8 AGRICULTURE OF MAINE. 



State and held three important meetings, in connection with the 

 officers of the Pomological Society and others who had been at 

 woric in the suppression of the brown-tail moth, for the discus- 

 sion of matters relating to this pest and to the gipsy moth. As 

 the gipsy moths had been found in Portsmouth, N. H., Dr. 

 Howard was apprehensive that they might have crossed the line 

 into Maine, and promised to send a scouting party into the State, 

 to make a thorough search in the border towns. This party 

 arrived Nov. 20, and from that time until the close of the year 

 they found egg clusters of the gipsy moth as follows : Kit- 

 tery, 230; York, 190; Eliot, 32; Wells, 47; Togus, i ; total, 500. 

 This pest is such a serious menace, not only to our fruit and 

 shade trees but to our forests and lumbering interests, that its 

 appearance in the State has caused much alarm. We trust the 

 coming legislature will realize the gravity of the situation and 

 take some measures looking to its control or extermination. 



farmers' institutes. 

 A good interest has been manifested in the farmers' institute 

 work during the past year, and the character of the instruction 

 at these meetings has been of the highest. It is important that 

 the farmer should know what has been done and what is being 

 done by others engaged in the same occupation, and the farm- 

 ers' institutes are a valuable source of obtaining information 

 in these lines. They awaken the farmers to a sense of their 

 opportunities, and show them how to take advantage of them. 

 Thirty-four regular institutes have been held during the year, 

 in the different counties of the State. The following speakers 

 from out of the State have been employed : Prof. L. R. Jones, 

 Burlington, Vt. ; Prof. F. S. Cooley, Amherst, Mass.; Prof. 

 C. D. Smith, Director Michigan Experiment Station, Agri- 

 cultural College. Mich., and Dr. H. P. Miller. Sunbury, Ohio. 

 The speakers from our own State have continued to lend us 

 their valuable assistance, and have contributed much to the suc- 

 cess of the meetings. Among the subjects which have been dis- 

 cussed are, Grasses and their Culture ; the Feed and Care of 

 the Dairy Cow ; Home Mixing of Commercial Fertilizers ; 

 Clover and Alfalfa; Some Common Ailments of Animals and 

 their Remedies ; Sanitary Conditions of the Home and Stable ; 

 Economical Rations for Dairy Cows ; Fruit Culture, and Agri- 

 cultural Education. 



