10 DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



local and State police authorities and others, and the infliction 

 of maximum penalties upon such persons as have been caught 

 at such thieving. 



Payment for Milk. 

 Last year the Legislature passed a resolve requiring this 

 Department to make an investigation of payments for milk by 

 the milk dealers of the State. It has been known for some 

 time that farmers lose a great deal of money each year from the 

 sale of milk to persons who are financially irresponsible. At 

 the present time farmers have no way of obtaining the financial 

 standing of any but the largest milk dealers. The latter 

 usually are rated by well-known rating companies, and their 

 financial status can be obtained. I recommend that the De- 

 partment of Agriculture be given authority to obtain accurate 

 information concerning the financial standing of such of those 

 milk dealers w^ho are not rated by well-known national agen- 

 cies or who are not properly bonded, this information to be 

 kept confidential but to be made known to any one asking for 

 it in the form of a rating guide, so that all milk producers, and 

 others, may be able to decide for themselves as to the financial 

 standing and responsibility of those milk dealers with whom 

 they are doing business. 



Future of Farming in Massachusetts. 



The farming industry in Massachusetts has a bright future. 

 Now that farmers have begun to specialize and adapt their 

 modes of farming to our conditions of soil, climate and market, 

 and are getting away from generalized farming, I believe that 

 there will be found a greater prosperity among them than has 

 been seen for many years. The work of the boys' and girls' 

 agricultural clubs, the encouraging number of students and 

 farmers who are trained at the Agricultural College, and the 

 activities of the farm bureaus and other agencies point toward 

 a greater number of trained men and women in agriculture who 

 will bring about its rejuvenation. In most country districts 

 there are now leaders who have had some specialized agricul- 

 tural training. This will increase. 



Our Division of Markets is performing notable assistance in 

 the development of better markets for farmers, which also 

 means lower prices to consumers. 



