10 AGRICULTURE OF MAINE. 



gardening and the value of good seed. The forestry exhibit 

 was enriched by large transparencies sent from the Department 

 of Agriculture at Washington, and samples of the manufacture 

 of paper in the State, with illustrations of the process from the 

 tree in the forest to the completed product. Not the least val- 

 uable and interesting of these exhibits was the entomological 

 exhibit, in charge of an officer of the State Department of Agri- 

 culture. This was particularly valuable inasmuch as the gipsy 

 moth and brown-tail moth have begun the invasion of the State 

 of ]\Iaine. All of these exhibits were in charge either of offi- 

 cers of the State Department of Agriculture or professors from 

 the College of Agriculture of the University or advanced stu- 

 dents from the College. 



The enthusiasm of the people who visited the train and who 

 attended the evening lectures gave sufficient assurance that this 

 new method of bringing the University to the people and of con- 

 ducting institutes with the use of actual agricultural apparatus 

 on hand for illustration, is a success. While other states have 

 had trains to illustrate the raising of corn or of cotton, and on 

 the Pacific Coast the growth of fruit, we believe that this train 

 in Maine was the first in the United States to illustrate all the 

 features of general farming. If it is not the first in the United 

 States, it is at least the most important attempt to carry to the 

 farmers themselves in their own homes a considerable amount 

 of the instruction which is ofTered at the College of Agriculture. 

 There were numerous instances of people walking through the 

 woods manv miles in order to visit the train. This was neces- 

 sitated by the almost impassable condition of the roads in the 

 latter part of April. Even those who exerted themselves to this 

 extent seemed well satisfied with the result of their journey. 

 Alany expressions were heard commendatory of the railroads 

 which made this Farming Special a possibility, and of the 

 efforts of the State Department of Agriculture and the Univer- 

 sity in furnishing the men and the labor necessary to make it 

 succeed. Many people expressed the desire that such a train 

 would be run every year. While it will probably not be prac- 

 ticable to run it every year, it may be possible that it can run 

 often enough to stimulate the interest throughout the State in 

 approved methods. 



