THE FIFTY-SECOND ANNUAL REPORT 



OF THE 



SECRETARY 



OF THE 



State Boaed of Agriculture. 



Tn the Senrde and TTou^e of Representative!^ of the Cnmmomvealth of 



Massachiisetis . 



Having completed my first full year as secretary of the 

 State Board of Agriculture, it becomes my duty to present 

 for your consideration the fifty-second annual report of the 

 Board. It has l)een a year of varied activities and of hard 

 work for the advancement of agriculture, and, while we 

 may hesitate to claim too much credit for the developments 

 of the year in our lines of work, it is but right to say that 

 the Board has been a laroe factor in and of them. The 

 various divisions of the work of the Board are fully treated 

 under the proper headings, and need not l)e referred to 

 here. 



The year just closing has been in the main a profitable 

 one for our farmers, as good crops have generally been 

 secured, and })rices, except for apples at time of harvest 

 and to a less degree for potatoes, have ranged well up to 

 those usually received. Market gardeners have had a })rof- 

 ital)le season, though not so good as last year. Dairymen 

 received good prices for their })roducts, and went into the 

 winter with well-filled barns and stock in good condition. 

 Poultry raisers received prices rather al)ove the average, 

 and good care ^^'as rewarded with at worst fair results. Of 

 our specialists, horticulturists have perhaps the most cause 

 to complain, owing to the damage to peach trees from the 

 severe winter and the low price of apples at time of liarvest. 

 Those apple growers who were so situated as to be able 



