No. 123.] REPORT OF COMMISSIONER. 9 



with evils resulting from little thought for the future, when 

 sections of the country were opened up far too rapidly, when, 

 in the restless movement of our people, old settled districts 

 were deserted for the promise that a new land had to offer; 

 and the consequent loss to the country as a whole would be 

 difficult to determine. America has faced the task of entering 

 the war with a great deal of wisdom, but it will require much 

 more thought and planning to prepare for the future, so that 

 we may avoid the mistakes of the past, and bring our farmers 

 through with some confidence as to their future. 



Never before have the farmers of America been faced with 

 the problem confronting us at the opening of the past year. 

 With our armies in the field and training, and every energy 

 bent toward supplying the needs of that army, which resulted 

 in calling upon all available help to go into the factory, shop or 

 government industry; with the farm boys volunteering and the 

 draft taking the rest; with the price of all agricultural com- 

 modities far in excess of what they had been previously, with 

 no guarantee, except on wheat, that they would get the cost 

 of production from their crops, our farmers certainly were 

 sadly in need of help. Yet the farmer responded vigorously 

 and with wonderful optimism to the call for food. All sorts of 

 expedients were tried; it was a time of readjustment and 

 experiment. The great staple crops were wanted, so from 

 Maine to California the farmers planted wheat, corn, oats, 

 barley, rye and potatoes, while the great cotton States not 

 only produced their maximum, but also much of their food, 

 which formerly they had depended upon other sections for. 

 The increase in the production of food animals, notably hogs 

 and sheep, was very large, while dairy cattle have been in- 

 creased to a fair extent. On the other hand, the high price of 

 meats has resulted in a good deal more killing of animals in 

 some sections than was perhaps wise. 



Massachusetts Crop Situation in 1918. 

 Weather conditions in our State were, on the whole, fairly 

 satisfactory. Following the most severe winter within the 

 last forty years we had a fairly early but dry spring with good 

 weather during May. June, however, was cold, and retarded 

 what promised to be a good start for the season, and a very 



