No. 4.] FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY. 13 



nition, in the form of knowledge of the strongest methods 

 of attack, shall be within reach of the interested parties? 

 This our Experiment Station and United States Department 

 of Agriculture are endeavoring to do. 



I feel strongl}'^ that a greater interest should be stirred up 

 as to the importance of having the highest quality of milch 

 cattle, swine and other live stock within reach of our farmers. 

 It is too easy for the quality to lower unless there is incentive 

 constantly advanced to show, by specimens, exhibits and re- 

 sults, a high standard in quality. 



The Chair. The Commonwealth of jNIassachusetts has 

 alwa3^s fostered agriculture. It has always been active in 

 its support and in ap})ropriating money for its improvement. 

 The governors of our State have usually been in sympathy 

 with such action. I can say from hiy own knowledge that 

 the present Lieutenant-Governor, when in the Legislature, 

 was interested in all these matters. He gave them careful 

 thought and consideration, and when he was speaker of the 

 House, in the appointment of committees which had to deal 

 with agriculture, he gave us suitable, sensible and able men. 

 As the friend of agriculture, I now have the pleasure of 

 introducing Lieutenant-Governor Bates, the representative 

 of the Commonwealth. 



ADDRESS OF LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOR BATES. 



Mr. President and fellow citizens, I am here to-day mainly 

 to brino- the o-reetings of the Commonwealth of Massachu- 

 setts, at the request of the Governor, who is not permitted 

 to be present himself, and his interest in the Board is well 

 known. He sends you his heartiest greetings for the success 

 of the management of this occasion. 



I have been thinking of one thing which I wish to bring 

 to your attention, and that is, the debt which the people of 

 Massachusetts owe to their rocks and sands. Yesterday I 

 was with the people of Swampscott, trying to help them 

 celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of their municipal exist- 

 ence. There I discovered that it was not only the fifty 

 years of their municipal existence of which they were proud, 



