P.D. 123. .13 



tern, and intensive farming methods, brought to their attention. Taking ad- 

 vantage of this period of depression and the consequent unrest among western 

 farmei's, we have advertised our lands in the papers of the middle-west with 

 the result that encouraging inquiries are pouring in relative to conditions here. 

 A movement of even a small per cent of such farmers would be of lasting benefit 

 to agriculture in Massachusetts. 



Massachusetts State Institution Farms. 



The cooperative work with State and to some extent County institution farms 

 begun in 1922 has been continued. The relations A\'ith the farms connected 

 with the State Department of Correction, Public Health and Public Welfare 

 are very close. Their annual farm reports have been analyzed in a manner 

 designed to bring out the management with the view to improvement. The 

 farms have been frequently visited. The institution fai'm herd book for the 

 entry of all dairy animals in the herds in the Departments of Correction, Pub- 

 lic Health and Public Welfare is completed to date. Each animal has had a 

 number assigned, an ear tag with this number has been inserted, and daily 

 milk records are kept. As fast as animals are added to the herds by birth or 

 purchase they are added to the herd book. 



To make these records more complete and for the development of large and 

 high producing animals and the assurance of building up clean and profitable 

 herds, we again urge the recommendations made late in the last session of the 

 General Court for an appropriation for this Department enabling us to add 

 to the cattle club record additional functions combining the best features of 

 cow testing associations with the so-called advanced registry features of the 

 cattle clubs. 



This would mean among other things a monthly visit of two days to each 

 institution for the observation of the herd management, the monthly report- 

 ing and handling of these records at the State House and an oversight of 

 the efiSciency of the dairy management at each of the institutions such as is 

 not now possible. This is information which at present no herdsman, superin- 

 tendent or commissioner has and which is essential if good breeding and herd 

 development is to be attained. 



REPORT OF THE DIVISION OF MARKETS. 



The demand made upon the Division of Markets continues to be in excess 

 of its facilities to meet them. It is urgently in need of a specialist in stand- 

 ardization in order that standard grades and standard packages for agricul- 

 tural products may be studied and proposed to the growers of the State. Upon 

 standard grades depends the elimination of a great many of the things that 

 are now contributing to unnecessary and additional costs of our farm produce 

 to the consumer and reduces the returns to the grower. 



The necessity of continuous investigations of the cost and practices of 

 distributing farm products through the markets from the time they leave the 

 farm is continually emphasized by the inquiries and criticisms of our system. 

 In order to answer these inquiries and be in a position to present data upon 

 which constructive changes may be based, a permanent specialist in costs and 

 market practices should be added to our staff. 



A report on the details of the Division's activities follows in a very brief 

 statement 



Wholesale Market News. 



The longest leased wire in the world is helping the American Farmer strongly 

 to maintain his title as " the best informed farmer on earth." Besides special 

 reports sent out from Washington on this wire, market news reporters, as 

 trained experts, daily gather data on market conditions of farm products in 

 the large market centers. 



The newspapers, commercial clubs, farm organizations, and many other in- 



