The sun., 1893-03-26
ABANDONED FARMSIN MAINE.
WHAT HHITNEr, LAMoNT, AND PArNE
ARE DOING FOR AGRICUETURE
Cheap Prices for Valuable Farns. hut 4
Fright Outiook-New York and ncstou
rurnishins Markers for Maine Froauctr

Cheap Prices for Valuable rArrs. nut
Fright Outiook-New York and nosto'
Furnishins Markets for Maine rrosuctr
SKowHEoAS. March PA sunbeam In lat,
Issue OF The SuN drew attention to the mum
| ber OF abandoned farms in this state. AMI suR
Gestei the possibility of a coming demand fol
farm property In this corner Of the Upitel
States. The topic is q timely one. an In vari
Gus journcyinGs up and down the kennebe'
| Valley (which next to her sencoasts, ha.
| proven the most attractive OF Names man,
| aliuremcnts for summer visitors) the matter
| hos been discussed until interest In 1t seems
| to hnro been awakened not only nmonE the
| property owners OF tho State but among New
| York and Boston capitalists. who have already
sought tho region, check book in hand. lock.
ing Tor available water rights and other man.
| ufncturing investments.
Tho subject OF worn out soils md aban.
| doned farms inds Its closest application here
| for the reason that the early settlements oil
the State wcro planted nlong tho kennebec
River. and tho land has benn under cu,iva-
, tion since long before Sebastian Rasle the
| French Canadian missionary, planted tho cross
| in the middle Of tho seventeenth century at
| Old NnudgewocI. some eight miles above
| here. and encouraged the aboriginals In their
! spnsmodic efforts at agriculture. Arnold in
his expedition toward Quebec found much OF
| the land broken and under cultivation. and
| from that day to this crop after crop hns been
| pulled from these hills and valleys by father
and son with little effort at rotation and less
at enriching the soil. Stock raising has boon
limited and the menns for replenishinc soils
almost unattninnb!e. Yankee thrift and high
| freight rates have discouraged the use OF arti-
| ficinl fertilizers. and It has becn but n few
years since the penetrating odor OF phos-
pilates. which marks Alexandria. W.. as up
to date" despite her grass. grown streets.
has begun to linger around Maine railroad
| stations. As a result the soil OF Kennebec
farms has grown yearly thinner and thinner,
wider gaps and yellow spots have appeared in
ench succeeding years crops. field after field
has been turned to grass" and q discour-
aged younger generation has yielded to the
seductions of flaming rcd railroad folders and
drifted westward. As a natural result the price
OF farming property in such sections ns this
has ito quote McLeod's commentary on Road
ingl "sagged a triGe." There is no rush to
place farms upon tho market. and. however
Ing purchaser, Of Maine agricultural lard Will
not be mobbed at the rai! road station. however
Ss 81 MI te peoe one On s s. fs IS
that whatever they have taken out Of the
have % t. ana h9y ~ stsy
Ing witt, #: even though its usefulness has ap-
o wss hed eH az
few. delegates from the wild ana woolly." OF
vanasss o Shst ey aods
down every6ody's throats; took iaunt up this
TIE o9antr at
inssius section Of the state they % Sish;ed ted at tn
station for exercise. and ran across an aged
ing tobacco. His attire ran largely to varle.
gated patches; and the nr,oyersy;stricken ap-
wart Of the soit linen no 5 SS' gang fang
to unsing his yawp and do little missionary
well. yo Don't look as though yo'd had
boom here lately" said he. addressing the
use for e@. was the aconc reply
We'll. You fellers are FOOLS h to stay In this
country: where ye have to DO your spring
xsa hnF HRd e
Nj a STUMP Or stone IN sirht: seil ten feet
deep: crops O. one year make ye rich."
interest and finally took q fresh chsw OF to: o.
faced % the &c crowd I q Ransans. sam 0AtSas' 'fu'. 4nu
ySrs al dG!n Te are ye1 In mighty
Kansas farms to- day; and II you. ielers, will
Just Ike, keep M It up Par nna pay your interest III try
The condition OF tho Maine farmer is not
debts paid and some money ahead. he Is not
the homo OF his ancestors. and even IL 1t will
grew 9.1 nothins II, but grass and mighty few tons
upon. it among his neiGhbors and friends.
The rising generation: however. is not so easily
sion to social economists. ard not u little alarm
party @ IN t years ot important elections. %inne.
sofa. Dakota. Washington. and the Southwest.
thrifty young mon Of this region. and the out
look for tho farming communities has not for
s6a Ses Sf s
estates whose owners have died, the heirs hay.
ing previously, transferred their residences to
almost unheard of figures, that would be
astonpdng to farmers IN Ohio; illnois and ,afI
will scarcely purchase an acre OF improved
farm ing land. But three years since q farm OF
nss nsy %
River. and but hall u mile from tho railroad.
GsTsd to oonsst5 soss ar estate, for ssoo
fS4a wss% ssnftsa ana
pair Ths in preyomsnts Gos alone could pot have
cost cost t e bs.ia at sas! $500 @ We're sola for less
growing railroad town four miles from this
time time. iusfances ike hsV thls can be multplisa ia
n reasonable degree. ana IN all cases tne
worn-out condition Of the land WAS the chief
reason for the low price Some OF the land had
not a half inch Of soil. tho grass even having
run ont; y sort Of moss taking its place.
tention to this State. ana In this fact, lies the
hope OF agriculture. Western bass drum en-.
terprisas hive 30 thoroughly attracted, capital
that even Maine farmers have overlooked the
opportunities that lay at their own doors, and
have sent their money into the West
ara Soutn Moneygd J., men non. s,im,t Wno came 20
sources that the West cannot pro1uce at
Psyne. Twomb,ey, Hayens. Hayes. and others
have invested millions. and while not yet en-
tirely satisfied where they are Mt" bid fair
to reap dividends in the near, future. The
building Of manufactures and the increase OF
population has opened marsot OF which the
crenmcries and condensed milk factories. In
which he himself has invested. has increased
inter est In stock raising. .whilo Improved cans
and insreassd !inss p. Of transE,ortation hns
OF the State. With q market in view. tho
invigorntinG his land and crops that cHn DO
turned 70 better aecount than oats ana hay.
Desiccated steeds are coming into the
State by the car load. and Barron Island