EEPORT OF THE DAIRY BUREAU. 



To the Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of 

 Massachusetts, 



The law creating the dairy bureau went into effect Sept. 

 1, 1891, and is therefore only one year and four months 

 old. 



During this brief period much time has been necessarily 

 expended in the details of organization, in the making of 

 plans, and in other matters of preliminary routine ; for the 

 dairy bureau was an entirely new department of the State 

 machinery, without traditions or precedeMs to aid it in 

 getting into operation. In addition to this, the members 

 of the bureau, with their executive officers, were unfamiliar 

 with the class of duties imposed upon them by the statute ; 

 consequently this first record of a full year's work cannot 

 report as great achievements as we hope will be possible 

 with more experience and greater familiarity with our duties 

 and responsibilities. 



Chapter 412, section 7, of the Acts of 1891, says that the 

 bureau is " subject to the general direction and control of 

 the Board of Agriculture," but its particular duties are de- 

 fined in section 11 of the same chapter, as follows : — 



To investigate all dairy products and imitation dairy products 

 bought or sold within the Commonwealth ; 



To enforce all laws for the manufacture, transfer and sale of all 

 dairy products and all imitation dairy products within the Com- 

 monwealth, with all powers needed for the same ; 



To investigate all methods of butter and cheese making in 

 cheese factories or creameries ; and 



To disseminate such information as shall be of service in 

 producing a more uniform dairy product of higher grade and 

 better quality. 



