40 DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



the offices of the United States Bureau of Agricultural Eco- 

 nomics and the Massachusetts Division of Markets; extra 

 copies, not to exceed three, may be obtained at $1 per copy. 

 An inspection report accompanies each car inspected, copies 

 of which are forwarded to interested parties. These reports 

 are useful in that they give an advance notice of the findings 

 of the inspector, the complete details of which will be found 

 on the formal typewritten certificate, which is prepared a few 

 hours later. 



A fee of $3.50 is charged for inspection and certification of 

 carlots; $2.50 of this fee is paid to the Commonwealth and $1 

 to the United States Department of Agriculture. The money 

 received in this manner is returned to the State and National 

 treasuries and applied to the expenses of operation of this 

 service. Our co-operative agreement requires all inspectors 

 to be bonded for the collection of fees. This fee may be 

 lessened, if the number of inspections requested gives a return 

 sufficient to warrant the reduction. 



Certificates issued under this agreement will be honored in 

 all markets and accepted in all courts of the Commonwealth 

 and of the United States as prima facie evidence of the truth 

 of the statements contained therein. 



Our onion-growing area suffered severely this year on account 

 of a small local crop of less than average quality, which came 

 into competition with a nationally large crop of good quality. 

 The carlot movement has been very small this 3'ear, yet we 

 have certified to date 72 cars. 



The system is new in Massachusetts, and its fair trial for a 

 few years will determine its adaptability to our conditions. 

 Favorable comment and the general use made of it under ad- 

 verse conditions, however, argue well for its continued usage. 



It must be remembered that the inspection and certification 

 service for Massachusetts onions is a voluntary service fur- 

 nished upon request to those interested in the commercial 

 marketing of onions. Its object is to furnish interested parties 

 with an exact statement of the quality and condition of the 

 contents of the shipment, according to standard grades. The 

 full co-operation of all interested in the Connecticut Valley 

 onion crop has been urgently requested in order that the certifi- 

 cation and inspection service now available may gain for 



