1861. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



543 



instead of a six feet long, white pine "settle," 

 with its back reaching almost to the ceiling, to 

 keep the children and old folks from freezing ; and 

 a cellar, light and airy, where well-filled meat-tubs 

 preside over heaps of fine vegetables, that no frost 

 approaches, instead of a low, damp, frosty hole, 

 where nothing is safe ! If the farmer of sixty years, 

 •will but contrast the present mode of living in the 

 class, with that which prevailed in his boyhood, he 

 must come to the conclusion that it is vastly 

 easier to invest one hundred dollars now, than it 

 was at that period. 



Mr. Hammond, of Piscataquis, said : We re- 

 gard farming as a science, and think we have seen 

 some of its benefits developed by practice in our 

 community to such an extent, that it has divested 

 us measurably of prejudices against book farming 

 and agricultural periodicals, which are now studied 

 with much interest ; and the annual reports of 

 the Secretary of this Board are considered indis- 

 pensable. And we cannot be insensible to the fact 

 that the information thus derived in regard to 

 agricultural improvements awakens energy in 

 practice, new desires for more extensive knowl- 

 edge, a love for the employment, operating as a 

 moving power to the main body, approximating 

 a more perfect system, 



Mr. MouLTON, of West Oxford, said that near 

 the foot of the White Mountains, there was much 

 bog land suitable for cranberry raising. Ex-Gov- 

 ernor Dana owned a large tract, from which he 

 could make more money by raising cranberries, 

 than he could as Minister to Bogota ! 



Mr. Hayden, of Somerset, stated that much 

 interest was felt in horses and neat stock in his 

 county. Three horses in his vicinity had recently 

 been sold for $1200. 



Mr. Davis, of North Somerset, said: Crops 

 had improved. Attention had been directed to 

 preparing and applying manures. Muck, com- 

 posted with lime, salt and other articles, had been 

 applied on run-out farms with great effect, pro- 

 ducing good crops of corn and then of hay, show- 

 ng how easily exhausted farms may be brought 

 up. The muck was hauled out and spread over 

 the barn-yard, where it would absorb the liquids 

 — allowed to lay a year — was occasionally plowed, 

 and top-soil, leaves, straw and rotten wood mixed 

 with it, 



Mr. MooEE, of West Somerset, said improve- 

 ment was evident in the stock and farms of his 

 county. Wool raising is extensively carried on. 

 The Spanish Merino is chiefly grown. The town 

 of Anson alone sold last year between $13,000 

 and $14,000 worth. Underdraining has received 

 some attention. 



Mr. Stackpole, of West Penobscot, thought 

 that farmers do not keep sheep enough. More 

 sheep and fewer horses would be better. A 



greater breadth of land was put into cultivation 

 last year than ever before. Corn was grown to 

 the amount of 110| bushels per acre. Wheat 

 produces well when sown ; barley 62 bushels per 

 acre ; oats, 74, and 72 by another. 



Mr. Reed said the products of the soil in Lin- 

 coln county were greater than ever before. Fruit 

 was very good. Gardens have been improved 

 by setting out flowers, shrubs and fruit trees. 

 Much attention is paid to making manure from 

 sea-weed, rock-weed, muscles and mud. He 

 thought too little attention was paid to sheep- 

 raising. 



Such are some of the things said by the mem- 

 bers of the Board, while their committee was out 

 preparing topics for consideration — and they give 

 a clear view of the kind of progress which is go., 

 ing on among our brother farmers in the State 

 of Maine, This progress was imputed by several 

 speakers mainly to the influence of the State and 

 County Societies, and by others to their agencies, 

 together with those diffused by books, newspa- 

 pers, and home discussions in farmers' clubs. 



The committee, however, have returned, and 

 are ready to report their "topics for considera- 

 tion," but we have exhausted our space for the 

 present, and must leave them for another writing. 



Long Canoe Voyages. — At a recent meeting 

 of the American Ethnological Society, of New 

 York, as we learn from the Commercial AdoeV' 

 tiser : 



"The recording secretary read an account by 

 Mr. Joane, of the Micronesian mission, published 

 in June last, of a voyage of five hundred miles 

 and back, made by a few natives in their little 

 canoes, without a compass, and with only two 

 stopping-places, guided by the stars, currents, 

 winds, &c. This writer remarked that this fact 

 proved that the islands of the Pacific might have 

 been peopled either by accident or by design, 

 and accounted for known resemblances in lan- 

 guage, &c. 



It is certain th^t the Sandwich Islands were 

 peopled from the Society Islands, and that voy- 

 ages were made between them before the days of 

 Captain Cook. Mr. Gulick stated at a former 

 meeting of the society that he had seen natives 

 who had recently performed the voyage in canoes ; 

 and they declined accepting a compass, saying 

 that their pilot had one in his head. 



Mr. Buckingham Smith mentioned that certain 

 old Spanish writers spoke of some of the Ameri- 

 cans as having the points of the compass always 

 in mind, so that they knew their courses and 

 bearings even at the bottom of a mine. Their 

 languages also have words corresponding with 

 this remarkable custom." 



Keeping Apples. — We cannot aid our corres- 

 pondent in Maine in selling his "process" for 

 keeping apples. If we aid him at all, it must be 

 through our advertising columns, or our own ex- 

 perience in the matter. 



