CUMBERLAND COUNTY SOCIETY. 41 



^100,000 worth of property, and within our households deal out 

 fleas continually, and hydrophobia occasionally. In all seriousness 

 we ask our brother farmers, ought not the man who keeps a dog, to 

 pay a tax upon him, rather than upon a sheep, or twenty of them? 

 Would not such a change in the assessment of taxes be the means of 

 increasing greatly the number of sheep, and result in a great 

 increase to the wealth of our State ? 



Grain and Vegetables. 



The Committee on Grain and Vegetables submit the following 

 report : 



Indian Corn. Although the present season has not been favora- 

 ble to the growth of corn, June having been wet and cold, retarding 

 its early growth and making it late upon wet land ; a pretty sharp 

 drought having occurred in the latter days of July and up to the 

 25th of August, very nearly ruining that growing upon sandy, dry 

 soil : and a severe frost having put a termination to the corn season 

 in most localities on the 15th of September; yet some favored places, 

 aided by skillful cultivation, have produced crops of which the culti- 

 vators themselves, our county and State, need not feel ashamed. 

 The quality of the samples on exhibition were all good, and some 

 of them were excellent, full and well ripened. They were mostly 

 of the eight-rowed varieties ; and we would here remark, that, in a 

 climate like our own, where the seasons are so short, it is very 

 desirable to select for cultivation early ripening varieties, having 

 small cobs which will have lost their succulency by the time the 

 kernel has acquired that hardness which fits it for the crib ; as there 

 is danger of loss by mold if the cob is not well dried before cribbing. 



There were seven entries made, only four of which were accom- 

 panied with the necessary statements of cost, method of cultivation, 

 &c., as required by Statute ; and one of these, viz: that of Mr. 

 Shaw of Standish, though very full and satisfactory, lacked the 

 certificate of oath, which is required by the rides of the Society. 



The competition, therefore, was between Amos Boulter of Stand- 

 ish, to whom we award the first premium ; Coleman Harding of 



