xii BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



plished their inspection becomes a simple matter. Such a 

 plan will afford the degree of protection desired by the sev- 

 eral cities and towns, and also relieve the farming communi- 

 ties of any additional burden of taxation for the purpose, 

 I would recommend, therefore, that the Board submit to the 

 Leo^islature a bill authorizing boards of health of cities and 

 towns to issue permits for all milk or cream received, held, 

 kept, offered for sale or sold in said cities and towns, subject 

 to such conditions as they may make, and to forbid the sale 

 of any milk or cream produced, transported or kept under 

 conditions not approved by the said boards of health. 



Work of the Office. 



During the year the work of the office has increased re- 

 markably. We had many plans for work, such as rearrang- 

 ing and classifying the library, which we have been obliged 

 to put over to some later time. This increase is due to a 

 variety of causes, chief among them the wakening to the 

 possibilities of New England agriculture, previously noticed, 

 and the consequent demand for information, by publications 

 or otherwise. In addition, our list of publications available 

 for distribution has been increased, and we have taken con- 

 siderable pains to acquaint the public with its contents. The 

 policy of the office for the past year and more has been to 

 answer every request, except those for a specified bulletin 

 or publication, with a personal letter, and to go to all possible 

 pains to obtain information for correspondents. That this 

 policy is appreciated by the public we are well assured. 

 Within a few days we have had on one mail no less than six 

 letters thanking us for publications sent or information given. 

 Careful work of this kind makes more work, as it encourages 

 additional queries, but the citizens of Massachusetts are en- 

 titled to it at our hands, and we are glad to extend the same 

 courtesy to those of other States. 



The office library is in bad condition, containing many 

 sets and parts of sets of bulletins and other publications 

 which should be completed and bound, or othenvise disposed 

 of. Many of the books and pamphlets are of no use to us, 

 either because in foreign languages or for other reasons, and 



