238 BOARD OF AORICULTURK. 



quulity, to be worth one in Maine. It requires two cows in the State 

 of Iowa, of the same milk and ])utter producing qualities, to pay as 

 a yearly income as much as one in the State of Maine. It requires 

 three and a half acres of corn raised in the States of Kansas and 

 Nebraska to he equal in money value to one in Maine of the same 

 average yield. It also requires three tons of cultivated ha}' in the 

 State of Illinois to bring in the markets in cash the same as one in 

 our State ; and two acres of land devoted to garden truck, handled 

 by a skillful gardener, will pay as good, 3'es, a better profit, than one 

 hundred acres of wheat in Dakota this present year. Let us con- 

 sider that twelve 3'ears ago the average yield of wheat in Missonri 

 was thirty bushels per acre ; to-day it is less than twelve. Iowa 

 shows about the same decrease. This proves that in some States 

 the productions are falling off; while in the State of Maine we can 

 note an increase in its productions. For instance, let us look at our 

 horse industrv — onlv two States exceed Maine in 2:ood horses, and 

 the space between these is fast closing up. The interest is on the 

 increase. The average yield of milk and butter per cow has been 

 increased within the last ten years. Our steers are better fattened 

 and are brought to maturity at a much 3"ounger age, and no State in 

 this country can show a team of oxen and steers that could take the 

 blue ribbon from the one exhibited at our State Fair last fall. I 

 visited two western State fairs, and if I am a judge, I saw nothing 

 that could compete with them. The acreage of corn is on the in- 

 crease, and I trust the da}' isn't far distant when the farmers in some 

 sections of our State will raise all they need for their own use. 



Look for a moment to our fruit crop, especially the apples, and 

 imagine the change that has taken place within the last twenty years. 

 Now, farmers, you can accept or reject my views as your better bal- 

 anced judgments direct ; but I say once more, persistently, that 

 when we deal honestly with the soil, and bring out its latent powers 

 of production by scientific and practical work ; and when we con- 

 sider our numerous industries, scattered as they are throughout our 

 State and bringing our markets home to our doors ; and with the 

 diversity of our soil and the variety of crops we can produce ; that 

 the active and enterprising farmers of our State never need to fear 

 competing with the farmers of the West or the South. They can 

 get just as good a living and enjoy as many comforts of life as they. 



