THIRTEENTH ANNUAL MEETING. 7 



Orders have boon drawn for the payment of bills to the 

 amount of $1,770.10, besides the distribution of $507.08 in pre- 

 miums awarded at the annual exhibition, and $12.50 for pre- 

 miums at the last annual meeting. 



\Miile we have been able to meet our expenses with our 

 present income, still our funds are none too large and our 

 treasury seldom shows much of a balance on hand at the end 

 of the year. But we believe w^e can show results, and that is 

 really what we want for the money expended. 



Our Meetings. 



Since the annual meeting last February, the Society has held, 

 during 1903, eighteen meetings. Twelve of these were insti- 

 tutes, held by invitation of the following Granges: Madison, 

 W'atertown, Winsted, Deep River, New Canaan, Ellington, 

 Prospect, Easton, East Canaan, North Haven, Collinsville and 

 Southington. Five were summer field meetings, and one the 

 annual fall meeting and exhibition in September. All these 

 various gatherings were largely attended, full of interest and 

 enjoyment, and we believe were w^orth to the people of the 

 State, and to our members especially, many times their cost. 



The institute has come to be recognized as one of the best 

 agencies for reaching the masses of farmers and carrying to 

 them the latest results of scientific investigation and practical 

 experience. 



The institute work of this Society still continues one of its 

 most popular features, and as showing the demand for it 

 throughout the State, I may say, w^e received last year twace as 

 many applications as we could accept, because of lack of avail- 

 able funds and sufficient time. 



In this connection, I should perhaps state, what is already 

 known to most of you, that institute work in Connecticut is being 

 conducted on a somewhat different plan this w'inter. 



Acting on the suggestion of this Society, the State Board of 

 Agriculture, the Dairymen's Association, and the Pomological 

 Society, are combining their institute forces and have planned 

 a schedule of meetings, jointly. The cost of the work is to be 

 divided between the three organizations. 



While it is expected that, in the absence of any State law 

 in the matter, this plan will prove to be an improvement over 

 the old order, still we can but hope that the near future will 



