236 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



travelling expenses paid, as per chapter -175, section 8, Acts of 

 1907. The first conference was held at Pittsfield, on October 

 14, and included all of the towns in Berkshire County ; the sec- 

 ond, at JSTorthampton, on October 29, included Hampshire, 

 Hampden and Franklin counties; the third, held at Boston, 

 State House, on ISTovember 4, included all the towns in Essex 

 and Suffolk counties; the fourth convened at Worcester, on 

 Xovember 11, and included the towns of Worcester County; 

 while the fifth, held at Middleborough, on Xovember 18, con- 

 sisted of all the counties of the Caj)e, Plymouth, Barnstable and 

 Dukes. 



These meetings were the first attempts to get the forest ward- 

 ens together. The conferences were in each case held through- 

 out one day, beginning at 10 o'clock and continuing until 4 

 p.M._, taking out only forty-five minutes for lunch. The program 

 consisted in a general outlining of the State's policy by the State 

 Forester, which was followed by a discussion for the remainder 

 of the forenoon, in which the wardens took an active interest. 

 Other subjects discussed by competent speakers were: reforesta- 

 tion ; forestry management ; forest insects and their control ; 

 co-operation of railroads; co-operation of chiefs of fire depart- 

 ments with forest wardens; forest fire equipment; co-operation 

 between towns, etc. 



As was expected, there was not sufiicient time to go into the 

 subjects in detail, but one of the great benefits was in getting 

 the wardens together, and setting them to thinking in lines of 

 accomplishing results in their towns. 



Splendid interest and a very co-operative feeling were mani- 

 fest at each meeting, and it is the opinion of your State Forester 

 that the expenses for these meetings will be as productive of 

 future results as any money investment this year. The total 

 expenses of the five meetings did not exceed $500. The benefits 

 of these conferences are already shown in the increased interest 

 of the forest wardens in sending in reports of fires and in asking 

 for assistance in their work. This conference in the future will 

 resolve itself into" a gathci-iug whereby we may keep })()ste(l on 

 modern methods of fire fighting and other forestry operations. 



