95 



The first great reform suggested by onr returns is the enlargement of 

 the stock of winter-food by the increased production of hay and other 

 feeding-material. It is true economy to utilize straw, fodder, and other 

 vegetable matters upou the farm, but these are generally deficient in 

 some of the elements of nutrition, and need to be supplemented with 

 hay or grain. Our grass-crops present but small returns for the surface 

 they cover and the capital and labor invested. The State of New York, 

 for example, scarcely averages a ton of hay per acre. Yet few of her 

 farmers w^ould think of entering a crop, for competition at any agricul- 

 tural fair, of less than two or three tons per acre. With the same acre- 

 age, then, it is possible to double or triple our hay-crop by bringing uj) 

 the practice to what has been shown to be practicable. Our pastures, 

 which are more than double the area of our meadows, should be stocked 

 with a better class of grasses. Experiments should be made with our 

 indigenous grasses, especially with reference to the curing of hay for 

 winter. It is believed that intelligent effort will yet make two spears of 

 grass grow where one grows now. With such an enlarged basis of 

 vegetable matter, it will be easy to supply our farm-animals with the 

 amount of food necessary not only to keep up their standard of weight, 

 during winter, but also to increase it. 



But other reforms must be inaugurated. It is necessary to adminis- 

 ter the food provided for animals with intelligent reference to its nutri- 

 tive qualities and to their peculiar wants. Experiments should be made 

 under scientific authority, showing the specific values of different kinds 

 of food, and the results, carefully gathered and compared, should be 

 placed within the reach of all our farmers. German farmers carefully 

 follow the directions for feeding founded upon the latest experiments of 

 the government agricultural stations. Some such scientific authority 

 is pressingly needed to direct the practice of American farmers. 



Finally, the cruel and wasteful policy of exposing farm-animals to the 

 inclemency of the winter should be abandoned, even in our southern cli- 

 mates. These reforms are demanded not only by the spirit of humanity, 

 but also by intelligent economy in production. Our farmers are called 

 upon to furnish the markets with higher grades of animals and animal- 

 products. To meet this demand, the hap-hazard, wasteful methods 

 which characterize extensive regions of our country must be superseded 

 and more intelligent and effective ijrocesses introduced. 



LOCAL EXCHANGES OF FARM-PEODUCTS. 



The principal cash-bringing crop in Maine is the potato, nearly every 

 county producing a surplus, which is shipped to Boston, the manufac- 

 turing cities accessible to the coast, and to more distant markets. It is 

 often found that two bushels of potatoes will bring more than a bushel of 

 corn, and more than three bushels to one may easily be grown, so that 

 exchange of potatoes for corn is common, though the thrifty sunrise 

 farmer sells somewhat more than he buys, and thus makes two dollars 

 grow (in the savings bank) where one grew before. Hay is another 

 product that bears a good price, and all points accessible to navigation, 

 or to short railway carriage, spare a limited amount, at the risk of the 

 sustained fertility of the acres producing it. Some oats are also shi{)ped. 

 Aroostook, having a cool, moist atmosphere, in which this plant delights, 

 sends off 25,000 bushels annually. In some counties there is a surplus 

 of meat-supplies : 10 per cent, in Piscataquis and Cumberland, a respect- 

 able fraction in Waldo and Androscoggin, GO per cent, of cattle and 

 sheep in York, three-fourths of the beeves of Franklin, large numbers 



