March 16, 1871

Posted on March 16, 2019 by Joel Byers

On March 16, 1871, the state of Delaware, enacted the first fertilizer law in the United States. Contrary to popular belief, it didn’t state that you couldn’t stuff 60 lbs of poo into a 50 lb bag, instead, it taxed the commercial fertilizer companies on how much ‘commercial’ fertilizer they made. Delaware in the late 1800s didn’t enact laws that made sure that the people making fertilizer didn’t put poison into the fertilizer, they just needed money, and taxing the volume of fertilizer being made was easy and convenient. They did leave the organic stuff untaxed, because if they didn’t, the Delaware farmers would have had to train their cows and pigs to walk over to the Maryland and Pennsylvania state lines and poo across the borders.

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About Joel Byers

Born in North Georgia and educated at some very fine public institutions. Real education started after graduating from college and then getting married and raising two boys. Has the ability to see the funny and absurd in most things and will always remark on it, even if it means getting the stink-eye from his victims.
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