1858. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



137 



No wonder so many stock horses have unsound 

 feet, when they are thus kept tied, and standing 

 the whole year. A good bed of some kind is 

 quite essential to the comfort of tlie horse, at any 

 age. I have given this, not in the presumption 

 that Try deductions are infallible, and shall al- 

 ways hear respectfully the opinions of those 

 whose experience has been greater than mine. 



North Thetford, Vt, 1858. H, C. Fitch. 



For tlte Netc England Furmer, 

 AGBICnjIiTUBAIi TRANSACTIONS IN 

 MAINE. 



Whoever has travelled through the sea-board 

 counties of the State of Maine, and noted the 

 generally hard features of the soil, must have 

 thought that "farming in Maine is a hard business," 

 and such has been the common saying of her own 

 people these many years. Other people have 

 heard of her large crop of pine trees in former 

 days, and of potatoes, until the advent of the 

 ^'■rot" The statistics of American commerce give 

 her credit for a large annual yield of shipping, 

 wherein she excels the world ; and in other 

 branches of productive industry, Maine holds a 

 respectable rank. 



But who would look to that State, and her thin 

 soil — cold, sterile, reluctant, and M-hen not gen- 

 erously overspread with rocky boulders and cob- 

 ble stones, sands and gravel alternate with clays 

 whose firm tenacity is a fair emblem of the steady 

 purpose and adhesiveness of the people there 

 dwelling, — who would look to a location and soil 

 like this, as the soil of Maine is generally sup- 

 posed to be like this, for an improved and im- 

 proving agriculture'^ Yet there it is to be found in 

 the hands of many clear-headed and hard-handed 

 fai'mers, who can both try a practical experiment, 

 and write an intelligible description of its method 

 and results ; who are not afraid to plow deeper, 

 cultivate more thoroughly, drain wetfields, double 

 and quadruple their manure by composting with 

 leaves, turf, muck, &c., build barn cellars and 

 other shelter for manure, and a few who had the 

 nerve to venture on a systematic rotation of 

 crops, in defiance of all intimations of unknown 

 evils to befal those who thus left the time-honored 

 walks of their forefathers. And these men are be- 

 ginning to take two or more tons of hay per acre 

 from lands that had not been known to yield one 

 ton per acre in the memory of the present gene- 

 ration of young men, without any increased ex- 

 penditure of money or labor, by using them in 

 the right direction. Crops are obtained of grain 

 and roots that would compare favorably with 

 those of the most fertile lands in the West or 

 South. This beginning of improvement is like a 

 little leaven in a large measure of meal, but it is 

 gaining, and will leaven the whole lump. 



The Legislature of Maine, after several abor- 

 tive efibrts to aid agricultural improvement, two 

 or three years ago provided for the organization of 

 the present Board of Agriculture, which, though 

 limited and restricted in its means and powers, 

 (by that cautious policy which would ascertain if 

 agricultural improvement be a public benefit — if 

 it be wise to prove farming profitable, before en- 

 abling it to take efficient action,) has already ac- 

 complished a large benefit. Thus authorized, 

 such men as Dr. Holmes, of Winthrop, (Editor of 



the Maine Farmer,) S. L. Goodale, of Saco, the 

 able and thorough going Secretary of the Board, 

 and their associates, have made the best use of 

 the means at command for direct and practical 

 effect. 



The first report made last year, and an admi- 

 rable work of its kind, descriptive of the present 

 state of agriculture, with a brief resume of past 

 legislative and associated eff'ort in its behalf, con- 

 tained so much that was useful and sensible that 

 even the Legislature were driven to approval, 

 with an appropriation (so small as to be a reproach 

 to the State,) for another year. "The Second 

 Annual Report of the Secretary of the Maine 

 Board of Agriculture" is now in press, and we 

 have seen some of the advanced sheets. They 

 are very interesting, and eminently practical, and 

 contain a collection of opinions, details of exper- 

 iments, plans of improvement, and results ob- 

 tained in diff"erent localities and soils, and in such 

 variety of circumstances, as will aflbixl some use- 

 ful hint to every one — all from practical farmers 

 in various parts of the State. Blended with these, 

 Mr. Goodale gives his own notes of observation 

 and Instruction, whether of science or art, theory 

 or practice, in plain, but forcible terms, and free 

 as possible of mere technical phrases. A good 

 example of this occurs at pp. 127 — 130, in explain- 

 ing the importance of shelter to animals, as econ- 

 omy of food, and the identity of food and fuel in 

 processes of combustion and evolution of heat. 

 Every branch of the farmer's many Interests is 

 considered, and with relation to the climate and 

 other local circumstances, are all the suggestions 

 applied. 



But the most interesting portion of this work 

 to general readers and young farmers, is its de- 

 scription of the Aroostook Valley and vicinity, 

 visited and examined by Mr. Goodale last sum- 

 mer. This extensive region, far in the Interior 

 and almost on the frontier of Maine — but little 

 more than a wilderness, with few inhabitants, is 

 represented as having a deep, rich soil, not ex- 

 celled in fertility by any land In the West, and a 

 climate of great salubrity, where pulmonary dis- 

 ease is unknown, and though so far north, hav- 

 ing seasons long enough to mature the common 

 grain and root crops grown in other parts of the 

 State. 



I cannot ask space to say much more of this 

 part of the report, but heartily commend it to the 

 farmers of Maine, every one of whom should 

 have a copy of the report entire. Let them look 

 well at the land In Aroostook, obtainable at a 

 nominal price, near home, where there is no fe- 

 ver and ague, with a market for all that they 

 ought to sell, close at hand, and contrast it with 

 land In the West, where at the present hour, the 

 value of wheat is not enough to pay Its transpor- 

 tation to market on the seaboard. For the ben- 

 efit of invalids, and those who delight in many 

 children, we quote the following in favor of th'/' 

 Aroostook climate. 



"In the report (Surgeon's) from Fort Kent are 

 mentioned numerous facts going to show both 

 the longevity of individuals, and the rapid natu- 

 ral increase of population. For instance, six fam- 

 ilies living within the space of a mile had (me 

 Jmndred and six children in all. Twelve other 

 families had ninety-three children, in an aggre- 

 gate married life of one hundred and sixty-two 



