No. 4.] REPORT OF SECRETARY. xxxiii 



of the Commonwealth against the dangers from tuberculosis 

 in the food products of cattle ; but the Board was soon re- 

 lieved of this work by its being placed upon the Board of 

 Cattle Commissioners. 



The same year the duty of furnishing nails or spikes upon 

 application of city and town authorities, to be used in mark- 

 ing shade trees, was placed upon the secretary of this Board. 



In the same year the Legislature created the Dairy Bureau 

 of the Board of Agriculture, making the secretary its ex- 

 ecutive officer, and making it the duty of this Bureau, under 

 the direction of the Board of Agriculture, to enforce all laws 

 relating to dairy products and to promote the improvement 

 of the products of the dairy. 



The gypsy moth work was also put upon the Board of 

 Agriculture by act of the Legislature in 1891. 



By a resolve of 1893 the secretary was directed to pre- 

 pare and have printed and bound for distribution five thou- 

 sand copies of a synoptical and analytical index to the 

 fifty-two annual volumes of the "Agriculture of Massachu- 

 setts." 



The Legislature of 1897 made it the duty of the Board to 

 cause inspection to be made and notice given wherever it is 

 suspected that the brown-tail moth may be present. 



Of the voluntary work undertaken by the Board, that 

 relatino; to the holding of farmers' institutes is among the 

 most important, and one which increases the work of cor- 

 respondence in a large degree. 



The issuing of a monthly crop report and bulletin of in- 

 formation during the growing season is also a great addition 

 to the regular work of the office. 



The Board, as overseers of the Agricultural College, by a 

 committee has given increased attention to the duty, with, it 

 is believed, good results. 



The library in the rooms occupied by the Board in the 

 State House is a growing institution, which is being care- 

 fully looked after. It takes a large part of the time of the 

 first clerk, who is the librarian. A special report, prepared 

 by him, describing the library and his work in caring for it, 

 has been made at my request, and may be found printed in 

 this volume on pages 197-208. It is commended to the 



