Ko. 4.] REPORT OF SECRETARY. ix 



Changes in the Boahd. 



Changes in inenilicrship resulting from elections by the 

 several societies will be given in the report of the committee 

 on credentials in the proceedings of the annual meeting. 



Members retiring because of expiration of term of service 

 are: A. ]M. Lyman of the Hampshire Agricultural Society; 

 Enos W.Boise of the Union Agricultural and Horticultural 

 Societ}' ; John 0. Avery of the Spencer Farmers' and Me- 

 chanics' Association ; and T. H. Goodspeed of the Worces- 

 ter Northwest Ao-ricultural and Mechanical Societv. A. M. 

 Stevens of the Hoosac Valley Agricultural Society retires 

 from the Board because of the ineligibilit}^ of the society 

 to further representation. 



We record with sorrow the death of a former secretary of 



this Board, Hon. John E. Russell of Leicester, at his home 



on the morning of October 28. ,The members of the Board 



and the ex-members who were associated with Mr. Russell 



on the Board were notified of the hour and place of the 



fiuieral services, which were quite generally attended on 



their part. 



Meetings of the Board. 



The summer meeting of the Board was held at the Massa- 

 chusetts Agricultural College, Amherst, June 17, and, while 

 lackino^ the historical interest attaching; to the fiftieth anni- 

 versary meeting of the year preceding, was in many respects 

 the most interestinor and valuable meetini^ of the kind as vet 

 held. The members of the Board had an excellent oppor- 

 tunity to inspect the college and experiment station, and to 

 gauge the benefits to be derived from them b}^ the theses of 

 the members of the o-raduating class at the commencement 

 exercises of the college, held that day. Rev. Dr. Willard 

 Scott of Worcester addressed the meeting of the Board, 

 and his address will be found printed on pages 8—12 of this 

 volume. 



The public winter meeting for lectures and discussions was 

 held at Athol, Dec. 1, 2 and 3, 1903, and was highly suc- 

 cessful in every way. The speakers engaged were in the 

 first rank on their various sulxjects, which included poultry 



