Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1890-12-01

omy and Industry we're many OF the indie
pendent farmers OF the couoty reared.
During these years mary new farms we're
cleared and large forest areas gave place to
cultivated fslis. Men from other sections
Of the State and from other states came
here with hardly dollar 10 money and in .
few years found themselves
possessed of comfortable homes and of
farms which yielded sure support for
themselves and families. But while the
county vas being gradually developed an
entire change took place in the
system of Aroesseok Agriculture.
or in other words something like system
was introduced in many sections where none
hsd before been known. II became posi-
bic for our farmers 10 raise special crops
which could be soli for cash ana with cash
many necessary articles could be purchased
much cheaper thsa they could be raised and
upon the farm. The spin
ming wheel aud the loom are nov objects
Of curiosity TO the youths Of today, while
the implements for the manufacture Of fax
you'd look to them like collection of
Of tlrture from the old Spanish
Inquisiiion, where indeed they would have
done very good service. Clothing is now
bought at the stores and a sui. Of homespun
is rarely seen, In the farmers house are
NAVY articles before unknown and indeed
but now so common as hardly
20 excite notice. In the corner where the
Old hand loom clattered aud clanked is a
handsome organ and members Of The house
hold are able to cali forth sweet music from
It's reeds. Carpets are upon the floors,
pictures upon the walls and upon the table
are books add newspapers, among the latter
the Journal holding An honored place as
the recogniz a friend of Aroostook. The
list of crops upon the farm has been largely
reduced aud more Intelligence and care Isl
tx gended upon those row cultivated. The
farmers of Aroostook dress better, live
better, have better houses with more abun-
dant furniture, have better schools and
more cash than they did even twenty years
ago and are in every respect more prosper
Gus and independent.
What has In AIDE the Change:
How then. it may be asked has this great
change for the better been brought about in
90 short time; To this we reply that i.
has been the result of two principal agen-
cies, viz the Introduction OF labor saving
and the extension TO Aroostook
Of partial railroad facilities, still imperfect
and wholly inadequste to the needs and
rs quirements of this great country. Nearly
every implement upon the long list of farm
machinery now used in Aroostook has come
to US since the war aud many machines now
comm 9nly used are of but recent introduce
ton. By the use of machinery upon the
farm not only was the work done better aud
with less hard labor, but more acres could
be cultivated than was possible under the
old system and thus were larger and more
profitable crops made possible. Still with
his possibility of increased production the
would have been little better were
no means provided for the transportation to
market of the crops produced. With the
Increased amount of land cleared each year
and the large acreage under cultivation up
on each farm the market afforded by the
lumber business would not have been suffi-
eient to consume the surplus products.
Some way vas needed to transport these
products to the great centres of trade and
this could only be aft orded by securing rail-
road connection with the outside world.
The extension of the New Brunswick
Railway up the valley of the st. John
made this connection possible to portion of
the county, though by long and circuitous
route through foreign country. The citi-
zens of the Aroostook towns with the
enterprise and public spirit which
charscteriZes them, at once furnished the
means necessary to secure this partial con-
nection and branch from the N. B. Rail
way was extended up the valley of the
Aroostook as far as Presque Isle. The
thriving village of Houlton the metropolis
of Aroostook county, has already been con-
nected with the New Bruins wick system by
a branch from Debec Junction, below
Woodstock.
Advantages of Railroads.
The wonderful impetus given to the bust
ness of the county by the building of these
short spurs running from foreign system
to few border towns and the greatly
increased prosperity enjoyed since their
give abundant evidence of the
capabilities of Aroostook were adequate
railroad facilities supplied and the resources
Of the county fully developed. In those
sections of the county thus brought into
connection with outside markets not only
was the manner of doing business entirely
changed, but a complete revolution in the
system of agriculture was effected. Where
formerly the farmer endesvofed to raise a
large variety of products for home consump-
ton and TO exchange for needed articles
and where comparatively few agricultural
products were shipped from the county and
little money handled by the farmers, now
a special effort is made to raise crops that
can be sold for cash and shipped to con-
sumers outside the county and thus farm
ing has been placed upon more substan-
ti4i ba is and is carried on upon something
like Isiness principles. 1t was found that
the soil of Aroostook was
adapt d to raising Potatoes
il large qu mites and of superior quality,
both for table use ard for the manufacture
of potato starch. Starch factories were at
once bnit in the county and the business
of raising potatoes on a large scale WAS
undo r'aken. 1t was new business to our
f ,rmers ard wss regarded as an experiment
which many predicted woull not result in
a permanent benefit to the county. Con-
tracts were made with the farmers to raise
potatoes for the factories the price to be
paid being fixed at twenty-five cents per
b1sbel. At first the farmer contracted to
plant specified number of acres per year
{ ,r a term of i've years, the product to be
furnished to the factories at the price
named. Twenty five cents seemed to be a
small price, but the business proved to be
and the number of factories
was increased By the time the first con-
tracts had expired, and in fact before
that time, buyers of potatoes for the
outside markets appeared at the various sta
tons Offering good prices for merchantable
sock The farmers were thus aft lrded two
avenues for cash income and common ,ed
{ xte nding their operations beyond the areas
under contract aud planting additional acres
for sale to shippers. 1t WAS then predicted
that the market thus afforded for shipping
potatoes would result in the closing of the
factories and that after the contracts had
expired the quantity of potatoes furnished
for manufacture into starch would be so
small as to render the business Improbable
On the contrary the opposite has proved to
be the case and while the business Of ship
ping potatoes has Increased to immense pro-
portions the
Manufacture of Starch
has also increased to an enormous extent
Where but two or three factories we're put
ting out few hundred tons Of starch and
an occasional car load of potatoes was
being sent from the stations in Aroostook,
now over forty factories are in operation
this year with an sggregate ontpu. Of over
5000 tons, and the amount shipped to out
side markets this year will probably exceed
one million bushels. Probably not less than
81 500 900 in cash will be left in Aroostook
county this year for the years crop of pota-
toes, this estimste reserving liberal guam
tity for seed and home consumption. This
large amount of money canning into the
hands of our farmers allows them to do
business upon q cash basis and the old
system of credit at the stores for the
scason,s snnnlies to he maid fnf IN main