PUBLKJ WINTER MEETING OF THE BOARD, 

 AT WORCESTER. 



The annual public winter meeting of the State Board of 

 Agriculture was held at Horticultural Hall, Worcester, on 

 Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, December 5, 6 and 7. 

 The weather was unusually favorable, being generally clear 

 and moderately cool. 



The meeting was called to order at 10 a.m., by Secretary 

 Ellsworth, who introduced First Vice-President William R. 

 Sessions as the presiding officer for the morning session. 



Prayer was offered by Rev. A. W. Hitchcock of Central 

 Church, Worcester. 



The Chair. We meet in the beautiful and enterprising- 

 city of Worcester through the invitation of its people, in 

 connection with various societies here, and the mayor is 

 present to welcome us in behalf of the city. We will listen 

 to him. 



ADDEESS OF WELCOME, BY HIS HONOE WALTEE 



H. BLODGET. 



Mr. President and gentlemen : Among the pleasures which 

 come to the mayor of a city, and which are mixed up with 

 the many troubles that we have, is the pleasure of welcom- 

 ing delegations from other places to our city. And especially 

 is this a pleasure for me this morning to come here and wel- 

 come a gathering of agricultural people to our manufactur- 

 ing city. You have come, gentlemen, to one of the largest 

 and best manufacturing cities in this country. I suppose 

 that we have a greater variety of manufacturing industries in 

 W^orcester than in nearly any other city in this country ; and 

 I also suppose that we have more skilled master mechanics, 

 for the size of our city, than any other city in this country. 



