The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1876-11-03
STATE BOARD OF AG ICULTURE.
Conclusion of the Meeting at Fry eburg.

FRYEBURG, Nov. 2, 1876.
The afternoon of Wednesday was wholly
surrendered to the Maine State College, in Or
der that the farmers might not only learn what
it lis doing for the state, but that interesting
and profitable entertainment might be furn-
ished to a large aud attentive audience. The
walls of the room were hung with the drawings
of the students-the recent average work of
the term-as some of the more finished pre-
auctions were still on exhibition at the Centen-
NAL Exposition, where they do credit to the
state. Secretary Boardman also exhibited
large posters filled with the historical and f.
naucial statistics of the college, which could be
easily read all over the house and supplied the
needed information often sought by farmers
sons.
The students sustained a satisfactory exam
nation in their college text books conducted
by Mr.. Harrington, the farm superintendent;
also answering questions from the audience.
Some half dozen themes were read by the stu
dents upon topics connected with their course
of study, selected from large number with
simple reference to the instruction of an assem-
bly, Of farmers.
An hours drill of the students in front of the
Oxford House concluded the afternoon exer-
cises. Prof. W. S. Chaplin, a graduate of
West Point and the instructor in modern lam
guages and mechanics, is also the military in
structor and under his competent direction
the cadets appeared to excellont advantage.
Some young men, we doubt not, will connect
their first aspirations for college education
with the impression they received from this ex-
hibition of students and soldiers. Can it be
possible that an intense devotion to scholastic
pursuits prevents military tactics from being
popular in other literary institutions?
AS several members of the board were I'M
.avoidably detained, either at the Centennial or
by unexpected business, Rev. DR.. Allen con-
scented to fill the evening gap by repeating
lecture delivered elsewhere upon "The condi-
tons for success in agriculture in Maine" The
compliments previously paid in the PRESS to
this finished and scholarly production need not
to be repeated. At the close of the lecture the
audience adjourned to the Congregational ves-
try, where an hour or two of pleasant social
intercourse with the people of the village COM
pleted the favorable impression already made
upon their minds by the faculty aud students
of the college.
Iuursuay IOroUOOu was OCCupl6u III ln6 NEAR
ing of paper from Rev. E. Weeks of Chat
ham, N. H., upon the Cultivation of the APP
ple." Mr.. W. is very successful orchardist,
and also very dry and sententous writer.
His essay was full of instruction and might
well be used as manual for beginners. In
answer to inquiries he stated that he had raised
niaety barrels of nodheads in a season and had
sometimes received three dollars per bushel for
them. He also raises the 'Gordon Apple"
we'll known Seeding originating in his own
town some sixty years ago, ripening in July,
| and always commanding high price in the
| home market where it is best known. Scions
can be obtained of either of these varieties.
| The concluding half hour of the session Mr.
| WATSON devoted to the consideration of the
| question of 1.-THE value of hay per ton wheu
| fed to the butter cow Commencing with the
| animal at the age of four years and valuation
| of $50, he succeeded in demonstrating by fig
ures that cannot low be reported that the aver
| age butter makes in the state did not receive
much more than So per ton for hay. Mr. Aver
did not quite assent to his facts and figures
| Gen. Brown briefly, but clearly, de monstrat-
| ed the ncorrectness of averages with instruc-
tive illusions to the careful expert ments which
he is now conducting in the above aDd similar
directions-.o be given, it is to be hoped, to the
| public hereafter.