392 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



by the passage of the renovated butter law last winter. We 

 have made more than the average number of inspections, 

 taken more samples than in previous years, had more than 

 the average number of cases in court, secured more convic- 

 tions than ever before, and have done an unusual amount of 

 educational work. This has necessarily increased our ex- 

 penses for travel and chemist's services, but the expense for 

 agents' salaries has been below the average. Notwithstand- 

 ing all that has been accomplished, we have seen much more 

 that could be done which we were obliged to leave un- 

 touched, on account of the limited appropriation. With 

 more money we could have shown even greater results. 



The membership of the Bureau has remained the same as 

 last year. There has been a change, however, in the execu- 

 tive officer, due to the retirement of Hon. William R. 

 Sessions, who declined another re-election as secretary of the 

 Board of Agriculture. Hon. J. W. Stockwell was elected 

 in January, and in July assumed the office, which includes 

 the position of executive officer of the Bureau. The details 

 of the executive work have continued under the direction of 

 George M. Whitaker, who in September was reappointed 

 by the Governor as " assistant to the secretary of the Board 

 of Agriculture ... to assist in the work prescribed in the 

 eleventh section of this act." 



Only two regular agents for collecting samples and for in- 

 spection service have been at work during the year. Mr. 

 Stockwell resigned in January, and Ralph M. Horton was 

 then employed as a regular agent. George F. Baldwin has 

 been continued during the year. Prof. F. S. Cooley of the 

 Agricultural College was appointed in the summer as a tem- 

 porary agent to investigate the work of the creameries of the 

 State. From time to time special agents have been em- 

 ployed for short terms, as circumstances seemed to demand. 

 The regular agents become in time so well known that their 

 efficiency for detective work is in some instances impaired, 

 and good results occasionally follow the temporary employ- 

 ment of a person unknown to would-be law breakers. 



The chemical work during the year has been performed 

 by Dr. B. F. Davenport and by the Hatch Experiment 

 Station (Edward B. Holland, analyst), the former analyzing 



