No. 4.] REPORT OF SECRETARY. xix 



tion of the Hoosac Valley Agricultural Society, which held but 

 2 institutes, through an unexpected failure of arrangements 

 for the third one, and the Massachusetts Society for Promoting 

 Agriculture, which is not required to hold institutes, being rep- 

 resented on the Board by special enactment. Six societies 

 held 4 or more institutes, while 19 meetings have been held in 

 sections not covered by societies represented on the Board, and 

 under the direction of other agricultural organizations. 



The average attendance for the year shows a falling off from 

 the last two years, being only 118 per session, as against 127 in 

 1906 and 125 in 1905. It is, however, considerably greater 

 than in any other year, the figures being 109 for 1904, 102 for 

 1903, 104 for 1902, 107 for 1901, 91 for 1900 and 94 for 1899. 

 At 4 of the sessions the attendance was 400 or more ; at 2, from 

 300 to 399; at 14, from 200 to 299; at 53, from 100 to 199; and 

 at the balance it was less than 100. 



With the increase of the appropriation for the present year 

 more institutes will be held, more speakers from a distance be 

 secured, and a certain amount of demonstration work intro- 

 duced into these meetings where considered practicable and 

 desirable. The demand for this class of work has always been 

 in excess of our ability to supply it, but it may be that for a year 

 or two we shall be in the position of being able to grant any 

 reasonable request. It is important that the agricultural so- 

 cieties and the farmers generally should show themselves will- 

 ing to do their part in strengthening the work, to the end that 

 the Legislature may see that the appropriation is the most val- 

 uable of any of those made for the benefit of agriculture, and 

 be willing to grant reasonable future increases if it becomes 

 necessary to ask for them. 



On Nov. 12 and 13, 1907, your secretary attended the annual 

 meeting of the National Association of Farmers' Institute 

 Workers, at Washington, D. C. The meeting was a very in- 

 teresting one, being attended by those in charge of the institute 

 work in most of the States, and also delegates from the various 

 Provinces of Canada. Your secretary furnished a paper on 

 "The field institute; its value, methods of organizing and con- 

 ducting." The programme of the meeting was exceedingly 

 full, and gave rise to a great deal of interesting discussion in 

 regard to the various phases of these popular meetings. 



