g^ BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



To fat pigs to middle of December $20.00 



To store pigs the remainder of the year 24.00 



Labor 30.00 



4 cords horse manure at $4 16.00 



10 bushels ashes at 10 cents 1.00 



2 bushels plaster 1 .20 



$159.60 



Cr. 



15 cords manure at |5 tS.OO 



2 old hogs sold, 650 pounds at 12^ cents 81.25 



2 pigs for home use, 450 pounds at 12| cents 56.25 



Pigs sold, estimated six at $2.50 15.00 



$227.50 

 Deduct 159.60 



Leaving balance in favor of swine $61.10 



I am aware that gentlemen with large incomes may look upon 

 the above as a small matter for so much time and trouble. But it 

 is quite an object for a Maine farmer to get fifteen cords of good 

 dressing even by paying for it, and it is worth something to get 

 rid of all the rubbish of which it is composed." 



In the discussion which followed the reading of the foregoing 

 paper, Mr. Thing, in reply to a question, said, that he found the 

 manure from the hog pen more free from weed seeds, than any 

 other which he made on his farm. Also, that for use in his own 

 family, he much jDreferred pork from swine not older than six or 

 eight months. 



Mr. Gilbert, from his own experience, did not entertain so high 

 an opinion of the value of the Chester breed as the writer of the 

 report. The pork packers at Lcwiston also held that, while 

 Chester pork is thick on the back, it rapidly fell off on the sides, 

 and furnishes less clear pork than the Suffolk. 



Much difference of opinion appeared to exist among the mem- 

 bers regarding the comparative merits of the various breeds ; and 

 that it was useless for the Board to recommend one breed as 

 superior to all others, for the same reasons as exist with regard to 

 other farm animals, since locations and surroundings and circum- 

 stancies vary as they do in a State of large geographical 



