The Portland daily press., 1900-09-29

(Utioa On. " Letter in N. Y. Evening
POST
1t may we'll be asked whether, a new
era has not dawned for the farmer and
the farmers boys and girls. Nowhere are
there more practical Illustrations of
change in his condition than in the
valley of the Mohawk and throughout
central New York State. This is one OF
the Oldest farming sections of the new
world, and one of the best, The type of
man to be found here today is human
being of brain and Drawn, the descend
ant of sturdy pioneers OF at least two
generations ago. He has caught the In
SEPARATION and the spirit of modern days,
the modern ways greet one about the old
places, for new methods OF agriculture
ara everywhere in evidence.
u ntil recently the farmers boy sought
bit of education and deserted the old
place for the city, preferring to work
there for three or four dollars per week
to remaining on the farm. lie is now
being trained to remain at his home,
which the farmers are making more at
tractive to the young. The farmers them.
selves are being taught through the dem
onstrations Of the State Schools Of A gri-
culture, exelnplihed in lectures at the
Grange, that the man of education has
his place on the farm the same as ne has
in the business world. lie sees that with
all things equal, the educated man can
achieve greater results than the ignorant
man, whether 1t be IN working on the
farm or in the professions or trades.
On the farms IN this county are now to
BE- found many college men, and their
methods are being copied, as their suo-
cess arouses ths farmers Of the old time.
Central New York Is particularly a
dairy country. The land situated IN the
Mohawk valley and stretching south
\ through the Wharton valley IS perhaps
the best all-round producing land any
/ where In the State AS q result the
farmers OF this section are very we'll
to-d0. One can see this while driving
through the country not only over the
principal highways, but along the cross
roads,, and noting the buildings and
their condition. For a time the people
OF the sou rern part OF Oneida County
were led away from the dairy business,
the farmers entering upon the cultivat-
ION OF hops. This was profitable for
many years and the armers nonrished
durl 1g the time. New buildings were
erected, but OF such architecture as Co
suit the needs or mop culture When
the value Of hops declined, those who
had engaged particularly in that busi-
ness were left with farms that had been
drained of their fertility by hop-raisi ng,
and with splendid buildings out OF ali
proportion to the needs or the farmer.
This occurred In 1892, and until 1897
there was set haok in that part Of the
county where hops were raised But now
most of these farmers have rppnfared the
they have realized during the last two
or three years the old prosperity that had
always been charactepfstic of this part Of
the state is again manffegt. The farmers
have now grasped the idea that it ia a
dangerous thing to stake all that they
have on any single thing. With this fertile
land that viii grow almost everything.
they engage IN n variety OF farming,
many OF them raising quantities of straw %
/ berries, early peas, and some sweet corn
which is marketed at the canning fac
torres in different parts OF the country,
while many raise tomatoes, which are
also sold to canning factories. In addi-
ton, there are other cereals raised in
large quantities, such as corn wheat,
barley, and celery. The farmers also dis
| pose of q great amount OF their milk In
the city Of New York, and one OF the
things the farmers are coming TO realize
IS tie Importance Of up-to.date methods
! in the dairy.
Nowhere else in the State is there as
fine live stock as that owned by the farm
ers OF central New York BlOOded
stocks, such as Holsteins, Guernseys.
Ayrshlers, etc., are to be found generally.
William A. Matteson OF Utica is the
President or the National Holstein Asso-
citation, and he has one Of the best herds
in the United States All his surplus
stock is disposed OF as fast as possible,
and IS shipped by him all over the
United States.
While there is no fruit industry OF any
Importance, the farmers havs enough
fruit for their own use, and often more
i ne SOIL is, as rule, very good. Land
values vary according to location, and
In some OF the towns around Utica farms
sell at from $50 to $3.50 per acre. In
localities remote from the city the values
per acre are between $50 and $50
The average size or the farms is from
lOO ID 200 acres. There are farms as large
as 400 acres, and there are farms of Is
acres An odd state OF affairs exists in
the town of Augusta. The original
grants have been cut up by the fathers
and to the children, as fast as they are
married, are given plots large enough for
a farm. As result, some Of the farms
are small.
Perhaps the best evidence of prosperitv
amon8 ne farmers of central New York
Is that UDey, as rule, own their own
farms, and there are fewer forecloguras
In this part OF the state than in auv of
the others Oneida County was ono ~
the first to take advantage of the law mar
tanning to the construction and Improve
ment OF the highways, and has adopted
bhe scheme OF making the prisoners bufld
enc roads 1t was one OF the first to taRe
up the construction OF cycle paths. and
az result, l6 Is houeyc0mbed with them
~. ne farmers ana their sons take q great
to encourage it. ~