The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1908-12-24
THE AGRICULTURAL UPLIFT.

The executive commission from Wash
ington sent forth to look into country life,
it's conditions and environment, and the
needs of farmers generally, gave its final
public hearing in Boston at the State
house, December 18th. At the opening
of the hearing interesting statistics were
submitted by Secretary Ellsworth of the
Massachusetts State board of agriculture
showing the extent to which the popula-
ton and area of New England are devoted
to farming. These statistics follow:
Total area of New England in acres 42,5S7,6OO
Acres of land in farms. 2O,54S, 999
Acres of inonroved land . S,134, 4O3
Value of agricultural wealth, IN
GLIDING land with improvements,
implements, machinery and live
stock 49,. poo0,o4o'0oo
Value of annual agricultural pro- 49,
ductlOn ................... 1900. %Ao0'o1''4oo
in 10 Years e.. .............. $685. 1873 ,o75
'a acra " Of e fmnroved land. ......... s2Os4
Total population ,................. 5,592,017
N in towns y, Under 5000. ........... 2,2ee,2ss
Number Of people living in cities OF nv,
over 5000, showing the market. 3,525,1z9
Persons engaged in gainful occupa- -,
tion over 10 years of age......: 2,ofo'4oo
Persons engaged in agricultural .,z ,,o
pursuits ..........' Ho''oN'
Mr.. Ellsworth expressed the opinion
that farming conditions in Massachusetts
are showing a steady improvement.
Farmers are coming down from the hills
into the valleys, where they are able to
practice more intensive farming, and the
hill farms are going back to forestry and
pastures, for which theyare better adapted
He attributed much of the improvement
in farming conditions to the grange
which he declared to be the farmers
greatest blessing, and through Its IN
iuence largely as high as Sl0oo an acre
is being taken from many farms.
Lieut.. Gov. Draper said that he be-
lieved that the New England farmer was
able to cope with the situation, notwlth-
standing the great number OF foreigners
who are coming into the section. He
thought that farming life IN Massaehu-
sets Was prosperous.
Mrs. Laid, representing the farmers
wife suggested that the State provide IN
stitutes for farmers wives, and that do
nestle science should be taught IN the
schools. She believed that the farmers
were taxed too much.
After the recess. Gov. Guild, Dean
Hurd of the University of Maine, and
President J. H. Adams of the Name
Dairy Association, were heard. Gov.
Guild made special plea for national
White Mountain reservation and better
highways to benefit the farmers.
Dean Hurd suggested that the national
government could be of great assistance
to his State by providing the funds for
employing perhaps five Maine men to
work in cooperation with the agricultural
department of the University in giving
agricultural instruction in schools.
President Adams of the Maine Dairy
Association said that school conditions IN
Maine were not so good as in the past.
Formerly Maine boys and girls were
taught through the long winter term by
men, usually some young man working
his way through college, and the speaker
himself had the honor to be taught by
the present chief justice of the Supreme
Court. Then they attended school until
thew reached the age of twenty-one, but
now it is unusual for boy or girl to
attend the ungraded school after reach
ing the age of fifteen or sixteen, and
nearly all country schools are taught by
young women, usually accustomed to
city life and interested in the school only
because it affords an avenue by which
she may get little money to get mar
ried on. The farmers wife is the most
hard-worked person in the world, and
her experience has been such that her
natural tendency is to advise her daugh-
ter against marrying farmer. Asked
if Maine farmers have any special com
plaint against their conditions, Mr.. Ad-
ans replied that Everybody wants the
parcels post which statement called
forth great applause from a large por-
ton of the assemblage.
TAx COMMISSIONERS REPORT.