126 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



money and arc apt to think that all may do the same. They lack system. 

 about their business. They should have more solf-respect, and remember that 

 they are in good business, that will bear to be well followed." 



John S. Wells, Wells. 



"Too much land and other business carried on at one and the same time. 

 Less land, and less business away from that land, would give a better and more 

 thorough cultivation to our farms, and where one blade of grass is now per- 

 mitted to rear its head, two, three, yea, four, would soon be made to come 

 forth in its place. We should be surer of better crops, (potatoes excepted)— 

 never realize a failure in grass catch as is now too often the case ; wo should 

 GOon learn to dig and plough deeper, considering the fact that, as we haven't 

 all creation to go over, we could better afford to go over a little deeper, and 

 feed better old mother earth. 



We should cultivate less acres, and confine our observation, experience and 

 means more directly to one and the same end. 



Friend Goodale, I presume it will be excusable in me, if I should digress a 

 little from the queries in your circular. In answering those questions, I have 

 confined myself as strictly as possible to, and within the limits of this town. 

 As a town, we have varied and multiplied interests, but that of agriculture 

 seems just at this time to predominate ; there is a manifest iuterest aroused 

 among our farmers, and a good deal of zsal is showing forth its good work 

 among the tillers of the soil in this vicinity. 



The interests of our citizens are so varied and scattered, that concentrated 

 action upon apy one point is no easy matter. 



This will account in great measure for the fact, that among the three hun- 

 dred horses, six hundred oxen and cows, and one thousand swine in this 

 town, there cannot be found nfuU blooded animal in either department, unless 

 it be a yoke or two of oxen imported from sime other town. So you see, for 

 the many valuable horses, oxen, cows and swine we have in town, we are 

 dependent upon those who are ahead of us in these matters. 



On the nine or ten thousand acres of land which constitute the area of 

 this town, we have quite a variety of interests drawing counter to that of 

 agricultural improvements, but still we are bound to be up and doing. Our 

 four hundred thousand dollars interest in navigation must, as a natural con^^ 

 sequence, hold in check much of the real interest that would otherwise go 

 directly in favor of agriculture and its improvements. As a town, we are 

 small in territory, but are highly favored; we have within our borders a 

 chance to obtain unlimited discounts, if we will but learn to appreciate the 

 value of our beds and banks. When we take into consideration the fact that 

 we have shipped annuaUij, for years past, more than twelve hundred tons of 

 hay, it will be seen that within the fiv^e years past, we have taken and carried 

 from our soil more than six thousand tons of its production. 



Now, the question naturally comes up, how long will our soil hold out 

 under such treatment? This is robbing Peter ivii/wut paying Paul, and 



