BIENNIAL REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE, 1907-1908. To His Excellency, GOVERNOR R. B. GLENN. SIR-In compliance with subsection 14, section 3944, of the Revisal of 1905, I submit to you for transmission to the General Assembly the following report of the Department of Agriculture for the years 1907 and 1908. Hon. Samuel L. Patterson, of Caldwell County, who had filled the office of Commissioner of Agriculture, by virtue of election, since 1900, and six years at other periods prior thereto, died September 14th of this year. His administration of the office, when advances made in rendering it efficient and beneficial in practical matters are considered, makes it notably the most useful in the history of the Department. Its present condition is a fitting memorial of his useful life and his high standard of devotion to and honest performance of public duty with the scrupulous honesty he would give to personal matters. On February 16, 1908, Mr. T. K. Bruner, who had held the position of Secretary to the Board for twenty years, died. He possessed more different qualifications for the various lines of work required by the Department than any man in the State, and contributed much to its advancement. WORK OF THE DEPARTMENT. The work of the Department for the past two years has been conducted in accordance with the laws of the State and regulations adopted by the Board of Agriculture by authority of law concerning various matters under its supervision. As receipts have increased, operations of the Department have been expanded so as to undertake work along new lines or to extend along those already under consideration. When the Department was reorganized, in 1899, there was only one officer whose duties related to insect work, whether animal or vegetable pests. He was the Veterinarian, and was expected to advise in all matters relating to insects. Now there are two in the Veterinary Division, three in the Division of Entomology (tree or vegetable diseases or pests), two in the Division of Horticulture. The increase in the number of analyses of fertilizers, pure food, stock feeds and other work in the Chemical Division has required an addition of four assistants, or 100 per cent of the force of 1899, and this force will still have to be increased as the work increases. The divisions of co-operative experiments, immigration, and monthly reports of the sales of leaf tobacco by the warehouses of the State are new features now conducted. The propagation of fish has been undertaken by the National Government to such an extent as to render work as to migratory fish unnecessary by the Department. But the building of stone dams across the rivers in the piedmont section, in many cases, notably the Catawba and Yadkin rivers, has practically destroyed the inland movement of these fish. The Department will endeavor to have investigations made as to practicability of restocking streams with varieties of local kinds of native fish. The rapid spread of the "stock law" over the State has rendered unnecessary any action by the Board as to fences, as this is now largely local. A map showing the stock law, no-stock law, quarantine and free territories in the State has recently been issued. The Department is to a considerable extent a sublegislature. The Legislature, in committing to its execution specified laws, confers upon the Board of Agriculture power to make regulations for this purpose, which are given the authority of law, and violations of them are made misdemeanors cognizant by the courts. The power to confer this authority has been tested in the courts and approved by decision of the Supreme Court. The wisdom of this action is apparent to any one giving the subject consideration. If the details were enacted by the Legislature they could be changed only by the same authority, and would have to remain as enacted for at least two years, no matter how impracticable any of them might be found in execution, while under the present conditions the Board at each session has full authority to alter existing regulations so as to answer the conditions required. No body of the State's officers has more important duties to perform nor does more efficient work in the same length of time. DRAINAGE. The National Department of Agriculture is now doing some work along this line, with which the State Department will co-operate. PUBLIC ROADS. By omission of the "Alexander law" from the Revisal of 1905 the Department has no authority in road matters, except as a matter in which agriculture is deeply interested. It may be interesting to state that the general road law of the State, under which many of the counties are acting, is the same as adopted in 1788, in the early days of the State Government. The inhabitants of such counties are almost literally going "in the way their fathers trod." No subject is of more importance to the farmers of the State, and attention will be given to the "mud tax," which is the heaviest and most unnecessary tax that the farmer pays. ORGANIZATION OF THE DEPARTMENT. The following are the divisions under which the Department has been operated during the time of this report, and attention is asked to the annexed report of the superintendents for further information concerning the work of each: 1. Immigration-Elias Carr. 2. Division of Chemistry-B. W. Kilgore, State Chemist. 3. Veterinary Division-Tait Butler, Veterinarian. 4. Entomological Division-Franklin Sherman, Jr., Entomologist. 5. Horticultural Division-W. N. Hutt, Horticulturist. 6. Co-operative Experiments-T. B. Parker, Demonstrator. 7. Museum-II. II. Brimley, Curator. CHEMICAL DIVISION. The Chemical Division is under the supervision of Dr. Kilgore, and covers the analyses of fertilizers, rocks, minerals, soils, water, etc., and operation of the laws concerning pure food, stock and condimental feeds, etc. Careful attention is invited to his report as to work done. Mr. B. W. Kilgore also superintends experiments at the test farms. |