32 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



As the first appropriation for enforcing the insecticide act became 

 avaihible on March 4, 1011, the remainder of that fiscal year was 

 occupied with the organization of a working force and the initiation 

 of work. 



During the fiscal year 1912, G50 samples were collected, representing 

 330 different articles, produced by 212 different manufacturers; 246 

 of these cases have been disposed of, 182 being placed in permanent 

 abeyance, while 64 have been transmitted to the Attorney General 

 for prosecution ; 7 of the latter cases have been passed upon by the 

 courts with results favorable to the Government's contentions. 



More than 200 hearings have been held during the year, 17 of which ' 

 were conducted by the Insecticide and Fungicide Board and the 

 others under the supervision of the board. Six special hearings Avere 

 held by the board to discuss with manufacturers questions relating to 

 the construction and enforcement of the insecticide act. 



Six insecticide decisions were issued during the year. 



OFFICE OF THE SOLICITOR. 



The volume of work of the Solicitor's office has been greater than 

 during any previous year, because of the normal growth of the 

 department's legal business, the passage of the Weeks Forestry Act, 

 relating to the purchase of lands for National Forest reservations, 

 and the claims arising on the deficiency act appropriating funds for 

 the relief of those rendering service during the forest fires of 1910. 



Additional work has been called for in preparation of briefs and 

 in correspondence connected with the increased number of violations 

 detected by the vigilance of the department's inspectors under the 

 National Forest law, the food and drugs act, the meat-inspection law, 

 the 28-hour law, the animal quarantine laws, and the insecticide and 

 Lacey acts. 



Frequent advice has been given the several bureaus, divisions, and 

 offices on questions of law relating to the discharge of the varied 

 duties intrusted to them, and the Solicitor has attended, as repre- 

 sentative of the department, all the hearings conducted by the House 

 Committee on Expenditures in the Department of Agriculture. 



FOOD AND DRUGS ACT. 



The provisions of the food and drugs act have been vigorously 

 enforced during the year, and 1,459 violations were reported to the 

 Department of Justice, an increase of more than 25 per cent over 

 the number reported last year. Of these, 991 were criminal cases 

 and 468 were recommendations for seizure of adulterated or mis- 

 branded foods and drugs. 



The first jail sentences for violation of this act were imposed during 

 the year, and there was a tendency on the part of the courts to im- 



