SECRETARY'S REPORT. 15 



Mr. Davis of North Somerset said the society he represented was 

 in a healthy condition. At the last fair its show of neat stock sur- 

 passed any that he had ever seen, with one exception — the last state 

 fair. The Durham cattle are favorites, with his neighbors, and it 

 was lately thought the Hereford made a good cross, but he thought 

 the Devon the best, all things considered. The Durhams are very 

 large, and coarse limbed, and the Devon cross seems to make the 

 handsomest, best built animal. The Ayrshires, he thought well of. 

 The Devon seems a little undersized, but the Durhams are too 

 large and they cannot stand our winters so well. lie thought the 

 Durham and Devon crossed, to be the best for northern Maine. 

 There is a good deal of interest in sheep, a cross of the French and 

 Spanish Merinos is deemed the best, the Cotswold are highly esteem- 

 ed, although as yet the flocks are small. The society is doing much 

 in various departments, especially in stock. We feel that the labors 

 of the Board have accomplished great good. 



Mr. Fuller of the Kennebec society, said that the increase of in- 

 terest in his neighborhood has been very considerable. The farms 

 and products are steadily improving in value. He alluded particu- 

 larly to the orchards of the county. Farmers in Kennebec are rais- 

 ing from fifty to five hundred dollars a year in apples. He knew 

 one man in Winthrop who raised last year two hundred barrels of 

 russets, which will sell at three dollars per barrel. The stock of the 

 county is improving. The general opinion is, that the Durham 

 blood is essential to perfect stock. A cross between the Durham 

 and Alderneys is better for dairies. On the whole the society is 

 .prospering. 



Mr. Avery of Lincoln spoke of the improved condition of his 

 society, and the increased interest felt in agriculture throughout the 

 county. The people have been hitherto largely engaged in ship- 

 building and limeburning, but the recent depression in these branches 

 of industry has given a new impetus to agricultural pursuits. It 

 has taught them the importance of relying more upon the cultiva- 

 tion of the soil, for the means of livelihood. They are now giving 

 much attention to manuring, to the clearing up and reclaiming lands 

 heretofore regarded as worthless, and which have in most instances 

 rendered good returns for the labor expended on them. Grass is 

 becoming a very important crop and more hay is raised and shipped 



