P.D. 123 5 



resentatives from the Department of Agriculture, who acted in an advisory way. 

 It was decided that the compulsory features of the Massachusetts Apple Grading 

 Law were not in keeping with a marketing policy that would permit each individual 

 grower to use his best business judgment in the grading, packing and sale of his 

 apple crop. A more voluntary type of law was suggested with provisions that the 

 Commissioner of Agriculture be authorized to establish grades and that certain 

 grades identical with United States grades for apples be adopted by the Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture. The fruit growers were unanimous in their opinion that the 

 provision in the law providing for a penalty for overfacing packages of apples 

 should be retained. It was agreed, however, that the grower shoidd decide for 

 himself as to the necessity of marking the grade upon a closed package of apples. 

 In any event, each closed package of apples should have the name and address 

 of the person by whose authority it was packed, the variety and the minimum size 

 of the apples contained in the package. 



This Department has always advocated a policy of grading and packing quality 

 farm products and bringing to the attention of the consumer through brands, 

 labels or otherwise, the quality characteristics of the product. This policy applies 

 to apples, and we anticipate under a voluntary law that those growers who pack 

 the highest grade of apples will be rewarded and that the lesson derived from their 

 marketing policies will eventually influence the greater proportion of our apple 

 producers. 



Our farm products grading law has been in operation for practically three years, 

 and its success can be somewhat measured by the use of greater than a million 

 labels identifying quality farm products used by our Massachusetts farmers. We 

 are now planning to extend the scope of our program for marketing farm products 

 under the New England label and for the proper protection of all persons operating 

 under this law we are recommending a slight change. The provisons of the present 

 law make it unlawful to use the brand or label unless the farm product conforms 

 to the grade or standard established by the commissioner. The present law, 

 however, does not make it unlawful to use an official grade designation when the 

 label is not used. This Department is therefore recommending to the legislature 

 that the present law be amended, that it shall be unlawful to use an official grade 

 designation without using the label designed by the Commissioner of Agriculture 

 and further providing a penalty for using the label if the farm products do not 

 conform strictly to the grade requirements. This amendment will be of special 

 interest to the consumer who can rely upon the grade designation and the label 

 as designating a quality product. 



Recipients of Awards for Agricultural Achievement 

 Since 1924 the Department has honored each year five or six persons within 

 the Commonwealth who have made some outstanding contribution in Agriculture 

 and Rural Life. For this year the following were selected by the Board of Awards, 

 and honors will be presented at the Union Agricultural Banquet in Worcester on 

 January 8, 1931: 



Miss Edna Cutter, Community Service, Dracut. 

 Peter I. Adams, Public Service, Stockbridge. 

 Frank P. Knowles, Farm Practice, Auburn. 

 Thomas Royal Demers, Poultry, Rehoboth. 

 Rayla Edelstein, Club Work, Saxonville. 

 Joseph Sena, Club Work, Easthampton. 



REPORT OF THE DIVISION OF DAIRYING AND ANIMAL HUSBANDRY 



Increased activity in all lines of work in this division will be evident from the 

 following report. It is particularly gratifying to state that the division has had 

 the hearty co-operation of all dealers and producers with whom they have come 

 in contact, as well as from organized groups and allied organizations. Much prog- 

 ress has been made, and due to a better understanding and fuller knowledge of the 

 basic principles involved, the division is confident of still greater progress the 

 coming year. 



