No. 4.] FARMERS' INSTITUTES. 311 



done among them, in order that more benefit may be de- 

 rived Tor the money spent. 



There have been 12.S institutes held during the year, 1 L8 

 under the societies represented on the Board, and 10 under 

 other organizations, where there was no agricultural society 

 to take charge of the meeting and where the circumstances 

 seemed to warrant. The average attendance at the institutes 

 was 107, against 91 last year and 94 in 1899. At 6 meet- 

 ings the attendance was over 300, at 19 from 200 to 300, at 

 33 from 100 to 200, at 33 from 50 to 100, and at 36 less 

 than 50. 



The attendance at the institutes of the various incorporated 

 societies was as follows : Amesbury, 75, 70, 40, 85 ; Barn- 

 stable County, 35, 100, 65 ; Berkshire, 40, 35, 21 ; Black- 

 stone Valley, 30, 25, 50 ; Bristol County, 200, 50, 30 ; 

 Deerfield Valley, 65, 40, 250, 100; Eastern Hampden, 40, 

 100, 75; Essex, 60, 75, 115, 125; Franklin County, 60, 

 65, 15 ; Hampshire, 300, 30, 40 ; Hampshire, Franklin and 

 Hampden, 50, 100, 200 ; Highland, 15, 130, 40 ; Hillside, 

 25, 100, 250, 40; Hingham, 30, 54, 35, 125, 60, 42; 

 Hoosac Valley, 25, 15, 17; Housatonic, 10, 50, 50; Man- 

 ufacturers', 250, 75, 200, 200; Marshfield, 100, 80, 68; 

 Martha's Vineyard, 75, 25, 47 ; Massachusetts Horticultural, 

 125, 175, 350, 200, 250, 200, 175, 200, 200, 175 ; Middlesex 

 North, 200, 200, 225, 125 ; Middlesex South, 175, 50, 19 ; 

 Nantucket, 13, 7, 17; Oxford, 300, 175, 150; Plymouth 

 County, 50, 55, 200, 35 ; Spencer, 53, 47, 42 ; Union, 300, 

 275, 180; Weymouth, 25, 100, 25; Worcester, 120, 180, 

 400 ; Worcester East, 320, 50, 74 ; Worcester North-west, 

 143, 125, 176 ; Worcester South, 45, 53, 145; Worcester 

 County West, 50, 75, 100. 



Of the lectures delivered at the institutes, 107 were by 

 speakers selected from the list of speakers prepared under 

 the direction of the committee on institutes and public 

 meetings, and 37 were local speakers, or speakers who were 

 not upon our list. 



The summer or field meeting of the Board, held in 

 August, was very successful, and the lectures before the 

 Board on that occasion were perfect masterpieces. There 



