cent, of purejphosphate, the remainder being sand and other impurities. Since the discovery of higher grade phosphates in Florida and Tennessee, containing from 75 to80 per cent, pure phosphate, the products from these new sources have grad ually come into use. While from 13 to 14 per cent, of available phosphoric acid has been considered a well-made acid phosphate, when produced from Charleston rock, from 15 to 16 per cent, available phosphoric acid is now expected from a well-made acid phosphate derived from Florida or Tennessee phosphates.

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Cottonseed-meal is now also usually of highei grade than formerly, some mills frequently putting out a product running from 9.00 to 9.50 per cent, ammonia equivalent. This is due to the more thorough expression of the oil and the more complete separation of the hulls.
The actual potash is also cheaper in the form of the concentrated apparent ly high-priced muriate than in the form of kainit. With such materials higher grade goods are much easier to produce than formerly. Our people do not yet fully understand the condition of affairs, or facilities are not good for buying these higher class goods which are so much more economically handled. Certainly the demand is for low priced goods with a guarantee of about:
8 % Available Phosphoric Acid. 2 % Ammonia. 1 % Potash.
This is 11 % f plant'f0(l. To allow a margin for improper mixing, inac curate weighing, and the varying character of the materials, the mixture is usually compounded so as to run about:
9 % Available Phosphoric Acid. 2.25 % Ammonia. 1.25 % Potash. A total of about 12 % plant-food. If we are restricted to Charleston rock acid phosphate, average cottonseed meal and kainit, goods average something like this :
1,300 lbs. Charleston A. P. at 13 % equal 169 lbs. Avail, or 8.45 %. 500 " Cottonseed meal at 8.75 % eqfial 43.75 lbs. Ammo, or 2.18 %.
200 " Kainit, at 12.50 % equal 25 lbs. Potash or 1.25 %. But the actual range is from this upwards, as acid phosphate can be readily obtained 2 % higher, cotton-seed meal % richer, and potash salts four times as concentrated. If high guarantees only were demanded it would have the probable effect of advancing the price of the higher grade goods, as low-grade materials could not then be associated, but would have to he com bined with those more concentrated and thus increase the price of the better grades of materials or still further depress the lower ones. The practice of branding fertilizers "high grade" irrespective of the fact that the goods are not high grade is a procedure which can only bring dis. credit upon the use of fertilizers. Farmers are deeply interested in securing the best fertilizers for the least money. They cannot judge the quality of them by sight, smell nor taste, and misleading names, as well as many differ ent names for the same goods, can but cause distrust and dissatisfactionSuch methods are not calculated to win confidence. The State of Georgia demands that goods reach a certain standard, and the law has been so rigidly enforced that violators are rare. But progressive farmers are ask ing for something more than simply standard goods, and they should be dealt with honestly and not deceived. The progressive, money-making farmers are the best patrons of the fertilizer industry, and their desire for less mysticism about the fertilizer business deserves encouragement, and will receive it from the more progressive manufacturers. The purchaser of fertilizers naturally shrinks at the idea of buying goods which contain fillers or make weights. These fillers are usually inert sub stances which are added to high grade materials to make them of average

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE--GEORGIA.

character only. This is done to meet the demand for low-priced goodsThe plan has been suggested of requiring all manufacturers to print the formula of each brand of goods on the sacks, and make it a misdemeanor if the contents do not agree with the label. This the manufacturers claim' would be very unjust, as it would force them to publish formulae which'havecost them years of investigation and experiment, and thus give away infor mation to others without remumeration, when the information has cost them' thousands of dollars. Another plan suggested has been to require a total of 14 per cent, of plant-food in mixed fertilizers instead of ten per cent, as now required by law. The objection to 14 per cent, as to the sole standard would! be the trying position in which it would put some of the low-percentage marials, such as cotton seed meal and kainit.
Apian which would make it easier for a farmer to judge the character of goods would be to divide all mixed fertilizers into three classes:
Low grade:--Those guaranteed ten per centum and over of plant-food up to12 per centum.
Standard Grade:--Those guaranteed twelve per centum and over of plantfood up to 14 per centum.
High grade:--Those.guaranteed fourteen per centum and over of plantfood.
The average for complete fertilizers for this season was 14.32 per centum of plant-food; hence 12 per centum would be quite a safe guarantee for such goods, if well mixed. Goods of this character would he classed as standard, thoseof lower grade would be so guaranteed, and the higher grade goods could stand in their proper class. In co-operation with this syAem of grading, a plan of publishing analyses just inaugurated in North Carolina would give great addi tional protection to farmers purchasing fertilizers. It is claimed that some manufacturers send out very high-grade fertilizers early in the season, and assoon as the analysis is made a lower grade is shipped which still comes up to their guarantee, but costs much less to produce. The first analyses under such circumstances will of course run high, and the goods will sell much more easily with such a showing. Badly mixed fertilizers also sometimes run quite high m the valuable ingredients in some samples and quite low in others. > In the former case the analysis is constantly used by the manufacturer to illus trate the value of the goods, and in the latter ease the inspector is claimed to have made a mistake in sampling. The manufacturer is .prevented from taking this unfair advantage of the farmer by simply publishing those brands which come up to their guarantee as "up to guarantee,'' thus, to illustrate the flexibility of the law between the guarantees of 10 and 12, 12 and 14, and 14 and upwards:
Low grade complete fertilizer up to guarantee of available phospnoric acid 8 % ammonia 1 %, potash 1 %.
Low Grade complete fertilizer, up to guarantee of avail, phos. acid 8 per cent.; ammonia 2 per cent.; potash 1 per rent.
Standard Grade complete fertilizer, up to guarantee of avail, phos. acid 8 per cent.; ammonia 2 per cent.; potash 2 per cent.
Standard grade complete fertilizer, up to guarantee of avail, phos. acid 8 % ? ammonia 3 %; potash 2 %.
High Grade complete fertilizer, up to gunranbe of avail, phos. acid 8 percent; ammonia 3 per cent.; potash 3 per cent.

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Low grade acid phosphate, up to guarantee of avail, phos. acid 10 per cent..
Standard grade acid phosphate, up to guarantee of avail, phos. acid 12 per cent.
Standard' grade acid phosphate, up to guarantee of avail, phos. acid 13 per cent.
High grade acid phosphate, up to guarantee of avail, phos. acid 14 per cent.
And in a like manner for other guarantees, the analyses being made in every case with the same great care as at present, but only published when the goods fail to come up to their guarantee. The act requiring the inspection and analysis of fertilizers is to protect the farmer, and the inauguration of such a plan as this can work no injury to honest manufacturers, as it is simply a plain statement of fact. Business men know that manufacturers give^the smallest possible margins that'are safe upon their guarantees. They are only requiredkeep within the law, and it is only human to give no greater value than agreed, if possible to avoid it. The percentage guaranteed is the legal basis on which the goods stand, and claims beyond this are sometimes used far too liberally to persuade the farmer that the. goods are better than they are legally claimed to be.
The number of analyses made each year under the provisions of the Elling ton bill are rapidly increasing. During this season fifty-four samples were analyzed, as against twenty-six last year, and each one being worked twice, this made one hundred and eight extra analyses, besides the regular work received from the Commissioner of Agriculture. As single analyses of this kind cost from $15.00 to $25.00 each, when made by reputable chemists, it is very evident that this act is rapidly increasing the expenses of the State Chemist, without affording him any means of meeting the same.
The Ellington bill provides only for a private analysis of the goods being made for the consumer who purchased that special lot sampled. No matter how badly the goods may run, and they do turn out very low grade some times, under the act the Chemist is not in a position to inform the public as to the name of the brands nor the manufacturers of the same. Samples of materials for making fertilizers are sometimes received under the provisions of this act, possibly from manufacturers. Samples are also sometimes received in the late spring, which is presumptive evidence that the law requiring the buyer to see the result on his crop before having the Ordinary forward his samples has not been complied with, Manufacturers would naturally desire such early analyses to assure themselves of the character of their goods before offering them for sale, but if such work is desired for them the State Chemistr should be permitted to charge a proper fee for the same, to meet the addi tional expense incurred. If the act was so amended as to require the Ordinary who has sent a sample io the State Chemist for analyses to report the name of the brand, the name of the manufacturer and the guarantee to the State Chemist after the said ordinary has received the said Chemist's report, the analyses would be of considerable public benefit. Under the law, as it now stands,*only a private individual gets advantage of this work of the State, and the farming public loses the benefit of a large amount of information to-
which they are entitled. The number of analyses of fertilizers made during the past season is the

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE--GEORGIA.

largest in the history of the department. Much extra work has also devolved upon the State Chemist on account of his appointment by the legislature as one of the commission to get up an exhibit of the products of the State of Georgia for the Nashville Centennial Exposition. It has only been by con siderable private expenditure that the unusually'large amount of work has been accomplished. During the past seven years the fertilizer business has doubled, and instead of samples being taken from the factories before ship ping, as was done in the past, samples are not taken until the goods have been sold and have left the possession of the manufacturer. This is no doubt a great protection to the farmer, but puts off the bulk of the inspection until January 1st instead of beginning the 1st of October as formerly. The season in which the State Chemist has to work on the samples of the general fertilizer law is thus reduced from twelve months to nine months, with double the work to do. During the three fall months the Ellington bill samples, which are all worked twice, keep him very fully occupied, and are rapidly increasing in number.
The amount of work done on fertilizers during the season of 189&-97 was as follows:

Moisture...........................................Number of Determinations 890

Phosphoric Acid............................... " "

"

3192

Ammonia......................................... " "

"

889

Potash.............................................. " "

"

1044

6015 The amount of work done, on fertilizers last season was. as follows:

Moisture................................ ..........Number of Determinations 739

Phosphoric Acid......... .-.................... " ``

"

2580

Ammonia ........................................ " "

"

752

Potash ............................................. " "

"

809

Respectfully submitted

4880
GEORGE F. PAYNE, State Chemist.