194 PENOBSCOT AND AROOSTOOK UNION SOCIETY. 



Lemuel T. Sewall of Island Falls, told me he raised from less 

 than one bushel of the Scotch Fyfe, seventeen and a half bushels on 

 three fourths of an acre — (the Scotch Fyfe was received from the 

 Patent Office.) We think well of this variety. It ripens early, is 

 short and stiff straw, and is not apt to lodge ; and if sown early gets 

 an important start of the rust and weevil, two very serious hindrances. 

 I think by proper management we may run nearly clear of both. 

 To get the start of the weevil we need an early variety. On dry 

 ground it is safe to sow wheat as soon as the frost is out to the depth 

 of three or four inches — the wheat will get out of the way of the 

 weevil before he gets ready to perform his mission of evil. 



Wheat brought northward fifty or a hundred miles (the same 

 year) is not apt to rust. I once brought a peck of wheat from 

 Sandy river, in this State, and sowed it on a corner of a three acre 

 piece on which I sowed four bushels of the same kind of wheat; the 

 little corner sowed by the peek did not rust, but the rest of the piece 

 rusted badly. I got more wheat from the peck sowing than from 

 .-all the rest of the piece. 



I have seen the Siberian wheat standing between two other kinds 

 ■so near each as to mix — both the other kinds rusted, but this re- 

 !mained as bright as gold to the last. 



Buckwheat has proved itself to be a most important crop. While 

 others are indispensible to the farmer, this is most certain to remu- 

 nerate his labor. An average crop of buckwheat is about 35 bushels 

 to the acre — a bushel will produce 32 pounds of meal, equal to corn 

 meal, which makes a feed for fattening pork equal to any other, and 

 costs much less than any thing we can produce of the same value." 



Dr. Luther Rogers of Patten, Secretary of the Society, writes: 

 "Farmers need money. The great desideratum in farming is, to 

 make the products of the farm pay the current expenses of the farm 

 and family. Within the limits of this Society, much attention is 

 necessarily given to the clearing of lands. The first crops of grain 

 and hay are always large; and in this community, grain and sur- 

 plus hay find a, ready market. Farmers^ while clearing lands realize 

 a good business, and have cash at least once a year to meet all neces- 

 sary expenses 



With older farms and with lands that have been cropped several 



