The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1905-02-02
AN HOTEL FARM.

LndI OWHeU ny ii. NJ. CaSCucr OI EOTt-
land. Me. 1t lies just by the city limits
at S; roudwater, a small village, pretty
in its location and environments, and
we'll known to all residents of the
"beautiful city by the sea-"
THE HOTEL TAKES THE PRODUCE.
Mr.. Cashier is the proprietor of the
West End Hotel in Portland and runs
this farm as part of the hotel indus
try. There is no exchanging of crops
or other farm produce for money, but
still every dollar produced by the farm
is credited, and at the end of the year
the farm receives proper recognition
for its part of the business scheme, and
due acknowledgment is accorded the
able and hustling manager, Jacob Sing
,, er, and his wife, who is also potent
factor in making this farm business
proposition.
The sixty-three acres in the property
are practically all under cultivation
each year, and Mr.. Singer, with his
many helpers, makes it work hard from
early spring until late in the fall. All
kinds of vegetables are raised in large
quantities, and sorts that have early
and late varieties, such as peas and
corn, are so arranged that there is a
plentiful supply of all. Everything is
utilized. What cannot be used when it
is fresh is either preserved in cans for
winter or goes to the cattle or pigs.
But the chief aim is to meet the criti-
cal requirements of high class hotel
patronage.
SOME OF EVERYTHING.
Early in the morning heavy Wagon
loaded with fresh peas, beans, lettuce,
cucumbers and all other truck fresh
from the garden, also milk, cream,
eggs, chicken, duck, pork and veal, is
driven to the hotel, and on the return
such things as are needed on the farm
are brought. The production of all these
products is the business of the farm,
and it proves to be an industry of large
proportions. The vegetables have been
| spoken of. They demand large acre
age, in fact the greater part of the
farm. The hay land, which provides
/ feed for the cattle, and the section de-
voted to swine and poultry demand
! the remainder. These two latter are
raised in large quantities. Some three
to four hundred hogs are kept the
| breed varying from year to year. First
it was YOrkshireS, then cross with
the Chester Whites, and most recently
cross with the Berkshires. The one
desire is for health and vigor, qualities
| that the proprietor believes cannot be
maintained with pure-bred animals
| when kept in large numbers. The feed
, consists of waste from the hotel, refuse
on the farm, grain and all the skimmilk
that can be spared. The hogs are killed
and dressed on the farm at weight of
about two hundred pounds and supply
fresh pork for the hotel.
i THE POULTRY
is on a still larger SCALE Barred, White
and Buff Plymouth Rocks, White Leg
horns are kept; also White Pekin ducks,
and small flock of geese has just been
installed. In the season Just passed
seven thousand chickens and one thou
sand ducks were raised, and all, with
the exception Of few hundreds, have
I been served as broliers for the hungry
traveller. The chicks and ducklings
were Matched In the fourteen incuba-
tors kept in use all the summer and
several were Matching their product in
October on the occasion of my visit.
Chickens and ducks are kept for the
first few weeks on feed that will devel-
op strength, then all not reserved to be
raised are started on the fatteninS
process and are pushed as rapidly as
possible to the weight desired, one and
a half pounds dressed being reached by
the chickens in six weeks, while the
ducks weigh from five to seven pounds
in ten to eleven weeks, at which age
they can be picked quickly, trouble
some pin feathers not making their APP
pearance if the desired weight can be
attained before twelve weeks. These
results with poultry would be out of the
question under other than the very best
conditions. But no expense has been
spared to make it possible. The poul-
try for breeding are given clean, roomy
houses, where the walls are frequently
whitewashed and the litter often re-
newed, while outside in the ample runs
the soil is turned every two or three
weeks with the pillow.
| THE BROoDER HOUSES
are fitted for the work on hand. The
whole building is heated by steam, and
can be divided into two sections in
such manner that while the smaller
chicks and ducklings are given all the
heat they require in the first two or
three weeks of their growth, by means
of additional heat in brooders inside
the house, they can after that age be
sent into the part of the house beyond
CDe pafClJlOn, where d cOOlei DuI SJlll
warm temperature is maintained.
They thrive exceedingly, but here, as
elsewhere, the ducks are more handy
than the chicks, and not more than one
of the former dies where four or five Of
the latter will give out its little life.
The breeding stock for the winter and
coming year is now one hundred for
the ducks, but it is the purpose to in
crease the number of hens to one thou
sand this winter, all conditions being
favorable to winter production of
eggs.
THE CATTLE,
thirty or more in milk, are kept with
two objects in view, one to provide
milk, cream, and at some seasons of the
year, butter, for the hotel; the other to
give supply of veal. This complexities
the breeding problem, for the cow that
provides the most desirable milk is not
the COW that makes the largest veal.
Guernseys are the favorite for the milk !;
Holsteins are depended on for the veal
Pure-bred bulls of both these breeds
are kept in service. All bull calves go
to the block at a tender age. If milk
stock is to be one of the needs two
years in the future, Guernsey blood is
depended upon; if the farm is well
stocked with milch cattle the HOlStpin