REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER. II 



WEIGHTS AND MEASURES. 



The work in this bureau has been carried on by the Deputy 

 Sealer, Levi S. Pennell, whose work has been highly successful. 

 Nearly all the towns in the state have been brought to conform 

 to the law. For details, reference is had to the report of Mr. 

 Pennell on subsequent pages. 



BUREAU OF INSPECTIONS. 



In accordance with a statute passed by the legislature in 191 3, 

 the execution of the law relating to fertiHzers, feeding stuffs, 

 seeds, insecticides, fungicides, drugs and foods was placed in 

 the hands of the Commissioner of Agriculture. By the same 

 law, all work of analysis was placed with the Maine Agricul- 

 tural Experiment Station at Orono. A. M. G. Soule of Wool- 

 wich was appointed chief inspector. He has two stenographers 

 and a corps of inspectors varying in number as the work de- 

 mands. The work of this bureau is far reaching, touching, in 

 fact, every person in the state. As far as it could be done, the 

 work has been made educational. At the same time, as these 

 laws have been in force some years, long enough to give people 

 opportunity to know of their existence, persistent violators of 

 the law have been brought into court. 



Mr. Soule has been very judicious in enforcing the provisions 

 of this most important statute. The difficulties have been many 

 and sometimes embarrassing. The benefits to be derived from 

 such laws are very great and as time passes and people become 

 accustomed to the regulations, the annoyances disappear and 

 the benefits are appreciated. 



INSTITUTE WORK. 



The appropriation for institutes is $3,000.00. Of this sum 

 $700 is to be used for the annual exhibition of dairy products 

 held under the joint auspices of the Maine Dain^men's Asso- 

 ciation and the Commissioner of Agriculture. The exhibition 

 this year was held in Bangor and in size and quality was of a 

 high standard. A detailed account of the exhibition will be 

 found in this report. 



