Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1906-07-19

The Abandoned Farm
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Prof. w. w. Munson Of the uni
versity of Maine recently delivered
an interesting address on the aban
doned farm and their capabilities be
fore the Massachusetts horticulture
society at Boston, during which BIZ
said: One of the first reasons fol-
the abandoned farms in New England
is the inherent restlessness of the
American boy. That this innate
restlessness should take active form
however, was the result of changed
conditions. The conditions and prob
lens presented to the New England
farmer of today are very different
from those of even half century ago
The early farmers of New England
worked hard, lived simply and had
few debts. but also few of the com.
forts OF life as we understand them
at present. A race of sturdy, efficient
men and women was the result; men
and women who have made their
mark wherever they have gone, in the
gradual settlement and development of
the country.
Many farms of the East have been
literally carved from the hillsides,
and the labor incident to the manage
ment of such farms is great. AS a
result, even during the first half of
the last century, many of the best
young men were attracted away from
the old homes to the newly-developed
Northwest territories. With improved
transportation facilities, which de-
veloped rapidly after about 1850, bring.
ing eastern farms into direct competi.
ton with the cheap and fertile lands
of New York, Ohio and Michigan, and
soon with the black prairie lands of
Illinois, Minnesota and the Red river,
lands which could be had almost free
of cost, the values of all agricultural
lands in the East fell. The New Eng
land farmer found himself, with de-
pleted soil and rigorous climate, grow
ing wheat and corn which had to CON-
pete in the open market with similar
products from the rich lands already
mentioned. He found his sons leav-
ing the old home and joining the
ranks of the factory hands, or moving
West to grow up with the country
and swelling the ranks of those with
whom he must compete.
Instead of meeting the problems
mentioned in the forceful intelligent
way we should expect from the sons
OF New England, the farmer of the
East lost his grip and his spirit. He
sought other professions and "aban
doned' and neglected farms became
common. A very important factor n
the accumulation Of abandoned farms
is that of injudicious management
The old notion that anybody could be
a farmer" has been the cause OF the
undoing of vast number of farms, a:
well as much larger number of far
mers. So-called 'worn-out'' lands
may be the result of several distinc
conditions; namely, they may lacs
humus, either from too much or from
too little cultivation; they may lacl
plant food; they may have becoms
acid; they may need draining; they
may need tilling.
Having ascertained the reason fol
the condition existing in a given in
stance, the application of specific rem
edies is not a difficult problem. De
ficiency in plant food may be met by
the use of concentrated fertilizers
Lack of humus, one of the most com
mon troubles, may be corrected by
the use of green manure-as clover
in those cases where stable manure Is
not available. In cases of acidity OF
the soil, when leguminous crops can.
not be grown for the supply of humus,
an application of lime at the rate of
from one to two tons per acre will ac.
complish wonders. The application
of wood ashes, which contain 80 or 40
per cent of lime, with varying amounts
of potash and phosphoric acid, are
also frequently used with remarkable
results.
The younger generation can
scarcely realize that fruit growing is
still in its infancy in New England,
and that in this direction is the most
hopeful outlook for the future of New
England agriculture. From the earli-
est settlements on the Massachusetts
coast till the present day, fruit has
been grown in New England. Plums,
peaches, pears and apples galore
have been introduced from England,
France and Belgium. Until about 80
years ago, however, there was very
little of the fruit we know today. and
that little was produced largely in the
gardens Of few enthusiastic lovers
Of fruit. Apples were then 1oduccd
from natural seedlings, growing with.
out care or attention and were o.
more importance for cider than for
any other purpose. Pears Of delicious
quality were grown, but mostly on q
small scale for home use or home mar.
kets.
But now all this is changed. We