30 ANNUAL, REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



animal a culture of the tubercle bacillus, so attenuated, as to be in- 

 capable of producinf^ disease. After a few treatments of this sort, 

 the animal is able to resist, without sign of the least injury, in- 

 oculation with virulent tubercular material that is fatal for unpro 

 tected animals. This work has gone far enough to show that the 

 principle upon which it is based is sound. It now remains to de- 

 velop the methods that are necessary to make this system of general 

 service. The State Veterinarian and his assistant. Dr. S. H. Gilii- 

 land, are now actively at work on this problem and are of the be- 

 lief that they will soon be able to solve it. The immense practical 

 value of this discovery cannot now be fully estimated. It is clear, 

 however, that successful vaccination against tuberculosis of cattlo 

 will save the State annually far more than the entire cost of the 

 work of the State Live Stock Sauitarv Board, and of the entire De- 

 partment of Agriculture. The State is to be congratulated upon 

 the foresight of the Legislature, that led to the maintenance of tlie 

 laboratory and research work of the State Live Stock Sanitary Board. 

 It has already paid for itself many fold in laboratory products for 

 use in diagnosticating and preventing disease, and in other actual 

 resirlts now to its credit. 



COMMERCIAL FERTILIZERS. 



The new law regulating the manufacture and sale of commercial 

 fertilizers went into effect January 1, 1902. The act increases the 

 license fee, on brands sold in amounts under one hundred tons, from 

 ten to fifteen dollars, and enlarges the powers of the Secretary in 

 enforcing the law. 



The increased fee has added materially to the amount available 

 for analytical work, and will, it is believed, enable the Department 

 to have analyzed each year, a. sample of every brand found upon the 

 market. 



There were sixty-five more brands licensed this year than last; there 

 being one thousand and one licensed in 1901, and one thousand and 

 sixty-six in 1902. The agents collected fourteen hundred and forty- 

 one samples this year, of which 92-3 were analyzed. 



The samples analyzed are classified as follows: 



