PRESIDKNT S REPORT. 5 



of holding Institutes in the towns adjoining. The next and last 

 meeting of the season was held at Leominster with the local So- 

 ciety. The day was very rainy and the traveling very bad, making 

 it quite difficult for many to attend, but notwithstanding the state 

 of the weather there was a good attendance, both in the morning 

 and afternoon. Hon. W. W. Rawson, of the State Board, ad- 

 dressed the meeting. His subject, Market Gardening, brought 

 out many inquiries and considerable discussion on the part of the 

 audience, all resulting in much valuable information being gained 

 and creating considerable interest among those present. It was 

 evident that this joint meeting was very satisfactory and productive 

 of good results. An excellent dinner was provided for all who 

 were fortunate enough to be present, by the Leominster Club. 

 This Institute closes the list of meetings, five in number having 

 been held. They were a complete success and fully met the de- 

 sire of the officers in charge, and no doubt will do much to assist 

 this Society in its efforts to improve its condition. 



In the early part of the season the Society was favored with a 

 free lecture by Surgeon General A. F. Holt, of Cambridge. Sub- 

 ject : Contagious Diseases in our Homes, and how they are caused 

 and how to prevent them. The evening appointed for the lecture 

 proved very stormy, so that it was postponed for a week. The 

 second evening was extremely cold and blustering, and the at- 

 tendance not as large as the importance of the subject demanded. 

 It is to be regretted that so valuable and instructive a lecture 

 secured so small an audience. This was furnished by the State 

 Board of Agriculture free to the Society. 



In accordance with a vote passed at the annual meeting, the 

 board of trustees took into consideration the proposed plan of 

 holding a Spring exhibition of the fruits of the season. This new 

 project met the approval of the board, and the last Tuesday in 

 June was set as the time to hold the same. This exhibition was 

 to be known as a Rose and Strawberry Show, and to be held in 

 the hall on the fair grounds. 



The committee of arrangements in preparing for this show 

 found the public slow to respond to their invitation to exhibit, the 

 purpose of this new venture not lieing well understood. But 



