xvi BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



grounds of sentiment, but should not prevail in the face of the 

 manifest interest of the farmer in the matter. The Commission 

 on Fisheries and Game gives the number of deer killed during - 

 1910, doing damage in crops, as 327; during the open season, 

 1,281; total, 1,G08. In 1911 the numbers were, doing damage 

 in crops, 230; during the open season, 1,209; total, 1,499; or 

 109 less than in 1910. This shows that the number of deer in 

 the State is probably not increasing, a gain to agriculture. I 

 would recommend that the Board instruct its secretary and 

 committee on legislation to oppose any attempt to repeal the 

 present law in relation to wild deer, or to amend the said law 

 along lines that would afford greater protection to these animals. 



ClL\NGES IN THE BoARD. 



The changes in the membership of the Board during the year 

 came about entirely through the expiration of the terms of 

 various members. Members retiring because of expiration of 

 terms of ser\'ice are: Charles E. Ward, after nearly four years 

 of service; J. J. Mason of the Amesbury and Salisbury Agri- 

 cultural and Horticultural Society, after twelve years of service; 

 Frank P. Newkirk of the Hampshire, Franklin and Hampden 

 Agricultural Society, after three years of service, but appointed 

 by the Governor in place of Mr. Ward; Henry A. Turner of the 

 Hingham Agricultural and Horticultural Society, after three 

 years of service representing that society; L. J. Northup of the 

 Iloosac Valley Agricultural Society, after three years of service; 

 N. B. Turner of the Housatonic Agricultural Society, after 

 three years of service; and John S. Appleton of the Nantucket 

 Agricultural Society, after three years of service. 



Meetings of the Board. 

 The Board held its annual summer field meeting at Concord 

 on July 25, 1911. A lecture on asparagus growing, and an 

 explanation of the experiments on asparagus at the asparagus 

 branch of the Massachusetts Agricultural Experiment Station, 

 was given by Mr. Charles J. Prescott, while Dr. H. J. Wheeler, 

 director of the Rhode Island Agricultural Experiment Station, 

 gave an exceedingly valuable aiul interesting paper on alfalfa 

 growing. The attendance was good despite the extreme heat. 



