Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-09-05

day cast gloom over the nearby resorts
and brighten the timid, il is nevertile-
less the fact that there is very little
danger in summer sailing on the pleas
ant waters of the Maine coast A
writer in the Portland Sunday Times
as the result of a careful estimate. has
recently Shown that ten thousand peu-
pie, not including residents of Portland
are summer guests at one time on
the islands of Casco bay alone. a large
proportion of these visitors are con-
stantly upon the water yet it is seldom
that we read in the newspapers. the ac-
count OF drowning accidsl.t Taking
the entire Maine coast, with huhdreds of
resorts scattered from kittery to East
port, the number of visitors must 1un
INTO the. hundreds of thousands In
yachts, small sailboats. motor launches
and rowbcats these people spend days
upon the water and it is rare indeed
when any Of them are placed in danger
The record is a good one. 1t bears out
Hk- often repeated statement. that a
boat properly handled is among the
safest N convcyances. But that does
not alter the fact that it might be we'll
t. see If measures cannot be taken to
against inc OCCASIONAL [,
such as that in Penobscot BAY.
Geo. r. Smith of Vassalboro, the
pioneer potato grower in Central
Maine. has been experimenting quite
extensively along several lines OF
planting and spraying and has arrived
at conclusions that are at least in
tcreStlng. and are valuable. lie
thinks that seed should be planted
whole. For Il while he compromised
with the whole potato people and
cut the tuber in two. That was
an Improvement over the single eye
nronosition. but still not entirely
satisfactory. His theory is that
cutting the potato at all releases
the iucee-the food for the n"W
plant until it can reach the fertility
in the soil that has been provided
for its use. He thinks the trouble
has been with many that they
have used too small seed, He believes
that the tuber planted whole should
be tho size of Il hens egg, and of good
formation, for as is well known there
is much in good conformation in the
potato Of commerce that brings the
nigh dollar. Mr.. Smith also believes
that there is not care enough used in
mixing the chemicals for Spraying
There are Il number of pieces that
have fallen under his observation
where blight and rust have apparently
been brought on by too strong appli-
cation of chemicals. In this cOnnec-
ton it is worth while remembering
that neither blight or rust can be
brought on by spraying. The vines
will stand much stronger chemi-
Gals later in the season when the
growth of foliage has ceased than
when it is young and tender. 1t is
really quite an art to get just the
right "mix' and to apply 1t at the
opportunc moment when it will do
the greatest good. No writer O"
authority can tell offhand when
a field of potatoes should be sprayed
to got the best results. Many people
forget that the vines grow with great
rapidity at certain seasons under
certain conditions, and when this
growth is taking place spraying must
be done oftener than when slow
growth is seen 1t is the new leaves
that push out after the spraying has
been done that the newly hatched
bugs do the damage to mostly, ana
they must be protected or the crop
IS sadly handicapped And yet some
one has said that farming is bust
ness calling for lots of Drawn but
| very few brains.