Page images
PDF
EPUB

and Healey of Winterport, Drew blood in the same class. The show of breeding mares and colts was never better; of carriage horses there was a nice show, also a good display of sheep and bucks of the South Down and Oxford Down breed.

There was a good display of grains, roots and other cultivated crops, enough to fill the hall.

The principal crops raised in this vicinity are the potato, oats, barley, beans and corn, all of which were quite good this year. The potato crop was lighter with us than it has been for many years, but they are coming out of the cellars free from rot. We think the potato crop very unprofitable for the farmer to raise both for the land and his pocket; it would pay much better to keep more stock and feed more hay.

The fruit crop was never better than this year in our vicinity and a very good display was made.

In the ladies' department the largest and best show of articles in that class ever exhibited was presented.

On the second day the time was mostly taken up in the trial of speed of the various horses entered for that purpose. The best trotting ever witnessed on the park. Time in sweepstake race, 2.40-2.41-2.40. We think it much better for the interests of the society to offer higher premiums on stock and farm crops and reduce the horse trotting.

E. H. NEALLEY, Secretary.

WASHINGTON COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. The Annual Show and Fair was held on the Fair Ground at Pembroke, September 25th and 26th, 1872. We were again unlucky by having bad weather. The first day was cloudy and misty with light showers, enough to prevent timid persons from turning out, and some went back after they had started, but there was about an average number of entries excepting specimens of crops. We had a cold and backward spring, followed by a wet summer with a few extremely warm days and some very cold ones. Taking the season together it has been a hard one for raising corn, pumpkins, squashes, tomatoes, or anything that needs warm weather.

There were thirty-seven entries of horses and colts, twentyeight of oxen and steers, forty-three of cows and heifers, fifteen of bulls, and a few sheep, swine, poultry, &c. Whole number of entries on live stock 134 We have but little thoroughbred stock

in this county, and what there is is owned so far from the place of holding the fair that it is not at the exhibition.

The entries of farm and garden products were not so large nor so good in quantity or quality as in former years. Of apples there were thirty-six entries, most of them very nice, although not so large as in some seasons. Eleven entries of plums, four of grapes and four of cranberries. Ruta-bagas were well represented and quite large. Whole number of entries of grains, seeds, fruit, vegetables, &c., 141.

Fourteen entries of butter and two of cheese all good and some extra nice. One hundred and five entries in the ladies' department; whole number of entries of manufactures, 151.

Field crops are entered at the annual meeting which takes place on the third Wednesday of November. George O. Lincoln reports 38 bushels barley from one acre, Edwin E. Fisher 37, and Luther Lakin 26 bushels. Thomas C. Batson reports 48, Thomas Robinson 38, and Merrill Sprague 32 bushels oats from one acre each. Luther Lakin reports 30 bushels buckwheat from one acre; Leonard Fisher 43 bushels from 285 rods. William F. Waterman reports 63 baskets ears of corn and 700 pumpkins from acre. George O. Lincoln reports 9 bushels beans from acre; H. A. Sprague 5 bushels and 19 quarts; James Owens, Jr., 5 bushels fromacre each. Merrill Sprague reports 7 6-10 bushels and James Owens, Jr., 7 bushels peas from acre each. Thomas Robinson reports 239 bushels ruta bagas from acre, equal to 956 bushels per acre. Wm. L. Smith, Jr., reports 205 bushels and Luther Lakin 200 bushels from acre each. James Owens, Jr., reports 132 bushels and Leonard Fisher 110 bushels Jackson White potatoes from acre each. Wm. L. Smith, Jr., reports 204 bushels potatoes from 94 rods, equal to 347 bushels to the acre. Thomas Robinson 171 bushels from acre, equal to 342 to the acre, and Leonard Fisher 131 bushels from acre. The three last named crops of potatoes were not Jackson Whites but Early Rose, and other kinds that are more easily raised than Jacksons. Our society did not offer any special premium on Early Rose potatoes, thinking them not equal to the Jackson, but this year they have gone ahead of the Jackson Whites.

Hay was a bigger crop this year than we have had for two years past, but was not so well put in on account of wet weather. But little wheat is raised in this county, most of the farmers thinking it not profitable to raise. Barley and oats were good;

also buckwheat. Corn good in some places, but poor in others. Apples were an extra crop. Potatoes extra in some locations and very poor in others, some had nearly three-fourths rotten, and others no rotten ones to speak of. Ruta bagas an extra crop and very firm and smooth.

The past season has been uncommonly wet; cold weather lasted till very late, the stage going on runners till the sixteenth day of April, and it held cold and wet so long that but little farming was done (except in very dry places) till June.

Amonnt of premiums offered, including for trials of speed, $802.45. Amount of premiums and gratuities paid, including for trials of speed, $598.55.

LEONARD FISHER, Secretary.

WEST WASHINGTON AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. Our Thirteenth Exhibition was held at Jonesborough, October 3d and 4th, 1872. It was much better than was anticipated, under the circumstances. The weather was favorable and the attendance larger than at the fair of last year and receipts somewhat more.

Owing to the unfavorable season, the amount of farm produce on exhibition was below that of last year, yet the quantity and quality were sufficient to show a steady improvement in agricultural operations in this vicinity. The spring was so wet and backward, that it was very late before farmers could do their planting and the wet weather continued throughout the whole season.

The show of neat stock was as good if not better than that of any previous exhibition. Some fine Durham cattle from the farm of J. C. Talbot were shown, also some beautiful grades from the farms of James Thompson and Arthur Moore.

The horses were very creditable. There is as much interest manifested by the people of this section in the improvement and care of the horse as any other branch of farming.

Sheep raising seems to have been nearly abandoned by the farmers of this section, it being now chiefly confined to the Islands along the coast, not enough being raised on the mainland to supply the demand for mutton.

There seems to be no marked advance in dairying here, although the dairy products on exhibition were of fine quality.

A marked interest in orcharding is felt by farmers in this section. Many young trees are planted out yearly, which will soon

do something toward supplying this section with fruit, which is now imported altogether from other sections.

This has been a season as noted for its wetness as that of last year was for drought. It was with extreme difficulty that farmers did their planting, many not being able to get in half their usual quantity of seed, and the continuance of the wet weather throughout the whole summer made it extremely difficult to secure the hay crop. Much was spoiled in curing, and large surfaces of low meadow were not cut at all, being overflowed.

Potatoes came in fair and not very badly affected with rot, although on account of wet it was very troublesome harvesting them. The influence of this society seems to be working a healthy improvement in the pursuits of the farmers in this section. JAMES L. BUCKNAM, Secretary.

YORK COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.

The Twenty-fifth Annual Exhibition of this Society was held in Saco and Biddeford on the 8th, 9th and 10th of October last. Special effort was made to have the Show and Fair for this year a perfect success, and extra pains were taken in advertising, etc., but unfortunately the early part of the week was very stormy and the grounds were consequently in a very bad condition. But very few entries were made at the grounds; those few however were very fine, and but few farm products were exhibited at the Fair; but the fancy articles exhibited by the ladies were more numerous than usual and of a much better and richer quality.

The attendance throughout was excellent, so that the financial condition of this society remains in about the same condition as at the time of my previous report.

The Trustees have had several meetings during the past year, at which great interest was manifested for the success of the society, though nothing definite was done that would tend to create a greater interest in the cause of agriculture, but all were satisfied that some arrangement should be perfected to make the receipts larger so as to be able to offer larger premiums. Our exhibitions have been well attended, but owing to the large number of life member tickets passed in, the receipts have been small and are growing less every year as all who take an interest in the snccess of the society become life members, and conseqnently our receipts hardly pay the premiums.

WILLIAM S. NOYES, Secretary.

[blocks in formation]
« ՆախորդըՇարունակել »