384 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



urer of the Massacliusetts Audubon Society, also prepared some 

 inexpensive nesting boxes. Nearly a thousand of the Ware 

 boxes were put up, and a large percentage of them were occu- 

 pied by birds. 



In co-operation with the Massachusetts State Grange many 

 educational entertainments and illustrated lectures have been 

 given among the rural population during the past few years. 

 At the annual meeting of the State grange at Worcester in 

 1909 a resolution for the appointment of a committee on wild 

 birds was adopted, and State Master Gardner named a com- 

 mittee, of which C. H. Rice was chairman, and Mrs. Ella 

 Ormsby Marshall, secretary. 



This committee at once began active work, taking a hand in 

 both State and national legislation for the protection of birds, 

 introducing entertaining, instructive bird work into the pro- 

 grams of the subordinate granges, and as time went on and the 

 committee was made permanent and its membership increased, 

 members have given talks on birds in many granges. This work 

 has been seconded and advised from the office of the State Or- 

 nithologist. The master of the State grange, Edward E. Chap- 

 man, is an active supporter of the committee's work, as was 

 Past Master Gardner, who has published much in favor of bird 

 protection in the official grange paper which circulates very 

 widely. 



The following extract from the annual report of Mrs. George 

 S. Ladd of Sturbridge, lecturer of the State grange, plainly 

 shows her attitude toward the movement for bird protection, and 

 gives a brief account of one of the gTange activities for the birds 

 in 1914: — 



Massachusetts farm people are noted for their hospitality and whole- 

 heartedness, but they have been neg'lecting some of their best friends; 

 and I do not believe I am stating it too emphatically when I say some 

 of the best friends the farmers have are the birds, and it is our duty 

 to protect and encourage them. Studying expenditures in our State 

 I find we have been spending immense sums of money to destroy the 

 injurious insects and allowing the hunters to kill the natural destroyers 

 of these insects, — the birds. It seemed to me that education as well 

 as legislation was needed to protect them, and accordingly I planned 

 two Bird Field Days, the first of the kind probably ever held in the 

 country, and their success was due to the splendid co-operation of our 

 State master, State Ornithologist, Audubon Society, our efficient State 



