SECRETARY'S REPORT. 65 



Litchfield county, Conn. Looking over these hills, it was hard to 

 convince myself that I was out of Maine ; the most noticeable 

 difference being that there were no outcropping ledges on their 

 tops, but were uniformly clothed with verdure quite over them. I 

 was informed in Herkimer County that snow falls early, abundant- 

 ly, and remains long, usually affording three or four months of 

 sleighing. Indeed, the dairymen attribute much of the superiority 

 of their grass crop over that of other sections to the fact that it 

 was so amply protected during the long cold winters. The surface 

 was very like portions of Cumberland, Oxford, Franklin, Somerset 

 and other counties of Maine. The growth, too, was almost iden- 

 tical with ours, both trees, shrubs, plants and grasses. A few 

 trees and plants were seen which are not found with us, but the 

 general similarity was very striking. The climate, plants, soil and 

 rocks of Litchfield county are also substantially the same as ours. 

 The only advantage which I could perceive Herkimer county to 

 have was in her soil. This is much more productive than ours, 

 and comes of its geological character. A considerable section is 

 mostly underlaid with what is known as " Utica slate," a rock 

 which rapidly decomposes, and affords probably a larger amount 

 of organic matter and valuable mineral matters than almost any 

 other. It is rare to find, among us, pastures which are equal to 

 the production of two tons of hay or upwards per acre, but there 

 they are common. Indeed, the pastures are quite as productive 

 as the lands used for meadows : two or three acres of the former 

 and one and a half of the latter being considered on an average 

 amply sufficient for each cow. If ours yield less, we have but to 

 improve them so far as practicable, and allow a wider range. 

 Hillside pastures, abounding as they usually do in springs of pure 

 water — no small item, by the way, for a dairy district — afford the 

 best and sweetest feed, and are most profitably devoted to grazing 

 purposes. 



It is not to be expected, nor is it desirable, that any great change 

 in the direction of our effoi'ts should be made suddenly. It is far 

 better that any proposed change should be first canvassed thor- 

 oughly and examined in every light which can be brought to bear 

 upon it. Before going further, as the terms "butter making" 

 and " cheese making " have been used in the remarks above, in 

 their familiar sense, I would like here to note a distinction, not 

 without a difference, and one which may have considerable weight 



5 



