18 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



following in the past. The price of wool, though slightly improved 

 from the lowest rates of two years ago, is still below a figure which will 

 admit that product to be the ruling incentive to sheep husbandry. 

 Meat is becoming the leading object, while wool is taking a secondary 

 position ; and lamb is the chief attraction as a meat product The 

 raising of lambs for the early spring markets by methods of forcing 

 is rapidl}' on the increase and is proving highly profitable. As 

 lambs become the prime object, a class of sheep are souglit for best 

 adapted to this kind of work, and so the diflferent families of the 

 Downs and, latest, the Horned Dorsets are taking the place of the 

 Merinos and the common grades. 



The breeding and rearing of horses is still claiming increased 

 attention. The multiplication of specialists in this business is 

 quite marked and at the same time there is a manifest improvement 

 in the quality of the stock bred by farmers in general. That is, 

 there are more good horses bred among the farmers than formerly. 

 A feature as marked as anything connected with this kind of stock is 

 the increased attention given to breeds of heav3' stock. There is a 

 vast amount of mone}' annually sent out of the State for heavy work 

 horses, and breeders are beginning to realize that there is a vast 

 field for profitable work in that direction that has hardly been 

 entered upon. So far, the Percheron stock is the favorite with 

 breeders and additional stock is being introduced each year. The 

 latest contribution to the heav}' stock classes is the imported French 

 Coach Horse, Gemare, 134, the first animal of the blood brought 

 into the State. 



As the outlook for beef goes down, interest in dairying increases. 

 Creamer^' butter making is proving well adapted to our conditions. 

 Generally the business is increasing where creameries have been 

 established. Several new enterprises also have been started during 

 the year and still others are preparing for work. The new creame- 

 ries at work are located as follows : Fort Fairfield, proprietary, 

 I. O. Winslow, proprietor ; Bangor, co-operative ; Rockland, co- 

 operative ; Springvale, co-operative; Clinton, co-operative; Rum- 

 ford, co-operative ; Waterford, co-operative ; Garland, proprietary ; 

 Portland, proprietary, butter and cream ; Belfast, proprietary ; 

 East Pittston, co-operative ; making twenty-seven now in operation 

 in the State. 



The returns from the several agricultural societies show the usual 

 effort for promoting the interests of agriculture. The unprecedented 



