42 DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



Practically all these meetings were devoted to talks and 

 discussions about the Department's work. The Commissioner 

 and the Directors of the several divisions explained the powers 

 and duties of the Department, its new organization, and its 

 projected program. By invitation of the Department repre- 

 sentatives of the Agricultural College participated in all the 

 meetings. After the speaking the meetings were thrown open 

 for questions and discussions and in several places illustrated 

 talks were given by Mr. Forbush and others. 



Some of the meetings were not largely attended, partly be- 

 cause it was impossible to arrange them so as not to interfere 

 with the spring work necessary on some farms, and partly 

 because many of the farmers in the State felt rather discouraged 

 last spring and were not in a frame of mind to attend meet- 

 ings. Those who did come, however, were generally satisfied 

 with the speaking and discussions, and some of them made 

 valuable suggestions for the work of the Department. 



The meetings had a definite value in almost all the places 

 in which they were held, and resulted in action being taken 

 upon specific problems in some of these places, as, for example, 

 in Lowell, where they stimulated the establishment of a whole- 

 sale market for farmers, and at Worcester and Springfield, 

 where they brought about the establishment of a market-re- 

 porting service which was continued from early summer until 

 November. 



At Greenfield the meeting was conducted as a part of an 

 open meeting of the Greenfield Grange, and at Brewster the 

 meeting formed a part of the program of the monthly meeting 

 of the Cape Cod Pomona. 



Commissioxer's Travel. 



The Commissioner has attempted to do a good deal of 

 traveling inside the State during the past year so as to become 

 thoroughly acquainted with farming conditions and farmers 

 themselves. A few trips have been taken outside the State, 

 notably to Washington in connection with quarantine and 

 other departmental matters; a trip to Chicago to attend the 

 annual conference of commissioners of agriculture of the United 



