androscoggin county society. £45 



Flax. 



James Robinson, in his statement, sajs he grew one hundred and 

 two pounds of straw, and three pecks of seed, on one twentieth of an 

 acre, from three quarts of seed. 



The Committee were pleased with even this small beginning to 

 raise what should be one of the staple articles of production in this 

 State. But instead of measuring the ground by twentieths, it should 

 be by thousands of acres. 



Not that we would have it raised to be manufactured upon the old 

 fashioned treadmill principle, but would like to see some of the water 

 now running idly away brought into use for that purpose. 



Augustus Speague. 



Compost Manure. 



The Committee remark at the beginning of their report, that they 

 "are instructed to award premiums to those persons who have made 

 their compost manure in accordance with agricultural chemistry; 

 thereby requiring them, whether competent or not, to judge of things 

 pertaining to that science. 



The object of this report in part is, to show that it is indispensa- 

 ble to the practical farmer to have some knowledge of agricultural 

 chemistry, the science of farming." 



After somewhat extended observations intended to illustrate and 

 enforce this point, they say, "there was but one entry for premium, 

 and the following question arose in regard to it : has Mr. Gilbert 

 made his compost as required by the Trustees, or, approached so 

 nearly to it, as to entitle him to a premium ? This question was 

 fully discussed by the Committee, and decided by a majority, in the 



negative. 



We find that his compost was made of equal parts of unfermented 

 horse manure, and muck, which was made as fine as practicable. 

 His muck was thrown from the pit last autumn, and like most other 

 muck, contains acid, but doubtless a portion had escaped by exposure. 

 We think he failed by not applying chloride of lime, or some other 

 alkali, to his muck, to remove remaining acid, previous to compost- 



