SECRETARY'S REPORT. 125 



"Too long cropping in one kind, without rotation, is doubtless our princi- 

 pal defect. Souif people seem to tliink that nothing is manure unless it has 

 actually passed through the digestive organs of their cattle. There is some 

 improvement, however, in this respect, and we hope to see' more." 



E. Jones, Minot. 



" The principal defects in agriculture in this vicinity, are: first, a lack of 

 thorough working and pulverizing of the soil ; second, light manuring. "We 

 have great advAnt.iges for getting salt and fresh mud. A great number of 

 the farms of this town have muck bogs on them, and many are inexhaustible ; 

 and many have the privilege of salt marsh. York and Kittery have greater 

 privileges, but few farmers make use of the privilege or take any means to 

 increase the manure heap. It is my opinion, that if the farmers in this and 

 neighboring towns, would make use of the advantages within their power, 

 double the amount of crops might be produced yearly." 



J. Frost, Eliot. 



" The principal defects may be readily stated. Ist. Leaving farming for 



other employments, especially lumbering. 2d. A neglect to work properly the 



soil intended for the production of crops. 3d. Too little attention to the care 



and culture of the crops themselves. — Evils which can be obviated in no other 



■way than by a reversion of action in the matter." 



B. Hamilton, Six Mile Falls. 



" So far as my observation extends, farmers improve or rather plant, sovf 



and mow over too much surfiice. It makes more labor and less profit. More 



attention should be paid to manures, and adaptations of stock and crops to 



each farm, also to its location, which should influence the farmer in his produce 



and stock. The increased expense of labor has induced farmers to calculate 



■with more care what crops pay best." 



Elijah Barrell, Greene. 



"The principal defect in this vicinity, is the lack of manure. The means 

 to obviate this lie in saving every material for the compost heap that is worth 

 saving. Let the droppings of the animals be carefully saved ; give the hoga 

 muck or loam enough to work ; let the out-house and sink spout be well fed 

 •with the same, and the hens looked after. Every former can make and save 

 twenty-five per cent, more tlian he does now. This going to the Pacific after 

 guano, when wo might make double the manure we do now, is not the thing. 

 We had better by far plow in one or two green crops every year, for the very 

 purpose of enriching our land. In our town we have plenty of deposits of 

 muck, besides sea dressing all along the Cape, which is pretty well cared for 

 and looked after by those living near the shore." 



Samuel Haskell, Cape Elizabeth. 



" One defect with farmers is that they do not think and study enough, and 

 do not take interest in their farms ; they see others speculating and making 



