28 DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



5 on birds, 4 on fruit, 3 each on poultry and vegetables, and 1 

 each on marketing, flowers and blasting. 



While some of the meetings were very poorly attended, a few 

 drew unusually large crowds, making the aggregate attendance 

 for the year, exclusive of the union meeting, 7,122, or an aver- 

 age of 127 per session. 



The Drainage Board. 



This Board as now organized is made up of Dr. Eugene R. 

 Kelley, chairman, Wilfrid Wheeler, secretary, X. Henry Good- 

 nough, engineer, and R. W. Harwood, clerk. 



Very little work has come to the Board this year, although 

 four different problems have been considered, namely, Salisbury 

 marshes, Marshfield marshes, Barnstable dike lands and Barn- 

 stable North River. 



The most important of these has been the Salisbury drainage 

 area, the owners of which have formed themselves into a drain- 

 age district and the Board has made the preliminary surveys. 

 Unfortunately, a part of the area of this marsh lies within the 

 State of New Hampshire, where a dike already built would, if it 

 were possible to make some arrangement with the State of 

 New Hampshire, simplify the draining of this area and cut the 

 cost of the work in two. So far as applying the present law to 

 fit this case, it seems impossible, and it is with great regret that 

 the Board has had to report adversely on this project, as it un- 

 doubtedly seems to be the best one yet brought to our attention. 



The Board has acted in an advisory capacity to many persons 

 seeking information on matters connected with land drainage. 

 The Board feels that much more work of a preliminary nature, 

 such as making surveys of such places where eventually drain- 

 age work will be done, should be undertaken. The present 

 drainage law, while in many ways satisfactory, should be 

 amended in order to give an easier method of financing drainage 

 districts. It might be possible for the State to make the loans 

 direct, or at least to guarantee the bonds issued upon the 

 undertaking. 



The Drainage Board should be able to employ an engineer 

 permanently in order that new work may be laid out and as- 

 sistance rendered to those in need of advice in regard to 

 drainage. 



