xviii BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



main show a comnieiidable desire to make these meetings a 

 success. 



One hundred and forty meetings were held during the 

 year, with 192 sessions. All the societies on the Board held 

 3 or more meetings, except the Spencer and Hoosac Valley 

 societies, where the holding of more than 2 meetings seemed 

 inadvisable from local causes, and which societies sought 

 and obtained permission from your secretary to omit them. 

 The Massachusetts Society for Promoting Agriculture is not 

 required to hold these institutes. Ten societies held 4 or 

 more meetings, while 26 meetings were held in sections not 

 covered by societies represented on the Board, or by organi- 

 zations devoted to special interests in agriculture and with 

 membership covering the State or large portions of it. 



The average attendance for the year is the largest ever 

 attained in the State, being 137 per session. The attendance 

 in 1908 was 111, in 1907 it was 118, in 1906 it was 127, 

 and in 1905 it was 125. Figures for attendance before that 

 date range from 94 in 1899 to 109 in 1904. The increase 

 from year to year suffered a slight check in 1908, but in 1909 

 resumed its upward movement with an increased momentum. 



We do not plan to arrange any circuits of institutes this 

 year, but Dr. Geo. M. Twitchell of Maine will make Boston 

 his headquarters from February 10 to March 15, and will be 

 available for institute work between those dates. The com- 

 mittee on institutes and public meetings carefully revised 

 the list of speakers and subjects this year, with the result 

 that we are offering a better list than ever before. Some 

 speakers were dropped from the list and others added, care 

 being taken that only those of established reputation should 

 be added to the list. We doubt if there is a State in the Union 

 where there are so many good speakers to choose from. This 

 is due in a large measure to the near ])roximity of the agri- 

 cultural colleges and experiment stations of TvTew Hampshire, 

 Connecticut and Rhode Island from which institutions we 

 are able to draw the best of speakers, in addition to those 

 located with the agi-icultural cducatiouMl institutions of our 

 own State. 



