No. 4.] REPORT OF SECRETARY. xxiii 



Meetings of the Board. 



The public winter meeting of the Board for lectures and 

 discussions was held at Amherst, Dec. 6, 7 and 8, 1898. 

 The attendance was large, the average attendance of the six 

 day sessions being nearly 250 by actual count, and the inter- 

 est in the lectures and discussions was marked. It was one 

 of the most successful meetings in the history of the Board. 

 The lectures and discussions will be found printed on pages 

 13-217 of this volume. A special business meeting of the 

 Board was held at Amherst, Dec. 8, 1898, an account of 

 which will be found printed on pages 7-10. The annual 

 business meeting of the Board was held at the office of the 

 secretary, Jan. 10 and 11, 1899, and the minutes thereof, 

 etc., will be found printed on pages 224-275 of this volume. 



Changes in the Board. 



There have been fewer changes in the membership of the 

 Board than is usual, most of the members whose terms 

 expired having been re-elected. Mr. F. H. Smith of Ash- 

 lield retired after three years, Samuel M. Raymond of 

 Hinsdale after five years, E. A. Harwood of North Brook- 

 field after seven years, and Nathan W. Shaw of North 

 Raynham after ten years, service on the Board, the places 

 of these gentlemen having been filled by the election of 

 Henry A. Howard of Colrain, Alvan Barrus of Goshen, 

 Chas. A. Gleason of New Braintree and Edward M. Thurs- 

 ton of Swansea.* 



Cattle Commission. 



The report of the Board of Cattle Commissioners (Pub. 

 Doc. No. 51) is by law printed in the annual report of the 

 State Board of Agriculture, and the report for 1898 will be 

 found printed on pages 485-550 of this volume. 



* Mr. Sprague S. Stetson of Lakeville, one of the Governor's appointees on the 

 Board, died on January 12, the day following the annual meeting. The Governor 

 appointed the member from the Essex Agricultural Society, Gen. Francis H. 

 Appleton, to fill the vacancy. Mr. John M. Danforth of Lynnfield was elected by 

 the Essex Society to till out the unexpired term of Mr. App'eton. 



