The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1868-12-01

Tuesday Morning, December I, 1863,
Can Maine Raise her own Wheat,
PORTLAND.

oah uAHAut 1hAhsc ntE V"h w
We have written several articles upon this
question and expect to write more, and then
the subject will by no means be ex hausted,
nor our farmers come clear up to the mark
we very well know that the soil and climate
OF Maine are quite as well adapted to grow
ing this valuable crop as the soil and climate
OF some other States which raise not only
enough for their own consumption, but ex
port large amounts. Such being the condi.
tion OF things, why is 1t that our farmers are
are compelled to purchase so many thousand
barrels OF Hour every year? Surely sucn pur.
chases are severe drawback upon the culti-
vators OF Maine, and one TO which they
ought not to subject themselves because there
Is no necessity for it. How much winter
wheat was sown early in the fall we know
not, but hope there was much larger
breadth than has been in years past. Hay-
ing occasion to visit the country last October.
we saw one small field sown by a farmer
eighty-six years old. He regretted he had
not sown 1t earlier. In our State winter
wheat ought to be put into the ground the
last OF August or early In September so that
it may become well rooted before heavy frosts
close up the Earth. Surely early sowing is
very important to guard against winter-kill-
Ing and insure good CROP
We trust our farmers who have not sown
winter wheat will see to it that they are pre-
pared for putting In spring wheat when the
season comes round. And In order to be
properly prepared for such work, farmers
ought to purchase their seed during the win
ter, and not put it off until the week, or per-
haps the very day they want to SOW it, for
then 1t may not be so easily procured as it
might be at some previous times Delays are
always more or less dangerous Time and
tide wait for no man, aud farmers and sailors
are more impressed with the lesson than al
most any other class of the community.
In closing our brief remarks we have the
pleasure of introducing to our readers a writ
er Henry Poor OF Brooklyn, Long Islsnd)
whose communication will be read with in
terest by ali our farmers. Mr.. Poor has
shown in communications TO other Journals
that he feels deep interest in wheat growing
In our State. He seems to have made this
branch of agriculture a special study so far as
Maine is concerned, and we thank him for II,
Our farmers need encouragement In this di-
rection. They have had "llne upon line and
precept upon precept", and yet pay out large
sums every year for flour; but we hope and
trust they will not always be obliged to yield
to such severe pressure. Let them read the
following communication and ponder 1t well:
To the Editor OF the Press
The Portland Transcript says: an five
days recently our merchants received 1277O
barrels OF flour by the Grand Trunk raj lroad"
at Sl2 per barrel 1t takes l53,241 dollars in
cash from the pockets of the people to pay
the bills to the Western wheat growers, rail
roads, etc. This Is one of the legitimate crops
OF Maine, belonging to the family of cereals,
and OF more value to your State than all 9TH
ers beside, probably. 1t is quite certain that
Maine has paid from ten to eleven million
dollars per annum for bread suffs tue past
five years. Why should it be so when vast
quantities of wheat and corn are grown hun
dreds of miles north of you IN the British
possessions, with its cold, torbidding climate,
and population comparatively uIskilled in
the art OF agriculture. Maine should not lon
ger impoverish herself, but ,cake up 20 her
special, posttiue duties. She has soil and
capacity with the two varieties OF spring and
winter wheat, TO bread her own people and
all the New England States beside. But
happily in those States, the farmers are be-
ginning to show some signs of life upon this
important subject. l want to say to the far
mers in Maine if the wheat crop is to be shut
out of the farm-abdndon all your crops and
buy from the West and the Canadas as long
as your money holds out.-Your State has
been sorely tried the past two or three years,
and 1t may be question whether your ex-
ports have much exceeded your bread stuff
bills. What comment this, when all this
revenue lies within the fences of your own
farms, If you will but work them. HIP.
Brooklyn, Long Island, Nov. 16, 1868.
p. s. Excellent samples OF wheat were
shown me from your great Fair; every far
mer that saw those specimens should "thank
God and take courage"