The Portland daily press., 1875-11-06
State Board Of Agriculture.

The semi annual meeting of this body COM
menced with business session at the st.
Croix Exchange last evening o. account of
the distance to be travelled by most of the
members, only two days in addition can be de-
voted to the meeting "A much larger plumber
are in attendance than is usual, 81 being pres.
Ant, representing every county in the state
save one; beside some of the state societies
This is the first meeting of the Board ever held
in Washington county.
At the evening session beside transactng 9th
er business, full reports were given of the con H.
tion of the crops throughout the state From
them it appears that hay is large crop, and
the fall feed is better than usual Oats are
very good. Wheat somewhat less than the
previous year. Barley and rye, light crops and
not extensively raised. Buckwheat not up to
the average. Corn gives fair yield Pota-
toes about two-thirds or three-fourths of a COM
mon crop. Apples generally failure. One
orchard was reported as producing 500 bushels
of Baldwins, and in some localities winter ap
Piles are selling at one dollar per bushel. Sew
eral varieties of wheat are under cultivation,
the Lost Nation taking the lead, although not
always giving satisfaction when ground. The
Early Rose jackson and Peerless appear to be
the prominent kinds Of potatoes.
The public meetings are held in the rooms
occupied by the Municipal Court and Common
Council.
The exercises of the morning session began
with an address of welcome from Hon. Joseph
Granger. venerable with bis four score years.
but still active and vigorous-one of the first
<I,oh oro To-
farming. Recognizing the depression in bust
ness aud the gradual decline of the lumber
trade, he saw the necessity of giving more at
tention to agriculture, and therefore welcomed
cordially such an efficient and cooperative
agency. Appropriate responses were made by
President Gilbert, and Rev. DR.. Allen of the
State College.
Mr.. Hight of Skowhegan, read the first
paper entitled Success in Farming" 1t was
fair and candid criticism of some of the pre-
vailing errors of farmers and suggested some
profitable topics for consideration.
Mr.. Durham Of Bangor followed with Ssh eep
Husbandry. "This and the succeeding discussion
we're quite severe upon the treatment which
the several bills for the protection of sheep
have received at the hands of our legislature.
President Allen remarked that he never was
more indignant than upon one occasion of the
kind, and he hardly had got over it yet He
was surprised to hear gentlemen from Port
land and Bangor INDUCING 10 the lowest and
meanest kind of wit, while ridiculing this effort
to sustain such an important part of husban-
dry. Throughout the state the prevailing SEN
timent is that this matter of low comedy has
had its day, and if there is not speedy return
to common sense upon the part of some not
unambitious politicians, they may find them
selves left out.
The afternoon was given to the matter of
Associated Dairying" presented by Mr..
Bracket of Belfast and followed by an inter-
esting discussion. Reports from the different
parts of the state where cheese factories are in
existence were all favorable. They generally
have given profitable returns and satisfaction
to their patrons. Judging from the inquiries
made by gentlemen from Washington county,
we may expect the speedy establishment of
some there. County Attorney Harvey, ma
tive of Vermont. and familiar with the improv-
ed methods of dairying in use there, gave an
interesting account of some of them.
Mr.. Bearce of Meddybemps, the well known
and his agricultural operations. He has pretty
much done away with fencing, using some
thirty dogs instead He finds it necessary oc-
casionally to swamp roads into bis pastures in
order that his cows may get in and find some
feed.
Mr. Grosvenor of Canterbury. N. B.. an in
teligent gentleman and an enterprising farmer,
expressed his satisfaction with the meeting
and also with our state fairs, which he fire.
quently attended. He believed in
cheese factories and hoped they would be in
troduced in Washington county. He owned
some valuable jersey stock which he had pur-
chased from Name breeders.
At the evening session Mr.. Payson of Port
land, gave lecture upon "The Human Body
asserting that it should be within the province
of the Board to which was assigned the care of
horses, CATTLE sheep and swine, also to have
some regard to the physical man. He argued that
this life belonged to body. and the next to the
soul; that if a little of the attention which the
latter had received had been given to the body
we should see better results than we do now.
In the good time coming more regard must be,
and would be, paid to the food upon which the
body feeds, in order that it might rightly grow
thereby. Mr.. P. is always original, forcible
| and independent in his views, some of them
perhaps not exactly squaring with recognized
and accepted theories.
President Allen of the State College stated
the plans and purposes Of his institution. In
| former times the scholar looked down upon the
multitude and despsed all labor as dishonora-
BILE. Modern systems Of education we're con-
tent with mere discipline of the mind, regard
less of the mode of accomplishment, if it was
| only successful. The College Of Agriculture
| aud thu Machanic Arts haliauad that the