Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-06-09
AGRICULTURE, !.
Com, Gilman Submits
His Annual Report
Says Maine Farmers Have
Made Good Progress.
Also That the Past Year Was
Fairly Prosperous.

Inc annual report OF the TOH ~. w.
Gilman commissioner of agriculture
which was filed with the governor and
council Monday, says in part:
I'VE are able to report a good degree
of progress among the farmers of the
State, especially in the direction of
more efficient farm management, and
the applying of business principles TO
the operations of the farm. Improved
methods in agriculture 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 sustained, on the whole the
year has been a fairly prosperous one,
and they are facing the future with
good courage.
I'VE have endeavored to stimulate
the farmers to increase the productive
capacity of their acres by Il more in
telligent 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 pro-
duce economically much larger crops
than they are producing at present.
With the increase in population and in
the consumption of farm products
there is Il greater demand upon the soil,
and the need of more intensive farming
becomes apparent
THE products of the farm during
the past year as a whole have been of
average quantity and quality, and i'll
most instances good prices have been
received. Although frequent rains IN
terfered seriously with the harvesting
of Ina nx in i,nS
ticulary in the northern part of the
state, the yield was generally large,
and a good crop was secured. There
was also Il good crop of small grains,
the number of bushels raised exceeding
that OF the preceding year. The yield
of potatoes was considerably less than
in the preceding year. The crop in
ArooStOOk county was injured some
what by the excessively wet weather
during the season. This invited blight
and rust, and the conditions We're such
that on many of the wet pieces much
less cultivation and spraying was done
than would have been done otherwise,
consequently the rust was largely in
creased. The first frustS We're also very
early and severe, and in some instances
where harvesting had been delayed on
account of the rains, quite a per cent. of
the potatoes We're lost from freezing.
Farmers, however, are not suffer-
ing Sc much from this shortage as
would be the case if the price was cor
respondingly low. Potatoes began to
sell 1T Il good price at digging time and
steadily advanced until the close of the
year, when they were selling at 60
cents a bushcl, with Il prospect of go
ing much higher.
"A great deal of uncertainty pre-
vailed during the entire season in re-
lation t. the apple crop. In some sec
tiOns orchards suffered severely from
Wintcr-killing. Those that were unin-
juTcd as q rule bore heavy crop, but
apples We're late, and the cold, wet
weather in the fall prevented them
from completing their growth and col
Oring up until late. At the proper
grathermg time many of them were
not fully mature, and in many in
stances help was SO scarce that har-
vestinS was delayed, and the apples
suffered, as welt as the potatoes, from
the early frosts. Those who gathered
their apples the usual harvesting time
received q larger crop than they cX-
market carly brought a high price.
I'VE are pleased to note an advance
along dairy lines. The dairynan has
been confronted with a serious propo-
sition in the increased price of grain,
but prices for dairy products have ruled
high, ard the up-to-date daryman, by
careful feeding and attention to de-
tails, has been able to secure good re-
turns. The high prices Of grain en-
plastic the necessity for a more thor
ough study of economy in production,
in all lines, including Il better select
ton of COWS for the dairy and the
raising Of more home grown feed.
Through the efforts Of the state dairy
instructor, the farmers are awakening
to the importance of Il more accurate
knowledge of the productive capacity
of their individual animals. Efforts
are being made to organize COW test
| mer to obtain q record of the animal
associations. which will enable the far
production of each COW, cost of feeding
etc. Two Of these associations Will I'M
Goubted!J be established in the near flu
ture, and we hope that many more will
follow. It is our opinion that this
movement will mean much to the
dairymen Of this state
although the reports of the local
assessors t. the Board of State Asses
sors show a decrease in the number of
tWo-ycar aid and threc-ycar old
| heifers III the state. this does not mean
a decline in the dairy industry. 1t
shows that farmers have been striving
| to increase the quality Of their cows.
The high price of grain and the OK