20 P.D. 123 



Broadening the Adaptation of the Reclamation Law 

 During this year it has been several times proposed that the law be 

 added to provide for the combination of towns and department to utilize 

 the law for drainage purposes and for handling mosquito eradication. No 

 practical legal machinery exists for these purposes and source of improve- 

 ment of streams and wet lands is already the function of the Reclamation 

 Board, it seems to add the necessary machinery to the reclamation law 

 and avoid the conflict that would otherwise arise if the authority for the 

 drainage and such work was divided. Legislation is, therefore, asked for 

 to provide for these needs. Other minor adjustments in the existing law 

 are also proposed to expedite its operation. 



Educational Hearings Valuable 



Pursuant to the provisions of the Farm Products Grading Law, official 

 hearings were held in Boston, Worcester and Springfield during the first 

 part of 1928 in order to obtain information on the grade requirements of 

 certain farm products. These hearings were largely attended and in con- 

 sequence of the valuable information obtained official grades on eggs, 

 asparagus, beets, carrots and strawberries were promulgated by the Com- 

 missioner. 



The number of prosecutions during the year was small. It would ap- 

 pear that the policy of educational hearings was taking care of first vio- 

 lations and only those persons unwilling to accept the instruction, advice 

 and suggestion of the Department were second offenders against our agri- 

 cultural laws. Only three cases of violations of the Apple Grading Law 

 were prosecuted in the Municipal Court of Boston and the case of one 

 second offender of the Corn Borer Law was brought to the attention of 

 the Court. 



Soil Survey Nearly Completed 



The soil survey of Massachusetts will be completed by the end of the 

 year. Franklin County is the only area yet to be surveyed and a re-check 

 in parts of Plymouth County. During the past year the County of Hamp- 

 shire has been surveyed, samples of soil taken and classified and data se- 

 cured for mapping the same. 



The Bureau of Soils of the United States Department of Agriculture 

 has cooperated in making the surveys, preparing the data, maps and de- 

 scriptive bulletins, and the information contained therein. This infor- 

 mation not only classifies the soils of the county, but gives a comprehen- 

 sive description of the area, its climatic conditions, physiographic fea- 

 tures, elevations, drainage, population, transportation facilities, agricul- 

 tural and manufacturing industries and like matters of information. 



Reports on Worcester, Norfolk, Bristol and Barnstable Counties are 

 now available for distribution from the Massachusetts Department of 

 Agriculture, and Middlesex, Essex, Berkshire and Nantucket should be 

 available early in 1929. The report of Plymouth County may be procured 

 fi-om the Division of Publications, Washington, D. C. The soil survey 

 work as conducted in Massachusetts has been a good illustration of the 

 effectiveness of State and Federal cooperation along agricultural lines. 



The Agricultural Outlook for 1929 

 With improved tendencies toward marketing facilities, standardizing 

 of products, grading, labelling and concerted effort toward quality the 

 agricultural outlook for Massachusetts farms as a whole should be most 

 encouraging for the year 1929. The demand for fresh fruits and vege- 

 tables and high grade eggs is increasing rapidly. The per capita con- 

 sumption of fluid milk continues to increase. The purchasing power of 

 consumers should continue at a high level. The fact that the Massachu- 

 setts farmer is near his market and that natural conditions are well suited 



