236 BOARD OF AORICULTURE. 



YORK COUNTY. 



Institute at Cornish.. 



By invitation of the Ossipee Valley Agricultural Society, a 

 Farmers' Institute was held at Cornish, the headquarters of the 

 Societ}', February 8tli. Drifting snows rendered the roads almost 

 impassable, still a large number of the farmers of the vicinity 

 assembled at the meeting. 



B. F. Pease, President of the Agricultural Societ}', presided. 

 The forenoon was given to a paper by J. E. Shaw, Secretary of the 

 Penobscot County Farmers' Club, on "Profits of Feeding Ha}'," 

 which will be found in another place. 



AFTERNOON. 



FARM FENCES AND BARB WIRE. 

 By Henry M. Smith, Worcester, Mass. 



Any one venturing to treat of the question of fencing, before a 

 gathering like the present, should save himself from the rashness of 

 believing it a topic that is new in your discussions. A pretty careful 

 study of what has been presented in farm reports and by farm 

 authorities in our State has shown for Maine a great array of facts, 

 a wide variety of views and a pretty solid agreement that the matter 

 of fences and fencing is no small one. I do not come here to 

 recapitulate what has been already printed in the volumes of 3'our 

 State Hoard, for I believe these have been read, and are read b}' 

 those who are most interested in the subject. Your contributions 

 to the discussions on fencing that have held foremost place in 

 agricultural and land questions for the past twenty-five years, have 

 come from able and earnest writers, and men of practical experience, 

 and cannot be overlooked or undervalued by an}" one seeking light 

 and help in this direction. 



But the subject is not exhausted. Its essential facts and argu- 

 ments have been growing and not decreasing, and a brief general 

 review of the Fence question in its present aspect maj- be of 

 interest. It finds a very substantial recognition of its bulk and 



