®t)e ^ommoxitoealtl) of iila60acl)U6ett5. 



SIXTY-THIRD ANNUAL REPORT 



OF THE 



Massachusetts State Board of Agkicultuke. 



PART I. 



EEPOET OF THE SECRETARY FOR THE YEAR 1915. 



To the Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of 



Massachusetts. 



Agricultural tendencies have undergone great changes within 

 the past few years. We have seen the attention of the world 

 brought forcibly to the food supply question by the increased 

 cost of living, and in consequence we have seen the position of 

 the farmer change from one of obscurity to that of consequence 

 and power in the country. 



We have seen all sorts of theories advanced as to the way 

 we may increase our food supply. Governments, States, big 

 business corporations, individuals, have given much attention 

 to the subject. We have seen the government through its 

 agricultural department increase its work enormously, adding 

 department after department of research, field experiments, 

 education and markets, and constantly, through a system of 

 county agents who are in touch with the central authorities, 

 spread its work to meet the most distant farmers' need. We 

 have seen the Agricultural College expand, increasing its student 

 body, and through a system of extension work reaching out to 

 all sections of the State in which it operates. We have seen 

 city as well as country people affected by this great change, so 

 much so that the country-to-city movement has almost been 

 checked in some sections, and we are balancing on the line 



