No. 5. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 119 



REPORT OF THE BUREAU OF CHEMISTRY, FOR THE YEAR 



1914 



The work performed by the Bureau of Chemistry during the year 

 1914 has consisted of performing the chemical and microscopical 

 work and the administrative duties necessary, under the direction 

 of the Secretary of Agriculture, in carrying out the provisions of 

 the Acts of Assembly which regulate the sale of Feeding Stuffs, Lin- 

 seed Oil and Seeds. 



The major portion of the work has been that of regulating the 

 sale of Feeding Stuffs made necessary by the larger appropriation 

 available for protecting the consumers of this commodity from pur- 

 chasing misbranded, inferior or adulterated feeds. Special Agents 

 of the Department visited 327 towns and cities in 61 counties of 

 the State and secured from dealers 1300 official samples of Feed- 

 ing Stuffs. In a number of communities visited samples were not 

 taken for the reason that it was deemed unadvisable to duplicate 

 the work or take too many brands of the same feed where it has 

 been found these particular brands were properly labeled and guar- 

 anteed in accordance with the requirements of the Law. 



These samples were sent to the Bureau in sealed bottles and were 

 analyzed chemically and examined microscopically as to their chemi- 

 cal composition and for the ingredients claimed in each case, or 

 for possible foreign, deleterious or prohibited materials. Accompany- 

 ing these samples were reports of tlie Agents giving the information 

 found on sacks or attached cards. Reports of the results of examina- 

 tions were submitted to the Secretary of Agriculture and also sent 

 out to the Dealers from whom each sample was taken and to the 

 firms responsible for their manufacture or preparation. From time 

 to time as these reports were submitted to the Secretary of Agricul- 

 ture, they were carefully considered where violations were found to 

 exist and in those cases where it was thought an attempt to de- 

 fraud the purchasers had occurred, prosecutions were ordered. 



It was found necessary to direct prosecutions to be made in 13 

 cases on samples which were received in 1914. These violations con- 

 sisted for the most part of false guarantees for crude protein, fat 

 or fiber, and for the presence of foreign or prohibited materials, such 

 as weed seeds. Twelve of these cases were adjusted by payment of 

 fines, only a small number of hearings being held, which amounted 

 to $600.00, this amount being immediately, after being received, paid 

 to the State Treasurer in the usual manner. One of these cases was 

 not pressed for a hearing for the reason that the evidence at hand 

 did not warrant such action being taken. In a number of instances 

 where minor violations were found to occur, especially in regard to 

 labeling, no action was taken by the Department for the reason that 

 the parties concerned showed a willingness to make the necessary 

 corrections in order to comply with the requirements of the Law. 

 In a few of these cases, where there was a slight variation in the 

 content of crude protein found, as compared with that guaranteed 



