No. 123. 



REPORT OF COMMISSIONER. 



43 



for the year, 7,403, or an average of 95 per session. The De- 

 partment has already recommended the continuance of this 

 work and the employment of some person to specially conduct 

 it. 



Exhibitions and Contests. 



The appropriation for special exhibitions was used for a corn 

 show, a dairy products show and an exhibit of Massachusetts 

 farm products at the Maine Crop Show in Portland, and 

 excellent photographs of the exhibit were made. 



One hundred dollars in prizes were offered to the Massachu- 

 setts exhibitors at the New England Fruit Show, at Portland, 

 Maine, but none of the money was taken up. 



A comprehensive exhibit of apples, cranberries, onions and 

 market-garden crops was prepared for the Brockton Fair, but 

 this had to be abandoned when the fair was canceled on account 

 of the influenza epidemic. 



Twelve hundred dollars in prizes were offered for the best 

 yields of field corn. Forty-one contestants entered this con- 

 test, but a number later withdrew or were disqualified because 

 their fields were not of the required size. In Class A, for the 

 best yield in a piece of from 3 to 5 acres, and in Class B, for 

 the best yield in a piece of above 5 acres, the following prizes 

 were awarded : — 



