LABEL No. 3203.

Police Court, Rochester, N. Y., Charles B. Ernst, Justice.

Warrant issued November 9, 1896; returnable November 16, 1896; plead guilty and fined $25.

Witnesses: Geo. Bernhard and Jos. M. Quigley.

Chemist: Samuel A. Lattimore.

Attorney: William W. Armstrong.

LABEL No. 3242.

Police Court, Rochester, N. Y., Charles B. Ernst, Justice.

Warrant issued November 9, 1896; returnable November 11, 1896; adjourned to November 19, 1896; plead guilty and fined $25.

Witnesses: Geo. Bernhard and Jos. M. Quigley.

Chemist: Samuel A. Lattimore.

Attorney: William W. Armstrong.

LABEL No. 3243.

Police Court, Rochester, N. Y., Charles B. Ernst, Justice.

Warrant issued November 9, 1896; returnable November 11, 1896; case pending.

Witnesses: Geo. Bernhard and Jos. M. Quigley.

Chemist: Samuel A. Lattimore.

Attorney: William W. Armstrong.

LABEL No. 3953.

Police Court, Rush, N. Y., Heath, Justice.

Warrant issued November 19, 1896; returnable November 21,

1896; case pending.

Witnesses: Jos. M. Quigley and Robert McAdam, Jr.

Chemist: Samuel A. Lattimore.

Attorney: Otto Kelsey.

LABEL No. 3957.

Police Court, Rochester, N. Y., Charles B. Ernst, Justice.

Warrant issued October 27, 1896; returnable October 29, 1896; case pending.

Witnesses: Jos. M. Quigley and Geo. Bernhard.

Chemist: Samuel A. Lattimore.

Attorney: James M. E. O'Grady.

During the latter part of September a Babcock machine for testing milk was procured, and its use will greatly aid us in deciding whether a chemical analysis should be made of milk samples taken. Since the arrival of this machine the agents have made tests of many samples of milk from individual cows, for the purpose of assisting dairymen in deciding whether or not certain cows were giving milk of the required standard, and I anticipate that in this respect the Babcock machine will be of inestimable value to consumers of milk in this division.

I wish to commend the painstaking efforts of the chemist and agents to make the work of the Department in this division of the greatest possible value to the community.

Permit me in conclusion to acknowledge the many courtesies I have received at your hands, and to thank you for assistance rendered me by the agents of the Department you have from time to time detailed for special service in this division.

Very respectfully submitted,

WM. T. HUGHES,

Assistant Commissioner.

REPORT OF ASA L. TWITCHELL.

Hon. CHARLES A. WIETING, Commissioner of Agriculture:

Dear Sir. I have the honor to submit to you my first report of the work done in this (the ninth) division of your Department, comprising the counties of Niagara, Orleans and Erie, during the year ending September 30, 1896. I cannot submit a detailed report of the work done by each agent for the year as I have not the necessary data for the time previous to my appointment, on May 15th last.

I will say, however, that I have had the cordial support of all the agents in this Department in looking after violations of the Agricultural Law.

Our time, all through the summer, has been fully occupied in looking after the milk supply of Buffalo and surrounding villages, cheese factories, adulterated vinegar, and oleomargarine; and that we have not been idle, you will see by the number of cases brought and convictions secured.

Vinegar.

I found adulterated vinegar being sold in nearly all the jobbing and retail groceries in this division, in barrels, branded "Malt Vinegar," which was nothing but a distilled vinegar, colored with caramel, and made to appear like cider vinegar, and in many cases I think the consumer bought it for that.

I think the jobbers have been led to believe that they had a right to sell it in this form, and, as it was not branded cider vinegar, it was not a violation of the law, and in all cases but one, when they found out their mistake, at once sent it back to the manufacturer.

The manufacturers of Buffalo were all in favor of having the spurious article driven out and gave the agents material help. There was one company, viz.: The Prussing Vinegar Company,

of Chicago, that claimed selling this vinegar was not a violation of the statute, and they would keep on selling it. Action was at once commenced against their agent in Police Court, but defendant was discharged on the ground that he did not sell it for cider vinegar. This case was not continued further for we had a stronger one against one of their customers; we brought suit for a penalty in the Supreme Court, and penalty was paid with costs, without trial. The company then withdrew their manager from Buffalo, and other cases have had to rest on account of being unable to get service of papers on the parties. I think it safe to say you will find very little adulterated vinegar in this division at the present time.

I have endeavored to have the agents visit every town to examine the vinegar in connection with their other work. The following vinegar cases have been brought:

CASE No. 355.

Warrant sworn out in Police Court in Buffalo, July 21, 1896; tried; found not guilty.

Witnesses: Hoffman Ruger, A. S. Delano, and chemist, John A.

Miller.

CASE No. 354.

Sued for penalty in Supreme Court, June 27, 1896; penalty of $100 and costs paid October 14, 1896.

Pending.

CASE No. 689.

Oleomargarine.

We have kept a constant watch for this article, but butter has been so low in price there has not been much temptation to deal in the counterfeit; but should the price of butter go up, we may expect a lively time in keeping the manufacturers of oleomargarine within the limits of the law.

I append the report of our chemist, Prof. John A. Miller, of some physicological experiments made by him with the coloring which is used in butter and oleomargarine.

Milk.

Looking after the milk supply of Buffalo and the other cities in this division, takes more time than any other one branch of our work, and keeps all hands on the alert.

We have a regular system of examination of milk delivered at platforms of railroads in Buffalo, and in cases where the milk is found to be suspicious we send at once to take official sample; and I have found that when the shipper knows he is constantly watched, he is very careful not to send anything but a good article. Buffalo, with nearly one thousand pedlers, keeps us constantly at work looking after them, and the strong compe tition has led to cutting prices and helping the profit side out, by selling watered or skimmed milk or both.

The growing city of Buffalo is reaching out after its supply of milk and is gradually absorbing the milk supply of the cheese factories in Erie county, so that their product is decreasing yearly.

It is safe to say the milk sold in this division brings the producers a sum, in round numbers, $1,045,350, as follows:

The supply of Buffalo is received from the following sources, mostly coming from the counties in this division, with a very little from the seventh and tenth divisions: