Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1890-01-03
Farming In AIoostook County

ShouIi nett spring be favorable 40 10
usually large breldtn oil be so~n and
planted 10 the Aroostook vall,y. Not many
20 stoes are being moved js,l now, ~ those
In the sheds and o1tbuilding. are all haaied
~ither 10 the factories or 20 the station, and
TIE present state of the roads and the price
pad 81 the Stations do not tempt the farm
RS TO break Into the stock In the cellars
Traders complain that farmers are not
buying many goods, aad thl, Is 10 be
c .oantsd for from the fact that last fall
many found the balance oa the wrong
aide OF the sheet When the crop
sere disposed Of. and we're obliged 10
run In debt 10 quite an extent for this Sea
sons operations. Potato buyers were on
hand early ,his year, and, as pota'oes
brought good price direct from the t~lf
most every one sold enough 10 pay up their
ccoants. but not enough. as yet, 10 ALLOW
4 much cash In hand tor present pur
chases. The cellars are we'll filled, how
yer, and when the roads improve and
prices are a little tfmer, the stock on hand
viii begin TO move and money will be plen
lief Fully 1870, 900 bushels Of poiatoes
nave been shipped from Pressure Isle alone
fhis fall up to date, which have brought 10
the farmer, of this and adjoining to3Ds al
least $50 900. This. with nearly, it
not quite, an equal amount paid
for those hauled 10 the factories will
make the snug Little sum of sos. 600 a.
the bottom figure already put into the hands
II the farmers who make Presque Isie
centre for this one article of proiues
From this It may be- seen that farming Ia
Afo stock has become something of sys-
female business, Welding regular AMI welt
assarci cash returns. and il not the truck
and decker, hand To mouth aftlr that II was
% or 80 years ago. Evidence Of this Is
.een Ia the much smaller list of articles
which our farmers produce directly from
the farm, and the increased number of ar
ticles purchased for cash quarter OF a
century arc. the Aroostook farmer neces
.sriiy looked TO the farm to supply hun IL
rectly with most Of the articles used for
food and clothing Every man kept a small
nDek of sheep. snd the wool was WORKED
up into cloth, aud homespun was almost uni
VERBALLY worn. Many raised httle FAX
Zach year, and went through the tedious
soul- burdening process of working il up
Trough all its many tires0me stages, until
hey got shirt and web of table linen
that cost many weary days labor. Now
all this is changed. A spinning wheel is
u ing unknown III many farmhouse and a
loom IL still more rarely to be found while
Il ".~inglr" or 'heteheP would be az
object of curiosity to farmers hos sr
giri Of the PR sent generation. Store
clothes are now the rule. and the farmer de-
penis upon Few reading irpps TO furnish
him With the ueedfui cash with which to
purchase all the necessaries OF life. The
Introduction of improved machinery ena-
bles hun to do this with much more ease
and, though there are lots OF work mixed
up in the business still. yet 1t Is more -yste-
matte work, and involves far less dreary
drudgery out doors and in.
1t may be askei, then, If the business of
farming has so much improved, why do not
Aroostook farmers get richf To this the
answer i. simple and direct--they do
Wealth does not consist alone IN cash and
bonds stored away in gloomy wants. but
rather in possessions which will yield
health. happiness, an epJoyably amount of
leisure, home well furnished, table
sbundantly supplied, all the neces'atIer OF
life, and just enough of the Injuries to
give hearty appreciation of their worth,
the means Of educating family and OF
supplying them with the many things that
tend to social culture and refinement If
this Is not true wealth hat are riches good
forf The daily struggle for the bare nee
essaries OF NE, and the hard night TO keep
the wolf from the door-this is poverty :
and tins Is a thing unknown to the average
farmer IN Aroostook. lie ives well and
dresses well as DO ms sons aud daughters
lie has a comfortable home well furnished,
ana supplied with books, pictures musical
instruments and various other things which
tend to sii 2ieasnFe ami refinement to
civilized HE. lie drives good team aud
has sufficient leisure 10 Ell IDy II, and though