12 ANNUAL REPORT, OP THE Off. Doc. 



of county coniniissionci's that, in size, appearance and general until- 

 ity, will eiiual a like building erected in another county at a very 

 much greater cost. Such ineciualities must come under the observa- 

 tion of every one who has the opporl unity and disposition to make 

 any investigations along these lines, and for these the remedy is in 

 the hands of the people, and if they are not removed the fault is 

 with themselves. 



MATTER INCLUDED IN REPORT. 



In my report for 1903, I referred to the fact that the annual meet- 

 ings of some of the leading agricultural organizations of the State 

 are usually held in the first months of the year, and that the reports 

 made of the work they do are, for the most part, reports for the 

 year prior to the year in which such meetings are held. I then stated 

 that to withhold the report of these meetings for a year before publi- 

 cation would be to allow much of the matter they contain to lose 

 its value, and that for this reason certain portions of the reports of 

 these organizations holding meetings during the first months of 

 1904 were embodied in the Report of this Department for the year 

 1903. (See Agricultural Report, 1903, page 11.) 



For the same reason a like course is pursued in making up the 

 present Report. The reports of these meetings, as published by the 

 organizations holding them, have a limited circulation, and in order 

 that they may obtain a greater circulation and at the same time be 

 given to the public in a more durable form, they are included in the 

 Department Report, and to make them of more value than they 

 would possess if published a year later, they are given in the Report 

 for 1904. 



It is to be regretted that comparatively few of the papers read 

 at the farmers' institutes can be included in the Annual Report of 

 the Department. Many of these papers possess very high merit, 

 and, if we were able to include all such in the Annual Report, they 

 would prove a very valuable addition to the agricultural literature 

 of the State. 



CONCLUSION. 



I shall not refer in detail or at length to the work of the several 

 Divisions of the Department as carried on during the year. 



The Report of the head of each of these Divisions that is sub- 

 mitted herewith speaks for itself. I do not wish, however, to close 

 this report without expressing my entire satisfaction with the fruit- 

 ful and efficient work done by every Division. That the labors of the 

 yoar have been crowned with a fair degree of success, I think no 

 one acquainted with the affairs of the Department will dispute, and 

 how much this success depended upon the intelligent and earnest 

 effort put forth by the heads of the several Divisions, is known best 

 to myself and is appreciated more than I can express. 

 I have the honor to be. 



Very truly yours, 



Secretary of Agriculture, 



