Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1904-10-04
Maine Agriculture.
AN ABSTRACT OF AGRICULTURAL COM
MISSIONER GILMAN's ANNUAL REPORT

Hon. A. W. Gilman, commissioner OF
agriculture in Maine, in his annual re-
port just issued, makes a particularly
urgent recommendation that the public
schools of Maine take up agriculture in
its several branches as a part OF the
curriculum.
He says that Maine is fast becoming
an agricultural state, and it is eminently
proper that the money of the state
should be used in educating her children
along the line which they intend to pur.
sue. The agricultural prosperity of our
people will be in proportion to the
amount of intelligence and skill which is
put into their work. Many of the west
ern states have recognized the impor-
tance of agricultural education for their
husbandmen, and are giving much at
tention to the teaching of agriculture in
the public schools.
He regards the teaching of agriculture
in our schools as a necessity for the best
advancement of the state; but it will
never be properly taught in the public
schools until the teachers have fitted
themselves to teach it, and this prepara-
ton should be made in the normal
schools. He uuhesitatingly declares
that the normal schools are not doing
their full duty to the state, and espec-
tally to the agricultural people of the
state, until there is established, in one
of them at least, thorough course of
agricultural instruction, which shall fit
teachers to teach any and all branches of
agriculture in our common schools.
Mr.. Gilman especially recommends
the study of agriculture in the new nor
NAL school which has just been estab-
lished at Presque Isle. He says that in
a purely agricultural section it would
seem very fitting that one of the courses
should be course in agriculture.
In speaking of general conditions
throughout the state he says they are
especially prosperous now. The free
rural mail delivery and the farm tele-
phone which have reached so many of
the farm homes during the past year
have added much to the desirability of
farm life and the sociability of every
community. Where all farmers of a
section have combined in establishing
the telephone, it has been small ex-
pense, and the benefits that are derived
from it, socially and financially, are be-
yond estimation. One of the especially
attractive features of the telephone in a
farming community is the Sociability
that the farmers have among themselves,
with practically no expense.
Farmers have had serious obstacles to
confront during the past season, and in
some sections the effects of drought,
frost and continued cold have not been
overcome and the income of the farm
has not equalled that of former years,
but we believe that on the whole the
products of the farm have not fallen be-
low the average, and with good prices
which have been maintained the returns
received have been quite satisfactory.
While the apple crop throughout the
state hardly reached an average, the
Weld in many sections was much greater
than in former years, and a larger in
come will be derived from the apple
crop of 1908 than was anticipated by the
most sanguine apple producers. We be-
leve "a careful estimate of the apples
exported would not fall short of one
million barrels.
The potato crop of the state was the
largest for years. Potatoes are bring
ing good price and indications warrant
us in making the assertion that the
amount received by the producers this
year will be far above the average. An
increased interest in this crop has been
noted during the past year. Not only
has the crop in ArooStook county been
such as to awaken new interest, but
some of the practical, wide-awake farm
ers in the central and southern portions
of the state have demonstrated that the
soil in these sections, with the aid OF
commercial fertilizers and proper cult
vation, can be made to produce potatoes
equal in quality and quantity to those
produced in the more favored northern
sections. Their success has stimulated
Others to an enlarged production, and
the indications are that the average of
potatoes planted in Maine in 1904 will
exceed that for many years.
Mr.. Gilman reports an increase in the
number and value of all classes of farm
stock. There was an increase of cows
by 10, Isl during the year. He is also
pleased 10 note an advance movement
along dairy lines.-New England Farmer.