No. 4.] REPORT OF SECRETARY. xxxv 



scription of the work of the boj's' and girls' clubs during the 

 year will be found under that heading. 



Cups were offered in the students' apple judging and packing 

 contests, and great interest was manifested in these. A cup was 

 also awarded for the best exhibit of apiary products at the New 

 England fair at Worcester. 



Cups were offered for best window displays of apples in 

 Boston and Brockton, and prizes awarded in the boys' stock 

 judging contest at Lowell. 



Meetings of the Board. 



The Board has held its regular meetings the past year. The 

 annual meeting was in January, at which the routine business 

 of the year is done, reports read, and legislation decided upon. 

 The summer meeting was held at Hood Farm, Lowell, on 

 June 24, and in spite of a hot day a very large number of 

 people gathered to listen to a most interesting program. 



Discussions on spraying, marketing and swine raising, 

 together with demonstrations of irrigating appliances, the use 

 of dynamite in agriculture, and boys' stock judging contest, 

 completed a profitable day. The Board gave a hearty vote of 

 thanks to Mr. Hood for his hospitality. 



In July a most successful dynamiting demonstration was held 

 at Valley Field Farm, Lexington, at which more than 300 

 persons were present. 



The winter meeting of the Board was held in Worcester in 

 the rooms of the horticultural society, in co-operation with the 

 Worcester Horticultural Society, Worcester County Improve- 

 ment League, Massachusetts Dairymen's Association, Massa- 

 chusetts Milk Inspectors' Association, New England Alfalfa 

 Growers' Association and other organizations. The subjects 

 discussed were poultry, market gardening, fruit growing, 

 raising beef cattle, home economics, milk production, alfalfa, 

 and farm accounting. All sessions of these meetings were well 

 attended, the average being over 200. The splendid spirit of 

 co-operation manifested by all the organizations, the desire on 

 the part of the citizens of W^orcester, and particularly the 

 W^orcester Chamber of Commerce, to make the meeting a 

 success, marks one of the bright spots of the year in agriculture. 



