P.D. 123 15 



made it necessary to confine the inspection work to leading city markets and 

 one important carlot shippinia: center. Representatives of fruit growers* 

 organizations have called attention to the need of a more extensive inspection 

 service. If this is undertaken, an increase in the appropriation for this work 

 will be necessary. 



Market Tours 



Evidence of the increasing interest in marketing methods is shown by the 

 frequency with which the Division is asked to conduct parties on tours of 

 the wholesale market districts. Many of these groups are composed of men 

 engaged in some specialized branch of farming, who wish to see at first hand 

 how their products look when in the market and to learn how they can 

 better adapt their processes of preparation of their product for market to 

 best fit the demands of the trade. Other frequent visitors to the market 

 district under the guidance of representatives of the Division are students 

 from agricultural colleges, high schools, etc., which augurs well for a pleasant 

 mutual relationship between our future farmers and the men who will sell 

 their products. 



Statistical Information 



"Receipts and Sources of Boston Food Supply," an annual publication 

 of the Division, was issued as usual, covering statistical and other news 

 material of the calendar year 1928. This publication is used freely by 

 producers and dealers of the various commodities included, and by agricul- 

 tural and economics teachers, and research workers. 



In addition to the regular services enumerated above, much of the work 

 of this Division is of a more general nature. This requires the maintenance 

 of rather extensive files of market news items and other information of basic 

 value in answering requests for information regarding marketing of farm 

 products. Such requests include questions pertaining to special require- 

 ments of various markets as to methods of packaging and packing, prefer- 

 ence for certain types or varieties, possibilities of competition and other 

 related matters. 



The Division also is continuing its co-operative activities carried on in 

 conjunction with official and private organizations. Examples of this sort 

 of work during the past year have been co-operation in the preparation of 

 the New England Agricultural Outlook Report and the Massachusetts 

 Apple Outlook Report. 



REPORT OF THE DIVISION OF ORNITHOLOGY 



The work of the Division may be divided into the collection and dissem- 

 ination of information about birds, by means of correspondence, personal 

 investigations, interviews, lectures, and publications. The Division is also 

 influential in acquiring and maintaining sanctuaries for birds, and in shaping 

 legislation for the protection of our valuable and interesting species. 



Third Volume of "Birds of Massachusetts" Completed 

 During the past year a very large proportion of the time of the staff was 

 devoted to completing the third volume of the "Birds of Massachusetts." 

 The untimely death of Edward Howe Forbush, author of this valuable book, 

 less than a year after his official retirement as Director of the Division, 

 placed unexpected burdens on the present staff in completing his unfinished 

 manuscript, preparing it for publication and seeing it through the publisher's 

 hands. The original date of publication had been set for December first. 

 By concentrating our energies on the book, the final proof was all corrected 

 and delivered to the printer in November, and the third volume was actu- 

 ally delivered to the office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth on Decem- 

 ber 18, 1929, only two and a half weeks later than the date set by Mr. 

 Forbush, two years earlier. 



While the third volume of the "Birds of Massachusetts" was being pre- 

 pared for publication, a second printing of Volume II and a third printing 

 of Volume I were also prepared, so that the three volumes have now been 



