The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1876-02-10
MAINE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE
Annual Meeting ut Brunswick.


SECOND DAY.
AT o'clock yesterday morning the Associa-
ton held business meeting at the Tontine
Hotel, at which the committee on credentials
reported that the contested seat from York
county had been given to Horace Bodwell of
Acton. The following board of officers were
elected for the ensuing year:
President-Joel E. Shaw of West Hamp-
den.
Vice Presidential E. Getchell of North
Vassalboro.
Secretary-S. L. Boardman of Augusta.
The other business transacted was of no pub
lie importance.
At 8 O. clock the Board and the students of
the State College visited Bowdoin College, and
through the courtesy of Prof. Carmichael,
member of the Board, were shown through the
cleveland cabinet, library, gallery of paint
ings, drawing room, chemical lecture room,
laboratories, &C. They expressed themselves
much pleased with the condition of things in
the college.
At 10 o'clock the regular session opened in
the hall, President Shaw in the chair The
first thing on the programme was paper by
q. A. Gilbert of East Turner, formerly Presi-
dent of the Board, on "History of Fences and
Fencing" of which an abstract is here given:
"a small part only of the labor performed on
and around our farms is devoted directly to
production. A rough estimate would be safe
in saying that of the years work not over one
fourth is expended directly in production, and
IN harvesting the product. Among the outlays
of labor which draw so heavily away from
what might otherwise be productive industry is
the labor required to build and keep in repair
a M ID1nr IIV,al NE
present time on the farms in this state; and
not only is there large outlay of labor, but
there is also large expenditure of money. 1t
is believed by many thoughtful men that
large part OF this outlay may be avoided. A
large part of the farms in this state are divided
and sub-divided by costly fences, and some
whose first cost was light are expensive to keep
In repair Many valuable farms may be found
IN good condition, and on which are good stands
OF buildings, which are worth little more at
the present time than the fences on the same
have cost Were these useless fences removed,
where they would not occupy valuable land
and be an obstruction to the economical work.
ing OF the farm, vast saving would be effect
ed. In looking over the division fences of our
farms man of taste and judgment is sincerely
puzzled to know what ideas of arrangement
were entertained by the former proprietors.
Field boundaries are crooked and irregular ap-
parently for no other reason than to try the
skill of the ploughman in turning crooked fur
rows. These are conditions which have been
handed down from from less enlightened age.
We are more at fault than were those who did
the work for US. 1t is hard for us in any d.
recton to break away from old ruts. It will
be conclusively shown in the discussion that
much of our fences is not only useless but that
it is also serious burden to us aside from the
cost of repairs. If we canin any way reduce
expenses by reducing the amount of unproduc-
tive labor on the farm, we practically increase
the productiveness of the farm, and this too
without any greater draft upon the fertility of
the SOIL
Following Mr.. Gibert's paper was one by
Ira E. Getchell of North Vassalboro, ''The Sta
tistics of Fencing in Maine.'
At the conclusion Of the reading of the pa
pers, very sharp and spicy discussion on the
question presented was entered into by Messrs
Boardman of Augusta, WATSON of East Surry,
President Allen of the State College, Earring
ton of Orono, Bailey Of Bath, Mr.. Tenny of
the Brunswick Telegraph, Prof Carmichael of
Brunswick, Lucas of ST. Adams, Gilbert of
East Turner, Getchell of North Vassalboro,
which closed the morning session.
The afternoon session was the most fully at
tended of any yet held nearly every seat in the
hall being filled. The principle event of the
afternoon was the lecture by Prot Levi Stock
bridge of the Massachusetts, Agricultural Col
lege, "The Management of Pastures Prof
Stockbridge delivered very interesting and
instructive lecture, and we regret that we have
not space to print full abstract. He gave
some excellent hints for the management of
pastures, and said that stock could not be kept
on pasture land without carrying away part of
the constituent elements of which it is compos-
ed, which must in some manner be returned.
We are too prone to let our pastures take care
OF themselves. He compared our pastures to
some in the old country, and said that the rea-
son why the Dutch cattle were SO much better
than ours was. because they took care of their
pastures He gave the farmers much valua-
BILE information, which, if followed out, would
do much to improve the condition of their pas
ture lands. His lecture was listened to with
the closest attention. At its close several gen.
tlemen participated in a discussion of the SUBJ
ject after which the meeting adjourned til
evening.
In the evening large and intelligent audi
ence assembled to hear the lecture by Prof. M.
G. Fernald of our State College, on "Taxation
in its Relation to Farming and Farmers, brief
abstract of which we give:
Taxation first became custom as early as
the reign of Pharaoh. In the fifth year of the
Christian era decree went out that "all the
world should be taxed" The present system
of taxation in vogue in the United States, owes
its origin to the old feudal system. No just sys-
tenn of taxation has yet been devised, and prob
ably none will ever reach perfect equalization,
and here we would say that that the speaker
did not dwell sufficiently on the policy of equal
ization of taxation. Taxation should not ne
cessarily be considered an evil. The results of
taxation are general education, general health,
improved roads and security Of life and proper
ty. Regarding the matter of appraisement, it
is questionable whether fallacious policy has
not been adopted. This paper was listened to
with marked attention, and the regret is that
we have not sufficient space in which more
extended abstract could be given.