Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1903-10-20
E. p. MAYO, BEFORE A MAINE FARMERS
INSTITUTE.

INSTITUTE.
Il am asked to address this company
on what know about agriculture, but
really have to admit on the start that /
know little or nothing about agricultur-
al operations as conducted to-day on
practical lines. If you wanted rue to
tell you how poor man, rich only in an
abundance of boys, could take depict
ed farm and bring it into state of fertil-
ity in the space of few years, without
a dollar to expend for improved machin-
cry or for fertilizers, could do it, be-
cause nearly forty years ago | was an
active participator in just such an oper-
alton. How many of us who have pass
ed the meridian of life could do what
my father successfully accomplished on
small, stony, run out farm? When he
undertook the problem he had other
duties that took more or less of his
time, but which paid him very small
! stipend for the time thus employed.
| This reduced the working force very
considerably, and the only aid he receiv-
/ ed was from two small lads who had no
more relish for hard work than the
! average boy has. The task that he un
dertook was not only 70 bring the farm
back to state of fertility, but to sup
port his family therefrom in the mean
! time. Does any one for 4 moment think
that it was light, trivial matter? II so,
try it, and you will be corrected in your
error. When he began the task he be-
gan it with sturdy determination t.
win, and that is one of the elements that
should not be lost sight of in consider
ing the problem under discussion. He
did not take hold of it to see if farming
would pay. Neither was he trained
agriculturist, either in theory or in
practice. But he had theory as to
how a farm should be conducted TO be
successful, and he had the courage OF
his convictions, and nearly single hand
ed, as it were, he undertook the almost
herculean task.
"Neryed with the enthusiasm that al
ways goes with the determination to
succeed, he took possession of the farm,
and the first winter had to buy hay To
winter a single COW and horse. How
well remember the plans and thought |
that were given during that long, cold
winter as TO what should be planted and |
sowed the next season that would not
only 90 the furthest toward wintering
the family, but that would help support |
the largest stock. 1t was so long ago
that cannot recall just what the next
wears crop was, but | remember very
distinctly how carefully it was husband |
ed and watched over, and what boun- |
tiful yield we had, everything taken |
into account. And above all do l re-
call how carefully the barn dressing was |
looked after and put where it would do
the most good.
sThe next winter we wintered two /
horses and two cows. This gave us |
team TO work with, and the two cows |
produced milk and butter enough, so
that we had something to sell every
month in the year. Things were now
progressing. We had become manu- |
facturers, and that winter, with double |
the stock of the winter before, we had |
double the amount of dressing for our |
poor, impoverished fields, and CORE
spending increase of crops, which in
cows and make start not only on a
flock of sheep, but to winter four calves,
a pair of steers and two heifers. Now
we were surely getting along finely; but |
not dollar had been spent for fertilizers
or for help on the farm. When we
thought we could spare any money i'll
this direction we put it into fodder, |
which allowed us 10 winter one more |
head of stock, and thus increase our
fertilizer supply and our holdings OF
livestock.
1--WE had now got to the endless chain
phase in farming. We kept more stock
each season, so that we could raise more |
crops, and we raised more crops so we
could winter more stock. Thus you
will see that things assumed very easy |
condition. OF course, there was lots OF
hard work yet to be done, but the labor |
brought us quick returns for those |
times, and each year we could see that |
we were making sure if not rapid ad-
yancement. When L finally left the |
farm to engage in other pursuits we had
four horses, six cows, a yoke OF four
year-old steers that no one had ever held
the goad over but myself, a yoke OF
three-year-olds, two-year -olds, yearlingS |
and four calves, and twenty-five sheep, |
not to mention good showing in the
poultry yard. In the mean time We
had built large, capacious barn, made |
necessary by the increased fertility of
the farm, which, by the way, was under
a high state of cultivation, thanks to a |
well polished plough, operated by a
good team, which was never allowed to
lie idle because there was nothing to do. |
The mortgage on the farm had been
paid, the house rebuilt, and we were
making money, and il was all done with
out commercial fertilizers or financial
backing; and yet to-day We are told that
a man who takes up rundown farm
and attempts to pay for it, much less to
get living for himself and family, has
a task that no wise man would under
take. If it could be successfully ac-
complished forty years ago, what is
there to hinder its accomplishment to-
day? If the problem could be success
fully solved in rocky, sterile portion
of the state, what is the difficulty IN
accomplishing it in the fertile kennebec
Valley?
.In the face of this recital of plain,
unvarnished facts, who is there in this
audience that dares tell me that it can
not be duplicated with much greater
ease and much less hardship to-day?
You, Mr. Commissioner, would nave &C
complished the same result, so far as
restoring the fertility of the farm is con-
cerned, as we did, and with much less
physical effort, because you have the
means, as many men here before me to-
day have, to purchase ready made,
ready mixed fertilizers that We had not
only to manufacture from raw material, |
but mix in the soil by our own unaided
efforts. If this recital does not prove
an incentive to some one to go and do |
better under the improved conditions
afforded him, shall be disappointed, to
say the least.
"But hear some one saying, IF you
were so successful on farm, why are
YOU not there to-day?' or why did
YOU ever leave a business that you were
so well adapted to prosecute with such
rare success?' 1t was case of the man
-:.L tba hoa + was then a mere bow,