SECRETARY'S REPORT. 209 



want of wood and timber, while half cultivated fields are objects 

 of common sight. There are some farmers who admit they are so 

 situated that a part of their farms cannot be sold off to advantage. It 

 is a question whether it would not be advisable to wholly neglect a 

 part, or rather to pasture it to sheep, than attempt to till it in so thrift- 

 less a manner. This remark suggests to me another fault. This is in 

 not keeping more sheep, instead, as now, of having so many horses. 

 In one of the letters received as an answer to certain questions 

 sent to different parts of the county last spring, the reply to the 

 query, " what is the chief defect in the agriculture of your town ?" 

 was — "we have too many old horses." The writer then went on 

 to say that most of the farmers in his town kept one or two horses, 

 while others had three or four, (including colts.) Of those who 

 had two horses, their flocks of sheep averaged from six to ten ; 

 while farmers who kept an extra horse or colt, the number of sheep 

 in their flocks was less by from two to four than the above num- 

 ber. I do not propose to go into details, or give figures to show 

 the value of horses as compared with sheep, nor to state the num- 

 ber of each in the different towns in the county, with other ques- 

 tions bearing upon the topic ; for I have not space nor time, but 

 leave it to be done by those who have an interest in it. It has 

 occurred to me, however, that much of the land in the northern 

 part of the county could be cleared, and sheep raising entered into 

 with great chances of profit ; even by farmers living in remote 

 sections of the county. The mountain slopes would form good 

 pasturage, and the interval lands afford rich opportunities for hay. 

 As sheep husbandry is destined to become a leading pursuit of our 

 farmers, this suggestion may be improved upon to advantage. 



A largo majority of our farmers are giving more attention to the 

 making of manure than formerly ; and this increased attention is 

 the result of a greater need of it. But notwithstanding this, great 

 negligence is manifested by some in regard to the making, preser- 

 vation and use of farm manure. There is nothing more important 

 to successful farming than manure, together with its judicious ap- 

 plication, and a correct knowledge of the leading principles ot 

 agriculture ; but it is a broad subject, and if followed, would lead 

 me into too long an argument. I only wish to note one or two 

 observations. 



I cannot but call it a serious defect in our husbandry, that so 

 large a number of farmers are yet careless and wasteful in the 

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