The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1906-08-16
OPPORTUNITIES NEAR AT HAND.
Let the Young Farmer Examine the Pos.
sibilities of Success Near his Old Home
Before Moving to Distant Land.
f. C. DOW, BELFAST. ME.


A statement by writer in one of the
Eastern papers, to the effect that the
West offers today better opportunities
for successful farming than can be
| found in the East, has set me to think
| ing about the conditions of Eastern
farm life and our opportunities for
| profitable and extensive work. As it
may be we'll to keep sight of the good
things near at home and not allow our
| selves to be blinded by the glamour
from distance, | will call the atten-
ton of my brother farmers to some of
our own chances for good and success
full farm business.
| | believe in the East, and also the
| West, and a young man should hesitate
long and consider we'll before moving
from his present home to go West or
come East. The West may be making,
but it is not true, as some say, that the
East is made. In fact, we OF the East
have hardly begun to realize our own
powers of growth or our opportunities
for expansion. We are just waking up
and rubbing our eyes open, and the
more we get them open the more we
stand amazed at the great agricultural
possibilities of our home surroundings.
| / doubt if any other section OF this
country offers superior inducements to
the Young man with his own way to
make as does the Eastern part.
| To begin with, farms are compare
lively cheap, although gradually ad
vancing in price, and it doesn't require
much capital to make start, While the
property constantly tends to Increase
in value under good management. A
man may be ever SO good farmer, but
he can do nothing without the farm to
work out his ideas and ideals upon;
hence | place the present cheapness OF
| Eastern farm lands at the head OF the
list of our advantages, although | rec
ognize the fact that it is a temporary
| one. Young men will do well to take
| advantage of it while 1t lasts.
| Having the farm, what are the
chances for doing business on IT! Let
me again impress Oh the mlnd OF the
| reader the fact that successful farming
| is business and has got to DE managed
in business way. There IS no pace
where it is possible to do a larger or
better business in dairying than here in
the East. With good markets and
climate favorable to dairyine and to the
dairy herd, it is only question OF skill
and enterprise on the part of the farm
er. 1t is probably true that there are
not ten farms in all the East that ale
being run at their full business capac-
ity. How much the dairyman may add
to his income by an increased herd ana
how much by better one are questions
for individual consideration. Certain
it is that the West has no opportunities
in dairving that the East cannot offer.
Many Western farmers have quit eX-
elusive grain farming and gone into
dairying to their personal gain. What
folly. then. for the Eastern man on
good dairy farm to believe he could DO
better on Western grain ranch. NO,
nv friend, there is no better place TO
make profit out of milk, cream, butter,
cheese or veal than right here IN the
East.
Take, again, the sheep business; with
| the exception of the free range IN the
| far West, sheep must be kept as farm
| animal We have the best OF hill pas
lures and the best of markets, and there
is no good reason why the East cannot
furnish its own lamb and mutton. True,
we have the dog nuisance, but that will
be done away with whenever the farm
ers unite for mutual protection. No
| need to 90 West to sell sheep when
! good flock of grades sell quickly at the
| farm for from So to IS head. as they
have lately sold in many parts OF the
East. AS long as the East depends
largely on the West for its horses, the
profit in breeding horses will be with
| the Eastern farmer. This is so patent
that it needs no argument to prove IL
true. The great curse of the horse
breeding industry in this part OF the
country has been the craze for speed:
Farmers have been raising socalled
trotting bred ANIMALS that usually have
been worth all the way from 800 each
| down to nothing at four years OF age,
when they could just as well have bred
! good servicesable colts that some one
would want at a profitable price. the
! East has as good opportunities tor morse
! breeding as the West can offer to-day.
The craze for ''trotters' is now thlng
of the past, and the demand IS Tor
good. active, stylish horse that can 90
good service anywhere. The man who
/ can meet the demand will find success
waiting for him.
In poultry keeping the West has no
advantages except it be in cheaper feed,
and this is more than offset by our bet
ter markets for all poultry products.
Very few of US realize the possibilities
of the poultry business when rightly
handled. 1t requires little capital to
start and, once established, it is easy
of enlargement if the manager wishes.
1t is big business composed OF many
small things whether in the East or the
West. l commend it to the serious
consideration Of Eastern young men
who may be looking for an opening.
Before fully deciding to ''hike' for the
West look over the possibilities OF an
Eastern poultry farm.
We hear much of the "land OF the olg
red apple" and the immense orchards
of some sections of the West; but it IS
we'll not to forget that it is push and
enterprise that have created them.
EQUAL natural advantages are here with
us. 1t is only for us to take advantage
of our opportunities and develop them n.
Within two years speaker at one OF
the Western fruit meetings, himself an
extensive and successful orchardist,
strongly advised the young men OF his
audience to go East to New YORK ana
New England and engage in apple
growing where they could have the ad,
yantages of our cheap lands and good
markets. Such testimony as that from
such a source is worth thoughtful con-
slderation. What is true of orchardmg
is true, also, of small fruit growing
There are as good openings here as
there and the per acre profit is greater
usually by reason of the markets close