xxiv BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



Farmers' National Congress. 



The report of the delegates to the Farmers' National Con- 

 gress at Fort Worth, Tex., Dec. 6-11, 1898, is by request 

 included in this volume, and will be found printed on pages 

 553-563. 



The last Legislature provided funds for the necessary 

 expenses of a meeting of the Farmers' National Congress, 

 if the Congress should decide to hold its 1899 meeting in 

 Boston, and provided that the funds should be expended 

 under the direction of the State Board of Agriculture. The 

 Congress has accepted the invitation of citizens of Massa- 

 chusetts, and has decided to hold its next session in Boston. 

 The committee of arrangements has petitioned for the use 

 of Faneuil Hall for the meetings. The Massachusetts Horti- 

 cultural Society has also tendered to the Congress the use of 

 its hall on Tremont Street. The Board of Agriculture will 

 doubtless arrange to co-operate with that society and other 

 local organizations in measures to make the Congress a 

 pleasurable success. 



Conclusion. 



The reports of the gypsy moth committee and Dairy 

 Bureau, which are by law required to be made to the Legis- 

 lature, cover the most important work of the Board of 

 Agriculture ; and, as the secretary of the Board is by law 

 made the executive officer of the Bureau and an important 

 member of the gypsy moth committee, these two reports, 

 printed elsewhere in this volume, show in detail much of the 

 work of the secretary. These comparatively new depart- 

 ments of work take a large part of the time and energy of 

 the secretary. 



In closing this, my twelfth and last annual report, I desire 

 to place on record the opinion that the Massachusetts State 

 Board of Agriculture is an able, disinterested Board, and 

 that the weighty interests committed to its care have always 

 been carefully and conscientiously looked after. With the 

 exception of the three members of the Dairy Bureau, the 

 members of the Board receive no compensation for the time 

 spent and work performed. The committee on Agricultural 



