Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1906-09-04
A Fine Agricultural Section.
CENTRAL NEW YORK AND THE BEAUTI-
FUL GENEsEE COUNTRY.

| CENTRAL. NEW YORK AND THE BEAUTl-
FUL GENEsEE COUNTRY.
A friend returning from an extended
trip through the Pacific coast and GEN.
tral western states, tells us that the
Genesee country of western New York
is the most attractive agricultural sec
ton in all America and we are inclined
to share his enthusiasm after a brief
visit to this beautiful region, luxuriant
in its broad fields of golden grain and
far-extending highways bordered on
either side by orchards of apple, peach
aud pear. Indeed more perfect farm
ing country has never been discovered.
The Mohawk valley with its wide
levels and low bordering hills, is a fit
ting gateway to the Genesee country.
This valley and westward beyond Utica
and Syracuse is an ideal dairy region,
with numerous creameries and cheese
factories. Here are many pure-bred
herds. The Holstein-FriesianS exceed
all other breeds in numbers and popular
favor. Bred and reared for generations
on the fertile lowlands of Holland, they
find congenial home on the equally
rich pasture lands of the Mohawk.
Other herds are of mixed breeding,
showing strongly of Holsteiu-Friesian
blood, with an occasional out-crOpping
of the Dutch Belted markings combined
with Ayrshire, Shorthorn and Jersey
conformation.
The central New York lake region
and the Genesee country are equally
well adapted to grain, fruit and vege-
table production. 1t was once the gran
ary of the east. It's wheat fields gave to
Rochester the name "Flour City," and
created necessity for the Erie Canal,
in consequence making New York the
Empire state and New York city the
metropolis of the continent. 1t is still
productive wheat growing region. But
the apple and other crops have long
since supplanted the golden cereal as
the leading farm product.
We saw an occasional abandoned
farm house but no abandoned farms.
After all, the abandonment of a farm
house here and there is not an indica-
ton of agricultural decadence or lack of
prosperity. This age is marked for its
unparalleled industrial activity, yet
abandoned factory buildings with their
broken windows and crumbling walls,
are familiar objects in nearly every
manufacturing village and city.
But the one great lack on many New
York state farms is fresh paint. The
natural beauties of the landscape are
too often marred by unsightly farm
buildings, painted so long ago that
scarcely trace of the paint remains.
A few dollars invested in paint would
return big dividends in increased at
tractiveness and actual cash values on
many farm.
Crops in the Genesee country are in
the main satisfactory. Careful esti-
mates of the apple crop give yield OF
from 30 TO go per cent of full crop,
which is about the same as last year.
The general market conditions, however,
are such that prices will be good, with
fair prospects of netting the orchard
lists remunerative returns. Buyers in
some localities are now offering Sl.9O
and Sl95 per barrel, while last year at
this time they were paying only sl.oO.
Some of the orchards have been injured
by over-spraying. Growers have been
careless in the use of Bordeaux and as
a result an excessive amount OF copper
sulphate has been placed on the trees
which has caused the burning OF the
fruit. This will be remedied in time
though better understanding Of the
effects of sprays. In no case, we believe,
will spraying of fruit trees be aban-
doned.
The grain, hay, potato, bean and other
crops are reported fairly good, and
western New York farmers have little
cause to complain. We find that prices
of farm products are generally lower
here than in New England. Last week
while potatoes were selling at from 81
to 81 .25 per bushel in New England
town and village markets, they were
retailing at the groceries in the city OF
Rochester for So cents per bushei.
Apples, peaches and other fruits, veg
etables and most farm products are re-
failing in the Genesee towns at lower
prices than in New England. Aud they
are produced on much higher priced
land. For New England farmers ap-
preciate the advantage they possess in
having at their doors the best markets
in the country. Some time these ad-
vantages we possess will be fully real
lied and then no productive lands Will
90 begging for purchasers.
The agricultural possibilities of both
New York and New England have been
greatly underestimated. We are even
now on the borderland of opportunity.
Intelligently directed effort would trans
form thousands of acres of waste lands
into productivenesS, furnishing land and
a living for many more farmers than are
at present tilling the soil.
In central and western New York
are thousands of acres of low lands that
are too wet for crop production unless
drained. The federal government is
spending millions of dollars to irrigate
the arid lands of the far west and make
it suitable for rural homes. One hun
dredth part of this money expended in
draining these swamp lands would con-
vert them into fertile trucking and farm
ing areas far exceeding the value of the
arid plains. But federal aid is not need
ed for this work. Many large tracts OF
swamp lands could be drained and made
tillable by their owners. The one great
need is cooperation. A farmer near
Bergen, Genesee county, part OF whose
farm is swamp land, told the writer that
the drainage of that particular swamp
which also includes parts OF several
farms, had been agitated periodically
since his grandfather's day, but at no
time could all the owners come to an
agreement as to how or when the work
should be done. By organizing CO.
operative company the work could be
effected at small cost. This has been
successfully accomplished by swamp
owners in Wisconsin. 1t can be done
anywhere. The farm owners can Or
ganize a cooperative drainage associa-
ton, engage a competent engineer to
locate the main canal and laterals, and
carry ON the work systematically to
completion, the expense to be borne by
each in proportion to the number OF
acres reclaimed. There are opportun-
tiles in New England for similar i'm
provements and the enlargement OF our
productive areas.-E. K. Reynolds in
New England Farmer.