The Portland daily press., 1895-12-21
AGRICULTURE.
Interesting Extracts From superinten-
dent Matthew's Report.

The following extracts are taken from
the report of Labor Commissioner S. W.
Matthews, on agriculture, for the past
| year:
"Agriculture is entitled Ito foremost
place among the industries of the State.
About one-third of the total area of Maine
is included in farms, but the quantity of
! improved farm lands Is considerably less,
being between 5000, 600 and 1900, 900
acres, while of the $50, 355 families in
Maine. 62, 1ss live on farms. In the line of
agricultural wealth. the State possesses
many and diverse resources. In agrlcul-
ture. as III other branches of industry,
great changes have been inaugurated
and those who have thoroughly kept up
to date, and adopted the most approved
methods, find that farming pays Espec-
tally Is this true, in those sections Of the
State where manufacturing and indus
trial enterprises flourish, thus opening to
the farmers good market at renulnera-
tive prices.
Names hay crop Is almost universally
largo, and exceeds in value the grain crop
of states of like population in the West.
Potatoes can nowhere be raised to SO good
advantage as In fertil5 Aroostook, and
that county has collapsed previous records
this year by crop Rpproximating H.,
900, 000 bushels. While it is desirable that
this great county, with its fortile soil and
unlimited agricultural resource, should
give more attention to diversified crops,
the wonderful possibilities of the region
are strikingly illustrated by the phe-
nomenal potato harvest Of 1895.
aClosely allied with the raising OF
potatoes, is the starch industry, and
when prices are low, the half hundred
or so starch factories through Northeast
ern Maine can grind to advantage the
superfuous tubers into starch. The Ca
pacity of Maine starch factories is. up
wards of 5000 tons, annually, consuming
about 3,00U, 600 bushels of potatoes.
The dairy interests are steadily looming
into prominence and the future is very
promising. Butter Factories and cream
cries have sprung mp in different parts OF
tine State, and the poor butter OF former
days Is being supplanted by high grade
| article at all times in demand at high
prices. Cheese factories are also numer-
Gus and the condensed milk factory Of. the
Maine Condensed Milk 90. at Newport,
is successfully demonstrating the SSH
bilites of this new industry in our State.
Live stock can be raised to advantage,
the conditions being highly favorable,
and in the line of horse breeding, no
state, not even Kentucky, can excel us.
The interest in blooded stock has been
given new impetus in recent years by the
numerous trotsing parks established in
different parts through the State. In
addition to the two State fairs at Bangor
and Lewiston. the Rigby mile track has
been built near Portland and another at
Old Orchard, while throughout the State
other parks have been opened in late
years.
"The value of Names orchard pro-
ducts is rapidly increasing, and fruit cul-
ture holds out the strongest inducements,
this being the most promising occupation
| at the present time For the raising of
apples and pears. Maine can surpass any
other section, while many smaller fruit
can be produced to good advantage.
of late years a foreign demand has
sprung up. and, during the shipping
season of 1894-95 upwards of 900, 600 bar
reIs of apples were shipped to England
from the ports Of Portland, Boston and
New York.
''An apple orchard of winter fruit in
Maine is much to be preferred to an
orange grove in Florida or California.