33 



results, killing all the small borers and many of the large ones, and what was 

 most surprising was the increased vigor of the trees ; hope others will try it on a 

 small scale. 



The blight on pear trees is hard to control : if from poison sap, the remedy 

 is to cut them to the sound wood. The insect blight is caused by a small borer 

 eating the branch (near a joint) through and through, finally girdling it. It then 

 will cut to sound wood. Pear trees are always injured by summer pruning ; it 

 makes the injury great. By watching close you can see black spots near a joint ; 

 if cut when the spots are very small you will not find any blight below. The 

 damage done by insects is immense ; that done to all crops would pay our nation- 

 al debt annually. To destroy them protect the birds, toads, and all ichneumon 

 flies. My ignorance is so great of these insects, I wish books plainly written 

 could be introduced in our schools that children might get interested in them. 

 If a few varieties of them could be destroyed it would save millions of dollars. 

 I hope all persons will take more interest in the subject, and not think the 

 business too small for their consideration. I would recommend the premiums 

 on orchards to be hereafter $8, -f <>, $4. 



George W. Pareish. 



The Committee on Orchards having attended to the duty assigned them, 

 make the following awards : 



Best Apple Orchard, set in spring ol' 18TT. Orren Benedict, Pittsfleld, SIO 



2d do., George H. Cobb, West Stockbridge, 8 



There was but one entry of Pear Orchards, and this one was not, in the 

 judgment of the Committee, worthy of the first premium, we award to 



Orren Benedict, Pittsfleld, Second Premivim, $8 



DWIGHT BOARDMAN, ) ., , ... ^ 

 GEORGE W. PARRISH, \ Committee. 



REPORTS OF COMMITTEES. 



The t:^ommittee on Reports of Examining Committees, report that, in their 

 opinion, none of the reports submitted are worthy of a premium. 



FARMEE8' INHTITUTES. 



The first Institute of the Housatonic Agricultural Society was held in Memo- 

 rial hall in Lee, on Wednesday, June 11, 1879. The meeting was called to order 

 by the President at half past ten, a. m,, at which time only about thirty -five per- 

 sons were present, but the number gradually increased to about one hundred be- 

 fore the close of the afternoon session. The morning was occupied in discussing 

 "The Grass and Hay Crop," presented by Charles L. Flint, Esq., Secretary of the 

 State Board of Agriculture, followed by questions and remarks from various 

 members present. Mr. Flint's remarks, as well as those of other speakers on the 

 various subjects presented and discussed at this and the subsequent Institutes 

 have been so fully reported in the columns of The Berkshire Courier, that they 

 are thus presented below, with but few additions or alterations. 



By way of preliminary, Mr. Flint explained how the present plan of holding 

 Institutes came to be adopted. Several years ago meetings of this kind were held 

 voluntarily in the eastern part of the State, where the farmers found them so val- 

 uable that the Board soon recommended their general extension to all sections. 

 Wherever the recommendation was acted upon, the good results were so marked 

 that after due consideration the Board decided to require every Agricultural So- 

 ciety in the State to hold three Institutes a year. The general feeling at Lee, on 



