The Portland daily press., 1874-01-07
Maine Board Of Agriculture,
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE SECRETARY

The eighteenth annual veport of the Maine
Board o. Agriculture. being the first submitted
py D L. Boardman, Esq, the new Secretary
VIII be presented to the Legislature on Friday
next. 1t forms a volume of over four hundred
pages, and is illustrated by several engravings.
The report of the session of the Board held at
Winthrop in January last occupies the first one
hundred and sixty-four pages of the volume
This embraces lectures and papers on the fol-
lowing among other subjects mixed Husban-
dry, Changes in Our Farming, Drainage Man
agement of Dairy Cows, Labor, The Wants and
Resources of Our State, Farm Buildings, Plow-
ing. Green Crops Means of Fertilization.
These several papers were prepared by mem
bers of the Board. and by prominent agrcultu-
raj writers in other States; and, with the dis
cussions given in connection Herewith, forms
a body of practical and valuable Information,
the reading and digestion of which by our farm
ers the present winter, will greatly assist them
in the better prosecution of their future labors
upon the farm.
In carrying out the idea that our State Agri-
cultural Reports, while giving authoritative in
formation upon all leading subjects connected
VIVA "ohiSiiooiS1 Aloul SUuICcS UOU easily dC-
cessible to farmers-should at the same time
furnish original information relating directly
to our own resources, capabilities and advan-
tages as a farming State-Mr. Boardman has
secured for this Report an agricultural and
physical survey of Waldo county, from the pen
of j. w. Lang, ESQ.,. member of the Board for
that county, which consists of about one HIM
dred and fifty pages This article gives an ac-
count of the history, topography, geology, me-
teorology, statistics and photography Of the
county of Waldo; with sketches of its leading
farms and farmers, practical details relating to
stock, fruit, grass and grain production, lists of
It's trees, birds fishes, .niaaais,-&se NOTICES of
It's agricultural societies, farmers clubs and
similar associations, with valuable and sug-
gestive summary treating of the advantages
and disadvantages of this county as a farming
section; the former of which greatly predomi-
nate over the latter.
Following the survey of Waldo, there is an
able article on cattle breeding in its relations to
dairy farming, which, now that greater atten-
ton is being given to this subject will be found
of value to all dairymen, or those who think of
breeding for the purpose OF obtaining good
Mixers"
The report of the autumn meeting of the
Board held at Houlton in Aroostook county, oc-
cupies the next one hundred pages. 1t embra
ces addresses and lectures from Hon. Sidney
Perham, Rev. Charles +. Allen. President of
the State College, Hon. Warren PercivaL Hon.
State College, q. A. Gilbert, ESQ.,, j. w. Lang,
ID. M. Durham, and other members of the
Board. The subjects of these several papers
and addresses are as follows: Brains in Agri-
culture, Our Dairy Interests the Agriculture
of Maine in Connection with Other Industries,
History of Agricultural Implements, Ornament
tai Farming, Breeding and Feeding of Farm
Stock, Science in Agriculture, Special Farm
Ing.
Following this is paper on Cheese Facto-
ries in Maine, embracing reports from twenty
one factories, which have been in operation in
onr State during the past year, an abstract Of
which we have already published. This paper
gives an account of the establishment of the
Sandy River Cheese Factory in 1871, the first
association of the kind ever started in Maine
also of the Six Mile Falls Company, organized
at Glenburn in 1872 the second cheese factory
erected in this State. The other factories were
all started the past year. The reports from the
factories are quite lengthy, giving all the de-
tails OF the organization of the several compa-
MES, names of officers number and size OF
buildings, number of pounds of milk received
in each month of the season, number of pounds
of cheese manufactured in each month, cost OF
making, average price obtained, capital stock
and all other details necessary to full under
standing OF the system of associated dairying as
now established in our State. 1t is probable
should a State Dairyman's Association be form
ed the present winter they will in the future
have similar reports from all factories in Maine,
which will probably be publis he'd in our annual
agricultural volume.
AT the conclusion of this are several pages
of suggestions and reflections from the pen of
Secretary Boardman, in which he calls atten-
zion to several important matters and gives q
summary of the work of the Board for the past
year. Among these subjects are our agricultu-
raj societies and their management, the State
College and its needs, farm improvements,
farmers clubs, our agricultural laws, the work
of our genealogical and poultry societies, and
others of equal importance. AS whole the
report, in the amount and value of its contents,
and in point of editorial supervision, is fully
equal to any volume of the series which has
preceded it; while to Mr.. Boardmau belongs
the credit of bringing out his report within the
year for which it is designed, something which
has not been done for several years past, and
of furnishing large amount of fresh and orig
inal reading matter designed especially for the
work.