No. 4.] . REPORT OF SECRETARY. xvii 



ture of the State has changed materially during the past twenty 

 years, and in some sections the old interests have dropped out 

 of sight, or nearly so, and new ones have arisen to take their 

 places. For instance, cattle raising and breeding has declined 

 materially in importance in eastern sections, with a more than 

 corresponding interest in the importance of market gardening, 

 fruit growing and poultry raising. Those having the duty of 

 making up the premium lists of the societies should study care- 

 fully their local conditions, and should endeavor to offer the 

 bulk of the premium money in such a way as to encourage those 

 lines of agriculture which appear to be best adapted to their sec- 

 tions. It is obviously unjust that the bulk of the money for 

 premiums should go to the cattle raisers in sections given over 

 to market gardening and fruit raising; but I fear that such is 

 too often the case. It is recommended that the Board take 

 the premium lists of the societies a little more directly under its 

 control, and that a committee be appointed to consider the 

 make-up of these lists during the current year, with a view to 

 establishing certain requirements, if it seems best, in their 

 judgment, to which the societies shall be held in the future. 



A new feature of the fairs was a demonstration at that of the 

 Blackstone Valley Agricultural Society of the selection of cattle 

 for breeding and the dairy, and of the grafting, budding and 

 pruning of fruit trees. These demonstrations were so man- 

 aged as not to conflict with other features of the fair, and were 

 witnessed by practically the entire number of those in attend- 

 ance on the grounds. They formed an interesting and valu- 

 able feature from an educational standpoint, particularly when 

 the large number of young people in attendance is witnessed. 

 The Board has received an increase in its appropriation for 

 "the dissemination of useful information in agriculture," which 

 will allow us to furnish such demonstrations to a limited number 

 of societies, where it shall seem that they can be properly put 

 before the public, and where we can be guaranteed that they 

 will be given a clear field in the matter of conflict with other 

 numbers on the programme. By no means all the societies can 

 be so favored in any one year, and, other things being equal, 

 preference will be given to those first making application for 

 such demonstrations. 



