The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1882-06-15
The Agricultural Outlook.

The Kennebec journal recently did clever
bit of journalistic work in interviewing Hon. Il.
A. Gilbert, of Turner, Secretary of the Maine
Board of Agriculture, upon the general agri-
cultural outlook in this State. That Mr.. Gilbert
is well Informed on this subject goes without
the saying He is not only practical farmer
himself, but student of and writer upon agri-
cultural matters, and his relations with the Ag-
ricultural Society, extending over more than a
dozen years, have brought him in commlnica-
ton with the leading farmers of the whole
State. Our kennebec contemporary naturally
found Mr. Gilbert a perfect bonanza of inform
atom and we are glad to note that il was of the
most encouraging kind. In reply to the ques-
ton, 'How are the farmers of Maine prosper
ing?' Mr. Gilbert said: '.Nicely. There hasn't
been Il more prosperous year for farmers for
many wears than the last. Prices of all kinds of
farm produce have been high. and farmers are
making money. We are full of courage for the
future. A larger area will be devoted to crops
this year than ever before. Farmers are pur-
chasing improved machinery and spending more
money on the hired man. improvements are
going on all around. New houses and barns
are being built, and the paint brush is more lib
orally used on the old buildings" To show how
Maine farmers are bcncfting by the business
boom Mr.. Gilbert quoted the prices which have
been paid for produce: Potatoes from 81 TO
Sl.20 a bushe; apples from 500 to $500 a
barrel: butter, 30 cents pound: fat cattle. Sll
hundred onthe foot dressed weight, and other
things proportionately Farmers have more
ready money than formerly, and the tendency
among the most progressive agricultustS is to
work up the raw product on the farm: to trans
mute the hay, corn, and coarscr feed into beef.
mutton. WOOL pork, and dairy products. The
failure of the potato crop in some counties last
year Mr.. Gilbert thinks was more than compen-
stated by the enormous apple crop. He regards
the potato crop a> generally profitable, but says
il does not do to rely upon one crop exclusively.
and that to maintain and increase the fertility of
the soil there must be rotation. He is of the
opinion that the Colorado beetle has come TO
stay and must be warred upon, but paris green
and patience will conquer i'll the end With re-
gard TO apple raising, Mr. Gilbert is an cnhu>-
a,t. and recommends farmers to put in AL the
trees they can take care of; the more the better.
He says: Apples are the best paving crop pro-
duced from the land. Many mortgage has
been lifted by the bountiful apple crop of the
past two wears" Mr.. Gilbert reports more at
tention given to the raising of sheep and swine
than formerly, with marked improvement in
breeds. He thinks sheep quit" profitable and
says that under the best system OF keeping them
it pays To raise hogs. Hogs naturally suggest
the corn crop, of which Mr. q. says more
acres are being devoted TO corn every year. 1t
is now grown iii large fields and cultivated by
machinery. Up in Dover last year | saw one
cornfeld Of % acres. To raise corn you must
manure your field freely. and the soil feels the
advantage of this fertilization for years 1t is
fact not generally known that Maine raises
more than half of the entire canned crop Of The
country.
OF the agricultural capabilities of the ARGOS
took region Mr.. Glib TT speaks in warm praise
He thinks man can do better there than in the
west, and that more would 20 there if it WAS a.
well advertised as the lands along the western
railroads. He thinks that farming is not retro
grading in the older counties bat that on thr
contrary, Maine farmers are improving their
farms every year and making them yield larger
returns; and lie finds tendency among them
to own big farms and to conduct them on bust
ness methods. In conclusion we give Mr.. Gil
bert's reply TO the question. xvi hat is the out
look for Maine faimcr>?'
Most excellent. Price, must range high.
There Is Il big boom in business and every body