xviii BOARD OF AORTrrLTIHE. [Pub. Doc. 



recommend that the Board make the same request for assistance 

 for the New England Corn Exposition, if it shall hold an exhibi- 

 tion during the current year. 



Farmers' Institutes. 



The institute work has been as successful as usual during the 

 year. One hundred and thirty-eight meetings huxe been held, 

 with 192 sessions. All the societies held 3 or more meetings, 

 except the Iloosac Valley Agricultural Society, which was 

 excused from holding more than 2. Ten societies held 4 or 

 more meetings, and 21 institutes were held with organizations 

 other than agricultural societies. The attendance for the year 

 was very good, averaging 126, as against 110 last year, 137 in 

 1909, 111 in 1908, 118 in 1907, 127 in 1906, 125 in 1905, and 

 figures ranging from 94 in 1S99 to 109 in 1904 for previous years. 



The list of speakers was carefully revised by the committee 

 on institutes and public meetings, and we have as strong a list 

 of sj)eakers as is available for any State in the country. No 

 circuits have been arranged for the coming winter, but Dr. 

 Geo. INI. Twitchell, of Auburn, I\Ie., will be in Boston for a 

 period of about six weeks, and will be available at any time 

 during that period. Your secretary attended the annual meet- 

 ing of the American Association of Farmers' Institute Workers, 

 at Columbus, O., early in November, the same being an inter- 

 esting and profitable session. 



The appropriation for the "dissemination of useful informa- 

 tion in agriculture" was increased $1,000 in 1910, and this 

 increase pro\'ed barely sufficient to meet current expenses, the 

 appropriation being entirely exhausted. Much beside institute 

 work is paid for from this appropriation, including bulletins, 

 crop reports, nature leaflets, etc. These are continually being 

 exhausted and new editions must be printed, so that the work 

 increases more rapidly than the appropriation. I have included 

 an increase of $1,000 for this purpose in my estimates for the 

 year. It will not be necessary to present a bill to the Legis- 

 lature, but I recommend that the Board instruct its committee 

 on legislation to appear before the Legislature and urge the 

 necessity of -this increase. 



