26 P.D. 123 



sought preliminary information. The new provision to the Reclamation 

 Law allowing the Board to assist projects without formation of a district 

 will make the completion of some of these projects practical. 



New Projects 

 No petitions for new projects have been presented to the Board during 

 the year but many inquiries have been received, and several petitions are 

 now pending. 



Conclusion 

 The Board believes that the results obtained so far have demonstrated 

 the practicability of reclaiming large areas of wet lands through simple 

 and inexpensive means. It is estimated that there are nearly 500,000 

 acres of wet lands in the Commonwealth. Most of this land is now worth- 

 less, much of it constitutes a danger to the health of the community. The 

 Reclamation Law enables the owners of this land to finance jointly and 

 convert it into sanitary wealth-producing territory. While the Board 

 may initiate such projects, yet in general the matter is in the hands of 

 the land owners. 



Respectfully submitted, 



STATE RECLAMATION BOARD, 



By Leslie R. Smith, Secretary. 



SOIL SURVEY. 



The project of making a soil survey of the Commonwealth is pro- 

 gressing. This year, 1926, the county of Hampden has been nearly fin- 

 ished, leaving Hampshire and Franklin the only counties not surveyed. 

 It is estimated that two or three years more will see this work finished 

 (depending on weather conditions). 



This work is done in co-operation with the Bureau of Soils of the 

 United States Department of Agriculture; the Federal Department fur- 

 nishing the soil specialist and the Massachusetts Department of Agricul- 

 ture furnishing an assistant and Ford car. The cost of the work in 1926 

 was $596.57. 



FAIRS. 



Agricultural prize money was allotted through ninety-three agricul- 

 tural and horticultural societies, grange and community fairs, boys' and 

 girls' exhibits and poultry shows. 



The Department co-operated with the Union Agricultural Meeting held 

 in the Armory, Worcester, January 5, 6 and 7, 1926, the Brockton Fair, 

 Brockton, October 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, 1926, and with a special dyna- 

 mometer contest held at the Agricultural College on October 30th. 



A special exhibit was held at the Massachusetts Building, Eastern 

 States Exposition, Springfield, September 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 and 25, 

 1926. 



A State stock judging team was sent to the National Dairy Show, 

 Detroit, Michigan, on October 9, 1926 and a special prize was awarded. 



The large fairs were inspected by a representative of the Department 

 and detailed reports were prepared and are on file. The community and 

 grange fairs are required to make a report and details of such are on 

 record in the Department files. 



In order to carry the successes of one fair to another, moving pictures 

 and colored slides are used at meetings of different agricultural societies 

 and other groups throughout the commonwealth. 



Department ribbons are offered to the smaller fairs and are more and 

 more in demand by the larger fairs. 



Medals 

 Gold medals for outstanding agricultural achievement or encourage- 

 ment are awarded each year. Silver and bronze medals are awarded for 



