PUBLIC MEETINGS. 7 



The Board, at its last Annual Meeting, passed a vote re« 

 questing the societies receiving the bounty of the State to 

 hold one or more farmers' institutes within their limits, prom- 

 ising at the same time to render all the aid in its power to 

 make such institutes useful and attractive to the public. 

 Some fifteen or twenty such institutes were held by the 

 diffeient societies in various parts of the State in March and 

 April last. They were generally well attended, and are 

 believed to have been appreciated, and productive of good. 

 Several other similar gatherings have already been organized 

 for the present winter. It was thought that local meetings 

 could be managed better by the officers of tlie several societies 

 than by the Board as a body, both so far as securing a hall 

 and arranging for speakers were concerned ; while the Board 

 itself had no funds available to devote to the employment of 

 lecturers or other incidental expenses. But such members 

 of the Board as could conveniently attend have made it 

 their duty to be present ; and in various ways, by lectures 

 and otherwise, the Board has given all the aid in its power 

 upon such occasions, and will continue to do so. 



In addition to these numerous meetings held by the county 

 societies under the auspices of the Board, the regular public 

 meetings of the Board have been continued, and have con- 

 stantly increased in popularity and influence. They have 

 been more largely attended every year ; and a vast amount 

 of useful and valuable information has been diffused through 

 the medium of lectures of the highest scientific ability, and 

 discussions of the greatest practical interest and importance. 

 As an evidence that these efforts are more and more appre- 

 ciated, it may be mentioned that the attendance of farmers 

 has regularly increased, and that the enthusiasm has been 

 kept up to the end of the protracted or three-days' sessions. 

 When these public meetings were first inaugurated at Spring- 

 field in 1864, the most distinguished scientific men, like Pro- 

 fessor Agassiz, Professor Johnson, and others, were not suffi- 

 cient to secure a large and interested audience ; while now 

 they usually " fill the hall," and many farmers will go a hun- 

 dred miles or more to attend the public meetings, and always 

 find themselves abundantly repaid for their trouble. The 

 information gathered there has thus made itself felt through- 

 out the Commonwealth. 



