No. 4.] AGRICULTURAL SOCIETIES. 221 



REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURAL SOCIETIES. 



[Adopted at the Annual Meeting, Jan. 9, 1900.] 



Conditions which influence agricultural societies from Berk- 

 shire to Nantucket vary widely. Tliese societies, established 

 in all the counties with the same general purpose, work under 

 conditions which vary so much that criticisms which may be 

 justly made upon one are unjust when applied to another. 

 The law allows considerable freedom in the manner in which 

 they shall carry out their duties, yet holding all to an ex- 

 penditure of the money granted by the State for the certain 

 definite purpose of improving the methods and stimulating 

 the efforts of the communities around the difierent societies. 

 We believe that the law is generally and commendably car- 

 ried out, notwithstanding a considerable amount of outside 

 criticism, a part of which is deserved. 



The first condition for drawing bounty from the State to 

 the amount of six hundred dollars is the holding of property 

 invested to the amount of three thousand dollars. Your 

 committee believe that this condition requires the holding of 

 this amount over and above all indebtedness of the society ; 

 and then, when this amount is not so held, the bounty should 

 be reduced ; and when the sum falls below one thousand dol- 

 lars, the bounty should cease, — and, in fact, the bounty has 

 ceased and societies have lost their existence from this cause. 



The second condition, holding institutes, seems to be fairly 

 well carried out, though the institutes are not so popular 

 or so well attended as they should be. Subjects are well 

 chosen and addresses are given by able men ; but one or two 

 hundred will cover the attendance in most instances, and in 

 many cases the attendance is much smaller. We commend 

 more efibrt to secure a fuller attendance upon these meetings. 



The inspectors of the several fairs report, with only one 

 exception, fairs well conducted, attractive and instructive, 



