g BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



topic under consideration, and preferred to speak of the condition 

 and prospects of his society. 



There has not until recently been any agricultural society in 

 Hancock county for many years. In 1790 a society was formed, 

 and flourished for a time, but it failed, and one of the principal 

 causes of its failure was the impression that got abroad among the 

 farmers, that the highest premiums could not go out of two families. 

 The failure of this attempt left such a discouraging impression upon 

 the old farmers of that region, that no successful effort has been 

 made until last year to establish another. When we moved to secure 

 a new society, we could get but seven names on the petition ; but 

 we got our charter, and the first exhibition was a decided success. 

 We had over four hundred animals on the ground. Our farmers 

 are now turning their attention more to the raising of calves — and 

 are becoming interested in all the various branches of practical hus- 

 bandry. The habit of our people, hitherto, has been to fish a little, 

 and lumber a little, and farm a very little ; but the time has come 

 when they must pay more attention to farming — or starve. Interest 

 is inci'easing rapidly. Two years ago I had books for distribution, 

 but nobody wanted them. The farmers would not take and carry 

 them home when given to them. Now, I cannot get enough to meet 

 the demand. Persons have come thirty miles to get a copy of the 

 report of our secretary. This year I have received one hundred 

 books, and already I have three applicants to every book I have. 



There is considerable attention given to the cultivation of the 

 cranberry in our part of the state. A neighbor of mine had a heath 

 where cranberries grow among the bushes. He simply took away 

 the bushes, let in the light, and the result was a fine crop. In 

 another case, sand was carted on at the rate of from six to eight 

 loads to one-fourth of an acre. Another man started a patch on a 

 salt marsh. He took a large variety of the cranberry, which grows 

 on a bush about four feet high, with a bark like the dog- wood. It 

 is not so good as the low cranberry, though very palatable. The 

 small are worth twice as much in the market as the large. This 

 cranberry grows on the borders of our heath or bogs, which are 

 found in large tracts, some of them containing a thousand acres, 

 and when you go on them they shake a long distance around you. 

 It is at the borders of these, near the solid ground that cranberries 



