Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1890-07-01
1nl us.p1seRrtp fARNs of NAIss

While the prrss I. illcd With note,
comment. fvpnr aud corrrsponicncr IN
rrsapl to the deserted farms ot New
England the husln~s. rvputaiion ot ih"
farmer. aui th. farming Interests ~ our
own State should D. defended, and =
prutr.t made against Including thrm in
th~ grnsrsl onslaughi.
One writer from a New lltmP.hirr
town. nutssi. "a the past, for III" ahun-
dance ani value 20 u. farm pr"iucts,
and th. .ncc-.. ani opulencr Of IL. farm
err. claim that onc-half the farms Ia th.t
township arv noN deserted, With build
Ing. la every stage ~ destruction aud
decay. ani h~ estimated the number oi
farms, throughout the state, In the same
condition. to be about 5000.
Onr of the reason. given for thls al
armlng depreciation of property Il ih"
Introduction of farm machinery to take
the place ~ hani lahor. ani another "
the reduction ~ hour. Ia tbr dhv'. work.
n .hould H. stated that one II the farm
sr. Inier viewed wa. an oil man oi ~,
aud. ~ course, didn't believe In "neN
tangled" notions.
Another reason given aud surprislng
one. I. the depreciation In price of the
proIurt. ~ the New Hampshire farm
snd N the Granite State farmer l. truth
ful In representing hl. condition and
surruundings, u l. not strange that ""
h.takc. himself Ia fields and pasture.
new. or 90 some plac. WHERE the field aDd
pasturv are unknown.
Hut, strange "a Il may seem. the rea-
.ons given for desstting the farm just
over the line. Ia New Hampshire do not
hold good Ia Maine.
No mau IN the state has been driven
from hi. land by horse power, short
day. or low pric.s, Ia fact, II Ne may
tai. Lincoln for sample county, then
there are no deserted farms In Maine.
and no occasion for their Abandonment.
OF all the farms known to the writer,
a. a farmers hoy, fifty year. sgo, hut
very few have changed owner.hlpexcept
by Inheritance. and "n most of them YOU
will find the de-c~nhhnt. of the men who
then owned aud occupied them; ani
instead of being In condition for deser-
tiou they have increased ln value through
improVed method. of farming, sdyanc.
In ihe price ~ their products snd change
of crops till they cannot he bought for
double the price at which they were
then valued.
No, the Maine farmer !. not de.rrting
hi. farm after having fought aud wou
th. battle against the fro-t that cuts ths
SEASON .h0ri at both ends aud the tax
r,therrr Who cut. hi. profits Ia the mid
die, because his property, unlike that oi
some of hi fellow townsnien, must II
left out of doors, and In full view of th'
assessor.
Nov. L., us look nj one of these farm.
In cumparisou with itself. aud note tb'
imnroyements. which have not bccf
made by working eight or ten hours 9
dsy. nor under any gc-as-you-please ruiz
Of the turf"
| IN. old stone wall aud stonebeap
with their four foot borders Of brisr anc
hazel ba.h have disappeared aud th'
rocks that composed them are out o.
.lght In a blind drain In a nearby gully
that has -o effectuslly changed the quail
lty of it, soil that IL now produces tn
heat crop 20 the field, while before th'
draining the frog and the toad-gras
had Il In full possession. Aud the ol'
alder swamp, by the same treatment, u
now paying big interest on the cost o.
iis redemption.
IN. old roadside fence with lts sur
rounding hedge Of shrubs aud weeds
has disappeared, and the ground the!
occupied l. now titled to the gutter, CIV
ing to the farmer an extra rod, In widtl
Of land. aud greztely improving the ~
pearance Of the field. The old farmhous'
ha. given place to the modern residence
furnished with the modern convenienees
and the barn has adopted windows
shingled wall and Q basement story.
Have the price Of farm products de
cllneif Well, we remember time whei
they hal NO prices and Il IL hard declln
Ing from nothing. There was Q KIN.
of exchange price at the store, bat
Was 90 variable and uncertain ~ 10 plac'
the farmers eatirsly In the hands OF th