1891.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 4. xxvii 



At the annual meeting of the Board, Feb. 3, 4 and 5, 

 1891, the following regulations were adopted : — 



1 . That the agricultural societies be required to print a revised 

 list of their members in their transactions for 1891, unless such 

 list has been printed in their transactions within three years. 



2 That the societies be required to print in their transac- 

 tions the names of the officers for each year ensuing their elec- 

 tion. 



3 That amounts paid in premiums to parties not residents of 

 this State shall not be considered in predicating the amount of 

 State bounty the societies shall receive. 



4. That the secretary be instructed to notify the societies that 

 they will be required to make their returns in strict compliance 

 with the provisions of law and the regulations of the Board. 



Farmers' Institutes. 

 The regulations of the State Board require each of the thirty- 

 eight societies which expect the State bounty to hold not 

 less than three farmers' institutes each year. Some socie- 

 ties hold more than the required number. These institutes 

 have been mostly well attended. Live topics have been 

 treated by lectures, which were followed by interesting dis- 

 cussion, in many cases awakening much enthusiasm. It is 

 believed that much valuable information has been imparted, 

 and that the agriculturists of the State are as a whole fairly 

 prosperous. The "old paths" so often recommended do 

 not get praise in the farmers' institute of to-da}^. Changed 

 conditions require a change in practice. Our fathers pros- 

 pered by producing staple farm products. The wonderful 

 transportation facilities of to-day enable all parts of the 

 world to send such products to us at small expense, and 

 Massachusetts farmers must compete on almost even terms 

 with the mellow and fertile soil of the Western prairies. 

 But Massachusetts has a full hundred of cities or towns that 

 have more than four thousand inhabitants. Most of (he 

 people who live in these centres enjoy a liberal income or 

 earn good wages, and they are willing to spend that income 

 for the good things of life. They want the luxuries of life, 

 — the finest butter, the purest milk, the freshest of poultry 

 products, the products of gardens and greenhouses in season 



