The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1879-12-02
AGRICULTURAL.
STATE COLLEGE.
Some Interesting Facts Concerning
Products of the Farm.

The Orono Correspondent of the Wing
writes: In a conversation Friday with Mr..
T. G. Rich, the farm superintendent of the
State College, L learned from him that the
farm had produced this year, one hundred
and ten tons of excellent hay at the first
cutting and afterwards a second crop Of
ten tons had been secured. This rOwen, or
aftermath as it is sometimes called, when
we'll cured makes excellent feed for mich
cows and young cattle in the fall and early
winter, and in this case is quite an impor-
tant addition to the crop of hay.
OF potatoes four hundred bushels were
raised most of them of the Early Rose and
Granite State varieties. AS potato for
winter and spring use the Granite State is
regarded as an excellent variety as it is OF
good quality, very white and mealy. siza-
BILE and not over large and never prongy or
knobby like some other well known kinds.
Experiments are made with other kinds but
these two form the main crop raised.
Of wheat ninety bushels were raised all OF
the Lost Nation variety. Eight and one
half bushels were sown on about four acres
and the crop is of excellent quality. When
brought to the mill for grinding the miller
considered it among the very best of the lots
received and not inferior to any.
OF barley five hundred and siXty-one
bushels were raised. This was Of the kind
known as ''two rowed" and having been
sowed early, was of extra nice quality.
Of peas and wheat, a mixture OF Canada
peas and Lost Nation wheat for hog fodder
twelve bushels were raised.
OF Sugar Beets for the Maine Beet Sugar
Co., of Portland ninety-eight thousand
pounds were produced onsa little over two
acres of land. This crop is regarded as
quite satisfactory considering the character
of the soil ON which it was raieed and the
method of cultivation they were obliged to
pursue.
Of beets for stock eight hundred bushels
were raised, of the kinds known as Mann
moth and Giant. These are regarded as
valuable food for neat stock and the crop is
of excellent quality.
The corn crop proved failure though but
little was planted. The lateness of the
planting and the extreme earliness of the
frost were too much for it; only a small
plat was planted, however. so the loss is
only a trifie.
OF Ruta Baga turnips purple top variety
six hundred and sixty bushels were raised
and forty-eight bushels of the purple top,
strap leaf kind which is among the best of
the white fiat kind.
Six bushels of beans and forty bushels Of
onions complete the field crops. A large
amount and variety of vegetables were also
raised for use of the family and the help OF
the Superintendent, which are not reckoned
in lots above mentioned. The strawberry
crop was a fine one, and the farm as whole
paid its bills and has surplus OF about two
hundred dollars as profit.
This is regarded as a very good showing
and right here comes up the question
sought the farm to be managed with a
sole view to profit?'' This is very import
tant question and opinions will naturally
differ upon it. Some now maintain stoutly
that no other result than that OF profit
should be considered in the management OF
the farm, and that if it cannot be made to
pay, the cultivation of it at the expense OF
the college should be discontinued, while
others are as decidedly of opinion that it
was never the intention of the originators OF
the act creating the college, or OF the Legls-
lature which accepted the act, or OF those
which have made liberal contributions to Its
running ard other expenses, to thus narrow
its scope. Our correspondent adds that he
is of opinion that there is better way than
either of these, viz: Let certain portion In
one or several parcels as the case may be,
be set apart each year for experiments and
be cultivated with an idea single to the
questions of deciding the value in a money
point of view of certain mooted methods OF
er the conducting of these divers expert
ments pays the college or not, that is not
the object for which they are to be tried on
this farm from year to year, but they are to
be tried for the purpose of ascertaining
whether it is desirable for the farmers OF
the State to follow them in their own culti-
walton or not. If the results show that the
experiments have proved a success and will
be likely to continue such when tried by the
farmers themselves. on their own farms,
then let the college recommend them with
its statements of the methods pursued in
ZACH given case, and reasons therefor and
the experiments tried will soon cease to be
experiments and the farming community
will reap the benefit of the work done at the
expense of the College and will be more
willing tc be assessed for State appropria-
tions. in the future than in the past. But
let the remainder and by far the larger part
of the farm be conducted as prudent, wise,
far-seeing man would his own land under
similar circumstances, namely with view
to profit and profit only. Thus will the
value of the farm as an experimental sta
ton become widely known to all intelligent
farmers in the State, and the farm proper
become Self-supporting.