INTRODUCTION. Xvii 



labor of getting out the seed can be done when we havn't much 

 to do. They are getting in pure-blooded stock of different 

 breeds — more Jerseys, I think, than any other. There has been 

 some splendid stock driven from the Aroostook. I know of one 

 thoroughbred Ayrshire bull that has been brought there. Large 

 numbers of sheep are raised and sent to the Boston market. 

 From COO to 800 sheep per day, from the Aroostook and the Prov- 

 inces, pass over the road. Blooded sheep have been introduced — 

 some Cotswolds, but mostly Leicesters. Occasionally we have 

 a frost in August, but generally not till September — sometimes 

 not till October. I do not think we have them as early as we used 

 to. We can generally begin farming in Aroostook as early as 

 they can in Somerset county, and I think the fall frost is not much, 

 if any, earlier. We cannot raise corn as well as they can — we 

 have colder nights, but other crops we can i-aise as well as in any 

 other part of Maine. I do not know as I could average the value 

 of land, including buildings in the county. Farms about Tloulton 

 village are worth more than they are further back ; as they value 

 them at about $15 per acre. Following this, a paper on Cranberry 

 Culture, by Mr. Washburn, was read — given in full in its proper 

 place ; and the discussion which followed it occupied the remain- 

 der of the afternoon. In the evening the subject of Sheep Hus- 

 bandry was presented, the paper by Mr. Flint of Somerset county, 

 being published in full in a subsequent portion of this report. 



The forenoon of the second day was partially given up to the 

 reports on crops in the several counties represented, as follows : 



Aroostook : Hay yielded better than the average, and it was se- 

 cured in excellent condition ; oats better than the average ; barley 

 and rye not much sown, but very good ; not much corn is raised 

 in the county, but it ripened well, free from frost; potatoes gen- 

 erally good, the early ones rotted, while the late ones were sound ; 

 fruit, good ; grass seed filled well ; the cheese factories in the 

 county made somewhat less cheese than last year, but have done 

 a very fair reason's work, cheese selling for 11 to 12| cents, and 

 the product about half sold ; starch factories in the county seem 

 to be doing well. ' Hancock: Hay twenty per cent, below the 

 average ; potatoes better than the average ; wheat yielded double 

 what it has for the past fifteen years ; cranberries about half a 

 crop, owing to the drouth ; fruit more than an average. A new 

 industry \f>. springing up in the town of Hancock in the form of 



a factory for the extracting of tannin from sweet fern, and also 

 n 



