Commissioner of Agriculture. 279 



ucts, such as " filled cheese " and " imitation butter." If this 

 disreputable business continues unchecked, the day is not far dis- 

 tant when the great dairy interests of our nation will be ruined. 

 To illustrate: In the year 1894 there was exported over 80,000,000 

 pounds of oleomargarine and only 15,000,000 pounds of butter. 

 The lesson is plain. Our export trade has been stolen by the 

 fraudulent butter makers. 



In the same manner our home market and export demand in 

 cheese has been greatly injured by the manufacture of a fraud- 

 ulent product called " filled cheese." Now, it seems that justice 

 demands that the large and influential class of our citizens, rep- 

 resented by our dairymen, should be protected against all fraud- 

 ulent dairy products, and this can only be done by wise statutes 

 framed by the general government. 



During the past year there has been four oleomargarine cases 

 made in our division, and at the present time, after a careful in- 

 vestigation, I am convinced that there is little, if any, being sold in 

 this division. 



TUBERCULOSIS. 



A portion of five herds have been slaughtered during the 'last 

 year in this division by the Tuberculosis Commission; all of 

 them on complaint of the owners of the herds; about 60 cows 

 were killed; all of them were affected in a greater or less degree. 

 There is no doubt but that the disease exists in different portions 

 of the State, but that it is prevalent or diffused through all the 

 dairies of the State, I hardly thing. I would say that if any of 

 the cattle of ourdairymen should be troubled with a short, hacking 

 cough and emaciation, the case should at once be reported to the 

 proper authorities for inspection. 



ANTHRAX. 



It has been claimed that this dangerous and fatal disease has 

 appeared in different parts of this division during the past sum- 

 mer. There have been a number of strange and sudden deaths 

 among the dairy cattle. Veterinarians have pronounced the dis- 

 ease anthrax, but have generally conceded that it was caused by 



