New land and old rough pastures are ploughed in the fall; sowed early in the spring, 2 bushels of oats and 1 bushel of peas to the acre; average product, 30 bushels per acre, weighing about 40 pounds per bushel; average price, 1 cent per pound at the farm; sold by weight.

Barley-But little cultivated here until within a few years. Since the wheat and potato crops have been so uncertain, more attention has been paid to it. Used for domestic purposes and fattening swine; sowed in May or June on dry soil; 1 bushel seed per acre; yields about 20 bushels per acre; average price, 75 cents.

Rye. Until within a few years winter rye was considered a sure and profitable crop. New land, ploughed in June, and sowed to rye in August or September, was sure to yield an abundant crop; but for the last few years not enough has been raised for our own consumption. Many farmers have abandoned the cultivatiion of it, but the high price and ready sale still induce some to continue to raise it. Spring rye, for the last few years, has also been a very uncertain crop; in 1849 but little sowed, and the yield abundant; in 1850 much sowed, and almost an entire failure. Amount of seed used, 1 to 14 bushel per acre; spring rye, 1 bushel per acre; sowed as soon as the fruit is out of the ground; harvest in August. Peas. Not many raised separate; on some light soils they yield a fair crop, but on strong and rich soil run to vine too much; mostly sowed with oats; when separated from the oats, usually sell for $1 per bushel.

Beans. Raised mostly with corn, rarely planted alone, have yielded abundantly this year; worth $1 per bushel.

Clover and Grasses.-Clover, herdsgrass, and red-top, are the principal kinds used here. Average yield per acre, 1 ton; average price, $7; all consumed here. Land is so plenty and cheap, and labor so high, that nothing has yet been done to reclaim bogs or meadows. Although hay and pasturing are the leading objects for our farmers, yet they prefer the clearing of their upland, and getting it into grass, to spending their labor on bogs or meadows. Quantity of seed sown per acre, 12 pounds clover and 4 quarts herdsgrass, mixed, for upland; for wet land, 4 quarts herdsgrass and 4 quarts red-top per acre.

Dairying. But little attention has yet been paid to dairies. Our distance from a suitable market for the produce of the dairy, and the difficulty of disposing of our calves, have compelled us to raise more cattle than were profitable; but now our facility for transportation is such (a railroad connecting with Boston) that an increased attention is being given to the dairy. Many farmers have reduced their sheep flock, and increased their stock of cows.

Cheeses are made during the warm weather-say 3 or 4 months; the rest of the season, spring and fall, butter is made. Average yearly product, about 200 pounds of cheese and 100 pounds of butter per cow. The amount of butter and cheese made is fast increasing, and the quality of both much improved. The manufacturing of butter from the milk, as soon as drawn from the cow, is not yet practised here. Our milk is set a sufficient length of time for the cream to rise; cream is then churned. After the butter is sufficiently worked from the butter-milk, it is salted, packed in tubs holding from 40 to 60 pounds each. Average price of butter, 12 cents per pound; cheese, 8 cents per pound.

Neat Cattle.-Much improvement has been made in our neat stock the last few years; a less number is raised, much improved in quality, and prices increase accordingly. Three-year-old steers are now worth from $65 to $70 per pair on an average; cows, in the spring, $25; in the fall, $16. Very little beef is made here from corn. Our beef is mostly made from grass in the summer, and pumpkins and roots in the fall.

Our cattle are so much crossed that we have but very few pure bloodsDurham short-horns most prevalent; some Devon and Hereford, and native. Native cows are still preferred for the dairy.

Sheep and Wool.-Sheep are considered by most of our farmers as a profitable stock, when wool will sell for 33 cents per pound. The breeds most kept here are merino and Saxony, crossed with the native, producing a middling-sized sheep, and a good grade wool; but the increasing demand for lambs and mutton, for other markets, is now inducing our farmers to obtain a larger and more hardy breed, such as the South Down and Dishley.

The difference in the price of coarse and fine wool here does not exceed 8 cents per pound, while the difference in the lambs and mutton far exceeds that; the large coarse-wool-breeds cut about the same quantity of wool, and will raise three times as many of lambs as the small finewool ones. Flocks have been much reduced for the last few years, but now the demand is very great. Fat sheep are now selling here for $250 to $3 per head; good store ones, $2; lambs, $1 50 per head; average weight of fleeces, 3 pounds, sold this season for about 35 cents per pound.

Hogs. Of hogs we have many excellent breeds-so much crossed with the common swine no definite name can be given to any. Our pork is mostly made from a mixture of oats and peas ground and mixed with boiled potatoes; none packed here for market; average price of sound hogs, 6 cents per pound; average weight, at 18 months old, 400 pounds.

Root Crops.-Since the failure of the potato crop, carrots, turnips, and beets are being cultivated as a field crop by a very few farmers; used for feeding milch cows, young cattle, and horses. Average yield of carrots, 400 bushels per acre; turnips the same; beets, 250 bushels.

Potatoes. No sweet ones raised here; the Irish, once so sure and profitable a crop for food, both for man and beast, is now very uncertain. Before the disease made its appearance here, large quantities were raised for the inanufacture of starch; were delivered at the mills, from the field, at 12 cents per bushel. This season they promised fair until nearly matured, then rotted very fast; in some sections, a fair yield; in others, a total failure.

Many experiments have been tried to prevent the rot, but as yet none have fully succeeded; the best crops, however, are now raised on old pasture land, without manure; lime is sometimes used. Average crop, 110 bushels per acre; worth now 33 cents per bushel. Kinds most used, Chenango, long red, pink-eye, and peach-blows; none of which have escaped the malady. Plant early.

Cotton, Sugar-cane, Rice, Tobacco, and Hemp, not grown here.

Fruit. The culture of apples is receiving increased attention on suitable soils, (and we have an abundance of it.) They can be made a

profitable crop to the farmer. Many farmers are of the opinion that sweet apples are worth one-half as much as potatoes for swine; very few fed to cattle.

Some farmers are using such apples as are generally used for cider to feed sheep in the winter, considering that the more profitable. Much attention is paid to grafting and building for winter fruit. Our distance from a suitable market makes fall fruit of but little value, excepting for drying and domestic purposes.

No pears or peaches raised here, and but very few grapes; none manufactured into wine.

Manures. Very little attention is yet paid to making or preserving manures; all that is done is in the barn and hog-yard. Some loam or swamp muck is hauled in the yards and mixed with straw and manure from the loam; sometimes lime is mixed with them; used for planting.

Lime is sometimes used as a fertilizer, mixed with manures, or spread upon land intended for wheat and grass. Many farmers have used it on potatoes, thinking it prevents the rot.

Plaster, not so much used as formerly, does best on clayey soils; used on corn, potatoes, and grass mostly. No guano used here.

Agricultural Societies.-There are now three organized societies in this county, all having an annual exhibition in October. Somerset Central Agricultural Society, located in the centre of the county, including this town-Hiram C. Warren, of Canaan, president; organized about 15 years -has an annual exhibition in October. Much improvement is manifested in stock, crops, and domestic manufactures every year.

Our farming is now undergoing a great change. Since the opening of the Androscoggin and Kennebec railroad, giving us daily communication with Boston, a great demand is made for much of our produce, which was only raised before for home consumption. Veal calves, lambs, poultry, apples, eggs, butter, cheese, beans, and many other articles which were worth but a trifle before the opening of this road, are now duly called for, and such prices paid for them as to induce the farmer to turn his attention to raising them.

So, on the whole, our agricultural interests are improving; the new facilities for transportation are awakening this spirit of improvement, and doing much good.

I regret very much that I am not able to give you a more full report of the state of agriculture in this vicinity; but if any part of my response, herein contained, can be of any benefit to your next annual Report, I shall feel amply repaid for the time spent in preparing it.

Very respectfully, yours,

Hon. THOMAS EWBANK, Commissioner.

EDWARD ROWE.

INDUSTRY, FRANKLIN COUNTY, MAINE,
December 22, 1851.

SIR: Agreeably to the request in your Circular, I now proceed to give you my plan of breaking steers: Steers cannot be broken in one day, nor two, (unless you break their necks;) and for this, and other reasons, I com

mence with them while young-say from one to two years old. In the first place, I provide myself with a suitable yoke, and bows as light as can be conveniently, without breaking. I then put them into the barn-yard, or some other small enclosure, and if they are wild and afraid, work round them some time, curry and handle them over until they are more docile. If they are still afraid, turn them back into the pasture again, until the next day or so. Then get them into the yard again, and work them over as before; after which, catch the one I wish to have on the off or right side, and have some person bring the yoke and put one end upon him. Then let the other man hold him, and I walk round gently, until I can catch the other, when I lead him up to his mate, and put the other end of the yoke upon him. If they are tame, I can yoke them alone, by hitching the first one to a post or something, while I catch the other. I now have a little goad, and commence driving them about the yard, holding on to the near (left) one's horn, or end of the yoke, that they may not run away from me. I drive them round in this manner a short time, and, if I think I can manage them, open the gate, and drive them round outside the yard, or in the road. After I have driven them about a couple of hours or so, drive them back into the yard and unyoke, curry and turn them back into the pasture again. In a couple of days or so, put them through the operation again; and so on. The advantages arising from early training are numerous. King Solomon said, "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it;" and I know of no reason why this saying will not apply to steers as well as boys. Again: they learn quicker, and are easier managed; for they are not so strong as when older. When I wish to haw them to, I can motion to them with the stick, and, with the other hand hold of the yoke, haul them round, or shove them the other way, which I cannot do when they are from three to four years old-the age that most of them arrive at before they are handled. I know it looks like a small business to see a man driving a pair of yearling steers round, but I think it looks better than to see him driving a pair of three-year olds with a cudgel as large as a hoe-handle, and their noses bleeding, which is the effect of his club, for he says he could not stop them; or, see him dragging them round with a pair of oxen ahead; both of which are very common sights. When I have a pair of older ones to break, I pursue nearly the same course at first as with the younger ones; after which I put them into a team of oxen. The best place is on the road, or ploughing. I generally put a pair of oxen ahead a short time at first, that they may see what is wanted of them; then put them ahead to lead. In this way, I can learn them, in two days from the time I put them into the team, to lead, to plough, and keep the furrow, so that one man can drive the whole team. But ploughing is not all; they should learn to go with the cart, and a little of most everything. The worst part is to learn them to back; it takes some time and considerable patience to accomplish this. About every time they are yoked, back them; drive them up and back them again, and again. After a while, put them to the cart, and back them down hill, where the cart will almost run of itself; afterwards, on a level; then up hill; and so on a little at a time. Half a day at a time is as much as they ought to work at first. The greatest failing in breaking steers is a lack of patience. I have known three or four persons to get a pair of wild steers into the barn-yard, and after hallooing and racing them over

the yard a number of times, and penning them up in corners, would suc. ceed in yoking them, (at this time the poor steers begin to think they are sent for,) then put a pair of oxen ahead, and start into the field to work. If the steers go just like the oxen, (which is not very apt to be the case,) well and good; if not, there is a man each side of them, with a goad, trying to urge them along; and the steers, not knowing what is wanted of them, try to get away, when it is clip and strike, one or two on a side, and perhaps another behind. The steers, finding they cannot get away, haul in their flag and lie down. Then come the whips again, with, "Damn him, give him what he wants; he is a surly devil," and the like expressions. If these fail to rouse him to action again, they procure some straw, and, after placing it around him, set it on fire. By this time, the poor fellows think they have got there!

We Down-easters generally break our steers in the winter, as we have more leisure then. Neat stock has improved 10 or 12 per cent. in this county within ten years.

Respectfully, yours,

CHARLES GOODRICH.

CORNISHVILLE, YORK COUNTY, MAINE,
November 17, 1851.

SIR:-In compliance with the request contained in your Circular, I have attempted a statement of the crops and state of agriculture in this section.

The Patent Office Report is a document of inestimable value to farmers, and it augurs well for their future improvement, that they are beginning to appreciate it; and if I can throw my mite into this treasury of usefulness, I shall cheerfully do so.

Wheat. This with us is a precarious crop. Guano is not used. The usual mode of culture is to sow, after a crop of Indian corn, manure. The ground is usually ploughed in the fall, after the corn is taken off, and again in the spring. About 1 bushel is sown to the acre; the ground harrowed, rolled, and sowed to herdsgrass and clover. Usual time of sowing, about the 1st of May.

The two great enemies to this crop are the wheat fly (Cecidomyia tritici of Kirby) and the rust, (Uredo rubigo-red rust.) The first made its appearance here about 1834-'5. Farmers here, for several years back, sought to avoid it by sowing late; but in steering clear of Scylla they only ran upon Charybdis; for the rust has been found to be far more destructive than the fly. The usual mode of preparation for the seed is to soak it in a strong brine for twenty-four hours; then to mix with it from four to six quarts of fresh slacked lime to the bushel. This preparation is thought to be a complete prevention of the smut. Average per acre, 15 bushels; time of harvesting, the middle of August. Farmers are beginning to learn by experience what they might have known long before if they would have listened to men of science and exact experiment: that they save both in quality and quantity by reaping their wheat as soon as it is well out of the milk. There is no fact better established in farming than this.