PENOBSCOT AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 29 



PENOBSCOT AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



The interest in agriculture has much increased in this county 

 during the year past Seven Farmers' Clubs have been formed in 

 that part of the county embraced in this Society, and they have 

 been well sustained. 



The subject of wheat-culture has been pretty thoroughly dis- 

 cussed and a larger breadth than usual has been sown this year. 

 The yield has been very satisfactory. Mr. J. E. Shaw of Hamp- 

 den, raised from one acre, thirty-three bushels of very nice wheat 

 of the "Lost Nation" variety. Mr. H. K. Robinson of Brewer, 

 raised thirty bushels from one acre, and no crop has been reported 

 less than twenty bushels per acre. Should wheat-raising be as 

 successful in coming years, it will again be one of the leading 

 crops of the county. 



Potatoes form the leading crop of the county at present, and 

 farmers generally think it is the most profitable one for export. 

 The breadth planted was not as large this year as usual, owing to 

 the low price paid for them last Spring, but the yield and quality 

 is better than for several years. There has been shipped this Fall 

 from this port, 330,000 bushels, mostly of the Orono variety. The 

 price paid has averaged about seventy cents, bringing about $231,- 

 000 from abroad to be distributed among the farmers. Several 

 farmers report from 300 to 400 bushels potatoes to the acre. 



Increased attention has been paid to the management of the 

 dairy ; and many of our farmers profited by the lectures on dairy- 

 farming at the Agricultural College during the summer. 



While in Michigan last winter, I found that many of the first- 

 class farmers use no other manure than plaster and clover. They 

 say they can crop a piece of land until it becomes exhausted, and 

 then a fair dressing of plaster will produce a good crop of clover, 

 and by cutting the first for hay and turning in the second crop, it 

 will leave the land in good condition for wheat or corn ; and from 

 my observations this season, I think that much of the run out 

 land in this State could be improved to good advantage in this 

 way. 



Amount of premiums ofiered, $1,600 ; amount of premiums 

 awarded, $916. 



D. M. Dunham, Secretary. 



