No. 4.] REPORT OF SECRETARY. xi 



The San Jose scale, as I have frequently pointed out in the 

 past, is also a great menace to our orchards. The present 

 nursery inspection restricts its spread from the nurseries to 

 the lowest i)ossible ])oint. A serious problem is presented in 

 the spread of the scale from orchard to orchard. l\lany 

 owners of fruit and shade trees refuse to clean up the scale, 

 even when their attention is called to the necessary residt 

 of its presence, and their trees form a breeding groimd from 

 which it spreads to those of their neighbors. There appears 

 to be sufficient authority at present in the hands of the State 

 Xursery Inspector to deal with this ])roblem. The only 

 question is one of sufficient funds to handle the work. I 

 would recommend a sufficient appropriation to employ a 

 permanent inspector, whose duty, it shall be, especially, to 

 look after the condition of orchards and compel negligent 

 owners to clean them up. 



Market gardeners had a very good year, the best of the 

 last three. Crops were not remarkal)ly good nor prices 

 remarkably high, l)Ut there has seldom been a season when the 

 general average of both was maintained at so uniformly satis- 

 factory a level throughout the year. 



Onions were generally an average crop and brought very 

 satisfactory prices. Tobacco was an unusually good crop, 

 and was secured in good condition, wilh very little damage 

 from hail, wind or insects. 



Poultry and eggs were uniformly high in price through- 

 out the year. The high prices of grain led many small poul- 

 try keepers to reduce their flocks or give up the business, 

 Avith a consequent curtailment in the supply of eggs and 

 poultry. Those who had the courage and foresight to stick 

 to the business have generally been able to show as good 

 average returns as before the increase in the ju-ice of grain. 

 Where the farmer can raise his own grain and clover he 

 should find that the keeping of poultry will be his most profit- 

 able branch, where it is retained at its proper limits. 



Milk Legislation. 

 The change in the milk standard, enacted l)y the IMassa- 

 chusetts Legislature of 1008, did little to quiet the agita- 



