apparent that a great loss results to the users of this commodity. Raw linseed oil is often used medicinally for stock and cases have come to our attention where it was claimed that illness and death have resulted from the use of an impure oil. It is, of course, impossible to prevent attempted fraud of this nature with the present means at hand, and it is earnestly hoped that during he next year a sufficient amount of money will be appropriated to the Department to properly enforce the requirements of this law and if possible prevent deception in the sale of this product.

"The force of employees has remained the same throughout the year, with the exception that Miss L. P. Gustin of Somerset, Pa., stenographer, resigned March 1, her place being filled by Miss Frances Sawyer of Harrisburg. Mr. E. C. Gildroy, Assistant Chemist, who was being employed by the Dairy and Food Bureau was transferred March 1st to the employ of this Bureau in exchange for Mr. G. L. Walters, formerly an Assistant Chemist with us."

The Reports of the work done by the Bureaus of Farmers' Institutes and Economic Zoology, the Dairy and Food Bureau, State Veterinarian, all of which are published in full in the following pages, show the vigor with which the work of these respective bureaus was carried forward during the year, and I would bespeak for them the careful perusal their importance merits. The several heads of these Bureaus have, by their faithful devotion to duty and the satisfactory manner in which their work has been performed, merited the continued confidence of the head of the Department and increased the sense of gratitude that he recognizes as being their due.

LEGISLATION NEEDED

DESTRUCTION CAUSED BY FIRES STARTED BY LOCOMOTIVES

Many farmers in Pennsylvania, particularly in the mountainous districts of the State, are every year suffering loss occasioned by fires started by locomotives drawing trains over railroads that run through their lands. Nothing can be more discouraging to farmers than to see their fields run over by fires that destroy their growing crops and fences.

This loss can be greatly diminished if not entirely prevented by requiring railroad companies to place watchmen along their lines, especially where grades are heavy, and providing them with means by which fires so started can be extinguished before they reach such. proportions as to be destructive and difficult to control. Many inquiries come to this Department for advice as to what can be done to relieve farmers from this ever present evil, and it seems almost useless to advise action against the offending companies for damage, for the reason that farmers, as a class, are disposed to keep out of court and the disposition of railroad companies to prolong litigation, thereby making it too expensive for the man of small means, is proverbial; and for the further reason that where action is brought for damage resulting from fires started by the sparks thrown out by railroad locomotives, it is extremely difficult to prove the origin of the fire. An eye witness may testify that he saw the engine pass the spot where the fire originated only a few moments before seeing

the flames burst from the dry matter upon which the spark fell, but if he did not see the burning cinder drop, his testimony will fail to make out the case. Hence, the proper remedy is to require railroad companies or individuals operating railroads to exercise all possible vigilance to prevent the starting of fires by their engines along their lines.

PURE SEED LAW

There is a great yearly loss to farmers resulting from the growth of injurious weeds on farm lands. Some of these weeds, while not difficult to destroy, are naturally more hardy than the valuable plants the farmer wishes to grow and by getting a quick start they crowd out and diminish the number of the more useful plants and lessen the crop produced. Others are persistent and tenacious in holding on to the soil. This is especially true of perennials which are propagated not only by the seed but by root growth.

Many inquiries come to this Department concerning methods to be employed for the destruction of some of the most pernicious of the weeds found in our State, and in giving instruction upon this point we always take occasion to point out the importance of sowing pure seed as well as employing methods suggested for the destruction of the growing weeds.

The seeds of the perennial or most injurious weeds are usually distributed by sowing clovers and grass seeds in which they are found, and until we have some way of prohibiting the sale and distribution of impure clover and grass seeds we shall make little headway in the work of relieving our farms from the perennial weed nuisance. Other states, where the agricultural industry is carefully guarded, have laws prohibiting the sale of clover and grass seeds that do not conform to a given standard of purity. Such laws in other states, instead of being helpful to Pennsylvania, only serve to make our State the dumping ground for seeds that can not be sold elsewhere.

There was a bill before the last Legislature establishing a standard of purity for grass and clover seeds which passed the House of Representatives, but, for some reason, unknown to its friends, it failed in the Senate.

I believe that the enactment of such a law would go a great way toward abolishing the weed nuisance and would prove a lasting benefit to the agriculture of the State.

INSECTICIDES

An act was passed at the Legislative session of 1907, which created a standard of purity for Paris Green sold in the State, a commodity extensively used by farmers as an insecticide, providing for collecting and analyzing samples of the same and fixing penalties for its adulteration.

The Congress of the United States passed a bill of like import at its last session which also embraced other insecticides. The Federal law, however, does not give to Pennsylvania farmers the protection they need, for the reason that its provisions are active only in cases where insecticides are imported from one state to another, and there are a number of firms and companies manufacturing Paris Green in our own State.

No appropriation was made by the last Legislature for the enforcement of the Act of May 29, 1907, commonly known as the "Paris Green Law," and I would respectfully suggest that this is a matter of too much importance to be overlooked.

The law should be amended so as to embrace Lead Arsenate, another valuable insecticide in common use, and if this is not done there should at least be an adequate appropriation made for the enforcement of the "Paris Green Law."

CHEMICAL AND MICROSCOPICAL EXAMINATION OF LIME

The use of lime in agriculture is becoming better understood every year, and with this increase of knowledge comes a largely increased demand for this soil improving commodity.

Unfortunately the fact that there is a great difference in the quality and purity of lime placed upon the market either in the raw (carbonate) or burned (oxide) form is not generally understood, and where this difference is known to farmers, they have no means of testing its strength or purity.

I should be pleased, therefore, to see the law providing for chemical examination of commercial fertilizers so amended as to include lime sold for agricultural purposes, or a separate bill passed providing for a guarantee, by the venders of lime for agricultural purposes, of the per cent. of pure lime it contains and its chemical examination together with penalties for false guarantees and selling without complying with the provisions of the law.

The law regulating the manufacture of commercial fertilizers should be amended also so as to provide that the moneys paid into the Treasury under the provisions of the act to secure to manufacturers the right to sell commercial fertilizer shall constitute a special fund from which the cost of selecting samples of fertilizers and making an analysis of the same and other expenses incurred in carrying out the provisions of the act shall be paid.

STATE FAIR

At the last session of the Legislature, a bill was passed providing for the establishment of a State Fair. This bill was not all that could have been desired, but under its provisions a Fair could have been started which, I feel sure, would have so commended itself to the farmers of the State as to awaken in them the interest needed for the development of such a Fair as the agricultural interests of the State demand.

A State Fair would induce the best farmers, not only of our own State but of other states, to place on exhibition the results they have obtained by careful breeding of livestock, as well as plants. The superior results obtained by certain methods of cultivation would be shown. Competent judges would be secured to award the prizes given to the best articles of every class of products exhibited, who, in connection with their work of judging, would give short lectures pointing out the particular marks of excellence governing their decisions, so that exhibitors failing to secure prizes would have object lessons presented, showing where and how improvement is possible, a friendly spirit of emulation would be encouraged between the farmers of our own State and between them and the farmers of

other states who would be sure to avail themselves of the opportunity to show their products to our people and to each other as they would come together in our State.

If Pennsylvania is to take and hold the position to which she is justly entitled as an agricultural state, the establishment and maintenance of a State Fair is imperative, and it is to be hoped that the bill which failed at the last session, or if possible, a still more liberal bill establishing a Fair shall be passed by the next General Assembly.

PENNSYLVANIA SCHOOL OF AGRICULTURE

The rapid progress made in the School of Agriculture at our State College within the last few years is in the highest degree encouraging. The increase in the number of students during this period has been phenomenal.

The period for the realization of the hopes of the agricultural interests of the State seems to have dawned, and yet there are features of discouragement that can not be ignored and that are worthy of serious consideration. More than a score of teachers in this school have given up their work at the College and gone elsewhere. Among them are some who are recognized as men of rare ability and instructors whose places will be exceedingly hard to fill. If the want of proper financial support for this most important branch of the work of our State College is the only cause to which the loss we sustain by their resignation is to be attributed, our General Assembly should not fail to see that this want is fully met by unstinted appropriations for the support of this school. Whatever may be the cause of the remarkable loss of teachers, it is certain that the equipments of the school are inadequate to its pressing needs, and the funds necessary for great improvement in this direction should be provided.

APPROPRIATIONS

Legislation providing for the usual appropriations for the payment of the salaries of the officers of the Department and for carrying out the provisions of certain specific Acts of Assembly, the enforcement of which is assigned to the Department will be needed.

FIELD DEMONSTRATION WORK

In my last Annual Report I took occasion to say that "The farmer can buy better foundation stock for bis herds and flocks from those who have made stock breeding and its principles a close study than can be secured from the haphazard breeder, and by following the methods outlined by this Department and in use by those who are breeding only the best animals he can maintain the high standard set in the start and even excel it, but when it comes to applying better methods in conducting every day farm operations he can not buy these from his neighbors but must himself envolve methods adapted to his conditions, and this is one of the things that few farmers undertake." Hence, the importance of providing some agency through which or by which he may receive the instruction so necessary to his success. He needs the assistance of experts versed in field-lore and possessing the advantage of successful experience in farm operations.

The Farmers' Institutes conducted by this Department is the most efficient agency in the State for doing work of this kind. Unfortunately, however, Farmers' Institutes and Movable Schools of Agriculture can not be carried on during the seasons of the year when practical field demonstration is possible.

For this reason there should be a biennial appropriation made to the Department, in addition to that made for the institute work, that will be large enough to provide for the employment of capable men, who, by education and experience, are qualified to show the farmer, by actual field demonstration, how to increase the productiveness of the particular class or quality of soil he has to deal with.

This is the character of work that the Department is now, and for several years past has been doing for the advancement of the fruit industry of our State, and any one wishing to be informed as to the value of this work needs only to inquire into its results. In every section of the State old orchards are to be found which had been practically abandoned as useless, that have been reclaimed and made productive of large yields of as fine fruit as it produced anywhere in our land.

Such instructors could devote part of their time to superintending farms provided, as has been suggested, by some of our large cities upon which the unemployed of their population could be put to work for the support of their families and at the same time taught the practical lessons of agriculture which would qualify them for getting their living directly from the land.

By this means also the Department would be greatly aided in the matter of keeping its best instructors for the Farmers' Institute work. One of he serious difficulties with which we have to contend, in connection with this work, growns out of the fact that we cau not keep our men employed throughout the entire year. It is true that some of our most efficient institute workers have their own farms to which they can and do turn their attention during the summer season, but there are others who have had years of training and extended experience that could and would give up every thing else and devote their entire time to the institute and demonstration work combined if we had the means of providing for both branches of the service.

A bill, authorizing such demonstration work and making a special appropriation for the same, was passed by the House of Representatives at the last session of the General Assembly and was carried up to "Third Reading and Final Passage" in the Senate, but in the last hours of the session it failed, because, for want of time, it was not reached.

The Department has the authority to take up this work, but no appropriation has been made for its support in the past, and in order to meet a great want and a call that is constantly coming to the Department I wish to urge that such appropriation be made at the next session of the Legislature.

I have already referred to the Orchard Demonstration work and the great good resulting from it to the fruit industry of the State and I trust that the appropriation made for this work may be largely increased by the next General Assembly.