P.D. 123 7 



dealers. He also assisted in the buying and selling of several thousand dollars' 

 worth of sheep by getting the interested parties together. 



Quite a large number of all wool blankets have been located and exchanged 

 for wool until the supply of such blankets has been practically exhausted. 

 For the past few months he has been trying to get a close estimate of the 

 amount of wool which the growers want to make into all wool blankets, and 

 arrangements are being made to have them manufactured. Talks on sheep 

 raising have been given at grange meetings. 



Garbage Feeding Survey. 



An extensive study of the garbage feeding problem was made during the 

 summer and fall. This work was done in cooperation with the State Depart- 

 ment of Public Health and a report was submitted to them. 



Brockton Fair. 



Members of the division assisted in supervising the cattle department of 

 the Brockton Fair. A larger number of cattle were shown than ever before — 

 about fifty per cent more than the preceding year. The quality of the cattle 

 was unusually good. Many individuals were later shown at the National 

 Dairy Show and were quite consistent winners. 



Beef Cattle Project. 



Mr. Camburn assisted in the organization of the Eastern Beef Producers' 

 Association and during the spring a beef cattle investigation was made in the 

 Connecticut Valley by Mr. S. R. Morrison to determine the possibilities of 

 feeding steers on tobacco farms. There was a very great interest in this 

 proposition but most of the men did not have feed sufficient to warrant 

 undertaking the feeding of steers. However, during the fall several hundred 

 steers were placed on feed in the valley and the results of this work will be 

 watched every closely 



REPORT OF THE DIVISION OF MARKETS 



The Division of Markets has endeavored to improve its services with the 

 result that each year has seen those farmers, wholesalers, consumers and all 

 who use them placing increased confidence in their dependability. 



The daily releases of our market reporters are a guide to many growers 

 and buyers in carrying on their business and the mimeographed reports 

 going out and reaching many consumers through the press and the mails 

 bring us favorable reactions as to their value in assisting the consumer to 

 take advantage of favorable opportunities to purchase products for the family 

 table. 



A very necessary step to be taken is to find some method by which the 

 quality products of Massachusetts farmers can be identified by the trade and 

 the consumer. Many of our growers produce the finest vegetables, fruit, 

 poultry and dairy products, but when these leave the farm and begin to pass 

 through the channels of trade they lose their identity as locally grown stuff 

 with the result that the consumer has little opportunity to tell whether he 

 is buying the high quality, unusually tender and most desirably flavored 

 Massachusetts grown product, or the ones that are grown to hold their good 

 appearance and ship best from long distances without very much attention 

 to tenderness and flavor. 



Massachusetts farms are near to market. This fact gives distinct advan- 

 tages to be capitalized by the owners in that the demand of the market can 

 be very closely watched. It is the man who uses this advantage to determine 

 what the markets want, when and how it prefers his crops, and then governs 

 his operations accordingly whcj is reaping the best results. 



The purchasing power of the large mass of consumers in this northeastern 

 section of the country is as good, if not better than any other locality. Indus- 



