SECRETARY'S REPORT. jgg 



more butter, according to the number of cows, than we. I well 

 remember having a noble cow for milk, which would fill a twelve 

 quart pail twice a day, and that a friend visiting us was anxious 

 to milk her. Being well aware of the bad effects of permitting a 

 poor milker to milk cows accustomed to one faithful regular hand, 

 I unwillingly consented. The result was that he obtained about a 

 quarter less milk than she usually gave, and although I tried faith- 

 fully to draw more milk after he had finished milking, my efforts 

 were in vain ; and it was several days before I could obtain from 

 her the amount that she was accustomed to give. My manner was 

 to milk as fast as possible until a cow was milked entirely clean. 

 At one time I was obliged to stop milking a few minutes, and I 

 found that the cow had drawn up her milk and I could not get it 

 that evening. This taught me the importance of employing one 

 regular, steady hand at milking." 



For summer feeding nothing equals good pasture ; and in noth- 

 ing else is a thorough reform and improvement more needed than 

 in regard to our pastures. Look at it ! No small portion of a 

 Maine farmer's labors are directed to the production of winter 

 forage — to the obtaining of means whereby his animals may be 

 kept in health and vigor from autumn to spring ; and, aside from 

 this preservation, little else is obtained from the food which costs 

 so much thought, care and labor. Growth, production of meat, 

 production of milk, almost all which goes to constitute income or 

 profit, comes of summer food, which costs comparatively little. It 

 is, therefore, the plainest dictate of common sense and economy 

 that animals, wintered at so great expense, should be furnished 

 with abundant material to manufacture into meat or milk during 

 so much of the year, as their food costs nothing for curing and 

 harvesting, and so the most profitable results be obtained from them 

 which they are capable of yielding. As a general rule, our pastures 

 have been sadly neglected and overstocked. Overstocking is injuri- 

 ous, not only by defeating the object just named, but also by reducing 

 the health and vigor of the grasses. To have a plant healthy and 

 strong, there must be top as well as root ; no plant can thrive 

 without both ; and although the grasses will endure closer crop- 

 ping than any other class of plants, this should not be made an 

 excuse for overtaxing even their powers of endurance. Over- 

 cropping is also injurious, by unduly exposing the roots to the 

 scorching suns of summer and frosts of winter, whereby the finer 

 grasses are killed out, and even the poorer ones much weakened. 



