No. 4] REPORT OF SECRETARY. xvii 



and also the employment of additional office help which has 

 been necessary, has so crowded the main office that the work 

 is seriously handicapped. The preparation of much material 

 which is of an original character, both by the secretary himself 

 and by his assistants, makes it imperative that there be a 

 room provided in connection with the office where this can 

 be done. All committee meetings, conferences, and Board 

 meetings must now be held in the main office, unless special 

 requisition is made for an assignment of another room, and 

 this is of added importance and the situation is all the more 

 regrettable, owing to the fact that various New England 

 organizations have looked upon the office of the Board as their 

 logical meeting place. It can readily be seen to what an extent 

 the work of the office is hindered by this arrangement, and with 

 the fast-increasing volume of routine work which must be 

 attended to, and with the additional work which is planned, 

 the State can ill afford to cripple the efficiency of the depart- 

 ment in any way. 



As your present secretary relinquishes the activities of this 

 office he feels that he should urge the advisability of an increase 

 in the salary attached to this position. In accordance with the 

 demands and the importance of the agricultural interests of 

 Massachusetts he feels that the remuneration should be such 

 as would attract the very best talent to the direction and 

 development of those interests, and would urge that this matter 

 receive your favorable consideration. This matter has pre- 

 viously been twice recommended by the Board. 



Wild Deer. 

 The year of 1912 has seen no cessation in the enormous toll 

 which deer are constantly exacting from our agriculture, — from 

 the pockets of our farmers, who, in any case, are never overpaid 

 for their efforts. Probably the greatest loss is experienced by 

 the fruit growers of the State, owing to the fact that, while 

 reparation is supposed to be made by the State upon complaint 

 of deer damage, it is very difficult to ascertain what the damage 

 to a young orchard really is, and the appraisers in such instances 

 invariably set this damage at too low a figure. The promotion 

 and proper development of our agriculture will sooner or later 



