The Portland daily press., 1889-12-18
AGRICULTURE.

mas always taken tue lead in civilization. II was
first took up the long line Of march through com
| paratyely desert land fro the Atlantic toward
| nearly three centuries ago. the State os oh,
was not settled, and thu first log cabin built until
about one i hundred years & ago The farmers fist
| the Father OF Waters, scaled high mountains, oc-
| cupied the Western prarles, and finally reached
| the promised land If California and the Golden
| Gate. where they settled the farm, which are
now the vineyards, orange groves and wheat
fields Of the weathie-t portion" ii the nation. Thu
| there Is continuous line OF farmers and agrieul
turai labOrerS, rtarhlng distance OF four thOus
| and miles between two great oceans. owning and
tillng the soil, and holding In their hand practi-
| caly the destiny of this great American nation.
Agriculture uniteS its power with, and seeks a
unity Of all terests for, the great development
hand In hand with civilization, cooperating with
the arts and sciences, a friend Of education. the
parent OF manufactures and commerce. marching
on together with them under an equal woke since
| the Pastoral Age.
The relation which agriculture holds to other
pursuits Is not what i was one hundred. or even
| htty years ago. One hundred years ago, we were
almost exclusively nation of farmers; but today
| we IND that IL 100000 Of our wage-earning peO-
| pie are divided among Industrial pursuits. Over
one:half OF all those Who are earning livelihood
are engaged In manufacturing commerce, mining,
half OF our Industrial population are farmers or
farm lab"rers. Each Of these pursuits has a sep
arate interest peculiar to Itself and certainly agfi-
culture, or ia ming. has its own Individuality and
province. The differ ence Of class Int rests In the
many departments ot the busy world Is so mani
Test, that we readily d. cover that other pursuits
for their financial and successful development
may bring TO the front and inaugurate public
| policy, and use other selfish means antagOnIstic
| 70 the interests and welfare Of the Al erlcan
farmer. ltdoes not require any investigation TO
establish the truth Of this statement In the
| great field OF labor and eRdeavor for livelihood
| II has become necessary for the farmer 10 organ
ize with others OF the same craft for mutual pro-
teci1on, progress aud benefit. IL Is the prevailing
! custom of the age, for the laborers engaged IN
each OF the different pursuits Of this country hav-
ing a common interest TO organic by association
J Tor sekDi election and supremacy. The demand
/ for farmers national Organization has become
imperative, and such an organization Is ore Of the
! for the exigencies Of the present hour was unne
ces aTy one hu' dred, or even fifty years ago, aud
M wnat ~ Is necessary today may be equally useless
\ are surrounded by marvellous and complex dis
/ coyeries confronted by new ideas. broader views
/ are a progressive people, standing upon the un-
trodden threshold Of the twentieth century, hold
/ ! IN our hands great responsibilities. In the
grand race Of life 1t becomes not only the indyid.
ual, but all thosr interested in the welfare and
prosperity OF any one pursuit to ascertain all the
the Longitude OF the voyage that is being ma ir.
Organization Is the anchor Of our prosperity, and
tical is essential for the individual and the COM
mon good of all those connected tn. rewith There
are great principles that are connected with the
econnmy OF the Grange, which make 1t a great
auxiliary for the advancement, progress and ben
eht OF the farmer. Experience shows us that in
q
world no man can stand alone. We must depend
largely upon ourselves but we must fail IL we do
not acknowledge mutual dependence. We can
not paddle our own canoe. There is no pursuit
ina Las so mnch individuality as that Of the
farmer Agrieuliu has interests peculiar to it.
self. 1t must be guarded, defended and protected
by It's own craft We cannot deDs nd upon any
single self. for some Of our interests may be and
probably are in conflict with others. When cor
poIatons transportation companies, middlemen
and consumers combine for selfish advantages
against u interests of farm D. oducts and the
bOldlV " oafnQ hod.
OF cooperation and organization through the uni
ted efforts Of the farmer. Much has been said
essays have been written and delivered OD co Op
era ion. This is all right, but what good does 1t
aeeompilsn 1 ~ u mere IS no aclion. we are apt t.
only an end TO accomplish well defined purposes
There should be in business well regulateduny
in mutual adyant ge. No Nher commerce
islegiIimate. The farmers should Cooperate
defined prncp Of ou order Suy ahS fogetSs1 Se
and sell together" should not be overlooked The
progress made in n this direction has been We
Slow and II IS difficult for US 10 leave old ruts but
what was once denied is now practiced.
ABANDONED FARMS.
/ cannot speak too strongly Of the organization
OF the Patrons OF Husbandry In livery agricultural
town in the STATE Of Maine. We hear Of may
our farms. II is true that fn Maine, New Hamp-
shire and vermont. Me find many abandOhes,
IaIms ana @ a. M ms @ i9r sale ale az price that would
on This unfortunate condition Of sections OF our
farming area Is so apparent. that the Legislature
OF New Hampshire has made an preparation of
S25 o. for competent cummi> sion ''to inqui In
TO the causes of the decline OF agriculture" 10
the end that some remedy may be found that wi |
restore these farms by occupancy TO their original
self Supporting condition. The results Of careful /
examination and inquiry show a serious and Ia, |
GUS farming districts careful consideration of |
this subject will show that IL the large majority
Of cases farms have been abandoned In conse. |
SeulleDc 1mnrOVllen N ma nal
In which farming has been c nducted on these /
FARMS The ORIGINAL soil Of the New Englanu |
foOd growth for continual cropping beyond a Sc
lies OF few years. Consequently, unless this |
and fertilizers, iheie cannon be any valuable sue
cessive crops eiher for family use or the markets
And neglseted farms thus become Improbable. |
the fences are laid low. such Is the history Of Il
many Of the abandoned farms in Maine. There /
has been belief among an inquiring prople, thai
If we could iDtr, duce the frugaity the constant
labor, tie temperate and industrious habits OF the
Swedes and The Nerve CLANS uf northern Euro e
thar these lands, now cheap and aimnst worthless
might again be rest red to their original capacity
for giving their TILE livelihood. Sometimes
the Introduction OF new and hardy race OF neh
endowed with the equipment Of courage and con-
fdence Will make wonderful change In the face
OF a country Besides the comparatively few de-
serted and neglected farn s, there are thOusandn |
of acres Of the best forest lands In the world IL
nne goC9 oiu Sta.e oi Maane waiting Tor the wood
hereditary characteristics OF New England pluck |
70 III ihe BIZ and make New England farms and
gates are ajar for the honest hnsbandman beyond |
the ocean.
CULTIVATED FARMS.
We turn from the abandoned farms in Maine
with delight 10 the $4,000 farms owned and cult
Yaicd by our own people, many OF them represent |
Ing agriculture conducted according 10 intelli |
gent ana tnlightensd methqd>. They exist every
and on the shores our lakes. We Ind there the
homes OF Industry, ontentment and lndepen-
a lost art in Maine Our nnual agricultural fans
and exhibitions show a wond, rful improvement Il
and an increasing interest in farm life. IL Is the
careful and judicious management OF Intelligent
farmers that has Kept up the producing power of |
The a. eeslral acres; and thus the history of aban-
lgence. self reliance and frugality have asserted
their authority; A few years ago, Matthew Ar
tour with our honOred American poet, John c. /
Whittier through the agricultural sections of |
comfortable homes and snmetimes elegant resi-.
denees. He praly inquired "where do your |
tenants and wSrkinsnen IlyeG" When oldthat
OF these farms he was greatly surprised.
ALIEN LANDLORDS.
Land holding is the strongest element of nation
al prosperity and cOnteniment. The Grange |
looks LOOKS win WI great distru't upon the inroads that
oaT ye ee See Of late Py allen ,p a1d TSs
acres of western land are owned by foreign syn |
dlcates an acreage larger than the territory OF all
Grange should be deeisivey against
this kind Of occupancy Of Am, rIcan soil, and the
legislation OF the nation should be Invoked |
against this dangerous policy, which has brought |
so much misery discnntent and oppression upon |
tn Irish people, Edmond Burke the English |
statesman and scholar OF over a century ago said |
that it takes ten times the energy, skill and |
foresight 10 succeed in farming than IS needed |
in any other business" IL this was true 100
years ago, what must be the necessary qualltiea- |
tOn for the husbandman OF the nineteenth GEN. |
tury ounded by the complex interests and dis
turbing elements Of he present period The |
farmers should be educated for "knowledge is |
power" to this end. The Grange declares that |
one OF II purposes is "tu advance the cause of D.
ucaton among the brotherhood and their child |
ren by all means In Its power"
PROFITS OF THE FARM.
The paramount question which interests the
FARMER more than any other Is the profits OF the
ftfin and now 10 increase these profits. The |
question Is discussed around the family hearth |
stone, ana t0lms part Of the discussion of every
agricultural gathering, newspapers engage In |
the discussion, and still there Is prevailing |
sentiment among farn ers thai the profits are IN. |
Sufirient, aud the remedy for existing di-coIi- |
tent has not vet been discovered. NJ, attention |
few weeks ago was called to series OF cOnmU- |
nicatiOns which appeared In the Boston Herald |
from several Ot the lie ding agriculturalists OF |
New England The communications filled eight |
columns of that paper discussins the question: |
'HOw tI make faTus prUfltab,e" | read Ihe |
az t,Ofr IA int aa.Io i