50 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [P. D. 4. 



the Board, both through correspondence and personal calls, for 

 information on agricultural subjects. The subjects of vegetable 

 gardening, canning and storage of fruits and vegetables have 

 been of most interest to inquirers, and the Board publications 

 on these subjects have run through large editions. 



In July your secretary was appointed as a member of one of the 

 six district draft Boards for Massachusetts, and this has necessi- 

 tated many days of work since about the middle of August. 

 The district boards have to pass on all industrial and agricultural 

 claims for exemption from the draft, and these boards are ap- 

 pointed for the period of the war. Your secretary tried to resign 

 from this unsought position, but found that resignations were 

 not accepted. For this reason permission was asked of the 

 Governor and Council to appoint a special assistant in the office 

 for the period of three months, beginning September 15. This 

 permission was granted, and Mr. John H. Moore was appointed 

 from that date. From present indications arrangements should 

 be made to continue this new position during the coming year, 

 and I am therefore recommending that the appropriation for 

 clerical hire be increased to $6,000. 



Extracts from the Trespass Laws. 



The demand for the cloth posters carrying extracts from the 

 trespass laws was greater this year than ever before, due largely 

 to the increased planting, and although an additional $300 was 

 appropriated by the ways and means committee for use in 

 printing a further supply of these posters we were unable to 

 meet the demand. August 1 found the supply of 12,000 cloth 

 and 700 paper signs completely exhausted, , and since that time 

 there has been a continuous call for them. 



Of the 12,000 cloth signs printed at a cost of $779.05, 494 

 copies were sold, 28 at 5 cents each and 366 at 6 cents each, 

 it being found necessary, in order to comply with the authoriza- 

 tion of the Legislature to sell additional copies at not less than 

 cost, to increase the selling price 1 cent, beginning April 1. 



The call for the poultry thieving posters, of which 1,000 were 

 printed last year, was light, so that there are still about 700 

 copies on hand for distribution the coming year. 



