The Republican journal., 1903-10-22
FARM RENOVATION.
HOW A WORKOUT FARM IN MAINE
WAS BROUGHT TO A STATE OF
FERTILITY BY WELL DIRECTED

FERTILITY BY WELL DIRECTED
LABOR.
[E. P. Mayo, before Maine Farmers In
Stitute.
Il am asked to address this company
on what l know about agriculture, but
really | have to admit on the start that
/ know little or nothing about agricul
tural operations as conducted to-day on
practical lines. If you wanted me to
tell you how a poor man, rich only in
an abundance of boys, could take de.
pleted farm and bring it into a state OF
fertility in the space of a few years,
without dollar to expend for improved
machinery or for fertilizers, could dc
it, because nearly forty years ago | was
an active participant in just such an
operation. How many of us who have
passed the meridian of life could dc
what my father successfully accom-
plished 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 a very
small stipend for the time thus employ
ed. This reduced the working force
very considerably, and the only aid he re,
ceived 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 to bring the farm
back to a state of fertility, but to sup,
port his family therefrom in the mean
time. Does any one for a moment think
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 to
win, and that is one OF the elements
that should not be lost sight OF in con-
sidering the problem under discussion:
He did not take hold of it to see II
farming would pay. Neither was he
trained agriculturist, either IN theory
or in practice. But he had theory as
to how farm should be conducted 10
be successful, and he had the courage
of his convictions, and nearly single
handed, as it were, he undertook the
almost herculean task.
.Nerved with enthusiasm that al
ways goes with the determination to
succeed, he took possession OF the farm,
and the first of the winter had to buy
hay to winter a single COW and morse;
How we'll | remember the plans ana
thought that were given during that
IO1lg. CO1u WlllUCl w W Nhdo ohOUAeA NJ
wanted and soWed the next season that
would not only go 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 years crop was, but |
remember very distinctly how careful
ly it was husbanded and watched over,
and what a bountiful yield we had,
everything taken into account. And
above all do | recall how carefully the
barn dressing was looked after and put
where it would do the most good.
'"The next winter we wlntered two
horses and two cows. This gave us a
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 corre-
spending increase of crops, which IN
turn allowed US to winter two more
COWS and make start not only on a
hock Of sheep, but to winter four calves,
a pair of SIT ers and two heiferS. Now
we we're surely getting along finely;
but not a dollar had been spent for fer-
tilizers or for help on the farm When
we thought We could spare any money
in this direction we put it into fodder,
which allowed us to winter one more
head of stock, and thus increase our
fertilizer supply and cur holdings OF
livestock.
I'VE 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 it not
rapid advancement. When | finally
left the farm to engage in other pur-
suits we had four horses, six cows, a
yoke of four-year-old steers that no one
had ever held the goad over but myself,
yoke of three-year-Olds, tWo-year-oldS,
yearlirgs and four calves, and twenty
five sheep, not to mention good show
ing of the poultry yard. In the mean-
time we mad built a large, capacious
barn, made necessary by the increased
fertility of the farm, which, by the
way. was under high state of cultiva-
ton, thanks to we'll polished plough,
operated by good team, which never
was allowed to lie idle because there
was nothing to do. The mortgage on
the farm had been paid, the house re-
built, and we were making money, and
it was all done without commercial fer
tilizers 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 geta living for
himself and family, has a task that no
wise man would undertake. If it could
be successfully accomplished forty
years ago, what is there to hinder its
accomplishment to-day? If the problem
could be successfully solved in rocky,
sterile portion of the State, what is the
difficulty in accomplishing it in the fer
tile 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 today?
You, Mr.. Commissioner, would have
accomplished the same result, so far as
restoring the fertility of the farm is
concerned, as we did, and with much
less physical effort, because you have
the means, as many men here before
me today have, to purchase ready made,
ready mixed fertilizers that we had not