P.D. 123. 9 



the effectiveness in keeping sheep free of parasites and the flock as a whole 

 in thrifty condition. The managers and cooperating flock masters report very 

 beneficial results from this product. Several flocks which were badly run down 

 have been brought back into good condition through the use of this medicated 

 salt. 



The demonstration sheep farm managers have also encouraged the raising 

 of more early spring lambs. The lambs have been shipped to several markets 

 rather than concentrating all shipments to one market, thus supplying a wider 

 market demand, lengthening the marketing period to several weeks and main- 

 taining a satisfactory price. 



This year the growers again pooled small lots of grease wool at several of 

 the demonstration sheep farms. The total of 21,500 pounds of wool pooled 

 sold at prices ranging from 481/2 to 52 cents as compared with bids of 40 and 

 42 cents by country buyers. Thus the growers, through the service and in- 

 formation from the demonstration sheep farms, received 10 cents per pound 

 of grease wool above the local quotations. 



Again at the request of many growers, an all-virgin-wool blanket plan was 

 undertaken. The demonstration farms served as concentrating points for the 

 grease wool which the growers wished to have made into blankets. Although 

 it Avas late in the year, a total of 8,907 pounds of grease wool was manufactured 

 into 891 blankets, which were offered to purchasers at $9.00 per single blanket. 

 The manufacturing cost was $2.90 per blanket. Thus the grower received net 

 61 cents per pound of grease wool, as compared with a maximum price of 42 

 cents offered by country buyers. 



Exhibits and Meetings. 



Fewer special exhibits were made this year than last year. Special exhibits 

 on the use of pure-bred sires and the extent of bovine tuberculosis eradication 

 work were put on at the Union Agricultural Meeting and at the Ayrshire 

 Dairy Cattle Show, both held in Boston. At the Boston Health Show this 

 Division assisted in putting on an exhibit showing the Relation of Animal 

 Health to Public Health. The exhibit at Hardwick showed the extent to which 

 Massachusetts ships pure-bred dairy animals to other states. 



During the year forty meetings were attended, at twenty-five of which mem- 

 bers of the Division gave agricultural addresses. At the Brockton Fair the 

 Division served with the Dairy Show Committee and assisted with the livestock 

 exhibits. 



Poultry Industry. 



The poultry industry of Massachusetts has never been in a more sound condi- 

 tion than at the present time. Although feed values gradually rose throughout 

 the past year, yet prices of eggs and poultry remained at a level high enough 

 to make poultry keeping fairly profitable. 



It will be remembered that the production of poultry and eggs in Massachu- 

 setts fell off very rapidly from 1916 to 1919, due to war-time conditions, but 

 the last four years have seen a steady increase and, although no definite 

 figures are at hand for confirmation, there are many close observers who believe 

 that the loss sustained during the former period has been fully restored. There 

 are many contributing causes to this phenomenal recovery. The development 

 and perfection of mammoth incubators and brooders gave the work a much 

 greater momentum than was possible for any previous period in the history of 

 our country. The educational work done in the state the past ten years by many 

 different agencies has been the means of establishing better and more efficient 

 practices. Again, high Avages resulting from the splendid industrial activity 

 have enabled consumers to pay fairly reasonable prices for poultry and eggs. 



A further contributing cause is the rapid strides that have been recently 

 made in poultry farm organization and management. The culling practice has 

 eliminated from thousands of fiocks the poor and non-producers, Avhich has re- 

 sulted not only in higher average yields but in the selection of better breeding 



