^o. 4.1 J{EJ'OJ{T OF SECKETARY. xxi 



bounty shall be tiled was changed from January 10 to De- 

 cember 10, next preceding, so that the financial year of the 

 societies might conform to that of the State. An appro- 

 priation for a deficiency in appropriation for publishing the 

 special report on ^' A History of Game Birds, Wild Fowl 

 and Shore Birds " was granted. The appropriation for in- 

 cidental and contingent expenses was increased $100. A 

 bill, not submitted by the Board, increasing from $1,000 to 

 $2,000 the poultry i>remium bounty, was enacted into law. 

 The only recommendations of the Board which did not 

 become law were the following : an act providing for an open 

 season on pheasants and allowing farmers or other persons 

 to destroy pheasants found injuring cultivated crops; an 

 act to provide for the collection and distribution of informa- 

 tion in regard to farms for sale and the agricultural re- 

 sources, advantages and opportunities of the Commonwealth ; 

 and an act that the annual appropriation for the use of the 

 Dairy Bureau be increased from $8,000 to $10,000. 



Milk Legislation op 1913. 

 The recommendation of the Board that an annual appro- 

 priation of $15,000 for three years be made for the encour- 

 agement of practical dairymen was made a law, with a re- 

 duction of the appropriation to $5,000 per year. An act to 

 safeguard the public health against unclean milk containers 

 and appliances used in the treatment and mixing of milk 

 was also placed on the statutes. 



Changes in the Board. 

 The expiration of terms alone resulted in the following 

 changes in the personnel of the Board: Mr. Ernest W. 

 Payne, of the Deerfield Valley Society, retires after three 

 years of service, and Mr. David T. Barnard has been elected 

 to fill his place ; Mr. Harry A. Ford, of the Hillside Society, 

 retires after three j'ears of service, and Mr. Harry L. 

 Packard has been elected from this society; Mr. Augustus 

 Pratt, of the Plymouth County Society, retires after twenty- 

 four years of service, and Mr. Ernest Leach of Bridgewater 



