542 



NEW ENGLAND FARMEB. 



Dec. 



■will find in any other volume of as little cost. 

 We doubt not that those who have already 

 adopted, or who may yet adopt the advice of our 

 Editor as to sending for the book, will feel in- 

 clined, or at least have good occasion, when they 

 see the new forms of beauty which their grounds 

 have assumed or may be made to assume, to 

 thank him in their hearts for that one little piece 

 of information or advice. Though we have quoted 

 the editorial reply to the inquiry made as to lay- 

 ing out a front-yard, &c., yet, as some may wish 

 to refer to the inquiry as well as to have the re- 

 ply, I would state that both are to be found in 

 the New England Farmer, monthly, on page 573 

 of volume 12th, or in the number for December, 

 1860. 



Barns and Manure. — If Secretary Flint's 

 estimates on page 445 of October number, of the 

 amount of manure which might be made more 

 than is actually made, in the Bay State, are toler- 

 ably correct, then the farmers of that State might 

 be richer annually by the enormous sum of $1,- 

 125,000, if they would heed his counsel and man- 

 age their manure more carefully. This saving is 

 worth attending to at any time, but especially at 

 the present. More Anon. 



AGRICULTURE OP MAINE. 



We have before us a fine volume of upwards of 

 400 pages, containing the report of the Secretary 

 of the Maine State Board of Agriculture for the 

 year 18G0, and an Abstract of Returns from the 

 Agricultural Societies of that State for the same 

 year. The volume is on good paper, is neatly 

 printed, and is illustrated with engravings of ani- 

 mals, insects, fruits and plants. 



The repori of the Secretary of the State Society, 

 Stephen L. Goodale, Esq., comprises some 250 

 pages of the volume, and details the doings of the 

 Board of Agriculture for the preceding year. 

 The first business he notices, is that ot a meeting 

 of the members of the Board assembled at the 

 agricultural room in the Capitol at Augusta, on 

 the 18th of January, 1860. At this meeting, a 

 committee was appointed to present subjects for 

 the consideration of the Board. Pending the re- 

 port of this committee, members were called upon 

 to state the condition and progress of the socie- 

 ties represented by them, and a most interesting 

 and valuable discussion ensued. 



Mr. Anderson, of Cumberland county, said 

 that farming in his county had made very consid- 

 erable advancement within the past few years. 

 Draining had been introduced, and met with 

 marked favor. The second year's operations had 

 more than quadrupled those of the first. Out of 

 23 farms examined by a committee, 21 had under- 

 gone more or less of this kind of improvement. 

 He had been extremely interested in hearing the 

 farmers set forth its benefits. There had been 

 great improvement in stock, and especial atten- 

 tion had been given to the manner of keeping it. 

 More than ever, boards and shingles had been re- 



sorted to for the saving of fodder, rather than to 

 more expensive things. 



Mr. Dill, of North Franklin, said that mani- 

 fest improvement had taken place in barns and 

 barn-cellars, and in saving manure, and that farm- 

 ers take better care of their stock and are more 

 humane to it than formerly ! Twenty-five years 

 ago, he said, they thought oxen girting six feet 

 to be of good size ; now, less than seven feet is 

 considered small. This is partly owing to breed. 

 The same improvement is seen in sheep. Flocks 

 are in every way improved, and all this may be 

 chiefly ascribed to the influence of agricultural 

 societies. Farmers are mure anxious for knowl- 

 edge, and for reading matter. He read a letter 

 from Abner Toothaker, of Rangely, who states 

 his average crop of hay at 1^ tons; oats, 50 

 bushels ; wheat, 20 : barley, 35 ; and potatoes 

 200 bushels per acre. 



Mr. Wasson, of Hancock, reported that the 

 influence of the society was very marked. It had 

 set men thinking, reading, and studying — has 

 kindled a desire to farm scientifically, and not at 

 hap-hazard. 



Dr. True, of Oxford, after speaking of a herd 

 of 29 Devon 8, shown by Mr. Heald, of Sumner, 

 said there was a marked improvement generally 

 among farmers ii his county; an air of thrift 

 about them — they had more comforts cmd luxuries 

 — were getting free from debt. Fine barns, with 

 good cellars, had V>een built, a spirit of inquiry had 

 been aroused, and a desire for books and papers 

 prevailed. 



One expression in Dr. True's remarks, that 

 farmers have "more comforts and luxuries" than 

 formerly, suggests enough to fill a column, if we 

 had space to pursue this single thought. Faru>- 

 ers are ofien heard to complain that they make 

 no more money now than they could forty years 

 ago, although greatly aided by machinery in their 

 business, and finding a i-eady market almost at 

 their doors for any article they can produce. 

 But they overlook the fact, which must be evident 

 to their own senses if they will but look at it, 

 that the farmer of to-day scarcely has any points 

 of resemblance with the farmer of 40 years ago, 

 in his clothing, his vehicles, his dwelling, barns, 

 bed and board ! They have all changed for the 

 better — while his farm is more rapidly improved 

 and yields larger net profits, his children are bet- 

 ter educated, and himself and wife have more lei- 

 sure, and are more rapidly progressing in knowl- 

 edge, and all that tends to elevate the class. Con- 

 venient and economical cooking-stoves or ranges 

 have taken the place of cold and exhaustive open 

 fire-places ; a carpeted sitting-room on the south 

 side of the house, for the afcernoon and evening, 

 instead of the bare floor of the kitchen, facing the 

 north pole ; an easy arm-chair, or rocking-chair, 



