1890.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT— No. 4. ix 



In addition, the Lowell Co-operative Milk Association 

 made 49,674 pounds of butter; average price received per 

 pound, 29 cents ; number of cans of milk received, 210,000. 

 Also the Springfield Co-operative Milk Association made 

 about 83,950 pounds of butter; average wholesale price 

 received per pound, 27 cents ; average retail price, 32 cents ; 

 number, of quarts of milk received, 2,263,750. Average 

 price per quart realized by patrons was three cents. 



The farmers' institutes, which the rules of the Board 

 require each agricultural society to hold, have been usually 

 well attended. Members of the Board have labored assidu- 

 ously to make these institutes a success. It is believed 

 that much has been accomplished in spreading valuable 

 information among the farmers. Not less than one hundred 

 and twenty have been held. At least one lecture has been 

 furnished by a member of the Board or by an expert not a 

 member, at each institute. The funds necessary to meet 

 the expenses of these lectures have been furnished from an 

 appropriation by the Legislature for the dissemination of 

 useful information in agriculture. Chapter 20, section 10, 

 of the Public Statutes, empowers the Secretary of the 

 Board of Agriculture to appoint agents to visit the towns of 

 the State, to gain information, encourage the formation 

 of farmers' clubs, and to disseminate information by means 

 of lectures or otherwise. The Legislature of 1888 was 

 asked for an appropriation to carry out the intent of this 

 section. The sum of one thousand dollars was appropriated 

 for this purpose, and in 1889 twelve hundred dollars was in 

 like manner placed at the disposal of the Secretary. In 

 addition to the sum paid for lectures, the printing of a 

 special bulletin, giving information of the habits and 

 characteristics of the gypsy moth, a new and dangerous 

 enemy to agriculture and horticulture, was paid for from 

 this fund, and distributed throughout the State by the Hatch 

 Experiment Station. The expense of the crop report issued 

 monthly during the summer and fall of the last two seasons 

 was also paid from this fund. The usefulness of this 

 publication in a State situated like Massachusetts cannot be 

 as great as a report that would take in the whole country, 

 because much of the supply of Massachusetts markets comes 



