NORTH KENNEBEC SOCIETY. 13 



some localities rotted badly ; and yet in many fields the yield was 

 very good, while the quality was generally excellent. Our farm- 

 ers are awaking to the importance of selecting the right kind of 

 seed for potatoes, and are introducing many improved varieties 

 with satisfactory results. A heavy fall of snow, coming unusually 

 early in the fall, caught many of our farmers napping, with acres 

 of potatoes in the ground, and some with their corn in the field. 

 Some of these potatoes were, however, dug afterwards. The 

 crop of hay was rather light, but the quality has not often been 

 better, and it was, generally secured in fine condition, a large share 

 of it being cut early. Of grain — wheat, oats and barley — the 

 yield was good and the quality excellent. Some " Arnautka 

 Wheat," a Kussian variety, distributed among our farmers from 

 the Agricultural Dep't at Washington, it may not be amiss to say, 

 yielded abundantly, but is pronounced an undesirable variety, as 

 it cannot be floured to advantage and is only fit for use unbolted. 

 Fruit may generally be set down as a failure ; and yet, singularly 

 enough, some orchards bore large crops of most excellent quality, 

 to the astonishment of experienced fruit growers, who are puzzled 

 to account for these streaks of luck, which have seemed to fall 

 indiscriminately upon the "wise and otherwise." 



Daniel E. Wing, Secretary. 



Mr. BurleigWs Statement. 



The herd which I oifer for the Society's premium consists of 

 twenty pure thorough -bred Herd-book Herefords. 



I wintered most of this stock last winter ; their feed was good, 

 early cut hay, and nothing else with the exception of a little oat 

 and corn meal to the cows after they had calves. They were 

 turned to pasture the 21st of May, and had no extra feed until 

 about the 1st of September, when we began to feed a little hay, 

 as we were about to start for the N. E. Fair. In fact they have 

 had the same fare and feed as I always give my grades. I have 

 had considerable experience in raising and feeding cattle of most 

 all of the difierent breeds, and I do not hesitate to say that for 

 this cold, changable climate, these are very far ahead of any other 

 breed of cattle. But all white-faced cattle, or those sold as "full 

 blooded," are not entitled to the name of thorough-bred Herefords. 



That the Herefords are the easiest cattle to fatten, no reason- 

 able man can for a moment doubt ; then they are the quickest 



