The Republican journal., 1876-02-24

turns are creditable to our agriculture and
| to the productiveness of the soil, vet from
| the above cause we are able to work but
| few of those acres A rough estimate
| might safely put down one-tourth OF the
years work, as the maximum proportion
given to production. We should endeavor
| to do away as far as possible with the re-
quirements which consume so much valu-
able time. One OF the largest drafts from
productive labor is required to build and
| maintain the farm fences. A large part OF
! this labor can be averted. Not only are
those fences useless, but they are as well
! a serious incumbrance on the farmer If
| we can in any way redeem this unproduc-
! tive labor we practically increase the pro-
| ductiveness of the farms
| |. E. Getchell from Kennebec county to
whom was assigned Statistics of Fencing
| followed with carefully prepared estimates
OF the amount OF fence in the State, and be-
wilderlng as the figures appear, they We're
| believed by those who heard him to be be-
low what actual facts would warrant. BY
taking the number of farms in the State
| their average size and the usual amount
of fence found upon farm it was esti-
mated that there were Of partition fence,
| Is, 600 000rods ;division fences Is ,6OO, 900;
road fences l0,7O0, 600; total rods in the
| State Al 900, 900. OF the above for nclos-
ing pastures, lanes. yards, gardens, and
orchards torty-six per cent was needed,
leaving fifty-tour per cent. or p. .260, 900
as useless and dead expense to the farm.
| Following the reading of these papers
full and tree discussion was had, which
was participated in by large number Of
| tho and ntHa,.c tn oil
sion to some of the points made will be
| given without naming the speakers.
The positions assumed in the papers
were fully endorsed All the partition
fences dividing fields into small enclosures
may and should be removed. Road fences,
except those enclosing pastures, are worse
| than useless. This is true not only of
fences on the farms. but also OF those in
villages. The beauty Of our villages would
| be greatly enhanced by the removal of
these useless, and many times, unsightly,
fences. The work OF removing these use
! many localities, and in no case is anything
| but satisfaction expressed. The practical
| working of the matter is, that if one would
defend his own fields from encroachments
| Of his ne ghbors' cattle, he must tear down
his fences. When people know there are
no fences on the roads they will keep their
| stock at home.
| AFTERNOON.
Prot Stockbridge gave a lecture on the
| Management OF Pastures In the first
| place he gave a description OF the method
| by which the old pastures We're reduced
| to their present state of SterilIty. This
need not be repeated as every owner OF
such lands knows tull well how it has been
done by long continued removal from
| the soil OF those elements which have gone
to build up the animal structure and hll
| the milk pals OF the da1ryman. OF all
the animals the dairy COW is the most oX-
| haustlye to pastures. The nitrogen pot
ash. and phosphorlc acid have been eX-
hausted by this process. One cow one
season OF five months will carry off 70
| pounds nitrogen, 20 pounds potash and 40
pounds phosphoric acid All this is carried
| OIL and nothing is returned.
| 10 improve these Impoverished pastures
we have only to take the back tracks. The
| hills were intended by the Almighty for
the growth OF wood, and where they have
been unwisely stripped OF that wood, and
devoted to pasturage, they should now be
allowed to grow wood again, tor the steep
/ hll-sides, subjected to the severe wash
lngs that they are, cannot always produce
an abundance of grass.
Bushy pastures must be cleared Of the
| bushes, and of the foul under growth in
! Testing them, then fertilized and seeded
again to grass. If grass seed be not APP
pled the bushes will again take possession
of the land. For a top dressing Tor past
ures, he would apply a mixture of twenty
pounds OF potash and sixty pounds of sui
| phate of ammonia costing about six dol
lars to the acre. This will last tor several
years and will give good returns for the
outlay.
The idea that old sod pastures were bet
ter feeding ground than those newly seed
ed from the plough was secuted, provided
they were properly seeded II well stocked
with variety Of grasses such as we find
in old seed pastures, the feed will be fine,
sweet, and such as will bring the best re-
turns. He had succeeded well bv sowing
| winter rye with the grass seed and feeding
the rye.
There was IA large attendance and all
gave the closest attention to the lecture
throughout. 1t was the best presentation
of this puzzling question ever given before
| the Board, yet could not be made fully APP
| pllcable to our cheap lands.