The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-09-04

is to work from sun to sun, and to earn
his bread by the honest sweat of his
brow.
OF the 100000 people in the United
States more than 80, 900, 900 are engaged
in agricultural pursuits. Daniel Webster
once said that the farmers are Gods
chosen people, and if we read history
correctly we will see that Webster was
right. Without farming all other indus
tries must cease. Nineteen OF
the men who control the destinies of the
country come from the farms. Farming
is not only honorable and ennobling, but
it is conducive to health and longevity.
He had travelled considerably in the
west and had seen great farms devoted
exclusively to single crops, but compar-
ing the homes and environment of the
farmers there with those of the east, he
believed the advantage was largely IN IA
vor of Maine's tillers of the soil Maine,
not only geographically, but in the great
bivouac of life, faces the rising, not the
setting, sun. He referred to the fertile
farms OF his own county of Aroostook,
0Au dQQou tudU AIOO61oohy AAOlO oi1rAAA
any other county in the state, depends
upon its crops.
Referring to the outlook for the future,
he said:. "You have every reason to be
hopeful of the future. Prosperity is re-
turning. When labor is actively and re-
muneratively employed the products of
the farms and diaries are sure to meet
with ready sales at good prices.
"Our county is gradually changing for
the BETTER he added. tThe best kind of
farming is that which leaves the farm
in the best condition..for future crops.
would advise you to utilize as much as
possible your own fertilizers. The one
thing that has done more than anything
else to cripple Aroostook farmers is the
purchase of phosphates. Some of them
have at times gone deeply into debt to
purchase phosphates. and then when the
crop was a failure they were left in a
bankrupt condition. have always ad-
vised a sparing use of such fertilizers,
especially by farmers who. have not the
means to pay for them.
Another bit Of advice would offer is
that you purchase only those things that
you have the money to pay for. I know
many men in my county have bought
things they didn't really need, pastboard
wagons, for instance, and when their
crops have failed disaster has come to
them. I would not depreciate the getting
into debt for home and farm to start
with, but after once you get started and
back on your feet again, keep out of debt.
Don't give your note for thing that
you cannot afford to pay for. Be slow,
prudent and careful. Have confidence in
yourselves. -
He compared farming Of so years ago
with the methods employed today, and
then indulged in praise of Maine's re-
vocated equal taxation and said he did
not blame the farmer, whose every OK
and horse and piece Of land is appraised,
for demanding that other people pay an
equali tax on everything they own.
In conclusion he advocated keeping the
boys on the farm and employing in farm
work modern methods that will tend to
get the best results from labor.
Gen. c. P. Mattocks of Portland gave
an interesting talk relating chiefly to the
subject of stock raising. In the course
of his address he said the tide has turned
in Kansas. Farming in the west is way
up one year and way down the next If
the toll and industry of Maine men in
the west had been applied here at home.
the State of Maine would have made
greater progress.
The concluding address was by Secre-
tary McKeen of the State Board of Agri-
culture, who indorsed what Gov Powers
had said about the use of phosphates, and
proceeded to enlighten the York county
farmers in scientific matters directly
pertaining to the cultivation of the soil.
The mass meeting ended with cheers
for the speakers and the passing OF vote
of thanks to the committee that arranged
the days programme.
The Governor took the 4.36 train for
Portland and at Union Station connect
ed with the express for Old Orchard.