No. 4.] RETURNS OF SOCIETIES. 469 



awarded and paid. The society reports 735 members, — 

 515 males and 220 females. Eight farmers' institutes were 

 held at Hingham : January 27, on "Among the ferns;" 

 February 24, on "Cranberry culture," "Increasing of 

 varieties of vegetables" and "The time to plant tomato 

 seed, to pot plants, etc.;" March 23, on "Spraying trees 

 and shrubs;" April 27, on "Observations at the Atlanta 

 Exposition and in the South;" May 25, on "Fertilizers;" 

 July 20, on "Market gardening;" August 17, on "What 

 cro})s are most profitable to raise in Hingham ? " and Decem- 

 ber 4, on " The best way to redeem a weedy, wornout lawn," 

 " Cases of mildew in a grapery" and " Potato culture." 



HOOSAC VALLEY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Incorporated 1860, Acts of 1860, chapter 56. 



Originally raised by contribution, $2,00G ; now has $16,- 

 800 invested as a capital stock in real estate, crockery, 

 tables, etc. Total assets, $16,844.72 : real estate, $16,300; 

 crockery, tables, etc., $500; cash, $44.72. Total liabilities, 

 $4,49180: premiums due and unpaid, $991.80; outstand- 

 ing bills, $200 ; note, $3,300. Receipts in 1896, $5,456.10 : 

 bounty, $600 ; new members, $45 ; other sources, $4,811.10. 

 Expenditures in 1896, $5,978.04 : premiums paid, $1,988.95 ; 

 current running expenses, $3,116.59; interest, $82.50; 

 other expenses, $790. The society offered $4,288 in pre- 

 miums, awarded $2,980.75* and paid $1,988.95, which w^ent 

 to 21 cities and towns. One hundred and fifty-two dollars 

 and twenty-five cents went to 3 towns outside the State. 

 Two hundred and fifty-seven persons received premiums. 

 Under head of farms $18 was awarded and paid ; under farm 

 and pet stock $623 was awarded and paid ; under field and 

 garden crops $165 was awarded and paid; under farm and 

 garden products $161.50 was awarded and paid; under dairy 

 products $21.50 was awarded and paid; under domestic 

 manufactures $268.75 was awarded and paid; under agri- 

 cultural implements $23 was awarded and paid ; under 

 trotting $1,570 was paid; under ol)jects other than agri- 

 cultural, not specified, $130 was awarded and paid. The 

 society reports 977 members, — 961 males and 16 females. 



* Of this amount, $1,570 was paid for trotting. 



