The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1867-04-17
February Repori of the Agricultural
DeuarfmeRf.


We are'indebted to Hon. l.. NJ. Morrill, U.
?. o. lor the Monthly Report of the AgricuI-
.u'" department, Feb. 1867, by the now Ex-
commissioner Newton.
among the matters of interest in il. we
hotice table by Mr. Layes of Fnoland in
Which ne shows that the wheat nrod,,cts of
the last four years in Great Britain have 1;,-
inished from 10 to II per cent below t,,o Co..
age, per acre, ior the fourteen preceding annu-
al harvests, and this progressive decline he
afirms, is now owing to gradually declininc
condition in the land.--to that has been the
same--but to the changing character of the
seasons. Mr. Newton says:
The experiments in manuring, SO long and
Systematically conducted by Mr. Lawes, show,
in the comparison OF yields OF successive years,
the fact that the last three years have been
characterized by successive decline, by near
ly uniform gradations, III the wheat product
and the rate and proportion OF the decline DIFF
fer little from the experience of wheat-grcwers
in this country and in France in the same PEI
Rod. Whether there may be cycles OF varying
production, and a periodieity i'll maximum
yields that may be defined or determined, re-
mains to be proven.
1t Is a fact, elsewhere stated in the Report,
not generally known perhaps, and not easily
accounted for, that France obtains fifty per
cent more wheat per acre than the United
States, and England more than one hundred
per cent. greater crops than ours
With regard to the comparative Yields IN
the different States in the Union, the Report
discloses some facts which we confess rather
surprising. For instance, the average Weld of
wheat in Maine for 1865 was 127 bushels: in
Pennsylvania IL; in Maryland, OF; in Vir-
ginia, 6.7; in Kentucky 65; in Ohio but 4.2.
An acre Of ground, therefore, in Maine, pro-
duces three times as much wheat as an acre
in Ohio OF corn it IS reported that the aver
age in Maine, last year, was 277 bushels per
acre; in Kentucky, 21.S; in Tennessee 20; in
Delaware Is in North Carolina, 14.s; in Ar
kansas, ,13 in Georgia, 10.7 lin Mississippi 10.4
in Alabama, la; in South Carolina, S.3. So
that Maine is ahead of all those States in the
average yield of corn per acre. The other
States exceed us. Nebraska gives AZ; Colora-
do, Al; Indiana, 1913 Ohio, 1922; Vermont 40.
1-4i-al .al5g El s-....l TRAM.
A Portland Musician in Prussia.
The following, from the Berlin correspon-
dence of the Boston Transcript, viii doubtless
be read with interest by the many persons
| in this city to whom our former fellow-citizen
Mr.. Paine, is well known ao--
BERLIN, Feb. "a 1867.
The musical public, and indeed all lovers of
| art in America will be glad 10 learn of the mu-
sical triumph lately achieved here in this great
| German capital by our well-known musician
Mr. John X. Paine. A few months ago Mr.
p. left America ior the purpose OF bringing be-
| fore the public his "Alissa Solemnis" q large
| work, composed for solo, chorus, orchestra, and
| organ. After a loss of several weeks in wait
/ ing for assistance from the two large societies
here, which, through the jealousy of several
musicians, was continually deferred, Mr.. Z.
| resolutely set about forming an independent
| chorus OF his own. Although stranger, he
succeeded in organizing chorus OF more than
two hundred voices, who took SO much inter
est in the work as to attend the rehearsals
three and often four times week, in all sorts
of weather, and who came together on the
night of the performance finely drilled and
perfectly at home with their parts.
The fine hall of the Sing Academic" was
full to repletion, and the audience the most
| brilliant We have seen this season The inter
| est in the occasion was heightened by the
| presence of the Royal personages, the Crown
| Princess, Princess Royal OF England who
| accepted Mr.. Paine's personal invitation 10 DO
present, ana Prince George
tho latter fine musical connoisseur; and
others OF the Court who joined in the repeated
bursts of applause which greeted the composer
at the end OF the performance. The occasion
was a success. Both singers and players SEEM
ed to vie with each other in their efforts to
ry the separate movements through with pre-
cision and expression. The fugues were sung
with fire and with feeling, and III the more dir
ficult passages, the chorus lost not single
note, nor varied hairs breadth from the
pitch.
Especially noticeable was the last movement
of ALL The two hundred voices came as it were
from one mouth So precise and in exact time.
This number, the 'Dona Nobis Pacem" begins
piano. in beautiful flowing measure, original
and unique in style, and after fine climax in
crescendo gradually dies away to the faintest
pianissimo. The audience through the entire
house sat perfectly hushed; and after the last
sound OF the voices had diedaway not a person
stirred till the few closing measures OF the Or
chestra in the hghtest piano and finally plan
issmo had been given, and the players them
selves had relaxed their efforts. There was
breathless silence at the last moment Then
succeeded perfect storm of applause, and the
composer was Immediately surrounded by his
| friends, by musicians from the audience and by
\ his own chorus, offering their congratulation.
Musicians prophecy Tor MIR. Paine a brilliant
| career; and when we bear in mind that he is
| the only American composer who has dared to
| subject himself to the fire OF German criticism
| and do not forget that success hes been achiev-
| ed by himself alone through the beauty and
| force of his music and his own personal energy
we feel sure the prophecy will be fulfilled.