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BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



of importance, and your cooperation in the matter will greatly facil- 

 itate their solution, and perhaps aid in giving a satisfactory answer. 



The Chairman announced as the subject next in order, a discus- 

 sion on Plows and Plowing. 



Secretary Goodalk. I trust this matter will not pass without 

 discussion. In his lecture, the gentleman from Androscoggin ex- 

 pressed the opinion, without any hesitation, that no plow made in 

 Maine so fully subserved all the uses to be be expected of a plow 

 as some made elsewhere. I am inclined to think that there is 

 more truth in it than is palatable. But there are many, both man- 

 ufacturers and farmers, who would strongly dissent from such an 

 expression, and I hope that any such, now here, will present their 

 views freely, so that both may go out together. 



Col. SwETT. I agree with the remarks of Mr. Goodale. For one 

 I do not feel willing to have it go out that this Board assents to 

 the idea that Mr. Gilbert advances. In the section of country 

 where I live (Oxford county) we have had various plows ; we have 

 had the one manufactured by the Ames' Company of Boston, 

 which Mr. Gilbert recommended ; we have had the conical plow ; 

 we have had the sward plow, or the breaking-up plow ; and so far 

 as my experience goes, there are plows manufactured in the State 

 of Maine which I consider far ahead of either of these. There is a 

 plow manufactured at Paris called the Hersey plow, which invari- 

 ably takes the premium at the fairs in my section, and has taken 

 it over those to which I have referred at our State Pairs. The 

 farmers prefer the Paris plow to either of the others. It is claimed 

 that they pulverize the soil more than ours does. I cannot assent 

 to that idea, neither do our farmers. I think the Paris plow and 

 the Ilersey plow are both worthy of recommendation to the 

 farmers of Maine. I am not acquainted with the Collins' plow. 

 If there can be a plow introduced into the State of Maine which is 

 ahead of anything we have, I would be glad of it. 



Mr. Gold. It is the material of the Collins plow which particu- 

 larly gives it its value. It is of cast-steel. 



Col. SwETT. What makes that superior to the cast-iron plow is, 

 that it will work in very fine soil or loam and not clog on the mould- 

 board. That objection I have heard brought by the farmers on the 

 Androscoggin river against the Paris plow and the Berwick plow. 

 They tell me they have been in the habit of using a cast-steel plow 

 which works admirably on that soil. But on the larger portion of 



