10 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



ment to the soil is a question which our best farmers have been 

 carefully considering, and mauN- of them now hesitate about plowing 

 up good smooth grass land to i)]ant to potatoes without manure. 



The business of dair3iug is receiving increasing attention among the 

 farmers of this vallc}-, and the amount of dairy products is yearly 

 increasing. Our distance from the great cities is a drawback as 

 regards the business of butter making, as the market now demands 

 a fresh]}' made article, but in the matter of cheese we can compete 

 with other portions of the State. The business of stock raising for 

 market has not vet engaged the attention of farmers in this section 

 to the extent which the natural advantages of Aroostook for this 

 branch of farming would seem to warrant. With our abundance of 

 feed during the summer and fall and our large crops of hay, grain 

 and straw, it would seem that Aroostook should send to market 

 large droves of fat cattle, and that the business should be one which 

 could l)e conducted with profit. This question I believe is to be fully 

 discussed to-da}- and I hope we ma}- be able to get man}' facts and 

 lessons from the discussion which will be of advantage to us in 

 regard to this important branch of our business. The great need ot 

 this section has been a better market and better means of trans- 

 portation for our surplus products. This need has been met to a 

 a certain extent, b}- the extension of the N. B. Railway up the 

 valle}' of Aroostook as far as Presque Isle. This gives us an outlet 

 to be sure and is a veiy great help to the farmers of this region. 

 But it is a long, circuitous route, through a foreign country, and 

 though much better than no outlet, still it does not meet the needs 

 of the county as would a direct route to Bangor running wholly 

 through our own territory. 



The mistaken policy of the State in giving its lands to a road 

 which barely touches our county at its southernmost point, has 

 probabl}' postponed for many 3'ears the building of the line which 

 Aroostook so much needs. But, gentlemen, I will trespass no 

 faither upon the time which I feel can otherwise be more pi'ofitably 

 employed. The remarks which I have made, you will readily see, 

 have hai-dly done justice either to myself or to the occasion. But I 

 trust the hearty and cordial reception which I know you will meet 

 with at the hands of our warm-hearted citizens, will be a more 

 acceptable welcome to you than any formal words of mine. We 

 are most happy to receive this visit from so many of our friends 

 from the outer world, and trust that the occasion will be one of 

 pleasure to you as we know it will be one of interest and profit to us. 



