P.D. 123 7 



Twenty-five meetings were addressed on various phases of the sheep 

 business. Assistance in the saLe or purchase of five hundred sheep has 

 been given during the year. 



The wool growers have pooled nearly 17,000 pounds this year. The 

 high price of wool during the spring months induced some to sell their 

 wool direct. The sale of blankets has been active, showing a growing de- 

 mand for Massachusetts Virgin Wool Blankets. 



DIVISION OF MARKETS 



Grades Adopted for Farm Products 



To meet the increasing competition of shipped in products and to facili- 

 tate the movement of local farm produce, the Department of Agriculture 

 has established grades and standards. This includes grades on eggs, as- 

 paragus and on bunched vegetables such as beets, carrots, turnips, celery 

 and radishes. United States grades were used as a basis and additional 

 information secured regarding local market demands to be sure that the 

 State grades would be applicable. 



Meetings were held with local farmers and dealers and tentative grades 

 discussed v/ith them. Later there were public hearings in Boston, Worces- 

 ter and Springfield, where minor suggestions were made for the improve- 

 ment of the grades. 



What the market demands as to quality, size of package, color or prod- 

 uct and actual grading practice was one of the fundamental considera- 

 tions involved in making up the grades. To answer some of these ques- 

 tions the demands for asparagus were analyzed on the Boston, Worcester 

 and Springfield markets. It was found that the Boston buyers paid the 

 most for a long green stalk and they preferred large even-packed tight 

 bunches. The Worcester and Springfield buyers varied somewhat in de- 

 mands, but the grades were based definitely on a certain minimum num- 

 ber of stalks to the bunch, with a certain length of green color. This 

 definite information on asparagus was sent to farmers all over the State 

 and had a marked effect on the adoption of the grades on this crop. Two 

 associations of asparagus growers, one on Cape Cod and the other in 

 Middlesex County, used this grade in 1928. Inspection by this Depart- 

 ment kept the pack up to rigid standards. $50,000 worth of asparagus 

 was graded and labeled under these new regulations. 



Many times the question is asked whether grading pays, and at the re- 

 quest of the above associations, the Department assembled figures on re- 

 turns from the asparagus sections of the State. These prices included 

 men who graded to three grades — to two grades, and men who packed 

 field run. Results showed that the men packing to three grades averaged 

 $5.71 per three dozen bunches, to two grades, $5.07, and Field Run $3.98. 

 The latter figure is the average quotation taken from the Farmers' Pro- 

 duce Market Report, whereas the others are prices taken from return 

 slips of producers. Since only three returns were made by men who 

 packed Field Run, and that the average for three could not be considered 

 representative, the market report was used. The merits of grading are 

 evident in these results. 



The increase in popularity of Mcintosh apples led the Department to 

 see if they could find out the value of color, size, kind of package and in- 

 fluence of disease and insect injury on the prices received by growers. 

 The results of this project have been printed in bulletin form and dis- 

 tributed to fruit growers within the State. A similar study has been 

 made on easy blanching celery and another is now being analyzed on Pas- 

 cal or late celery. 



Promotion work to promote further use of the grades has been carried 

 on by means of newspapers, marketing agencies, extension services, ex- 

 hibits at fairs, and market reports, both in the printed and radio broad- 

 cast report. 



Up to date very little interest has been shown in grades for straw- 



