﻿Report 
  of 
  Asa 
  L. 
  Twichell. 
  

  

  Hon. 
  Chaeles 
  A. 
  Wieting, 
  Commissioner 
  of 
  Agriculture: 
  

  

  Dear 
  Sir. 
  — 
  I 
  have 
  the 
  honor 
  and 
  pleasure 
  to 
  submit 
  to 
  you 
  

   this 
  my 
  fourth 
  annual 
  report 
  of 
  the 
  work 
  performed 
  in 
  this 
  

   division, 
  comprising 
  Orleans, 
  ISTiagara 
  and 
  Erie 
  counties, 
  for 
  the 
  

   year 
  ending 
  September 
  30, 
  1899. 
  The 
  work 
  has 
  been 
  vigor- 
  

   ously 
  prosecuted 
  during 
  the 
  entire 
  year 
  and 
  I 
  believe 
  that 
  we 
  

   are 
  all 
  becoming 
  more 
  proficient 
  in 
  detecting 
  violations 
  of 
  the 
  

   agricultural 
  laws. 
  

  

  It 
  has 
  been 
  the 
  aim 
  in 
  this 
  division 
  to 
  carefully 
  investigate 
  all 
  

   cases 
  and, 
  if 
  possible, 
  prosecute 
  the 
  man 
  who 
  willfully 
  violates 
  

   the 
  law 
  rather 
  than 
  to 
  make 
  a 
  large 
  number 
  of 
  cases. 
  Especially 
  

   is 
  this 
  true 
  in 
  regard 
  to 
  many 
  milk 
  peddlers 
  in 
  Buffalo, 
  who 
  

   receive 
  milk 
  which 
  has 
  been 
  adulterated 
  by 
  the 
  producers 
  before 
  

   shipment. 
  

  

  OLEOMARGAEIITE. 
  

  

  During 
  the 
  first 
  months 
  of 
  the 
  year 
  the 
  price 
  of 
  butter 
  was 
  

   so 
  low 
  that 
  there 
  was 
  little 
  temptation 
  to 
  use 
  the 
  counterfeit, 
  

   but 
  as 
  winter 
  came 
  on 
  the 
  price 
  of 
  butter 
  advanced 
  and 
  a 
  few 
  

   were 
  tempted 
  by 
  some 
  slick-tongued 
  agents 
  and 
  used 
  it 
  in 
  their 
  

   boarding-houses 
  and 
  restaurants. 
  In 
  the 
  early 
  part 
  of 
  January, 
  

   Agents 
  W. 
  C. 
  Patrick 
  and 
  John 
  McGuire, 
  of 
  the 
  first 
  division, 
  who 
  

   are 
  experts 
  on 
  oleomargarine, 
  were 
  sent 
  here 
  and 
  with 
  their 
  help 
  

   we 
  were 
  able 
  to 
  find 
  several 
  of 
  the 
  cheaper 
  class 
  of 
  restaurants 
  

   and 
  boarding-houses 
  where 
  it 
  was 
  being 
  used, 
  and 
  samples 
  were 
  

   taken 
  in 
  each 
  case 
  and 
  prosecution 
  commenced. 
  We 
  found 
  that 
  

  

  399 
  

  

  