Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1893-08-04

wears. Down to the present year
Mr.. McKeen has carried on this
farm himself, but since his duties
AS secretary of the board require so
much of his time, in connection with his
official position at the State House in this
city, and his absence in holding farmers in
stitu,es in all parts of the State, Mr.. Nc
Keen the pas. spring formed a partnership in
his farm operations with Mr.. William Stur-
tevsnt who now has the direct management
of this farm. For convenience in reaching
home, also, when absent on his official du,-
les. (Which is nearly all the timel Mr.. Ne
Keen has just removed his family to Frye
burg villsge, where he occupies pleas
an. house at the north end of the village
which stands on the site of the historic old
meeting house in which Daniel Webster de-
livered his celebrated Fourth of July ora
ton in 1902. 1t was our pleasure one day
last week to visit Secretary Mckeen at his
pretty village home and to accompany him
on an inspection of his own farm and some
others in that town.
The farm of Mr.. Mckeen consists in
large part of interval land, although he
owns valuable pine growth of about one
hundred acres, and two pastures situated a.
a distance from the home-farm. The place
is most appropriately called pine Grove
Earm"-a beautiful pine grove being near the
buildings The farm buildings are situated
on the high street, while the fields and n
small pasture, designed chiefly as sun
AID exercise ground for the herd of
cows, are situated upon the interval
apart from the upland portion of the
farm. The farm cuts fifty tons of hay,
and the leading crops this season are two
acres of potatoes, eight acres of oats and
showing rank, strong growth, Indicating
the high fertility of the land. In addition
to these crops winter rye is grown as a
greenfield crop-fed out to the cows in
June-and two and a half acres of fodder
iorn is now growing. This is to be put in
to ensilage as u silo is to be built at once to
receive it the coming autumn. When the
nsilage corn comes off winter rye will be
4own for spring feeding-crop. 1t will
give some idca of the extent of Mr.. Me
keens fields to state that his rows of pota-
toes are seventy-six rods long and IT
My takes eleven of them for an acre.
rhe oats are remarkably heavy and
day to day, for a supplemental
green crop for the cows, two acres having
dresdy been so used. The pasture upon
the interval will be turned over this fall,
put into corn next season, and another lot
taken up for pasturage. When one crop of
rorn is taken off the land will next be sOwn
sith all the cora grown for the corn fac
Dry; and this crop is n,snured with twenty
loads of barn dressing to the acre, spread
18th Kemp spreader and plowed under to
depth of four inches, from 800 to $50
pounds of superphospbate 10 the acre being
used in addition. In this field of corn Mr..
Nokeen is trying some experiments with
chemical formulas originated by himself,
70 ascertain if such formulas will not pro
luce as good results Ms superphosphate and
tia less cost. Upon the whole field of
four acres of corn. not weed was grow
iug-in fact, the fields Of grain and potatoes
and the whole farm was completely free
ture pleasant to note. good vegetable
and small fruit garden was one Of the at
tractive features of the place--all the vegeta-
bles, together with straw berries, raspberries
and blackberries being grown in abund
IDce. The most approved implements and
machines are in use upon the farm, and the
The special line Of farming carried on at
the McKeen farm il cream dsirying--a
herd Of twenty choice cows being kept for
the purpose Of making cream. Fifteen are
now in milk and the remainder will come in
Turing the fall months. The cows are all
registered American Cattle Club Jerseys,
or by thoroughbred bull, of this registry.
At the head Of this choice band Of cows 10
the bull. Grandee Charles. 255o3, years
old by Temptress fdgi, Chief, 1912. dam
the famous COW, Cl,ariine Sheldon, 454Ii,
beed BY Mr.. s. NJ. King of Paris. A calf,
Grandee Chief, by Grsndee Charles, out of
Miss Ego, is one Of the handsomest of the
many calves upon the place, and is the one
to be raised. Among The best Of the cows and
heifers in the herd are Surprise Miss Ego;
Ida o., an inbred St Lambert. (calyed In
March last and nov gives two gallons Of
milk day having three inches Of cream y
Dolly Warden, calved in September last
when only twenty months old and nov Civ
ing two gallons Of milk, equivalent TO one
and half pounds Of butter per day, and
Xarifa. The Babcock cream test il in con-
slant use. By il, few days since, the
milk Of Miss Ego tested SIX per cent. Of
butter fist; Surprise. two years old and
jus. after her first calf, +G-i0 per cent,
and Xarifa, 10 years old, i-l0 per cent
One COW 10 bis herd, one Of the best cows
ever raised by the Messrs. Briggs. nos
gives two and half quarts Of milk at the
nights milking, one and three-fourths Of # |
bsing cream. The dairy il fitted up by the
Cooley system, an abundance Of ice
being stored for this purpose. The |
fifteen cows now In milk give
twelve gallon, at eeei, milking. This sum |
mer large Part Of the cream is sent to
North Conway to supply the demand at the |
mountain houses--x bich furnishes an adj |
mirabIe maIket--aBd the remainder Is sent |
to the Forest City creamery Portland, where |
the entire amount goes With the exception
Of tia. which is furnished to the mountain |
houses for ice cream. during the hot sea-
son. As supplemental TO th. dairy special |
" Of the farm he zig eteapies an impof.