﻿Report 
  of 
  E. 
  J. 
  Preston. 
  

  

  Hon. 
  Charles 
  A. 
  Wieting, 
  Commissioner 
  of 
  Agriculture: 
  

  

  Dear 
  Sir. 
  — 
  I 
  herewith 
  respectfully 
  submit 
  the 
  annual 
  report 
  

   of 
  the 
  third 
  division 
  of 
  the 
  Department 
  of 
  Agriculture 
  for 
  the 
  year 
  

   ending 
  September 
  30, 
  1899: 
  

  

  This 
  division 
  now 
  embraces 
  the 
  counties 
  of 
  Columbia, 
  Dela- 
  

   ware, 
  Dutchess, 
  Greene, 
  Orange, 
  Putnam, 
  Rockland, 
  Sullivan, 
  

   Ulster, 
  and 
  that 
  part 
  of 
  Westchester 
  not 
  included 
  in 
  Greater 
  

   i^ew 
  York. 
  

  

  My 
  predecessor, 
  the 
  Hon. 
  Henry 
  S. 
  Ambler, 
  was 
  in 
  charge 
  of 
  

   this 
  division 
  from 
  the 
  beginning 
  of 
  the 
  fiscal 
  year, 
  October 
  1, 
  

   1898, 
  to 
  January 
  1, 
  1899, 
  when 
  he 
  resigned 
  as 
  Assistant 
  Commis- 
  

   sioner 
  to 
  assume 
  his 
  duties 
  as 
  State 
  Senator. 
  It 
  is 
  here 
  befitting 
  

   to 
  publicly 
  acknowledge 
  my 
  appreciation 
  for 
  the 
  many 
  courte- 
  

   sies 
  shown, 
  and 
  information 
  so 
  freely 
  extended 
  to 
  me 
  by 
  Senator 
  

   Ambler 
  upon 
  the 
  assumption 
  of 
  my 
  new 
  duties. 
  

  

  In 
  order 
  to 
  familiarize 
  myself 
  with 
  the 
  division 
  and 
  its 
  require- 
  

   ments, 
  I 
  have 
  spent 
  most 
  of 
  my 
  time 
  wdth 
  the 
  agents 
  in 
  their 
  

   work, 
  and 
  can 
  report, 
  for 
  so- 
  large 
  and 
  populous 
  a 
  section 
  of 
  

   the 
  State, 
  I 
  have 
  found 
  it 
  remarkably 
  free 
  from 
  violations 
  of 
  

   Agricultural 
  law, 
  and 
  full 
  credit 
  for 
  same 
  should 
  be 
  given 
  to 
  the 
  

   untiring 
  efforts 
  of 
  Mr. 
  Ambler, 
  and 
  the 
  able 
  assistance 
  rendered 
  

   by 
  the 
  efficient 
  agents 
  of 
  this 
  division. 
  

  

  From 
  January 
  first 
  to 
  April 
  tenth, 
  the 
  date 
  of 
  my 
  appoint- 
  

   ment, 
  the 
  work 
  done 
  in 
  the 
  third 
  division 
  was 
  directed 
  by 
  Assistant 
  

   Commissioners 
  George 
  L. 
  Inlanders, 
  of 
  the 
  first 
  division, 
  or 
  F. 
  J. 
  H. 
  

   Kracke, 
  of 
  the 
  second 
  division. 
  

  

  315 
  

  

  