No. 4.] llEi'OKT OF 8ECUETAKY. xvii 



Last year wc offered to furnish demonstrations to such 

 societies as might ask for them. There was but one appli- 

 cation, and that was not filled, owing to the impossibility 

 of securing a man at that time capable of conducting it. 

 We Avill hold the offer open for another year, and if any 

 society cares to avail itself of the offer, they may find its 

 terms by reference to my report for 1907, under the heading 

 " Agricultural Societies." It would seem that this was an 

 opportunity which ought not to be neglected by the societies 

 of the State. 



Faejieks' Institutes. 



Considerably more institute work was done during the 

 year than in previous years, with very satisfactory results. 

 This was because of the increased appropriation for the 

 " dissemination of useful information in agriculture," of 

 from $3,000 to $4,000, which first became available for the 

 entire institute season during 1908. We were able to fur- 

 nish more speakers for the agricultural societies, to grant 

 institutes in territory not covered by the societies and for 

 various State organizations, to a greater degree than ever 

 before, and in addition were able to pay extra compensation 

 to speakers who delivered lectures at two successive sessions. 

 This led to the holding of more two-session meetings, with 

 dinner and social hour between, — a very satisfactory and 

 successful form of institute. 



We had but three circuits of institutes during the year, 

 Dr. Geo. M. Twitchell of Maine, Dr. J. L. Hills of Vermont 

 and Prof. Alfred G. Gulley of Connecticut being the speak- 

 ers. The first two gentlemen had full circuits, but there 

 seemed very little interest in the subject of fruit growing 

 at the time that Professor Gulley was secured, so but two 

 institutes were arranged for. This seems the more regretta- 

 ble as Professor Gulley is a speaker of the first class, and 

 the subject one of the most important to Massachusetts 

 farmers. However, Professor Gulley is located at Storrs, 

 Conn., and is easily available at most times for institute 

 work, so that any society failing to engage him last winter 

 can easily do so for this year. 



There does not seem to be as much interest taken in these 



