Vermont.

It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermout: SECTION I. The sum of one thousand dollars is hereby appropriated annually to the Vermont Dairymen's Association, for the purpose of promoting, developing and encouraging the dairy interests of the State.

The Auditor of Accounts is hereby directed to draw an order on the State Treasurer in favor of the Treasurer of the Vermont Dairymen's Association, for the first payment of this appropriation, on the first day of January, A. D. 1889, and annually thereafter so long as the conditions hereinafter provided shall be complied with.

SEC. 2. Said Vermont Dairymen's Association shall hold an annual meeting, continuing for at least three days, at some town or city in this State of easy access to the people, and in some comfortable and convenient building; and said meeting shall be open and free to the people of the State. At said meeting, the best available talent in the country shall be employed to teach and discuss the best methods of dairy farming, and subjects connected therewith; and at said annual meeting, premiums shall be offered for the best dairy products of butter and cheese, to an amount of at least two hundred dollars; such premiums to be awarded by disinterested and expert judges, and paid by the Treasurer of said Vermont Dairymen's Association.

SEC. 3. The Secretary of said Vermont Dairymen's Association, shall, in the month of May or June, of each year, cause to be printed and distributed among the dairymen of this State, a report of the meetings of the Association. Said reports shall contain at least one hundred pages of the addresses, discussions and other proceedings of the meetings; also the awards of premiums and the methods of manufacture of those products to which premiums were awarded. Three thousand copies of said report shall be for the people of the State and two hundred for the State Librarian.

SEC. 4. The Secretary of said Vermont Dairymen's Association shall, on or before December 1, 1889, and annually thereafter, make a detailed and itemized account to the State Auditor of accounts of the receipts and expenses of said Association, which account shall be approved and countersigned by the Treasurer and Auditor of said Association.

SEC. 5. If, in any year, it shall appear to the State Auditor of Accounts that any part of the preceding annual appropriation remains unexpended, or has not been honestly or judiciously expended, then such a part or amount shall be deducted from the order for the next succeeding annual appropriation.

SEC. 6. This act shall take effect from its passage.

SECTION 1. This organization shall be called the "Vermont Dairymen's Association."

SEC. 2. Its object shall be to improve the dairy interests of Vermont, and all subsidiary interests.

SEC. 3. This Association shall consist of such persons as shall signify their desire to become members, and pay the sum of one dollar, and a like sum annually thereafter, and of honorary and corresponding members.

SEC. 4. The payment of five dollars shall constitute a life membership, or the payment of an annual membership fee of one dollar for five consecutive years, shall constitute a life member.

SEC. 5. The officers of the Association shall be a President, two Vice-Presidents (one from each Congressional District), a Secretary, Treasurer, and an Auditor, who shall constitute the Executive Committee, and have the general oversight of all the affairs of the Association.

SEC. 6. There shall be held, during each winter, an Annual Meeting, at such time and place as the Executive Committee may designate, for addresses, discussions, exhibitions, and the election of officers, who shall hold their respective offices for one year, or until their successors are chosen. Said meeting shall continue in session at least three days.

SEC. 7. It shall be the duty of the Secretary to prepare an Annual Report of the transactions of the Association for the current year, embracing such papers, original or selected, as may be approved by the Executive Committee, and cause the same to be published and distributed to the Dairymen of the State of Vermont.

SEC. 8. The Treasurer shall keep the funds of the Association, and disburse them on the order of the President or a Vice-President, countersigned by the Secretary, and shall make a report of the receipts and expenditures to the Annual Meeting.

SEC. 9. This constitution may be amended at any Annual Meeting by a two-thirds vote of all the members present.

REPORT

OF THE

TWENTY-FOURTH ANNUAL MEETING

OF THE

VERMONT DAIRYMEN'S

ASSOCIATION.

CITY HALL, BURLINGTON, VT.

January 9, 1894.

The twenty-fourth annual meeting of the Association was called to order at ten o'clock Tuesday, January 9, by Hon. Henry M. Arms, president.

The Rev. Dr. Hawes invoked divine blessing and the Hon. Seneca Haselton, mayor of Burlington, delivered the following

ADDRESS OF WELCOME.

Mr. President and Gentlemen of the Vermont Dairymen's Association: This Association, which now enters upon the first session of its twenty-fourth annual meeting, is easily the most representative organization in our state. It is so in the first place as respects its membership, as will be apparent to all of you before the sessions of this meeting are over. It is so as respects its object, which is the fostering of that industry which has been the chief source of the prosperity of our state in the past, and which must be the cornerstone of such prosperity as the future has in store for us. I shall not venture into statistics, for I have but a few moments at my disposal. There are some 35,000 farms in Vermont, most of which are mainly devoted to the industry of dairying. If that industry is to languish, then the general movement of things in this state will be a retrograde movement; but if that industry is to be increasingly remunerative, and consequently attractive, then Vermont people,

Vermont institutions and Vermont homes will continue to be objects of just encomiums as they have been in the past, and will continue to awaken some of the best sentiments of which human nature is capable.

Gentlemen of the Association, and its guests, on behalf of the people of Burlington I heartily welcome you here on this occasion, and further than that, on their behalf I thank you for coming here and bringing the distinguished speakers who are to be present from our own and from other states, whom we shall all be delighted to listen to, I am sure. I thank you, in short, for making Burlington the scene of what I believe is to be a delightful, interesting and profitable mid-winter fair.

I regret I have to leave the city. I have to go to Montpelier to attend the session of the Supreme Court which convenes there today, so that I shall be unable to remain with you during this morning session, and I greatly regret that I shall not be able to stay and hear the address of your president. (Applause.)

The response to the address of welcome was delivered by the Hon. Cloud Harvey of Barnet, as follows:

RESPONSE OF HON. CLOUD HARVEY.

Mr. President, Mayor Haselton, and Gentlemen:

No one regrets more keenly than I that a more eloquent tongue had not been selected to answer the hearty words of welcome from his excellency, the mayor. A year ago when the question came up as to where we should hold the next annual meeting, several places were mentioned and among others, the city of Burlington. It seemed to me that for this Association to come to Burlington to hold its annual "round up"-if I may use that expression-was like shipping coal to Pennsylvania. At this city is located the Agricultural College and the Experiment Station; here are held the dairy schools of the state, at which all the steps, from the time the cow is fed to the time the butter comes on to the table of the epicure, are carefully noted and reported, so that all may have the benefit of scientific research. It may be, however, that this Association has a mission here; its mission seems to be not so much to deal with minute details, as with general results. The Association has for its object the bringing together as much as possible the best dairymen of the state, so that they may compare notes; so that they may tell us what the results of life's experience has been, in order that the next generation may start off a little farther along than they did; and so the Association has a mission here.

The past year has been fraught with much that is interesting and profitable; the great Columbian Exhibition has come and wrought its mission and has gone; the result of that, as it affects the dairymen