xvi BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pul). Doc. 



poses indicated, and I bespeak of the Legislature its favor- 

 able consideration of the request. The Board has this year, 

 as always, endeavored to keep in close touch with the col- 

 lege, and to be of as much assistance as possible in bringing 

 its work to the attention of the people of the Connnonwealth 

 and supporting it in every way. The summer meeting on 

 June 16 brought many to visit it, and the results of the in- 

 spection and the lessons learned could not but be beneficial 

 to the college as well as to those present. 



The Gypsy and Brow^n-tail Moths. 

 The degree of infestation by these insects, and the serious 

 menace which they, more particularly the gypsy moth, afford 

 to the agriculture of the Commonwealth, is fully treated in 

 the report of the committee on gypsy moth, birds and insects, 

 printed in this volume, and the recommendations of that 

 committee leave little to be said in this report. I would, 

 how^ever, add my personal voice to the call for aid in com- 

 batting the gypsy moth that is going up from the people of 

 the infested district, and from those beyond that district 

 who thoroughly understand the conditions and the menace 

 embodied in them. 



Crop Reports. 



The publication of monthly crop reports has been carried 

 on as heretofore. The special articles included in these 

 reports were: "The hay crop in Massachusetts," by Prof. 

 Wm. P. Brooks; "The growing of mushrooms," by Dr. 

 Geo. E, Stone; "The gypsy and brown-tail moths," by A. 

 H. Kirkland, M.S.; "Harvesting and marketing apples," 

 by Prof. F. A. Waugh ; "Breeds for the farm, and farmers 

 as poultry breeders," by John H. Robinson; and "Bee 

 keeping : how to meet its dangers and difficulties," by Bur- 

 ton N. Gates. All but the last one were illustrated. LTp- 

 Avards of 1,000 copies of these bulletins have been called for 

 during the year, largely because of these special articles ; 

 and many of them hav(^ been coupled with the request that 

 the writer's name be placed on the permanent mailing list. 

 So many additions were made in this way that the edition 

 increased from 3,400 for May to 3,800 for October. The 



