44 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



England farms are already feeling the influence of this trade, in the 

 sale of apples and dair}^ products. The possibilities in this direction 

 are great, but we will not attempt to develop it, as it pertains to 

 the nation at large, and not to our section alone. 



The possibilities of our farm life are great. Let us examine them 

 seriatim. First our agriculture ; I do not know of a farm in New 

 England that has yet reached its fullest capacity. We can carry 

 three times the population that we do now, and not test our farms 

 to one-half their limit. Talk of our soil being worn out and ex- 

 hausted ! I know what I am talking about when I say that there is 

 no end to what our soils will produce under reasonably good tillage 

 which they have never received. To give this necessary high culti- 

 vation we have not a strong enough force of laborers, a serious 

 drawback. The lesson we must learn, however, is to cultivate a less 

 number of acres, increasing the care bestowed upon those we do 

 treat until we get our lands bearing to a greater extent, then grad- 

 ually increasing our area only as we can give high cultivation. 



Another of our possibilities is regarding our stock. All good 

 farming depends upon some system of stock keeping. What are 

 we doing to-day? Keeping one-tenth the number that we ought to 

 and can with reasonably good planning. Horses, cattle and sheep 

 we can increase to great profit. Swine only to a limited extent. 

 Regarding horses, whenever I mention horse breeding in southern 

 New England, I am always met with the remark that I can buy a 

 horse cheaper than I can raise one. Granted, but 30U will have one 

 far inferior to the one you would raise. Farmers in Maine and 

 Vermont agree with me. I have an idea that a cheap horse in the 

 end is too expensive for any one to own. We.stern horses bred for 

 traveling through the mud, little nublins and hacks from Canada, 

 Indian ponies from the plains as uncivilized and unchristianized as 

 their former owners, are flooding the east to-day ; but home bred 

 horses, raised where they can sniff the salt air, and which will 

 readily bring from 25 per cent, to 50 per cent, more than the nonde- 

 script truck are hard to find. Boston and New York are the best 

 horse markets in the country, yet what are we doing to supply them. 

 It is a legitimate way of obtaining money, easier than hoeing it out 

 of the ground, and it develops intelligence, self reliance and control, 

 and what we term nerve in the breeder. 

 • We also have vast possibilities in cattle raising, both for the 

 xJairy and for beef. Not for the latter, however, till we have devel- 



