50G AGRICULTURAL REPORT. 



fested in stock-breeding and stock-growing, the most marked feature 

 being observable in the rearing of improved grades of sheep for wooh 

 Many new marshes have been pUmted with cranberries, and the culture 

 is making rapid progress. The apple-crop was from 40 to 45 per cent, 

 above an average, wliile pears and the smaller fruits produced a fair 

 yield. As fruit-trees become acclimated to the severe frosts Of winter, 

 their crops are more certain and abundant, and the fruit of an improved 

 character, both as regards flavor and size. The year, upon the whole, 

 , has been a very fruitful and profitable one to the farmer. 



Considerable progress is shown in the establishment of woolen facto- 

 ries. The number of mills in the State is given at 54 ; number of sets 

 of manufacturing cards, 63 ; number of sets of custom or roll cards, 43. 

 The capacity of these cards, if run the whole time, would be 2,320,000 

 pounds per annum, but from one cause or another about one-third of 

 the mills in the State were shut down from one to three months of the 

 season. The following is the result of their operations for this year : 



Nnmber of pounds of wool manufactured into cloth, yam, &c 1, 500, 000 



Number of pounds made into rolls for custom-work - — ■, I'^O, 000 



Total number of xiounds used 1, 620, 000 



The wool clip for 1871 is estimated at 4,620,000 pounds, which is a 

 much larger amount than the home mills can manufacture into cloth 

 and yarn. 



Some interesting experiments were made at the University farm, 

 which are noticed elsewhere in this work. This farm is steadily under- 

 going improvements under the management and fostering care of the 

 regents. 



The secretary deprecates the great desire for large tracts of land, 

 which creates a tendency to careless and slovenly culture. A smaller 

 amount of land, with better cultivation and a more diversified agricul- 

 ture, is that system which most certainly leads to success. There is no 

 such thing as permanent success without systematic rotation and ma- 

 nuring. But systematic fertilization is impossible without a liberal 

 supply of live stock. The conclusion is inevitable, therefore, that grain- 

 growing must go hand in hand with grass-growing and stock-raising. 

 Here and there one is found who practices upon this manifest principle 

 as if it were cardinal ; and such farmers are invariably successful. Few 

 lands are so limited in the range of vegetation but that a variety of 

 crops and stock may be profitably grown upon them. But there are 

 limitations, nevertheless, and they cannot safely be ignored. Disregard 

 of conditions is manifested by the readiness and uniformity with which 

 all rush into a novel enterprise, or turn their whole strength upon a 

 single branch of business, which can only be made permanently suc- 

 cessful by giving due attention to the claims of each element and seek- 

 ing to harmonize them all. Here, as in almost everything else, selfish- 

 ness and blind greed manifest themselves. The true policy of the in- 

 telligent farmer, when he sees all his neighbors turning their attention 

 to pork-raising, would be to turn Ms attention to raising coii, mean- 

 while omitting nothing essential to steady and uniform success. When 

 any considerable number of farmers direct their attention to the pro- 

 duction of a certain staple, to the neglect of a necessary article of con- 

 sumption, the neglected article must enhance in value because of the 

 shortness of the supply which is generally the result of diminished 

 acreage. 



A very valuable paper is contributed by Mr. Gustave de Keveu, on 



