No. 7. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 9 



along these respective lines. Plants sent to the Department for 

 ideulilieation were named and instruction given as to their value or 

 demerit. Questions relatini^ U) diseases of fruit and fruit trees, 

 grains and other useful plants resuUing from parasitic fungi, known 

 by the general or common names of rot, smut, mildew, blight, etc., 

 were answered and remedies prescribed. 



If a special appropriation sufticieut to emplo}^ a competent assist- 

 ant to the Economic Zoologist to do this kind of work should be 

 made by our General Assembly, I believe it would yield a rich return 

 in the benefit it would be to the agricultural and fruit growing inter- 

 ests of the State. 



DAIRY AND POOD BUREAU. 



No more important work can be committed to any Division or 

 l)(^l>artment of a State government tliau that which relates to the 

 purity and wholesomeness of food supplies. The health of the people 

 is a matter of first consideration, and the Legislature that enacted 

 the law creating this Department chose wisely in providing a Divi- 

 sion with an officer in control of its affairs, whose duty it is to en- 

 force the laws regulating the manufacture and sale of dairy and 

 other food products. 



The Dairy and Food Commissioner has had a year of strenuous 

 work. While most manufacturers of food commodities are honest 

 men, doing a perfectly fair and honest business, it is to be regretted 

 that there are a few, who, for the sake of securing the advantage 

 that comes from their being able to undersell their competitors, 

 will violate "the golden rule" and place upon the market goods of low 

 standard, the inferiority of which is concealed by the use of certain 

 antiseptics that are known to be injurious to health. In the selec- 

 tion of agents and chemists, whose work consists in securing and 

 analyzing samples of food commodities found in the markets of the 

 State, great care is taken to employ intelligent and fair minded per- 

 sons, who will conscientiously discharge the duties they owe to the 

 Commonwealth without being in the least degree oppressive or un- 

 fair to manufacturers and dealers in food products. The publicity 

 given to violations of the law, through the publication of the monthly 

 bulletins of the Bureau, continues to have a wholesome deterring 

 effect upon unscrupulous dealers, but the number of prosecutions 

 brought during the year shows that publicity alone will not suffice 

 to keep our markets clear of unwholesome and undesirable food sup- 

 plies. 



VETERINARY BUREAU. 



The Veterinary work of the Department expands more and more 

 every year. The conduct of its affairs under the efficient manage- 

 ment of Dr. Leonard Pearson, who has been in charge ever since 

 the creation of the Bureau, has proved so helj^ful and satisfactory 

 to the people of the Commonwealth as to greatly increase the de- 

 mand for its service. The Act of May 2.5, 1907, providing for a 

 Deputy State Veterinarian and otherwise increasing the working- 

 force of the Bureau, has been fruitful of good results. This Bureau 

 and the State Livestock Sanitary Board are so closely associated 

 in lluMi- work, tiiat it is diillcult to determine just where the duties 

 and functions of the one end and the work of the other begins. The 

 State Veterinarian is the Executive officer of the Board and the Sec- 

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