The Portland daily press., 1877-09-24
The Crops In Maine.

The Lewiston Journal has gathered from
its correspondents reports of the crops
throughout the state. These reports it sums
up as follows:
Maine is making greater efforts than here
toforo, to grow her own grain, the farmers
have become nearly or quite convinced that
an agricultural state ought not to depend
largely upon other states for the supply of
flour, wheat and corn. It is becoming plain
to all that Maine cannot reach that degree of
prosperity which is her natural right to
enjoy until she becomes selEsustaining as an
agricultural state, or, in other words until
she shall produce all the staple agricultural
crops suited to her climate and soil, In quanti
ties sufficient to meet all the wants OF her
people. She does not do this at present, but
she comes much nearer to it than she did
five years ago, and an equal advance for the
next ten years will bring her very near if not
quite up to it.
This is encouraging and a matter for
hearty coDgratulation with all who have the
best interests of Maine farmers OF heart. 1t
is quite surprising how rapidly the culture of
wheat has increased of late, and what IS
equally as satisfactory, to note the almost
uniform success which of late years has at
| tended the attempt at wheat-raising with
new and suitable varieties aud improved
| methods of culture. Further efforts in this
direction are full of promise to the farmers.
1t will be noticed that some of our reports
| show that already half enough wheat to sup
ply the town is raised in some localities.
| This is marked increase over what it was
only three or four years ago. One farmer in
Limerick. Mr.. Moore, this year raised $50
bushels of as plump, nice looking winter
| as that, in every town, is what we want to
enable Maine to raise her own flour.
The reports of the hay crop are guile IA
vorable. The amount of the crop is slightly
below the average, but the quality is unusual
| ly good, and that will almost or quite COM
pensate for the slight falling off in quantity,
so that it may virtually be considered that an
average crop has been harvested. The hay
crop is the most valuable crop raised In
Maine, and when the farmers secure an aver
| age yield of that, they. possess the basis of
prosperity.
The statistics of the corn crop show that
| a large area has been planted, and the yield
on the whole will be rather above an average
which will secure very large crop in the
state. 1t was only few years ago that it
was quite common to have farmers say that
| they could buy their corn cheaper than they
| could raise it. We have not heared this ex-
preston now for two years, which we regard
| as an indication that farmers nave changed
L ohNh OpthAOho 90 WIN 10 PANNsASS ~ ASo%AAS
| cor1-raising.
| Tue iruit crop is universally admitted to be
| about the same as a failure all over the state.
| The ravages of the caterpillar last year and
the fact of this being the off year for trees to
| bear will account tor the failure. But this
| year is the last, let US hope, in which the
| fruit crop will prove feilure. A brighter
| future awaits fruit-growing in Maine. The
| results of the past few years have effectually
Il ,x1,;fb ho foor avn cod
| that so much fruit would be raised that it
| would become Improbable. Notwithstand-
| the emmense crop raised last year in nearly
all the other states except Maine, it was
readily disposed of, large quantities having
been shipped to England (Opening a market
which will require large quantities every
| year land in the spring prices were ranging
from $4 to S5 per barrel for apples. Farm
| ers need have no fear OF raising too many ap-
pies. The more they raise the greater the
the demand is tor them. At $1.50 to 50 per
barrel apples are the most profitable crop
raised on the farm, and at these prices i'm
mense quantities could be sold.
The potato crop is bountiful one. The
area planted was unusually large, and the
yield is good. The rot in some localities is in
juring the crop. The damage from the Colo
RADIO beetle has not been very extensive. The
farmers were on the alert, and fought him
L NlSOIOuoly, COLulLS VI NlOIOAlOuSs 4NCAb yCdi I,
however, the beetle will appear in much larg-
er numbers, early in the season, and more
severe contest will be had with them. The
high price of potatoes last winter induced
farmers to plant too extensively, and prices
are very low this fall. The result will be that
next year limited amount of land will be
planted to potatoes, and good prices will pre-
vail.
Other crops indicate very satisfactory con-
dition. The produce of the dairy will be
about an average. The prolonged drought in
May, June and July, seriously injured the
feed, and diminished the production of cheese
and butter somewhat. The dairy industry,
however, has largely increased in extent and
importance during the past five years, and is
one of the most important branches of farm
enterprise.
On the whole, the present year has been
an unusually successful and prosperous one
to the farmers, and they should feel encour-
aged to enter upon next years work with an
increased determination to excel in their cho-
sen calling, advance its interest and improve
/ its methods