No. 4.] SPECIAL MEETING OF BOARD. 13 



a representative on the Board of Agriculture ever since its organ- 

 ization in 1852. The society received State bounty continuously 

 until and including the year 18G0, when it voluntarily relinquished 

 it, on the ground of the excessive expenditures caused by the war 

 of the rebellion. The society has not received State bounty since 

 1860, and has held no fairs or exhibitions since that date. The 

 society reported its transactions to the Board of Agriculture each 

 year until and including 1879, and reported the amount of its per- 

 manent fund or capital stock until and including 1882. Since 

 1882 no returns or transactions have been rendered to the Board 

 of Agriculture. In the year 1866 the Legislature (chapter 189, 

 section 2, Acts of 1866) provided that " Any agricultural society 

 publishing its transactions and making its returns to the secretary 

 of the Board of Agriculture as provided in chapter 66, section 5, 

 of the General Statutes, should be entitled to a delegate to said 

 Board under the provisions of chapter 16 of the General Stat- 

 utes." . . . Said section 2 of chapter 189, Acts of 1866, was re- 

 pealed by chapter 128, Acts of 1869. 



The Bay State Agricultural Society held its first fair in 1886. 

 It held no fair in 1887, and first made return to the State Board 

 of Agriculture for the year 1888, stating its capital stock or money 

 invested to be $2,177.16. It held a fair that year at Springfield. 

 The society made returns for the year 1889 and received bounty 

 to the amount of $400, predicated on the fair of 1888. It held a 

 fair in 1889 in Boston. The society made returns for the year 

 1890. It held no fair that year, but received bounty to the amount 

 of $600, predicated on the fair of 1889. Made returns for the 

 year 1891, but held no fair and received no bounty. The society 

 made returns for the year 1892, but held no fair and received no 

 bounty. The society elected a delegate to the Board for the year 

 1887, and has been represented on the Board since that year. 



The Middlesex Agricultural Society is one of the oldest socie- 

 ties and was among those that were represented at the organiza- 

 tion of the Board of Agriculture, having the requisite capital stock 

 and having had a delegate on the Board ever since. It has held 

 fairs annually and received bounty until 1889, Avhen it held no 

 fair, but received bounty predicated on the fair of 1888. It held 

 no fair in 1890 and received no bounty. In the year 1891 it held 

 a fair, but received no bounty. In the year 1892 it held no fair, 

 but received bounty predicated on the fair of 1891. The Middle- 

 sex Society has made annual returns to the present time. 



The Bay State Agricultural Society was incorporated in 1886. 

 This society had originally (1888) invested as capital stock, $2,177 16 

 This society had in January, 1893, invested as cajiital stock, 343 48 



