that they grew into a general exhibition of all sorts of farm products; and it has now become a "Fair," with the cattle and the farm products in the background, and attractions to amuse the people in the foreground. Last fall there were thirty-five agricultural fairs held by the incorporated societies drawing bounty from the State, besides fifty exhibitions by town granges and farmers' clubs, or a total of eighty-five shows in the State, nearly all held within six weeks.

THE CATTLE-SHOW BUSINESS OVERDONE.

The agricultural show business in Massachusetts is evidently overdone; but I would not discourage the holding of local town shows, for these, it seems to me, are fully as valuable as the larger ones. Neither would I prevent the established societies from holding exhibitions if they desired them for a public holiday, but I would not make it a stipulation that each society must hold a fair in order to draw the State bounty.

There are certain localities that are favorable for holding great shows each year, even without bounty from the State. Brockton is one of them. While giving a very creditable exhibition of stock and hall displays, it excels in furnishing attractions for amusing the people. I confess that I like to go to the Brockton show, for the same reason that I like to go to Barnum's circus. It amuses and entertains me. As an agricultural circus, it is a great success. If there are societies favorably located for this kind of business,—for it is a business requiring special talent, I am not sure but that it is perfectly legitimate; but the State should contribute no bounty directly or indirectly to such societies.

THE BOUNTY CONTROLLED BY THIS BOARD.

As to the bounties, I believe the amount in the aggregate which is now given to the different agricultural societies should be continued, but that the expenditure of it should be under the direct control of this Board. This will be bitterly opposed; but you will admit that some change should be made, for much of the money given to the societies at the present time is worse than squandered. In some

sections the present system is developing a class of professional exhibitors, both of cattle and horses, who travel about from one society to another, and from State to State, with well-groomed herds, taking premiums that should go to farmers in that particular locality. It is the amateur pitted against the professional. To such an extent has this practice grown, that in some societies hardly anything but "professional herds" appear, the local farmer staying at home, or leaving his stock there. It is true that these "professional herds" are usually excellent types, and afford good object lessons, and it may be well to have them present. In that case let us hire them to exhibit, instead of paying them the premiums which rightfully belong to local exhibitors.

A NEW DEPARTURE IN THE USE OF STATE BOUNTY.

I would not take the $600 bounty from a weak society struggling into existence, and paying premiums judiciously to farmers within its own limits, but let it proceed as heretofore.

In a society, however, like Worcester, the $600 might be used for carrying on some practical work in the way of field demonstration, such, for example, as in the use of insecticides. How many farmers of this society, for instance, know how to prepare the Bordeaux mixture or other insecticides, and apply them in the most effective way to fruit and foliage trees? Moreover, what difference would it make to the Worcester society in its success, whether it received the $600 or not? Its total expenses and receipts are upward of $30,000 yearly, and the question of its success cannot in any way depend upon the State bounty. Therefore, in this society the money might be well expended for a number of years in field work of this kind.

DAIRY SCHOOLS.

In another society, Barre, for example, which is now out of debt, the $600 could be used in giving practical illustrations in the manufacture of butter and cheese. There are as many as a dozen different varieties of cheese sold extensively in this country, most of which are imported. Is

there any good reason why we should not make them here? And is there any good reason why this Board should not send abroad for men or women who understand how to make these varieties, to teach the process in the dairy sections of the State? The $600 could well be expended in the Barre society and in Franklin and Berkshire, in work of this kind.

COOKING SCHOOLS.

Again, take the Worcester Northwest Society, which I represent. Here, practical demonstrations could be given in farm cookery; and, as the society is made up of mechanics and farmers, it would be a benefit to both classes. What a splendid thing it would be to establish for a while in the town of Athol, the centre of the district, a cooking-school that should inculcate better methods in the culinary art. If any one here wants to know how that art has degenerated, let him stop at some of the country hotels whose cooks are recruited from the neighborhood. The same sort of work could be carried on for a time in the Fitchburg and Taunton societies, and so on from county to county. In such work we should be directly benefiting and interesting the women of the farms; and who need to be encouraged more?

"BALANCED RATIONS" FOR TABLE AND STABLE.

What we need throughout New England is a class of men like Professor Atwater of Washington, and Mr. Edward Atkinson of Boston, who shall go about teaching the chemistry of table foods, and the relations of different food substances to each other. Our agricultural papers are full of "balanced rations" for the cow, the pig and the horse. We know almost to a nicety how to feed for milk, for butter, or for muscle and fat. We are studying the relations of protein to carbo-hydrates, in our rations for the stable; but are we studying them with reference to the food which we place upon our tables?

We are thinking more about the diet of

the calf than of the child, more about the food of the cow than of the mother and daughter. Heaven grant that we may not become so sordid that we shall see only the dumb animals on our farms, and forget the human beings.

In the Middlesex North, at Lowell, the $600 could be expended for a time in illustrating better methods of road making; while in the Middlesex South, at Framingham, the money might be used for lessons in forestry, and, if you choose, in supplying seeds for forest preservation.

In the Hampden Society the bounty could be expended in experiments with tobacco, while on the Cape it could be used in work relating to the cranberry.

How many farmers know the character of the rocks and soils, also the grasses, and their habits of growth? Suppose a school should be called in Concord, to study not philosophy, but nature, as exhibited in the rocks and grasses of our fields. Let the instructor be a practical botanist and geologist, who shall know how to present the subject with a great deal of sense, and sufficient science to make it accurate.

In some sections the money could still be used for granting premiums upon stock, the Board itself to determine to what class of stock, and how, the premiums should be awarded.

SANITATION OF MILK FARMS.TRAVELING SCHOOLS.

In the milk sections, which supply milk for the Boston market, the bounty could be used in demonstrating the importance of better sanitation in farm barns and buildings, by lectures given on the ground, pointing out diseased cattle, with clinical demonstrations. Let tuberculous cattle be examined, and the difference shown between those diseased and healthy. At another time let the water and drainage of the farm buildings where milk stock is kept be discussed, observing the good features and criticising the bad ones, in short, giving object-lessons which shall appeal to the eye and the sense of the practical farmer. Upon this subject Governor Hoard of Wisconsin has spoken to the point. He says: "Somebody must be educated; but the business of milk raising is in the hands of farmers and their sons, who cannot all be sent to a special school. Farmers have accustomed themselves from childhood to judge by the eye alone. Perhaps I am a little skeptical on this subject, but I believe

more in going about the country and getting in with the people of a neighborhood than by any other means. I believe dairy education of most value is to be found in these traveling schools, and their centers should be at the factories and creameries now in existence. These are practical schools, and appeal to the sense and understanding of the farmers."* We should have traveling schools that shall give oral and optical demonstrations in the various departments of husbandry. We may not know just how it will work, but let us begin, and after we have begun we shall find that knowledge and experience will light the way to further progress.

This Board, in conjunction with the societies, should also take up the work of developing the consumption of certain food products, such as milk, cheese, mutton, fruits and vegetables.

STATE CONTROL OF MILK SUPPLY.

Why should we not take steps, not only to improve the milk supply of large cities, but also to increase its consumption, for it is a healthful article of food if it comes from wholesome sources.

I go so far as to believe that it is for the welfare of the State to take an active interest in the milk question. City governments believe that it is for their interest to control the water supply; but the article of milk, more difficult and delicate than water to handle, drawn from sources that are

* President Goodell, commending this feature of the plan, says: "In Germany, itinerant lecturers are employed by agricultural societies, who travel about giving such local information as would be of practical benefit to the farmers. In France, ninety departmental professors of agriculture are supported by the government at an expense of $57,000 annually, whose duty it is to deliver lectures on agriculture to teachers and to farmers in the towns of the district. In Belgium the fifty-two agricultural societies engage itinerant lecturers to give information on selected subjects to farmers in the chief villages. This plan is also followed in the Netherlands. In all these countries, the effort is made to bring the information direct to the farmer. Jenkins, in his report for 1884, says: In Denmark the butter sold in the markets was execrably bad. To-day it has no rival in the London market. The result is directly attributable to the technical instruction given by the lecturers employed to go about from place to place.' The same tale is told both of the amount and quality of other articles exported, especially of barley, pigs and cattle. In Ireland a traveling educational dairy owned by the Royal Agricultural Society of Ireland is employed, in which churning is done three times a day while the lecturer gives instruction. Prizes are offered to the dairymaid passing the best examination after having attended three consecutive lectures. The improvement in the quality of butter in the districts where this dairy has been wheeled about has been most marked."