SECRETARY'S REPORT. 181 



inclined, at present, to undertake, and close by suggesting that it 

 be recommended to the Trustees of the Maine State Agricultural 

 Society to offer premiums for the best fixtures, conveniences and 

 practices in saving all manures, and materials capable of being 

 converted into manures, on the farms of competitors. By this, 

 something practical and valuable to the public may be gained. 



In treating of the method of saving the roanure of neat stock, 

 perhaps it should have been added that the bedding of the stock, 

 ■whether straw or other matter, should pass into the gutters and be 

 saturated before thrown out. 



Another after-thought : it will be observed that in this communi- 

 cation, the practice of carting rain water into the field for manure 

 receives little favor ; though indispensable in agriculture, it is thought 

 it may be had on the spot in sufficient quantities at less cost. 



Yours truly, 



Nathan Foster. 



Gardiner, Dec. 11, 1857. 



REPORT ON GRAPES. 



Freeport, Sept. 30, 1857. 



Mr. Goodale — Dear Sir — I received a circular from you, in 

 which I notice that I was appointed one of a Committee, by the 

 Board of Agriculture, to report on the best varieties of hardy grapes 

 for open culture, and such varieties only, as will, in their opinion, 

 mature fully in this State. 



It is well known that a number of varieties of grapes will fully 

 mature in this State in favorable seasons, in sheltered positions, 

 while in cold seasons, like the present, there is scarcely a variety 

 which will fully ripen, unless in some city enclosure, where protec- 

 tion is afforded by brick walls, and therefore can hardly be called 

 open culture, which leads to the inquiry — to what extent can grapes 

 be cultivated with profit in this State? If, in good seasons the 

 leading kinds of hardy grapes can be ripened only in favorable 

 positions, while in other seasons they cannot be ripened at all, it 

 would seem that they cannot be expected to be grown as a leading 

 article, so far north and east as Maine. Still, when it is considered 

 that almost every owner of buildings and land, has some sumiy side 



