with their patrons, and they haul these Feeding Cars for shippers at the same tariff as charged for other cars of equal capacity. If Mr. Allerton had said that the railroad pools do not want feeding and watering cars, he would have been correct; and the "milk in the cocoanut" is right here. These pools are all interested in the feeding stations and stock-yards, whose revenues are lessened by the use of feeding cars. Again, the railroad companies receive just as much in freight charges for transporting stock in common stock cars, which cause so much loss and damage to shippers by shrinkage in weight, and death in transit, as they would be entitled to for hauling the same number of cattle in improved cars. The railroad companies receive also enormous profits from their feeding yards, hence what matters it to them how much shippers may lose by their defective methods of transportation; what do railroad companies care for the terrible sufferings of the helpless dumb beasts that arrive at market in maimed and feverish condition, many of them wholly unfit for human food? Yet they are slaughtered, their carcasses refrigerated, and the beef served up to innocent consumers, resulting in bowel complaints, blood poisoning, and disorders that follow its train. Consumers of beef want feeding and watering cars because they afford them sanitary protection, and lessen the suffering of the helpless animals. Shippers want feeding and watering cars because they avoid the risks incident to unloading and reloading at feeding yards, they reduce shrinkage to a minimum, and thereby largely increase their profits. The margins in the cattle business have become so reduced that shippers can no longer endure unnecessary losses in transit. Reliable statistics were produced at the St. Louis and Denver conventions, showing that about six millions head of beef cattle are annually shipped to market in the United States, on which the average shrinkage in transit is $3 per head, aggregating $18,000,000 absolutely wasted. With the foregoing points in view, it will be unnecessary to say anything further in commendation of this perfect arrangement for the safe transportation of cattle, by which this company is fulfilling its humane mission. The Company's offices are located at 194 Washington street, Boston, Chicago, Kansas City, and Washington, D. C. SCIENCE AND EXPERIMENTS. BY THE SECRETARY. DURING the year there has probably been more work experimentally and scientifically performed in our state than ever before in an equal period. We may safely say, this is an age of "applied science." We are not content with abstract science. We have not full confidence in the dicta of mere scientists. We fear, in fact we know, there are agencies in nature that have not yet been fully measured by the devotees of science, that investigation must be pressed more thoroughly into all departments of agriculture before we learn the capacity of an acre of soil, a ton of hay or grain, the effects of feed, of cold and warmth on animal productiveness, or the utility of special combinations of chemicals and their adaptation to the varied soils which the farmer tills. We are making progress year by year, and one object of this report is to give annual records of the facts revealed, and by them measure our progress in the great farming interests of our state. FERTILIZERS CONSIDERED. Since our last report, we have caused to be made analytical examinations of nearly every special fertilizer used in the state. This work has been done, to some extent, at the College of Agriculture, but often by special manipulation by other parties with whom favorable terms could be made. In addition to this work, we have appropriated the results given by experimental stations. From these sources we are able to present a precise and nearly complete statement of the amount of chemical plant food in the fertilizers most in use. Knowing the market value of nitrogen, phosphoric acid, potash, and whatever enters into the preparations, we can readily compute the trade value, and approximately the agricultural value, of the fertilizers that are reported. There is, however, a deficiency existing, unless we can have the means of learning from the analyses the source from which these elements are obtained, for nitrogen is more effectual and therefore more valuable when derived from one substance than it is if obtained from a different one. The same is true of potash and of phosphoric acid. This may be determined at experimental stations, where ample facilities are afforded. These stations determine annually the ruling prices of these elements, and by concert of action base their computations upon them for the time, until there is a necessity for a revision. The scale of trade values, for the past year, of the fertilizing ingredients as raw materials, appears in the accompanying schedule: — In ammonia salts. NITROGEN. Organic nitrogen in dried and fine ground fish Fine ground bone Fine medium bone Medium bone Coarse medium bone Coarse bone, horn shavings, hair and fish scraps 8 72 7 7 5 5 4 2 Now, if the package is marked so that the source of the various ingredients is known, the value can easily be determined by the above table. Thus, suppose that there was 3 per cent nitrogen, and that it is derived from medium bone, then one ton would contain sixty pounds of nitrogen, at 13 cents per pound, or $7.80. If there is 4 per cent of potash derived from muriate, then there would be eighty pounds, at 41⁄2 cents per pound, or $3.40. If there is 8 per cent of phosphoric acid derived from coarse bone, then there would be 160 pounds, at 3 cents per pound, or $4.80, thus making the ton worth $16. The farmer, especially the doubting one, may say, "This is not satisfactory, nor reliable, for the reason that I know nothing about chemistry, and can't tell if I am paying too much for the income I shall reap from its use." But any farmer can learn to make the computation of the amount of any ingredient in a fertilizer when the per cent is given on the label accompanying the article. Then, having ascertained that, he may determine the value in a ton of each and every element. He may not be able to learn from the manufacturer's label the source of each element, and cannot, therefore, obtain the exact value, but let him take a medium value, like 17 cents for nitrogen, 7 or 8 for phosphoric acid, and 4 or 5 for potash, and he will come sufficiently near to answer his purpose. It is too complicated for him to go more definitely into the work, until state laws require a statement of the sources on the labels. To be sure, the farmer will find that the same result will not follow the use of a fertilizer on different soils. But this is not a fault in the article applied. He will learn in time by experience that some fields do not need potash or some other element, and govern himself accordingly. L. B. Darling's fine bone...... Williams, Clark & Co.'s fish and potash.. brand.. Bowker's fish and potash.. Church's fish potash 10.90 3.47 2.50 0.23 0.0 2.51 0.0 0.0 5.00 4.52 4.41 0.00 0.0 2.67 0.0 19.44 0.0 22.II 24.0 2.67 0.0 0.00 0.0 36.09 0.0 4.51 0.0 7.84 2.0 6.85 0.0 4.98 3.0 25.90 26.45 3.65 3.25 1.75 0.0 2.93 Bay State b. superphosphate............ ...22.43 2.99 2.71 9.08 9.2 0.15 0.0 1.01 17.60 3.16 2.50 8.06 9.78 3.60 2.50 10.46 0.0 1.0 9.05 7.0 3.33 9.0 12.0 3.0 27.48 4.0 34.90 10.0 5.70 8.0 3.98 3.0 28.90 8.73 8.0 2.04 2.0 27.53 0.0 10.52 10.0 4.60 0.0 4.91 4.0 32.01 0.0 10.16 0.0 7.64 7.0 4.94 0.0 10.06 8.0 7.94 7.0 4.56 5.0 36.22 2.0 12.22 11.0 10.55 9.0 2.46 2.0 35-58 3.0 10.24 9.23 0.0 0.84 0.0 28.86 1.28 8.32 12.2 7.02 11.0 0.82 0.0 25.19 2.0 12.54 11.0 10.13 9.0 0.30 0.0 31.09 1.0 12.13 9.0 10.14 8.0 2.07 2.0 32.65 12.2 0.0 0.34 0.0 11.63 0.0 11.29 10.0 2.14 2.0 35.21 |