No. 4.] REPORT OF SECRETARY. ix 



lectures at the winter meetino- of the Board and at the 

 farmers' institutes, and through our annual report, our crop 

 repoi-ts and special bulletins, are manifold, and will be 

 oreater in the future than in the past. Last and least, per- 

 haps, in the number of people reached, ])ut nevertheless of 

 constantly increasing importance, is the work which we are 

 able to do by consultation and correspondence. Much of 

 the information which we publish and disseminate is of 

 interest to those not engaged in agriculture in a commercial 

 way, but on a small scale for their own pleasure, their profit 

 being found rather in the satisfaction of having choice prod- 

 ucts of their own raising for their taljles than in the produc- 

 tion of a surplus for the market. I am glad to be al)le to 

 say that our work is not unappreciated, and that the com- 

 mendations freely given from many sources are not the least 

 of the factors that will spur us to renewed eflbrts in the future. 



Changes in the Board. 

 Changes in membei^hip resulting from elections by the 

 several societies Avill be given in the report of the committee 

 on credentials in the proceedings of the annual meeting. 

 The number of ex-oiEcio members has been increased by 

 the addition of the State Forester, Mr. Alfred Akerman, 

 under the provisions of chapter 409 of the Acts of 1904. 

 ]\[eml)ers retiring because of expiration of term of service 

 are : Arthur A. Smith of the Deertield Valley Agricultural 

 Society ; C. K. Brewster of the Highland Agricultural So- 

 ciety ; and J. AV. Gurney of the Hillside Agricultural 

 Society. 



Meetings of the Board. 



For the summer meeting of the Board, held at the Mas- 

 sachusetts Agricultural College, Amherst, June 1(3, the [)lan 

 of having a field day and demonstration work was tried, \\ itli 

 marked success. The mixing and preparation of the Bor- 

 deaux mixture, the fumigation of a tree with hydrocyanic 

 acid gas, the demonstration of the o})eration of the Babcock 

 test and of Farrington's pasteurizer, with the workings of 

 several ditlerent makes of separators, were all given prac- 

 tical demonstration ; and, in addition, Prof. \Vm. P. Brooks 



