No. 4.] REPORT OF SECRETARY. 59 



a work on rat riddance as exists at the present time, and it 

 cannot fail to be of especial value to farmers, on account of the 

 large annual grain losses through the work of this pest. The 

 demand for this work has been very large, as it is on a subject 

 that is of vital interest to almost every one, and a first edition 

 of 5,000 copies was quickly exhausted, necessitating the printing 

 of a second edition of 3,000 copies. 



Bulletins of Massachusetts AoRicuLTmiE. 



In the series of bulletins of Massachusetts agriculture, a 

 second edition of Bulletin No. 3, "Grasses and Forage Crops," 

 and a third edition of Bulletin No. 4, "Small Fruits and 

 Berries," were the only onespubfished during the year. In the 

 former, the articles in the first edition were revised and brought 

 up to date, and an article on "Alfalfa for New England," by 

 Arthur D. Cromwell, w^hich was delivered before this Board last 

 December at Worcester, was added. 



Bulletin No. 4 was almost entirely made over. This bulletin 

 in its earlier editions included articles on peach, pear, plum and 

 quince growing. As these fruits could not be strictly counted 

 under small fruits and berries, the articles were omitted, while 

 new articles on "Growing Small Fruits and Berries," 

 "Currants," "Pruning the Grape," "Cantaloupe Growing in 

 Massachusetts," "Strawberry Growing," "Cranberry Growing" 

 and "Varieties for the Home Fruit Garden" w^ere added. A 

 United States Department of Agriculture bulletin, entitled 

 "Directions for Blueberry Culture," was also used in Bulletin 

 No. 4, and an article on "Nut Culture for Massachusetts." 

 It is now our intention to publish a separate bulletin on 

 "Orchard Fruits," to be known as Bulletin No. 7, which will 

 treat of all tree fruits except the apples. This we were unable 

 to do during the past year, as the calls for institute work Avere 

 so heavy that only a small part of the appropriation could be 

 used for printing. 



Bulletin No. 5, "Vegetable Growing," has been completely 

 revised and enlarged, and has been ready for the printer for 

 three months, but lack of funds has prevented the printing of 

 this much needed book also. Bulletin No. 2, "Apple Growing," 

 has now been out of print for nearly a year, and Bulletin No. 1, 



