Report of the Commissioner of Agriculture of the State of Georgia, year ending December 31, 1904

REPORT
OP THE
Commissioner of Agriculture
OP THE
STATE OF GEORGIA
FOR THE
YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31, 1904
O. B. STEVENS, Commissioner R. F. WRIGHT, Assistant
ATLANTA, GA. The Franklin Printing and Publishing Co.
Geo. W. Harrison, Manager
*905

REPORT
OP THIS
Commissioner of Agriculture
OP THE
STATE OF GEORGIA
FOR THE
YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31, 1904
O. B. STEVENS, Commissioner R. F. WRIGHT, Assistant
ATLANTA, GA. The Franklin Printing and Publishing Co.
Geo. W. Harrison, Manager iqos

REPORT
To His Excellency, J. M. Terrell, Governor: In compliance with the law I beg leave to submit the follow
ing report of the transactions of the Department of Agricul ture from January 1, 1904, to January 1, 1905.
CLERICAL FORCE.
The clerical force consists of the following named persons: R. F. Wright, Assistant Commissioner and General Corre spondent; J. F. Johnson, Commissioner's Clerk; J. T. Derry, Shipping and Mailing Clerk; E.F. Williams, Stenographer.
Under the provisions of an Act approved December 20,1899, which provides for the establishment of quarantine lines for the protectoin of cattle in those sections not affected or par tially affected with contagious diseases, I have co-operated since the year of 1900 with the United States Government and with the authoi'ities of the States of Tennessee and North Car olina, having agreed upon the line so far as it affected the State of Georgia.
Under the provisions of the Act just referred to, the sum of $500.00 was set aside from the fees arising from the inspection of fertilizers for the payment of four cattle inspectors in the counties of Rabun, Union, Fannin and Towns. I, therefore, appointed and commissioned the following inspectors, for five months each, for said counties at $25.00 per month:
M. C. Canup, Rabun County. J. W. Foster, Towns County. John B. Medaris, Union County. E. W. Shelton, Fannin County. In connection with this wmrk we issued a number of bul letins, outlining the laws governing the quarantine regulations of this State as a guide not only for the inspector but also for

4
the people generally. The work of these inspectors has been as faithfully and effectively performed as could be expected under the circumstances. For more effective work the State is greatly in need of a veterinary surgeon.
We have been aided in our quarantine work by the United States Department of Agriculture at Washington.
PUBLICATIONS.
The Department has sent out through the weekly press -- monthly, with a few exceptions--six columns of printed mat ter, which has been published in about 185 county papers.
We have by strict economy during the past four years saved $4,000.00* from our annual appropriation of $10,000.00, and turned same into the State Treasury known as the State Fund, although during that time we have published and distributed 10,000 copies of the largest and most comprehensive work on Georgia ever issued from the State Department of Agriculture.
We have issued and distributed about 28,000 copies of the Commercial Fertilizer Bulletin, No. 41, of the season of 1903 and 1904.. This bulletin was in the main prepared by our efficient State Chemist, John M. McCandless. Within its two hundred pages are found the tables of analyses of commercial fertilizers sold in the State of Georgia during the season of 1903 and 1904.
The number of brands on the market for this season is 1241 as against 895 for the previous year. There are also found in this bulletin analyses of food stuffs, such as coftees, butter, canned corn, milk, flour, whiskies, cattle and stock feed, etc. The chemist also spent much time and careful labor upon the technical analysis of spirits of turpentine, with a new method for the detection of petroleum adulterations and of wood spirits of turpentine; also, in the preparation of a number of practical letters on agricultural chemistry and fertilizer formulas for all kinds of crops,,
There will be found also an excellent article on the cotton boll weevil by Professor Wilmon Newell, former State Ento-

5
Biologist, and an instructive discussion of " Common Insects Affecting the Apple," by Professor R. I. Smith, who succeeded Professor bfewell upon the latter's resignation to enter upon a new field of work.
The Department has also issued more than 4,000 copies of " Georgia's Resources and Advantages," some of which are still on hand and are now being distributed. This work is hand somely illustrated by maps and pictures, and gives much valu able information for home-seekers.
This Department has also sent out a bulletin prepared by Dr. W. C. Bryant, State Oil Inspector, containing the laws regulating the sale of illuminating oils and other matters of information to inspectors, oil dealers and the general public; also a bulletin on "The Selection and Preparation of Seedcorn," by Professor Charles W. Davis, of the North Georgia Agricultural College at Dahlonega.
We have also issued special Circular No. 14, being one of the most complete crop reports ever sent out by us.
FERTILIZER FUND.
The following is a statement of the receipts and disburse ments from January 1,1904, to December 31, 1904, both inclu sive :
DR.
To balance on hand January 1, 1904_,,$ 4,378 42 To amount received from sale of tags_ 87,799 55--$92,177 97
OR.
By Inspector's salary and expenses__ $21,884 64 By .amount paid for tags___________ 3,876 09 By office expenses, including bottles,
wax, stationery etc______________ 605 67 By amount paid State Treasurer___ $65,811 57--$92,177 97
O. B. Stevens, Commissioner.

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REPORT OF STATE OIL INSPECTOR.
State of Georgia, Department of Agriculturb. Atlanta, Ga., Jan. 10, 1905.
DEPARTMENT OF OILS.
Hon. 0. B. Stevent, Commissioner of Agriculture, Atlanta, Ga. Dear Sir :--I herewith submit to you a report of the busi
ness done by this department for the year ending December 31, 1904. I am glad to be able to report that complaints as to the illuminating quality of the oil sold in this State are now very rare, only one or two having been filed in this office dur ing the entire year.
On November 1, 1904, I issued an Oil Bulletin, in which all the laws relating to the sale and inspection of illuminating oils sold in this State is incorporated, together with instructions to local inspectors and other matter. This bulletin has been well received by the public generally, as well as by the local inspec tors. At this point, I desire to say that the report for the month of December is not complete, owing to the failure of some of the local inspectors to make out their monthly reports as promptly as they should.
To ascertain the amount of business done during this month I was, therefore, compelled to compile the report from the duplicate invoices furnished by the different oil companies doing business in the State. On account of this a report from the Treasurer's office would not show the amount of money re ceived by the State arising from the inspection fees for the month of December, but would be credited to the mouth of January, 1905.
Number of gallons oil inspected from Jan. 1st to December 31, 1904 _________ 6,651,174
Total fees____________________________________ $34,449.39 Fees paid Inspectors__________________________ $23,814.79 Fees paid the State____________________________ $10,593.28
Respectfully submitted, W. C. Bryant,
State Oil Inspector.

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REPORT OF STATE CHEMIST.
State of Georgia, Department op Agriculture.
Atlanta, Ga., Jan. 12, 1905.
Hon. 0. B. Stevens, Commissioner of Agriculture, Atlanta, Ga.
Dear Sir :--Reviewing the work of the Chemical Division for the past year, I have to remark that it has been the busiest year in the history of the department, over 700,000 tons of fer tilizers having been inspected and admitted for sale in the State. This unprecedented sale has, of course, necessitated a greater number of chemical analyses than ever before, some fifteen hundred separate analyses being made, exclusive of the duplications. In addition, we have been called upon by the Inspector of Naval Stores to decide upon several samples of turpentine suspected of adulteration. In addition; we have found time to investigate many of the food products offered for sale in the State, the results of these analyses showing the urgent necessity for the passage and enforcement of a general pure food law in the State of Georgia. For copious details of the work accomplished by this division during the past year, I beg to call your attention to the Bulletin for the year.
I have, as usual, expended in the maintenance of the Lab oratory the whole of the sum appropriated for that purpose-- 11000.00.
Respectfully submitted, John M. McCandless, State Chemist.

8
REPORT OP THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST OF
GEORGIA FOR 1904.
lo the Hon. 0. B. Stevens, Chairman of Georgia State Board of Entomology;
I beg to submit herewith, as State Entomologist aud Secre tary of the Board, a report upon the work of the State Depart ment of Entomology for the period between January 1, 1904, and December 31, 1904.
The year has been marked by a growth of the Department exceeding that of any year during its existence. The lines of work taken up by the entomological force have covered inves tigations of the diseases and insects attacking cotton, cereals and general farm crops, as well as those vitally aflecting the fruit industry of the State. There has been a general awaken ing of the farmers to the importance of studying and control ling the insects and diseases which yearly levy a heavy tribute upon the agricultural wealth of the State. As a result of this interest in the importance of entomological work, the corre spondence of this Department has been greatly increased.
Mr. R. I. Smith has held the position of Assistant Entomol ogist during the entire year, and has devoted all of his time and the closest of attention to his work.
From August 1st to December 1st, G. R. Casey was em ployed as Deputy Inspector in the orchards and nurseries of North Georgia. In this work Mr. Casey has rendered most valuable service.
At the meeting of the Board held November 30th, Mr. A. C. Lewis, of College Station, Texas, was elected as an addi tional assistant, and enters upon his work January 1, 1905.
The last Legislature very wisely enacted suitable quarantine laws looking to the prevention of accidental introduction of the cotton boll weevil into the State. The Legislature also appropriated, as an emergency appropriation, the sum of Two Thousand Dollars to be used by the Department of Entomol ogy between August 15th and December 31, 1904. Had not

9
this appropriation been made, the Department wonld have failed utterly to accomplish the work before it, and would have been forced to suspend all work long before the end of the fis cal year. An idea of how difficult it has been to properly con duct the work, even with this additional appropriation, may be had by consulting the table of expenditures given below, a oalance of but ten cents remaining to our credit upon Decem ber 31st.
For the years 1905 and 1903 the Legislature has appropri ated $10,000 per annum. This will enable the Department to somewhat enlarge its field of usefulness, but is far from being sufficient to meet the demands of our farmers for information upon combatting insects and diseases, a line of work which is practically new to them, which means hundreds of thousands of dollars to the agricultural interests of the State each year, and which is becoming each season of more and more impor tance.
Among the most injurious insects of the past year may be mentioned the San Jose scale, Woolly Aphis, Peach Curculio, Codlin Moth, Pecan Web-worm, Cotton Caterpillar, Cotton Boll worm, Cowpea Pod Weevil, Hessian Fly, Harlequin Cab bage Bug and the "Lincoln Bug."
FINANCES.
Expenditure of the regular appropriation of $5,000 for the year 1901. To Unexpended Balance 1903 Appropria
tion __________________ _______ $ 72.50 To Appropriation, 1904 ______________ 5000.00
$5072.50 By Salaries as follows : Salary of State Entomologist, January 1st,
to September 1st, at $1,500 per annum $1,000.00 Salary of Asst. Entomologist, January 1st,
to December 31st, at $1,000 per annum 1,000.00 Salary of Stenographer, January 1st to De
cember 31st______________________ 420.00
$2420.00

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By Expenses as follows :

Traveling Expenses of Entomologist_____ $300.07

Traveling Expenses of Asst. Entomologist, 359.33

Traveling Expenses of Deputy Inspector __ 102.61

"Wages paid Deputy Inspector, 94 days at

$3.00 per day_____________________ 282.00

Postage______________________________ 169.94 Telegrams____________________________ 14.04

Printing and Engraving, ________________ 487.45

Office Supplies and Expenses___________ 182.18 Laboratory Equipment and Expenses____ 137.49

Field Work aud Experiments____________ 155.98 Books, Subscriptions and Additions to Li

brary _____________________________ 150.80

Express and Freight___________________ 52.60

Expenses of Board Meetings_________

66.91

One Certified Copy of Crop Pest Law, Paid

to Secretary of State_______________ 4.00 One "Monthly Talk" paid for Department

of Agriculture____________________ 187.00

Balance unexpended December 31, 1904 __

$5,072.40 .10
$5072.50

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EXPENDITURE OF THE SPECIAL APPROPRIATION OF $2,000 DURING THE PERIOD FROM AUGUST 15th TO DECEMBER 31st, 1904.

To appropriation_____________________ Dy salary of State Entomologist, Septem
ber 1st to December 31st, at $1,500__$500 00

By Expenses as follows :

Traveling expenses of Entomologist_____ 54 84

Traveling expenses of Asst. EntomolgisU 110 86

Clerical assistance in office, mailing bulle

tin and circulars__________________ 48 21

Printing and engraving________________ 412 46

Postage___ __________________________ 287 77

Office expenses and equipment_________ 222 02

Telegrams___________________________ 4 66

Library_____________________________ 59 45

Laboratory expenses and equipment____ 267 37

Express and freight_______________

14 51

Field experiments____________________ 17 85

$2,000 00

$2,000 00

NURSERY INSPECTION.

Since August 1st 210 nurseries have been inspected and

certificates have been issued to 178 of them. From the owner

of each nursery the inspector secured a statement of the num

ber of trees of difterent kinds grown, and in all cases where

the nurseryman's estimate was manifestly too high it was cut down by the inspector to what appeared a fair estimate. By

compiling the figures thus obtained, we find that the 178 nur

series contained a total of 12,808,500 trees as follows:

One and two-yearold peach_________ 3,186,800

June-budded peach_______________ 5,494,000

Apple___________________________ 1,426,100

Pear_________________________

141,300

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Plum____________________________ 80,600 Cherry__________________________ 45,000 Pecans (of these over 1,000,000 are
seedlings)____________________ 1,466,700 Grapes ___________________________ 145,000 Mulberries_______________________ 308,000 Carolina Poplars__________________ 12,500 Poses___________________________ 83,000 Miscellaneous____________________ 424,500
Total_______________________ 12,808,500 This shows an increase over 1903, of 1,291,500.
Eighty-seven nurseries located outside of Georgia have com plied with the Georgia law in order that they might ship nur sery stock into the State.
From the best information which we are able to obtain it appears probable that upwards of 3,000,000 peach trees are being planted in the Georgia orchards this winter.
ORCHARD INSPECTION.
During the year 163 orchards, containing approximately 492,440 trees, have been thoroughly inspected. In fifty-eight of these orchards, containing 149,560 trees, San Jose scale was found and the owners advised as to proper remedial treatment. No orchards have been condemned. In addition to the above orchards thoroughly inspected, sixteen others were visited for the purpose of giving instructions as to treatment or for inves tigation of some serious or unusual trouble. Orchards of this class contain approximately 150,000 trees.
During the year infestations by San Jose scale, previously unknown to this Department, have been discovered in the fol lowing counties: Washington, Haralson, Madison, Wilkinson, Fannin and Glynn.
EXPERIMENTS.
Experiments during 1904 were made against the San Jose

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scale, Brown Rot of peaches, Peach Leaf Curl, Hessian Fly, Pecan Scab, Black Root of cotton, and some other minor ex periments.
BOLL WEEVIL QUARANTINE.
Immediately after the passage by the last Legislature, of the `boll weevil quarantine law" this Department began a thor ough investigation of the many reported occurrences of the boll weevil in Georgia. Many of these reports, with the pub licity given them by the daily press, had attained serious pro portions and in one case at least a report of this kind even in fluenced by a few points, the price of cotton. As rapidly as possible these cases were investigated by correspondence, by securing specimens of the insects supposed to be boll weevils, and by personal visits to the cotton fields. In all cases the injury was found due to some other insect or some fungus dis ease. In the case of a few localities where circumstances indicated a possibility of the weevil being present, a very thor ough inspection of cotton fields was made.
At Farmers' Institutes and other meetings of cotton planters, illustrated talks were given upon this insect and its habits, in order that the farmers might be enabled to keep an intelligent look-out for it. In September Bulletin No. 12, giving a full description of this insect and illustrated with photographs, was printed in an edition of 18,000 and distributed to Georgia planters so far as our funds would permit. About three thou sand copies of this bulletin could not be sent out because we could not spare the money for postage on them, and these will be mailed during January.
After considerable work, we have secured a record of a num ber of shipments from Texas during 1903 and the fore part of 1904, which were of such a nature that boll weevils might have been brought with them. During the coming summer, the cotton fields in sections to which these shipments were made, will be carefully inspected.

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PUBLICATIONS.

During 1904 the following bulletins have been published in

editions as indicated :

Bulletin No. 9--"The Cotton Caterpillar," January, 4,000

copies. Bulletin No. 10--"The Crop Pest Baw of Georgia," April,,

2,000 copies.

Bulletin No. 11--"Fumigation of Nursery Stock," June,,

1,500 copies.

Bulletin No. 12--"The Mexican Cotton Boll Weevil," Sep

tember, 18,000 copies.

Bulletin No. 18--"Some Common Insects Injurious to the

Apple," October, 7,000 copies.

Bulletin No. 14--"Experiments with the San Jose Scale

During 1904,'' November, 6,000 copies.

While we have thus far been able to supply all applicants

with copies of these bulletins, still as several requests for them

are received daily, all of the editions are likely to be exhausted

within a short time.

NEEDS.

The most conservative estimate shows that the farmers and

fruit-growers of Georgia are annually losing not less than

$8,000,000 by the ravages of insects and plant diseases. In an

attempt to prevent this loss, the State is at present appropria

ting $10,000, which is manifestly a mere pittance when the

importance of the work is taken into consideration. While all

of this enormous loss could not be prevented, still a very large

part of it could be prevented by educating our farmers and

fruit-growers to a knowledge of these'pests and diseases, and

to an understanding of how to properly manage their cropa

and cultural methods so as to reduce these enemies. The gen

eral public is beginning to understand the importance of ento

mological work and knowledge, and is demanding information

upon these subjects from the Board of Entomology. If these

requests are to be properly complied with, a larger appropri

ation must be had.

Wilmon Newell,
State Entomologist.

15 REPORT OF SUPERINTENDENT OF FISHERIES,

Hon. 0. B. Stevens, Commissioner of Agriculture :

I have the honor to herewith make a report, as Superintend ent of Fisheries for the State of Georgia, covering the work

and the existing conditions of this branch of your department for the year ending December 31st, 1904.

I take great pleasure in recording the fact that the people,

as a rule, throughout our State endorse all restrictive legisla tion of the past in regard to the protection of fish. There have been more applications for copies of the Georgia fish laws and other information during the past year than in any like

period of time heretofore. The act of 1904 changing the clos

ing time of taking fish by certain methods, making the closed

season now from March 15th to July 1st of each jear, has proven satisfactory. The change is helpful in the rearing of

fish in the streams of our State, and is pleasing and profitable to our citizens.

There are one hundred and ten wardens distributed through out the State who are commissioned for work and who report to this department. In selecting the wardens I generally have

the recommendations and indorsements of the grand juries of

the several counties, therefore get good, acceptable men, who work more from patriotic motives than the pay they get. These wardens have been exceedingly helpful in promulgating and explaining the fish laws to our citizens and making the de partment useful. There have been no complaints nor friction

in this branch of your department since my last report. The expense account of this department from January 1st,

1904, to January 1st, 1905, an itemized statement of which has

been rendered to the Department of Agriculture, is one hun

dred and thirty-one dollars and eighty-eight cents ($131.88).

Respectfully submitted,

A. T. Dallis,

Superintendent of Fisheries, State of Georgia^