100 AGRICUI^TURB OF MAINE. 



up and enrich their farms without the expense of purchasing 

 commercial fertilizers. Mr. Elliott said that there had not been 

 a carload of superphosphate sold except for garden purposes 

 for many years. While they thought this government had 

 imposed a great wrong upon them and destroyed one of their 

 chief industries, yet it has proved a benefit to them, as from 

 this they have developed a new industry and increased the fer- 

 tility of their farms. Is there not a lesson in this for the farmer 

 on this side of the line? If we could build up the fertility of 

 our farms by the use of the dairy cow, the clover plant and a 

 rotation of crops, and save our large bills for commercial fer- 

 tilizers, it would be a great boon to Maine agriculture. 



J. W. Le;land. I am glad to be here at this time. I feel 

 interested in these meetings, and I put forth a great effort to 

 come. I feel like saying to Brother Gowell, Dr. Twitchell, and 

 these older ones who have labored so long and have been over 

 into our county so many times preaching this gospel, not to be 

 discouraged, because I am sure that their good works are bring- 

 ing some reward, at least in our county. I am sure that we are 

 doing better work than was done several years ago, and the 

 results can be traced to the farmers' institutes that have been 

 held there in the county with such men as Brother Gowell, Dr. 

 Twitchell, Brother Ellis and many others. We get more enthu- 

 siasm and more interest at these meetings. Of course we are 

 expected to do better work in our county than is being done, 

 perhaps, in some other sections of the State, because the Com- 

 missioner of Agriculture lives there. We all need to be 

 enthused once in a while, and when we meet the commissioner 

 anywhere he is always full of enthusiasm. I think the subjects 

 which are being discussed here will prove to be very beneficial 

 and helpful, although they have been discussed over and over. 



