34 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [P. D. 4. 



other lands should not be so determined. Together with this 

 work should go a general soil survey of the State, for at the 

 present time only three counties of the State have been sur- 

 veyed and only one of these results published. 



In order to get the government to assist in this work the 

 State must co-operate to the extent of furnishing some money. 

 The secretary therefore recommends the introduction of a bill 

 repealing the act of 1913 and amendments thereto, but giving 

 the Board of Agriculture and Department of Health power, 

 acting as a sort of joint drainage board, to do this preliminary 

 work, and making the issue of county drainage bonds, under 

 the other drainage bill, which has been outlined, dependent on 

 the approval of this Joint Board. This will mean that the 

 soundness of each drainage project must meet the approval of 

 a body of impartial experts, the engineering department of the 

 Department of Health looking after the engineering features, 

 and the drainage committee of the Board passing on the 

 agricultural value of each proposition. The secretary recom- 

 mends that the Board be allowed an annual appropriation of 

 $5,000 for this work. 



Other desirable legislation looking toward some of the matters 

 we have presented or supported in the past should at this time 

 be set aside to obtain those things which seem to be more im- 

 portant in the immediate agricultural problem. 



The Board is rapidly nearing the place where we must in- 

 crease our regular force if we are to take up new work. With 

 our present office force and equipment we are handling about 

 all the work that we can do effectively. 



Much new work has been added in the last few years without 

 changing materially our office force or equipment. Since the 

 year 1900 the work of the nursery inspection, apiary inspection, 

 apple-grading inspection, distribution of bounty to poultry socie- 

 ties, encouragement of dairying and encouragement of orcharding 

 have been added to the Board's work, and in addition many 

 more calls are made on the office force, due to greater interest 

 in agriculture. 



It should be borne in mind that in all of this work and 

 during this time practically no increases of salaries have been 

 made to those who have had to bear the burden of work, while 



