IMPROVING PASTURE LAND. 75 



But what shall we do with our cold, rocky, bushy pastures ? 

 To improve them by ploughing will often cost more than they 

 will sell for when reclaimed ; yet the farmer may be so situated 

 that it may be well for him to reclaim them. We think, how- 

 ever, that there is much land in this county, that is now known 

 by the name of pasture, that might be more profitably used as 

 woodland. Where the white pine and the birch grow up spon- 

 taneously, they will in a few years destroy the small bushes, and 

 when the wood is fit to cut, we shall have a pasture which 

 nature has renovated. 



In the pastures to which the attention of the committee has 

 been called, plaster has been used as a means for improving 

 them. It bccomes^an interesting inquiry to know in what parts 

 of the county,' and on what kind of soils, plaster can be profita- 

 bly used. Both of the pastures which we viewed were elevated, 

 and moist, strong soil upon a retentive subsoil. We had tlie 

 impression that plaster was best adapted to dry, poor soils ; 

 but from what we have seen and heard this season, we think 

 that it is the best soils that are improved by it. In conversa- 

 tion, a short time since, with a gentleman from Bangor, he said 

 that an accidental experiment, a few years ago, taught him that 

 they had been acting upon a wrong impression in regard to it 

 in that vicinity; that they received the most benefit from plas- 

 ter on good land, well manured ; that a greater proportional 

 increase of crop was obtained when it was applied in addition 

 to the manure than when applied alone. 



If the society shall continue to offer this premium, we would 

 recommend that it be under the direction of the Committee on 

 Farms, so that we may have the benefit of the observation of 

 the committee for a longer time. 



Wm. R. Putnam, Chairman. 



Joseph Hoiv^s Statement. 



It is with some hesitation that I offer my pasture lands for 

 premium, as I have previously given my opinion, and partially 

 my experience, which have been published in former reports. 

 But as there has heretofore been no application for premium, 

 and as last year there was no *eport from the committee, I 



