xvi BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



300 to 399 ; at 15, from 200 to 299 ; at 50, from 100 to 

 199 ; at 45, from 50 to 99 ; and at 27 it was less than 50. 



If the institute work is to continue to progress and to 

 take on new features in the way of demonstrations, new 

 speakers from a distance, etc., an increased appropriation 

 will be a necessity within a very few years. Our present 

 appropriation of $3,000 for the dissemination of useful in- 

 formation in agriculture is barely sufficient for present needs, 

 and will not admit of expansion and improvement. But a 

 portion of this appropriation is devoted to institutes, and the 

 other lines of work are also constantly broadening and ex- 

 panding. I would call this matter to the attention of the 

 Board, and ask for careful consideration on the part of the 

 members as to whether an increased appropriation is not 

 likely to be a necessity for the present year. 



On Nov. 12 and 13, 1906, your secretary attended the 

 annual meeting of the National Association of Farmers' In- 

 stitute Workers, at Baton Rouge, La., and read a paper 

 upon ' ' How the institutes can interest the city or town 

 dweller in rural life." The meeting was a very successful 

 one, and was well attended by those at the head of the insti- 

 tute work in the various States. A comparison of the re- 

 ports submitted at the meeting as to the work in the various 

 States shows that Massachusetts is in the front rank in total 

 number of meetings and in attendance per session, and, 

 further, that we make an even more favorable showing in 

 the way of attendance per dollar of money expended, being 

 surpassed in this respect by but three States. On the fol- 

 lowing two days I attended the annual meeting of the Asso- 

 ciation of Agricultural Colleges and Experiment Stations, as 

 a delegate from the Board of Trustees of the Massachusetts 

 Agricultural College. 



Better Farming Special Train. 

 The " better farming special train " is a western idea, 

 brousfht to New England with excellent results. The credit 

 for the commencement of agitation on the subject lies with the 

 "New England Homestead," which took the matter up last 

 winter and pushed it to a successful conclusion. The train, 



