Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1879-04-03

shine. MS rays away over peyOhu tue never
seen north, and drives away the darkness,
and warns the earth up so near TO this
point that the greatest possible smouut OF
its soil is made conducive TO the support OF
man. Now, at times, be shines on our
fields more than fifteen hours out OF the
twenty -four. and warns up the soil. that
our crops may grow and mature. Now,
on an average, he gives US, for more than
one hundred and eighty days, thirteen and
one-hsit hours OF sunshine and warmth.
Our houses and barns have been filed
with the good things he has given US; and
be Is going south. to be gone just long
enough for us to use the blessings he has
left behind.
The wisdom of this arrangement belongs
to God. who made IL. And so He gives us
the soil OF Maine to TIL, and Maine. to-day,
in Intelligent farming, stands among the
foremost.
Were II not for this arrangement, our
farms would not grow their crops; and all
our agricultural Interests, by which so
many live, and by which hundreds Of thou
sands more will live In the future. could
never have had an existence. BY this ar
rangeiuent, the greatest possible amount OF
tie earth's soil may be utilized to produce
something for man to live upon.
Riga fifty-tive. and Cronstadi. sixty de
grees north latitude. on the Baltic sea. ex
port grain. hemp, and fax In large qusnii-
ties. Archangel. at sixty five degrees north
latitude. on the White sea, does large
business In exporting oats, rye and fax.
SO away up FAR towards the north pole.
people not only live themselves by tilling
the soil, bat they raise large surplus for
others. But We must come home to our
business
Maine must become an agricultural
State. We cannot much longer depend on
lumber. IL Is true. this State has an almost
unlimited amount OF water power; but |
see no very great present, or prospective
! advantage in it, The markets are all full
to OVERLOOKING with the productions OF our
factories; and there are already more than
enough Of them 10 supply all demands. SO
these waters OF our rivers and streams
must still keep running on TO the ocean
| without turning the great wheels OF manu-
featuring Industries.
We say Maine Is a good farming S,a.e.
Aud there - great amount OF untitled
soil here waiting for somebody to work 1t.
And there are thousands of farms already
titled that need better tilling; so there Is a
demand for ten times the labor now per
| formed.
| But the question Is. and an important
one 10 this, as In other enterprises, will Is
pay will IL pay 10 raise corn and wheat In
Maine. When men ask these questions,
am inclined TO think they are often answer
ed unfavorably. for want Of proper examl-
| nation.
When one gets q good living by farming
| anywhere. II pays. When any business re-
/ turns Its proprietor a good living, IL pays.
| Can you not obtain = good living by farm
/ Ing in Maine. Do you know that our yield
OF wheaiper acre. Is above the average in
! the United States and Territoriesy Do you
know that our yield OF corn per acre. 1.
seven bAshels more than that OF the great
| growing State OF Illinois: Did you ever
know. or hear. or read OF so much corn
per acre. elsewhere. as was reported In
| Penobscot County In lss1y
But. you say IL costs too much TO raise
/ corn in Maine. Well. 1t costs something to
| raise II anywhere. 1t costs something to
raise anything. IL costs something 10 raise
/ potatoes, aise 1t and thera, where you will.
II you were to purchase four bushels of
corn In Kansas to-day, IL would cost you
more than three OF them TO get the rema ain
ing one 10 Maine. In other words, you
would have to pay the price OF more than
three bushels In Kansas. 10 freight one
bushel TO Maine.
II corn or wheat can be raised cheaper
ia the south or west, than here, there will
be correspondingly lower prices. II your
Imagination tells you that ours Is not
good farming State; that its soil Is sterile.
and It's crops meagre; II your reason tells
you that a good living cannot be got in
Maine by 4 persistent, aud Intelligent ap-
plication OF labor to farming. your imagin-
alton Is deceiving you, and your reason is
misleading you. aud telling you what Is
absolutely untrue.
Without doubt. there are some localities
where a man can raise his bread and meat
| cheaper than can be done here. But he
will have disadvantages there which will
more than Offset this. So far as have
known the majority OF men who have gone
west TO better their condition, have not
succeeded so well as their expectations
had led them TO hope. Some have done
we'll. certalnly-they would have done we'll
here. When you leave Maine. TO say the
least. you leave 3 good farming state
You leave State where everything can be
produced necessary to secure the enjoy
ments of life; you leave 4 State, whose
farmers are among the foremost ia intelli-
gence and independence you leave State
where good society stands Al the very
front; YOU leave, at least. a reasonable
certainty OF good living for an uncer-
talnty.
But, says one, my farm Is SO poor, and
! rocky, and wet, and hard, that l sm dis
| coursged. Because your farm is not so
good as your Deighbors. affords no good
| reason for utter encouragement. Is there
no chance for improvement 10 removing
| rocks and draining? Is il now returning
to you all 1t is capable Of doing? Because
| you do not raise SO large crops per acre.
| as your neighbor, IL does not follow that
| you should not try 10 raise any at all /; this
would look like cowardice-it would be a
weakness, at least. II you can produce
but half a crop. get that; and see. II by
| better culture, and q wiser application Of
fertilizers. you cannot bring 1t up TO high
er producing capacity.
No matter how poor the soil may be,
| there is the law Of growth, and develop
| ment; the law Of production and repro
| duction. When there Is any soil. something
| will grow; and II you do not grow that
which can be utilized Tor good, weeds will
| grow. Yours may not be u rich soil. where
crops will grow almost spontaneously, and
luxuriOusly; but il it is pot a bare ledge,
| or sandheap, something will grow there
| which may be converted into food for man
| or beast And II you let thisiles and hard
| hack grow instead Ut corn, potatoes, and
| other kinds OF crops, so far as there Is any
| responsibility, it rests on you.
! You may not have emade the wisest choice
In selecting your farm, you may not have
chosen Wisely; but, II there Is any soil
within your boundary lines, make the most
from 1t; and, If you do the very best you
can with all controllable means, come sue
cess. or come failure, you stand upon the
merits Of = man, who has done his whole
| duty. and deserve q rank among the fore
most.
But to return to the discussion OF the
| cors crop. There never was a bushel Of
| corn raised yet, that did not cost some
body something. And when you buy It,
ii is well 70 remember that you certainly
have TO pay another party for raising it.
| II Is well to remember also. that you not
only buy the corn. but you purchase sew.
eral commissions and one freight or more,
| II II has been produced outside Of the State.
| This all has to be paid In cash.
II just here becomes an important Ques-
tiOn with every farmer, whether be can
pay another party to raise 1t fifteen hum
dred or two thousand miles away. and
| several commissions and freight, AL cash,
L. ~