No. 4.] REPORT OF SECRETARY. xix 



On Aug. 10 and 17, 1009, your secretary attended the an- 

 nual meeting of the American Association of Farmers' 

 Institute Workers, at Portland, Ore. Being president of 

 the association I felt bound to make the trip, and I may 

 say that I was amply rewarded by the infornuition in 

 relation to agricultural conditions on the Pacific sloi)e, par- 

 ticularly fruit growing, which I was able to glean by a 

 somewhat hurried ins]>ection of some of the important fruit- 

 growing sections, notably the Hood River valley in Oregon. 

 In addition I may say that the meeting of the association 

 was a very interesting one, and that I profited greatly by my 

 association at that time with the institute workers and man- 

 agers from other parts of the country. 



Beekeeping in Massachusetts. 

 The Board has done everything possible to foster the busi- 

 ness of beekeeping in Massachusetts during the year, holding 

 a number of meetings with associations devoted to the busi- 

 ness, and co-operating with them in other ways. The magni- 

 tude of this industry is little understood, and it does not 

 receive the attention which it deserves. The " foul brood " 

 disease problem is an important one with Massachusetts 

 beekeepers. This disease has wiped out the industry in large 

 areas in other States, and will always do so where allowed 

 to spread unchecked. The disease is present in many sec- 

 tions of Massachusetts. As in every other industry, the 

 intelligent, wide-awake beekeepers are largely at the mercy 

 of the careless and indifferent, and some relief is needed if 

 the apiaries of the State are to be saved, ISTew York has an 

 excellent statute calling for inspection of apiaries, with 

 power in the hands of the inspector to compel the owner to 

 take proper measures to abate the nuisance, much as the 

 gypsy and brown-tail moth superintendent may do with those 

 insects. A bill modeled along similar lines was introduced 

 at the last session of the Legislature, but failed to be reported 

 by the committee on agriculture. The matter did not re- 

 ceive the careful attention which it should have been 

 accorded. I would recommend that your secretary be in- 



