XX BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



of Connecticut, and Hon. IST. J. Bachelder of New Hamp- 

 shire. The addresses were exceedingly interesting and valu- 

 able, the discussions pertinent and illuminating, and many 

 valuable suggestions were advanced for the improvement of 

 these resources in New England. Your secretary was 

 present at all sessions, and was much interested in the de- 

 liberations of the conference. One direct result was the 

 appointment of committees, consisting of the proper officers 

 of the various States, to consider the question of uniform 

 legislation throughout New England on the important sub- 

 jects of forestry and forest fire regulation, grading and 

 packing of fruit, nursery inspection, shellfisheries, highways, 

 etc. Some of these subcommittees have already met and 

 drafted proposed laws, which will be submitted to the various 

 State Legislatures at the sessions now in progress. That in 

 which we are most interested is the bill for uniform laws 

 in relation to nursery inspection, which will be referred to 

 again under that head. The subcommittee having this mat- 

 ter in charge met at this office and considered the question 

 carefully, also that of uniform grading and packing of 

 apples. The committee did not find it feasible to suggest 

 any legislation on this latter point at this time. They did, 

 however, recommend that a New England apple show be 

 held at Boston in October of 1909, and appointed a com- 

 mittee to advance the matter, local arrangements being left 

 to this Board and the Massachusetts Horticultural Society. 



More important, in the judgment of your secretary, than 

 any direct result attained by the conference, was the spirit 

 of unity and community of interest among the New England 

 States which it fostered, and its tendency to break down the 

 artificial barrier of State lines, and to bring to the com- 

 munity a sense of the fact that New England is really a 

 unit in all save the artificial political divisions, — one in 

 interest, in resources and in policy, if we are wise, — and 

 that what is good for one State is good for all. It is ex- 

 pected that this conference will become an amiual feature, 

 and it is certainly desirable that it should. 



