50 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [P. D. 4. 



through the association. Since the amendment of the law in 

 1914, and the adoption of new regulations thereunder, there has 

 been repeatedly brought to the attention of the. secretary by 

 poultry show officers the inconsistency and even absurdity of 

 requiring associations thus to advertise premiums, reimburse- 

 ment for the payment of which the Board could not guarantee 

 owing to the limit of the appropriation. No such difficulty is 

 experienced in the case of the payment of bounty to the 

 agricultural societies, for each society knows in advance that 

 compliance with certain requirements will enable it to receive 

 from the Commonwealth an amount equal to the amount 

 expended in premiums up to the maximum fixed by statute. 

 The aggregate sum needed for bounty to these societies is 

 estimated in November each year on the basis of experience. 

 The poultry associations are not so well established as to admit 

 of such procedure, but it is recommended that the following 

 plan be embodied in a bill to supersede existing legislation re- 

 garding the payment of bounty to poultry associations. 



"State first premiums," as now defined by law and regula- 

 tion, should remain the basis of payment. Each association 

 incorporated primarily for the holding of exhibitions of poultry, 

 and intending to apply for bounty on account of show to be 

 held, should be required to file such intentions with the secre- 

 tary of the Board of Agriculture on or before the first day of 

 November in each year, stating the amount which siich associa- 

 tion proposes to offer in "State first premiums," and, as now, in 

 advance of its show, filing its premium lists and other printed circu- 

 lars. From these certificates it would be a simple matter to pre- 

 pare an estimate for submission to the State Auditor, by Novem- 

 ber 15, of the aggregate required to reimburse in full up to a 

 maximum, say, of $200 each, the amount to be fixed by law, all 

 associations in need of assistance from the State. A principle 

 on which, for ninety-eight years, bounty to agricultural societies 

 has been granted ought to apply to the payment of bounty to 

 the poultry associations. 



At least one association has established a juvenile depart- 

 ment, and is offering "State first premiums" to boys and girls. 

 This, together with a tendency toward the adoption of utility 

 standards of judging and the holding of poultry institutes, is 



