The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1878-09-23
AGRICULTURAL.
SHEEP OR NEAT STOCK.
Discussion AT the Farmers Meeting
at the State Fair.

was well known by the farmers of Maine
that the pastures of Maine would not carry
so much stock as formerly, and he desired to
enquire if feeding more sheep would not i'm
prove our pastures. He was aware that the
farmers of Somerset County produced and
fed large number of sheep, and he desired
to know from them if their farms were i'm
proved or were like those in localities where
sheep were not raised so extensively. He
had an idea that the pastures should be pas
tnred alternately with sheep and cattle.
Hebron Luce of Bangor said that he was
OF opinion that all kinds of stock should be
pastured in the same pasture at the same
time. Sheep will kill ox-eye daisy, crow-foot
and brush, and would keep fat on such things
as cattle will reject. He was the first to adj
vocate this doctrine in the vicinity where he
lived, and his friends and neighbours had
caught the idea, and been much pleased with
the practice. He believed it more profitable
to raise sheep, than cattle; and that farmers
would better their condition by raising less
cattle and more sheep; or if not less cattle,
certainly more sheep. He tried to get the
premium for corn, offered in Penobscot
county last year, and he managed his ground
by using manure made from sheep, thrown
into his hogs and worked over by them, and
his corn grew so tall that it looked as if it
needed propping up.
John M. Hilton of North Arson said he
thought it depended very much upon the
kind OF land used for pasturage. If the land
was easy and free from rocks he liked to pas
ture exclusively by sheep until the feed be-
came strong, and then plow up, raise grain,
and seed down. If the land is rocky and
hard he liked to pasture with sheep and cat
tie at the same time. If the land is wet, he
discarded the sheep altogether, as sheep
would not do well on wet land.
Harrison Jaquth of China said he had no
idea that land could be exhausted by feeding
sheep upon it, but he was sure it could be
done by feeding cattle. II be could be s.
sured 40 cents pound for washed wool, he
could pay $40 per ton for hay, and make
money raising sheep.
"Campmeeting" John Allen said he had
seen great many more black sheep since he
had been on the ground here, than he had
ever seen before. He was sure that the
Yankees were inclined to 60 10 extremes;
he himself had been accused of going to ex-
themes in attending campmeetings.
j. o. Reyes OF Jay said the question of
stock-raisiDg ought to interest us all. He did
not think that all should raise sheep or all
cattle. He thought that man should look
his farm over and see what it was best
adapted to. The raising of horses, he dis
carded. Some men were better adapted to
raise sheep, others to raise cattle. He did
not think man ought to be Granger and
He thought man should make specially
of some crop and then ''go for it."
Rufus Prince, of Turner, said he thought
that man should raise different varieties of
stock, unless he had land peculiarly adapted
to some particularIkind of stock.
Peter w. Aver said he had been under
stood to say that sheep would run out farm.
He begged to correct the statement,-nor was
he booked" to advocate the raising of stock
to the exclusion Of sheep. He thought that
sheep would prepare pasture to be good for
cattle, but they would spoil it for themselves.
Seward Dill of Phillips said he had kept
sheep but little, and felt hardly competent to
speak upon the question. He had been
somewhat acquainted with the raising of cat
tie. He did not think we could compete
with the West, in raising stock exclusively
for beef, but for breeding for all purposes be
thought we could compete with the West.
Farmers should breed from the best speci-
mems OF their stock, thus breeding up instead
of doaon. II good animals were produced
they would sell well in the State and out of
the State. Animals should be treated kindly
and well. He used great deal of orchard
grass and clover and less herds grass it would
be millions of dollars of benefit to the farmers
of Maine.
B. f. Hamilton, President of the Maine
State Agricultural Society, said that accord
ing to the direction OF the discussion it
seemed evident that Nature designed that
sheep and the different kinds of cattle should
be raised at the same time and upon the
same time. He thought it depended entirely
upon the character of the soil and the loca-
ton what kind of stock he should raise. He
was glad to see so many present and so much
interested in this discussion, and he thought
that it was step in the right direction and
productive of much good. We had been in
the habit of holding farmers meetings with
no farmers in attendance. 1t had been ar
gued that farmers meetings upon the Fair
grounds would not be we'll attended, but the
attendance here tonight refuted the argu-
ment.
Mr.. Bracket said he was trying to get a
living by farming, and he was glad to meet so
many intelligent and honest farmers. He
thought it was our duty to learn what kind
of farming would pay and what would not
pay. He did not think that if his pasture
would carry ten cows that ten sheep could
be added without detriment to the cows.
he was an advocate of mixed husbandry.
He wanted the COW, the OK, the sheep and
the noble horse, and we should produce
the various crops adapted to this climate.
ID. II. Thing, Master of the State Grange,
said that in 1868 he turned out piece of
ground that had been moved until it would
scarcelyapay for moving, land put in 40 sheep.
The first year they scarcely lived. The next
year the sheep could not eat all the grass.
Then he moved it without blowing for four
years and got crop of grass sol thick that a
moving machine would hardly 60 through it.
Heithen turned it out to sheep again and has
since raised good potatoes from the same
ground, and he thought that ground could be
much improved by pasturing sheep upon it.
Some men had taste for one kind of stock,
some for another and he thought man was
more likely to succeed in calling in which
w fnd han, -, fo~ IL. IL
he had no taste. Mr.. Phillips of Hermon said |
he was pleased to see so many ladies present
and he hoped that in future, their attendance
would be larger, which he thought would add
largely to the interest of the meeting.
Rufus Prince of Turner, said that when the
invitation was extended by the State Agri-
cultural Society to the various Changers OF
this State to attend the annual cattle show
and fair, his grange at once accepted the in
vitation, and tonight, in a tent - feet
square, they had the chairman of the Select
men of the town, the local clergyman, the
town Treasurer, and the Senator from an
droscoggin County, besides some of the finest
looking ladies in the State.
Ways of Cooking Tomatoes.
Those who have eaten tomatoes stewed by
different cooks will be willing to admit that
there are unpleasant as well as pleasant vari-
cites of this dish. The Bridget who rules the
average American kitchen will serve you
compound not unlike lumpy starch except in |
color. To add to ones disgust, this abomi- |
nation will be sweetened with sugar. Our IA
vorite way of stewing tomatoes is to cook them
slowly until the juices are evaporated sufflci-
emily to form thick pulp, then season with |
salt, pepper and generous piece of good but
ter. A very pleasant change is made by stew. |
ing them only until just done, seasoning as
above, and thickening slightly with very fine |
cracker crumbs or little -four mixed smooth |
in cold water. In the hands of an unskilful |
cook the dish is easily spoiled by the addition
of either flour or cracker crumbs, as they will |
be apt to turn out paste or bread pudding.
If tomatoes are to be served with roast beef a
tablespoonful of chopped onion and sprig of |
parsley cut fine may be added before stewng.
Baked tomatoes are often relished by many
who willnot eat them cooked in any other
way. Select large, smooth and not over.ripe
fruit; cut piece from the blossom end and
scoop out the pulp; mix the latter with stale
bread, and chopped onion which has been
fried in butter until yellow some mincad colt