xii BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



with the demonstration. The last demonstration of the 

 meeting was of the killing and preparation of fowls for mar- 

 ket, by Mr. W. D. Rudd of South Natick. Mr. Rudd has 

 had years of experience in both the producing and the sale 

 end of the market poultry Ijusiness, and is particularly well 

 qualified to explain the proper preparation of poultry for 

 the Boston market. His running lecture on this and other 

 phases of poultry raising was very practical and instructive. 

 These demonstrations were held in the magnificent out-door 

 theatre at the park, the use of which was donated by the 

 manao^ement. The laro-e and well-lio-hted stao;e and the ex- 

 cellent arrangement of the seats in the sloping auditorium 

 gave every one an excellent opportunity to see and hear. 



The demonstrations were followed by an excellent dinner 

 in the open-air dining room, furnished by the caterer at the 

 park. Nearly five hundred people sat down to dinner, and 

 probably twice as many more availed themselves of the 

 opportunity to enjoy the basket lunches which they brought 

 with them. After dinner the principal address was delivered 

 by Governor C. «T. Bell of Vermont, on the advantages 

 of country life. Other speakers were Lieutenant-Governor 

 Eben S. Draper, President Kenyon L. Butterfield of the 

 Massachusetts Agricultural College, and members of the 

 Board. Following the speaking many of those present 

 visited the dairy farm of Mr. George N. Proctor, situated 

 within a few minutes' walk of the park. The meeting at 

 Fitchburg is likely to remain for some time a model to be 

 imitated, but it is not probable that it will be soon excelled. 



The public winter meeting for lectures and discussions 

 was held at Springfield, at the invitation of the Si)ringfield 

 Board of Trade. The addresses and discussions were fully 

 up to the high level of excellence set by the meetings of 

 previous years, and from the standpoint of valuable matter, 

 to be later included in the annual report of the Board, the 

 meeting was a great success. The attendance, however, was 

 considerably below what it should have been, and this in 

 spite of the central location and good railroad and trolley 

 connections, to say nothing of the pains that had been taken 

 in advertising the meeting. The weather was not especially 



