246 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



blood with the draft or general purpose horse. If yon are breeding 

 for a general purpose horse, do not mix up with the draft or speed 

 horses. It would he absurd to think of mating a Jersey with a 

 Hereford, with a view of producing the best type of working oxen ; 

 and yet people entertain just such absurd ideas, and practice just 

 such unreasonable things in the attempt to raise trotting horses. 



While I believe in advancing the interests and encouraging the 

 business, and while I believe in the future i)rosperity of this great 

 and growing industry, 1 would not encourage any one to engage in 

 this business who is not by nature adapted to it ; who has not some 

 natural abilit}- in this direction, for I believe that a person can not 

 attain to the highest degree of success in any business unless they 

 are b}' nature especially adapted to that kind of work. If a person 

 has a liking for a horse, likes the business of raising them, likes to 

 care for them, to feed them, to educate them, that person will suc- 

 ceed. But if he has no liking for a horse, does not want anything 

 to do with them, prefers to raise cattle, or sheep, or swine, he had 

 better let horse raising entirely alone. 



The horse interest of Maine is rapidl}' increasing, and let us not 

 be caught napping. Let us not be satisfied with raising scrubs. 

 Let us keep right on raising that class of horses which we need on 

 the farm, which we can raise at a profit without going into any spec- 

 ulative operations. I have studiously avoided giving my preferences 

 for the different breeds. Thev are all good ; each has its friends 

 and advocates. We cannot all look at things in the same light, and 

 I think it is well we cannot. 



CHEAP CORN. 

 By Hon. Elbridge Cushman, Lakeville. Massachusetts. 



Given at Institutes at Kenncbuuk and Portland. 



Were I this afternoon to tell the stor^^ of the recent discovery of 

 some new plant or rare hybrid, the habits and character of which 

 would permit its cultivation and growth on by far the larger portion 

 of our fair land, at the same time furnishing in some form food for 

 almost every variety of animal life, and by its products feeding the 

 armies and navies of the world, and could I but announce the method 

 of cultivating such a plant as the subject of the hour, little fears, 

 indeed, should I have of your most earnest attention or that there 

 would be kindled in you all the most livel}- interest and enthusiasm. 



