No. 4.] WORK OF BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 255 



Agriculture of Massachusetts, a book of four hundred pages, 

 exclusive of the report of the State Agricultural Experiment 

 Station, which is bound with it, is prepared for printing and 

 the proofread in this office, requiring many weeks of con- 

 secutive labor. 



The duties of the secretary as chairman and secretary of 

 the Gypsy Moth Committee take nearly one-fifth of his time. 

 His work as executive officer and secretary of the Dairy 

 Bureau should take as much more ; but, on account of lack 

 of time, much that properly belongs to the executive officer 

 has been performed by his assistant, Geo. M. Whitaker. 



The secretary of the Board is also ex officio a trustee of the 

 Ao-ricultural Collei>:e and a member of the Board of Control 

 of the State Agricultural Experiment Station, and he serves 

 as secretary of both these organizations, thus bringing to- 

 ijether in the office of the Board of Aijriculture the records 

 of all the State agricultural organizations except those of the 

 Cattle Coumiission. The calls on the secretary to attend 

 fairs, institutes and farmers' meetings are numerous and 

 persistent. Few of these invitations can be accepted, on 

 account of the great increase of office work. During the 

 past year the secretary has attended twelve institutes, nine 

 fairs and thirteen other farmers' meetings, and taken part in 

 the literary exercises of each. 



The members of the Board have not been dilatory in 

 attending to the duties devolving upon them. The members 

 of the Gypsy Moth Committee have had a meeting on nearly 

 every Tuesday throughout the year, and much time has been 

 spent by the mcm1>ers in overlooking and inspecting the 

 field work. One member of the committee, whose residence 

 is in the infested district, has spent weeks of valual)le time 

 in this work, giving to it many hours that he needed for rest 

 and recreation from arduous duties in university and State 

 service on other commissions. The executive committee has 

 had three formal meetings during the year, and in addition 

 the chairman of the committee has been often called upon to 

 consult with and advise the secretary in regard to the work 

 in the office. The examinins^ committee of the Massachu- 

 setts Airricultural College has visited the colleffe several 

 times, and was present to examine the senior class at the 



