The Portland daily press., 1868-02-27
Terms $500 per annuns, d. adyance.

ize the soil thoroughly; don't be afraid of
narrowing it too much; SOW good seed and
trust in God. Now what more can we say
on this important subject? We all know
that the purchase OF -four imported from
Canada and brought from the Western States
IS severe drain upon us every year, and
there are but two remedies for this great evil.
We must either raise our own wheat or cease
from eating 2" white bread' We are driven
into this corner and there we stand looking
at each other in the face. And now what
shall our farmers do? The case is clear
one and requires no deep philosophy to see
all sides of it.
Let us make bit of calculation upon this
ihattef. suppose We have seventy thousand
iaflls IN our State, and we believe we have
that number, il not more, and suppose tach
farmer should sow two acres of wheat. what
would probably be the result next harvest
time 1--WE may reasonably estimate the Weld
at fifteen bushels to the acre. What is the
aggregate? Our farmers would have in their
granaries next fall more than two million
bushels Of wheat. And twice that amount
might be raised without any hard strainng.
Our population now probably exceeds 65O,-
900, and each person consumes about one
barrel OF flour year, and to make this
amount of -four would require nearly three
million bushels Of wheat which our farmers
can raise if they will only give their time and
attention to the work.
What a saving of money to our State such
a crop would be? Let us see what the
amount is, and for this purpose we will reck-
on the flour at twelve dollars per barrel-an
estimate clearly within bounds according to
present and prospective prices. The figures
show us nearly eight million dollars, Now it
is for the farmers of Maine to say whether
these millions shall be raised from our own
soil and added to the wealth of the State, or
paid out to other States to enrich them and
make us SO much the poorer, Our Govern
or in his message to the Legislature last JAN
uary said: There are tactics in peace as well
as III war" and let our farmers govern them
selves accordingly. Eight millions of dollars
may be yearly saved to our State by raising
wheat, and that is no small amount.
We hope to see our farmers early in the
coming spring engaged in the preparation of
their fields for crop of wheat, and such
crop as Maine has never produced before,
And we hope too they will not stop short and
think only ofraising spring wheat, but select
certain portions of their farms 10 be sown
with winter wheat early next fall Depend
upon it, winter wheat can be profitablyraised
in many parts of our State, and in fact in all
parts except on the seacoast. And we have
some doubts about making that exception,
for farmer in Cape Elizabeth last season
raised some very fine wheat. He thinks he
can grow wheat quite as easily as he can bar
ley, and make the crop even more profitable.
Somehow most of our farmers have an
opinion that wheat viii not yield profitable
crop in our State and have been so much dis
courasedlthat they will not try. True, there are
some exceptions. We know OF some farmers
in the County Of Cumberland who have al
ways raised their own flour, and seldom
bought barrel in their lives. Now others
might have done the same ii they had tried.
But they are full of excuses. Their soil is not
so suitable as their neighbors who succeeds
well in raising wheat; their lands are not
high enough in the air; the midge would des-
troy the crop or some other calamity would
come upon it. And thus from year to year
they buy their flour instead of raising it.
A year ago last fall we heard many farm
ers in Oxford county express their regrets that
they had not sown wheat because those who
did raised fine crops. Well might they feel
regret when they saw fine wheat fields on the
farms of their neighbor's. But TIE question
comes up, how did tLey feel the following
spring? Ten to one these same farmers who
felt SO much grief, forget all about it in the
spring and prophesied a bad season for wheat.
Such timid souls who are constantly gazing
upon the MON and the clouds will not be
likely TO raise much wheat They follow
along in the old rut, and fear to strike ont
into new path however much more profit
able or pleasant it might prove to be. Far
merS as well as other classes of society have
to run some risks in this world: but it is best
for one not to scared before he is hurt. Let
all piow and SOW in good faith, remembering
that Paul may plant and Appollus water, but
God giveth the increase. Another thing we
ought to remember: God helps those who
help themselves, therefore plow deep, thor
oughly pulverize the soil and SOW good seed.