The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1908-06-18
Report of Commissioner of Agri-

The annual report of the Hon. Au-
gustus w. Gilman of Foxcroft, COM
missioner of agriculture, which was
filed with the governor and council
Monday, says in part:
1--WE are able to report a good de-
gree of progress among the farmers
of the state, especially in the direc
ton of more efficient farm manage
ment, and the applying of business
principles to the operations of the
farm. Improved methods in agricul-
ture are steadily gaining ground.
Although farmers in some sections of
the state have been confronted with
adverse conditions during the year
and quite heavy losses have been sus-
tanned, on the whole the year has
been fairly prosperous one, and
they are facing the future with good
courage.
1--WE have endeavored to stimulate
the farmers to increase the produc-
tive capacity of their acres by more
intelligent system of crop rotation and
better methods of handling the soil.
There are many acres of tillable land
in our state which might be made to
produce economically much larger
crops than they are producing at
present. With the increase in popu-
lation and in the consumption of farm
products there is greater demand
upon the soil, and the need of more
intensive farming becomes apparent.
1.-THE products of the farm during
the past year as a whole have been of
average quantity and quality, and in
most instances good prices have been
received. Although frequent rains
interfered seriously with the harvest
ing of the hay crop in some sections,
particularly in the northern part OF
the state, the yield was generally
large, and good crop was secured.
There was also good crop OF small
grains, the number of bushels raised
exceeding that of the preceding year
The crop in Aroostook county was in
jured somewhat by the excessively
wet weather during the season. This
invited blight and rust and the con-
ditions were such that on many of the
wet pieces much less cultivation and
spraying was done than would have
been done otherwise, consequently
the rot was largely increased. The
first frosts were also very early and
harvesting had been delayed on ac-
count of the rains, quite a per cent. of
the potatoes were lost from freezing.
Farmers, however, are not suffer
ing SO much from this shortage as
would be the case if the price was
correspondence low. Potatoes began
to sell at good price at digging time
and steadily advanced until the close
of the year, when they were selling at
go cents bushel, with a prospect of
going much higher.
"a great deal of uncertainty pre-
vailed during the entire season in re-
lation to the apple crop. In some
sections orchards suffered severely
from winter killing. Trees that were
uninjureo as a rule bore heavy crop,
but apples we're late, and the cold,
wet weather in the fall prevented
them from completing their growth
and coloring up until late. AT the
proper gathering time many of them
were not fully mature, and in many
instances help was so scarce that har-
vesting was delayed, and the apples
suffered, as well as the potatoes, from
the early frosts. Those who gathered
their apples at the usual harvesting
time received larger crop than they
expected and apples that were put on
the market early brought a high
price.