" SEVENTEENTH ANNUAL MEETING. 20I 



several State AgriculUiral organizations working indepen- 

 dently of each other to a great extent. This lack of coopera- 

 tion has always handicapped the work and prevented its full- 

 est success, so that last year fewer institutes were held than 

 in former years. 



While it has been the policy of the Pomological Society 

 to cooperate with Ihe other State associations whenever pos- 

 sible, most of our efforts the past year have been directed to 

 holding Fruit Growers' Institutes, believing that in this way 

 we were making the best use of the State funds placed at our 

 disposal, and at the same time benefitting the fruit interests of 

 the State, which is the chief aim of our organization. How- 

 ever, where local conditions demanded it, we have given poul- 

 try and dairy topics a place on the program, and drawn 

 speakers from the State Poultry and Dairymen's Associations. 



The agricultural interests of our State are so varied that 

 institute work should be conducted along the broadest possi- 

 ble lines, and it is only by so doingf that the work can be made 

 of greatest value to the people of the rural towns. 



The institute season is usually reckoned from November 

 around to November again, and taking up the Society's record 

 where the last Annual Report left off, we have twelve in- 

 stitutes to make the record for 1907. 



As usual, most of the invitations for these meetings came 

 from local granges, and it is to their support and cooperation 

 that a large share of the credit is due. The list of places and 

 ■dates of the season's institutes is as follows : Norwich. De- 

 cember 13, 1906; Thompson, December, 14; Glastonbury. 

 January 23. 1907 ; Union, January 24 ; Rockville, Januar\ 

 25 ; Middlefield, February 19 ; Hebron, February 27 ; Hig- 

 ganum, March 1; East Haddam, March 15; Milford, March 

 20; Danielson, March 22, and Berlin, March 26. 



Twenty-two sessions were held, with an agg^regate atten- 

 •dance of over 800 persons. 



Eighteen speakers were employed, comprising practical 

 farmers and fruit growers, as well as representatives from the 

 •experiment stations and the Agricultural College. Too much 

 cannot be said in ])raise of the efforts of these institute work- 



