PREFACE. 



The act constituting the Board of Agriculture and defining in 

 part the duties of the Secretary, provides that "an abstract oi 

 returns" of Agricultural Societies shall be prepared. This hat; 

 been done in each year— sometimes at much greater length than 

 in other years. For various reasons, upon mature deliberation, 

 I have concluded to lay aside the abstract which has been pre- 

 pared for the past year, chiefly because its publication would swell 

 the annual volume beyond the usual size, and to present in its place 

 a very brief one prepared chiefly with a view to show the character 

 of the efforts hitherto made by our xigricultural Societies, and the 

 need which exists of increased labor in another direction. 



By an examination of the returns as shown in the following con- 

 densed table it will be seen that a very large proportion of the 

 premiums offered have been for improved animals, and a very 

 small proportion has been awarded upon crops. Sucli has been 

 the case uniformly for a series of years past, and the result has 

 been a very noticeable improvement in the domestic animals of the 

 State, accompanied with comparatively little change in the extent 

 or acreage product of the crops grown. 



By a comparison of the United States Census Statistics for 1850 

 with those of 1860, we find that while the number of domestic 

 animals increased in the same ratio as the population — and no 

 more — being about seven per cent., their increased value was no 

 less than fifty-nine per cent. This is a proud record for the farm- 

 ers of Maine, and shows what may be accomplished by intelligent 

 labor, emulation and associated effort. An increase of agricultural 

 wealth in this one item alone of six millions of dollars I Improve- 

 ment in the value of farms is also seen to the amount of forty-three 

 per cent, amounting to about twenty-four millions of dollars. 



Creditable as these facts are, the farmers of Maine should not 

 rest upon their laurels, nor should our Agricultural Societies \m' 



