No. 4.] REPORT OF SECRETARY. xxvii 



Conference on Rural Progress. 



A delegate conference on rural progress was held in the office 

 of the Massachusetts State Board of Agriculture, Boston, on 

 March 8, 1907, with sessions at 9.30 a.m. and 2 r.M. 



The idea of this conference originated with President But- 

 terfield. of the Massachusetts Agricultural College, and was 

 attended by delegates from all the New England States, 

 representing State departments of agriculture and education, 

 agricultural colleges and experiment stations, federations of 

 churches, granges, etc. 



The object of the conference was to discuss some of the rural 

 problems in New England, and to provide for future work. 

 Various phases of the subject were discussed by the delegates 

 present. 



An organization was perfected by the choice of Secretary 

 Ellsworth as chairman and Prof. William D. Hurd of the Uni- 

 versity of Maine secretary. 



Section meetings of the delegates from the various bodies 

 were held at the United States Hotel, Boston, on the evening 

 of March 7. Thirty-five delegates were recorded as being in 

 attendance at the conference. 



Extracts from the Trespass Laws. 



The law providing for these printed trespass extracts makes 

 it the duty of the secretary of this Board "to cause copies of 

 said extracts to be printed on durable material, suitable to be 

 affixed to trees or otherwise to be posted in the open air," and 

 "to furnish not exceeding five copies in any one year without 

 charge to any reputable person applying therefor, and annually, 

 on or before the first day of April, to send a copy to each post 

 office in the Commonwealth." 



The demand for the extracts shows a decided falling off as 

 compared with the previous year, as is shown by the following 

 table : — 



