X BOAKD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



and his loss was keenly felt. His work on the gypsy moth 

 committee was painstaking and valuable, and he gave of his 

 time and strength freely in this work. Gen. Francis H. 

 Appleton of ^Manchester was appointed to fill the vacancy 

 on the Board, and Mr. John M. Danforth of Lynnfiekl 

 was elected by the Essex Agricultural Society to fill the 

 unexpired term made vacant by the appointment of Gen- 

 eral Appleton. 



Mr. H. H. Sigourney of Oxford was elected by the Ox- 

 ford Agricultural Society to fill the unexpired term of Mr. 

 J. W. Stock well, resigned. 



Mr. J. Elton Green of Spencer, member of the Board 

 from the Spencer Farmers' and Mechanics' Association, re- 

 signed from the Board, and Mr. John G. Avery of Spencer 

 was elected to fill out his unexpired tetm. 



The other changes in the Board will be noted by the 

 report of the committee on credentials. 



Delegates to the Board. 

 The Massachusetts Board of Agriculture has large and 

 important trusts and duties placed upon it by the wisdom 

 of the State, and this Board has never failed, but has held 

 its high position with increased favor with each session of 

 the Legislature, and added responsibilities have followed. 

 We may well be proud of this confidence, and labor even 

 more diligently for the good of the agriculture of the State ; 

 and to do this it becomes more and more incumbent on the 

 agricultural societies to select their best men for service 

 on this Board, and, when selected, to retain them here for 

 the l)enefit it will brinsf to the Board and for the greater 

 influence and resultant good to the State. 



Meetings of the Board. 

 A special business meeting of the Board was held at Bos- 

 ton, March 28, 1899, an account of which will be found on 

 pages 11-14. A special meeting was held at Boston, Octo- 

 ber 4 and 5, during the session of the Farmers' National 

 Congress, the members being, by appointment of the Gov- 

 ernor, associate delegates to the said Congress. The pub- 

 lic winter meeting for lectures and discussions was held at 



