xii BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc 



property of the .society may be paid. I would also renew 

 my recommendation for a thorough overhauling of the pre- 

 mium lists of the societies. One society was caught this 

 year through its making the old offer of a sum for the best 

 specimen of any other l)reed or variety, and had to pay a 

 large sum for exhibits of no prominence or value for other 

 piu'poses than as curiosities. That society will undoubtedly 

 provide against a repetition of the trouble, and others should 

 take advantage of the lesson pointed out, and not wait for 

 the bitter lessons of adversity. 



I would further recommend that the societies employ 

 expert judges, not members of the society or residents 

 within its limits, to do the judging in the live stock and 

 poultry classes. That this may not be an undue burden on 

 the poorer societies, the attention of the Board and the 

 Legislature is called to the suggestion that the societies be 

 authorized to expend a portion of the State bounty in pay- 

 ing for the services and expenses of such judges. 



Farmers' Institutes. 



The farmers' institutes are supi)orted from the appro- 

 priation for "the dissemination of useful information in 

 agriculture," which was $2,700 for the year 1904. This 

 ap})ro})riation was sufficient to meet all bills for the year, 

 the work having been arranged with that end in view ; but 

 if the increased appropriation asked for had been given, 

 much more could have been done. AYith an increase to 

 $3,000 a greater number of meetings might be held in sec- 

 tions where they would be appreciated, and something done 

 towards the holding of demonstration and field meetings. 

 Without this increase nothing can be done in this line 

 except by curtailing work in some other direction, there- 

 fore development in this field of work must rest on the 

 action of the Legislature. 



During the institute year just closed two circuits of insti- 

 tutes were held, with good results in saving of expense and 

 convenience of speakers. We have arranged with four 

 speakers from without the State — Prof. J. W. Sanborn of 

 Pittsfield, N. H. ; Prof. John Craig of Ithaca, N. Y. ; Prof. 



