No. 4.] EEPORT OF SECRETARY. xix 



from nearly every State in the Union, and within two 

 months the entire edition was exhausted. About one-third 

 of the edition was sent to owners or agents of the prop- 

 erty described, to assessors, to members of the Board of 

 Agriculture and to officers of agricultural societies. The 

 remainder were sent or given only upon request. 



The circulation of a second edition of 1,500 copies of the 

 catalogue began Feb. 1, 1892. Nine new descriptions were 

 included in this edition, making a total of 339. Requests 

 for the catalogue were received from time to time, until hy 

 the middle of September the edition became exhausted. The 

 distril)ution of this edition was very largely through requests 

 by mail and at the office. 



In order to supply the demand for the catalogues it 

 became necessary to prepare a third edition, and the issue 

 of 2,000 copies of this began Nov. 26, 1892. The distri- 

 bution was made through request only, and by the first of 

 October, 1893, the supply was totally exhausted. 



It having been decided to print a fourth edition, notice 

 was sent the last of September to each person having a 

 description in the catalogue with the request for a statement 

 if the form had heen sold ; and if it had not l)een sold if it 

 was desired to continue the description in another edition of 

 the catalogue. This request was in some instances made three 

 times. Up to November 17,, returns were received con- 

 cerning 349 of the 383 farms described in the third edition. 

 Of these, 108 were reported sold ; 53 owners wished to have 

 the description withdrawn, and 189 owners wished descrip- 

 tion continued in the fourth edition. Nothing was heard 

 concerning 33 farms. Of the 108 farms reported sold, 15 are 

 in Berkshire County, 3 in Bristol County, 1 in Essex County, 

 13 in Franklin County, 10 in Hampshire County, 11 in 

 Hampden County, 6 in Middlesex County, 1 in Nantucket 

 County, 6 in Norfolk County, 10 in Plymouth County, and 

 32 in Worcester County. Of the 53 forms withdrawn, 1 is 

 in Barnstable County, 7 in Berkshire County, 1 in Bristol 

 County, 1 in Dukes County, 6 in Franklin County, 4 in 

 Hampden County, 8 in Hampshire County, 3 in Middlesex 

 County, 2 in Norfolk County, 4 in Plymouth County and 16 

 in Worcester County. Several who wished description with- 



