Connecticut western news., 1884-12-10
The Winter Meeting of the M0Ssss chUsefts State Board of Agri-
 culture.

farmers, known as the State Board of agriculture, held their winter meeting i at the Town hall in the village of Great Harrington, last week Tuesday, We'd nesday and Thursday.
 Among the gentlemen present from abroad, so far as your reporter could learn, were: John E. Russell, secretary of the Board; James s. Grinnell. Green field; Benjamin R. Ware, Marblehead; E. P. Bowditch, Framingham; Henry W. Wilson, Boston; J. O. McKinsty, Southbridge; c. H. Gaessman, Amherst; A. P Slade, Somerset; J. H. Goddard, Barre 2 ohn B. Moore, Concord; W. l.. Warner, Sunderland; Dr J. P Lyman, i Athol; A. c. Yarnum, Lowell; J. Bud dington, Leyden; J. M. Waterman, Will liamstown; Heman Copeland, Campel- | lo; A. A. Smith, Coleraine; Alvan Bar jus, Goshen; ". R. Sessions, Hampden; J. l.. Cragin, Athol; A. K. Warner, Greenfield; W. E. Stone, Amherst; John Brooks, Princeton; A. J. Blanchard, Hampden; Henry Noble, Pittsfield; J. H. Hill, Amesbury; John Lane, Bridge water; Edward Heroy, Hingham; H. c. Haskell, Deerfeld; J. S. Perry, B. Baldwin and c. H. Hartshorn, Worces- ter; Nathen Edson, Barnstable; J. N. Powers, Millbury; A.W. Cheever. Ded- ham; Henry s Barnes, Boston; c. D. Benedict, A. J. Lyman, Holyoke; Reu- ben Brooks, West Springfield; Harrison Garfield, Alonzo Bradley, Lee; while from Connecticut there were T. $. Gold, c. $. Gold and Harry Sedgwick, Corn wall; c. P. Gaylord, Teryville: o. H. Robinson, Forrestville.
 At the forenoon session of the first day, Merritt l. Wheeler, who represents the Housatonic Agricultural society in the Board of agriculture and J. A. Kline, president of the society. made opening speeches, introducing the Board and bidding them welcome to Great Harrington. John W. Pierce of Millbury read the first essay, his sub- iect being ''The effect of water on crops. " The essayest gave the analysis of water and presented statistics relat- ing to rain fall. Several plans were discussed for draining where there was too great a quantity of water and for preventing evaporation in time of drouth-for the latter mulching was recommended. The next lecture was by Dr Henry J. Barnes of Boston on The Utilization of Sewage" The es- say advocated, as the best plan for cities to adopt, the conveying of sewage to lands not too remote where vegetable and other crops could be raised for mar ket. This paper was discussed by Col H. w. Wilson of Boston, who has fol years been close student of this sub ject.
 At the afternoon session Prof Penhal low of McGill college, Montreal, ad dressed the assemblage on ''Plants il relation to disease He illustrated how trees, especially the peach and pear, become diseased by insects, by se we're weather and pruning He said that for blight on pear trees no remedy has been discovered.
 At the evening session James S. Grin nell of Greenfield, read brilliant paper on .'Hindrances to successful farming Bad treatment of pastures, meadow ant wood lands, mortgages on the farm ant lack of agricultural knowledge; caused by neglecting the reading of papers anc books treating the subject, were al hindrances to successful farming.
 At the Wednesday morning meeting paper by Frank $. Billings of Boston was read, entitled, 'Enzootic Abortion in cows" Though very profound es say, it did not amount to great deal as no preventive for the plague of abor tion was given. One good point wa that the stable where COW had abortet should be at once disinfected and tn animal taken away from the remainde of the herd.
 Avery P Slade of Somerset, in hi essay on "Planting forest tIees," pre- sented many excellent ideas, showin that in many sections of Massachusett and other states the farmers can deriv handsome profit in few years b sowing seed or planting forest trees, a white pine, maple, black walnut, Scotc larch, butternut and other varieties Forest trees have been raised from see with success and growths from 25 to 3 years of age are found in several town in the eastern part of the state.
 The essay by T. s. Gold, secretary ( the Conn. Board of agriculture, O 'sPastures, md how to care for them, abounded in good advice and commo sense, which the farmers of South BerE shire should heed before their pastur lands are completely overgrown bushes and weeds. Sheep improv pastures. Wet pastures should L drained and dry pastures irrigated But above all the noxious weeds shoul be kept down and bushes of all kind cut often and where possible pulled III root and branch.
 At the afternoon session William I Sessions of Hampden read an interes ing paper on '"The Short horn cattle ( Massachusetts. He gave their histor from the time they first appeared in tn English herd book in TAO, until th present and believes them superior