The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1868-02-03
rIaine Bonrd of fAgriculfure.

This Board adjourned without day Tuesday
2Sth instant. A very commendable spirit char
acterized their proceedings during their ses-
sion. Many interesting subjects have been
brought before them and discussed with ear
nestness and ability. The question of apply
ing manures was taken up. Mr.. Carpenter
thought there was no better way to manure
land to be seeded down than to use green ma
nure, having it well mixed with the soil at
the time of seeding, Mr.. Holmes experiment.
ed with Goes superphosphate by the side of
plaster, under corn and saw no value from
the phosphate. Manuring in the hill with old
manure and a little plaster produced the best
crop, green manure with plaster The next BEST
and Goes phosphate the poorest YIELD Mr..
Wilder also had tried phosphate on different
crops and received no benefit from it. Fish
pomace applied to the soil and well worked in
produced heavy yields of potatoes and those
free from rot. OF plaster he didn't think
much.
Mr.. Wasson made lengthy remarks on ma
nures and their application. In his section
pogy chum had risen from 25 cents per load
to $50 per ton. The Cumberland Bone super
phosphate had given satisfactory results.
Muck on the coast is valueless, but in the in
terror it was no doubt valuable Our farmers
must pay more attentionIto saving liquid ma
nures and construct their barns with that
view. The solid portions will take care of
themselves while the liquid will run to waste,
if not prevented. In Japan, Switzerland and
other old countries liquid manures were much
used and every particle of fertiizng matter
was saved, and their lands were growing bet
ter every year although cultivated for ages.
Mr.. Putnam of Aroostook said our farmers
had but just begun to make much account of
saving manures. He believed top-dressng
was the best. We suppose the farmers in
Aroostool1 follow after the French Canadians
who used to be troubled to get rid of their
manure ias the heaps increased. We have
seen large heeps of it on the banks of the St
Lawrence river, drawn there and dumped so
that the water might carry it down stream out
of the way ,and this but few years ago. The
soil on the banks of the st. Lawrence is nat
arally very rich, and so it is in many portions
of the Aroostook country. But farmers there
now begin to see the necessity of saving their
manure. 1t is of vital Importance that our
farmers should have their eyes open to this
subject. If you take from the land you must
carry back something as compensation; if
not, your fields will run out and you must go
over several acres TO get small crops.
The report on mixed husbandry was taken
up, and Mr.. Prince did not believe in it. He
thought to be successful in any branch of bus
mess man must make that branch a special
ity. Look at the stock-growers in the State;
| NEARLY all hava ham 10 bal
in mans following his own taste, and when
he found out what that is, sticking to it. On
the contrary Mr.. Aver thought the farmer
who pursued q mixed course of husbandry
| was as generally successful as those who de-
| voted their time to the production of single
crop or class of stock. Mr.. Holmes also favor
| ed the views of the report. In his section the
farmers raised great quantities of hops, still
| they raised corn, grain and other crops III
Livermore great attention is paid to dairy
products, but the farmers do not neglect other
! crops. Others expressed their appreciation Of
mixed husbandry. The culture of wheat was
taken up and Mr.. Poor spoke in favor of early
sowing and of preparing the land in the fall
And we say in many localities the wheat may
be sown in the fall to great advantage. Ou
/
raise her own -four, and she will yet do it.
Mr.. Wasson introduced q resolution in ia
vor Of cultivating the cranberry, and he ais,
introduced one in relation to the potato as i
occupies very prominent position in the lis
of the staple products of our State. AS man,
new kinds are being raised from the seed
ball he recommended to the next Board t.
hold potato exhibition at the Agriculture
Room in January 1862 and exhibit the severa
kinds propagated in different localities. This
is movement in the right directonJ
The vegetable gardens and apple orchard
were discussed. Messrs Breed & Co., show
ed a new method of attaching yoke of oxer
to cart or sled and also new device 70
loading hay and grain. These were examine
with much interest Fruit culture was ais,
considered with much interest Mr.. Wassol
regretted that the farmers of Hancock wer
not present to hear the discussion. He SAT-
they grew some good fruit but the farmer
generally in that section thought the pursui
not profitable. Mr.. Dixie spoke of the advan
tages Of understanding as necessary to the cul
tivation of fruit. Clean cultivation is also I'M
portant With these two things he believed
|
good prospects of success upon most OF thu
soils in our State. Land for orchards needed
to be titled and manured as much as tor 9th
er crops. Little would be expected of a GRO
of wheat or corn ii treated as our orchard
are. Mr.. Benson also made some interestin
remarks and said no crop in Maine paid $
GOOD q return for the labor as the apple eror
Our clislate was favorable to winter fruit. III
had raised, the past season, one hundred bar
rels of Baldwins, Greetings and Roxbur
Russets. Apples from Maine invariably stan
higher in the Boston market and will keel
longer than from any other State. Many 9th
er gentlemen took part in the discussion, an'
urged the raising of fruit. Mulching the tree
was highly recommended. Mr.. Goodaie DC
lieved shelter as as necessary for trees as 10
cattle. With screens at proper distances M
thought we could raise almost any Aino
iruit grown in New England. Our old OF
! ! chards are all dying out, and our wonder