10 Third Annual Report of the 



General's office, it often happens, particularly in the larger towns, 

 that necessarily material evidence is lost by reason of our inability 

 to immediately commence prosecution which we formerly could 

 do when at liberty to employ our own counsel as the exigencies 

 of the cases might require. 



The declaratory part of the act creating this Department sets 

 forth that there shall be a Department of Agriculture charged with 

 the enforcement of the laws pertaining to agriculture, and in the 

 opening section of the law, after providing for the appointment 

 of the Commissioner, it was provided that he should have power 

 to employ all necessary agents, chemists and counsel. The object 

 aimed at was to have a department of the government specially 

 charged with the enforcement of the various laws upon agricul- 

 tural subjects. 



The Attorney-General in the State at large and the district 

 attorney in each county has always had the authority, and it was 

 made their duty, to prosecute all violations of penal statutes; 

 but it was thought that the necessities had become so great affect- 

 ing our agricultural population, and the many attempts to place 

 spurious products upon the markets, particularly affecting these 

 interests, that there should be a department to enforce the laws 

 against the fraudulent production or adulteration of agricultural 

 products. 



I have reason to think that the Attorney-General concurs in 

 m}' ideas upon this subject, and I most earnestly urge upon the 

 Legislature the advisability of so amending the present statute 

 that it shall not apply to the Department of Agriculture. 



MILK. 



In enforcing the provisions of the statute relative to adulter- 

 ated milk there are two phases at least of the work, viz., a close 

 inspection of the great amount of milk consumed in the cities of 

 the State, a detailed account of which will be found given by the 

 Assistant Commissioners, which are attached hereto; the other 

 feature is examining and looking after the milk delivered to 

 manufacturing factories within the State, where it is manufac- 



