INTRODUCTION. JX 



the farmer's study or practice than those which form the subject 

 of these lectures, and they are presented in so clear and compre- 

 hensive a light as to be of great service to all who will master 

 their contents by a diligent and careful reading. I earnestly hope 

 their truths may be acquired and put in practice by all. In the 

 evening an able lecture was given b3' Prof M. C. Fernald of the 

 Maine State College, on Taxation, elsewhere given in full. 



The forenoon of the third day was devoted to the consideration 

 of the cost of fencing in Maine ; and our fence laws as they are 

 and as they should be — bringing to a close the discussion of this 

 topic as proposed by the programme. These papers are published 

 entire, and the discussion following them in satisfactory fullness, 

 in their proper place. The afternoon session opened with a paper 

 by Mr. Lyman Lee of Foxcroft, on the Value of Covered and Un- 

 covered Manure, in which he introduced the results of an experi- 

 ment conducted by a celebrated Scotch farmer to determine their 

 relative value. Four acres of soil of uniform character were 

 selected for an experiment, two of which were manured with 

 uncovered ordinary barnyai'd manure, and two with an equal 

 quantity of manure from covered sheds. The whole was planted 

 to potatoes with the following result : 



Uncovered manure, one acre, produced 272 bushels, 



" '< " << 293 " 



Covered manure, •• " 442 " 



«» €1 ti << ^Yl «' 



Or an increase of 348 bushels from the sheltered manure on two 

 acres. The following year the field was sown to wheat, and the 

 result found to be as follows : 



Uncovered manure, one acre, produced 41 bushels, 18 pounds. 



«' <« " «« 42 '• 38 " 



Covered manure, •' " 65 '* 5 " 



>« «' «t <• 5g «« 4Y «« 



Each bushel containing 61 pounds ; the latter showing a gain of 

 31 bushels on the acre. The straw on the portion dressed with 

 manure which had been covered, was also one-third heavier. Mr. 

 Lee followed these experiments with an earnest appeal for farmers 

 to give more care and attention to the manufacturing, collection, 

 and use of fertilizers upon the farm. We can hardly give too 

 much attention to this subject, and if we but protect the manure 

 of our farmyards from the wasting influence of sun and rain, we 

 may assure ourselves that we have all that is necessary for the 

 best cultivation of our crops. Manure cellars and sheds are ira- 



