SECRETARY'S REPORT. 65 



the care and cost of raising, that we would have to give place 

 to sheep, or some animal that will pay. . 



No pains or reasonable expense should be spared to improve our 

 neat, stock. Much, very much, has already been done, and yet 

 there is abundant room for more, and without any great outlay of 

 money, but simply by a careful selection of our bQst cows, and 

 breeding to such improved and thorough-bred bulls as we may 

 have in our State. 



The past has been a fruitful seasofi. Neai'ly all our crops have 

 yielded abundantly, especially so is it with the grain crops, which 

 are now bringing unusually high prices, particularly barley and 

 oats. And here again is a demand on the farmers, not. to get ex- 

 cited by these high prices, and rush into the growing an unusually 

 large breadth of these grains to the neglect of other crops, without 

 first considering whether the circumstances which induced this 

 state of things may continue any great length of time. 



The high price of many farm products, and indeed of almost 

 everything in the country, has created a sort of speculative mania 

 in the land ; and there is danger that the farmer, in his eagerness 

 to become suddenly rich or to accumulate money more rapidly, 

 may invest his hard earnings in some outside enterprise of doubt- 

 ful utility, or in stock that may or may not pay, instead of the 

 legitimate one of improving his flocks, herds and farms, or sup- 

 plying himself with better farm implements, which never fail to 

 pay a large per cent, on the investment. On the whole, your Com- 

 mittee do not see that there are any neiv demands made on us as 

 , farmers by the unfortunate condition of our country, but that those 

 already existing are intensified. But we are to remember while 

 straining every nerve to add to our own and the wealth of the 

 country, the other and higher demands upon us as citizens. 



Mr. Wasson, for Committee on Fourth Topic, reported as fol- 

 lows : 



Protection of Sheep Husbandry. 



The Committee having this Topic under consideration, submit 

 the following : 



For a succession of years the farmers of Maine, through the 

 medium of the J3oard of Agriculture, have come to the capitol, as 

 regularly as the Mussulmen assembled at Mecca, to invoke legis- 

 lative aid and protection in behalf of the interests of sheep hus- 

 5 



