The Republican journal., 1909-11-11
Among the Farmers.
POTATO YIELDS IN MAINE.

fOlAlO I1E1Lbo A4N NAA3NGs
The average yield per acre of potatoes
for the State of Maine this year is 220
bushels, which is high compared with the
average yield of the United States, which
is about 100 bushels. Some of the Maine
yields this year have run away ahead OF
the average of 22O bushels. Calvin S.
Green of Foxcroft has harvested 357
bushels to the acre, in field of 14acres,
having used commercial fertilizers. Sew
eral others report similar success.
POTATO GROWING IN COLORADO.
A Greeley, Colorado, correspondent of
the New York Packer says: The potato
growers in this section are not very high
" encouraged with the outlook for this
year. The crop is short, and SO far, the
prices received have been too low to leave
them any great amount of profit Add
ed to this is the difficulty of securing the
necessary help to take care of the pota-
toes and the high wages that they are
compelled to pay for such help as they
are able to get.
FARMING IN HANCOCK COUNTY.
The Ellsworth Enterprise says that the
reports from farming in Hancock county
this year are better than ever. The farm
ers made a special effort for 1909, en-
couraged largely by the Farmers lnsti-
tute held in Ellsworth last spring, when
potato raising was the chief theme under
discussion. Not only have the potatoes
been unusually large but the yield has
been enormous in some cases. In OtlS a
farmer from IA bushels planted, raised
116 bushels of picked potatoes for mar
ket. Next year more attention Will be
given to potato raising than in 1909, and
it is thought before long that abandoned
farms in Hancock county will be a thing
of the past.
STONE CUTTERS SUCCESS.
The editor of the Hallowell Register
recently visited the farm of Henry Parks
in that town and found him sorting, pre-
paratory to putting into bags, potato
crop of fully 1000 bushels. Mr.. Parks
was stone cutter by trade but about six
years ago concluded to try farming: Up
farming, while on the the other hand his
wife possessed great knowledge and in
terest in all the phases of farm life. He
bought farm and began in small way.
Much work was necessary to improve the
land Tons and tons of stones were re-
moved and great fields cleared. He made
a study of potatoes, and increased his
area of cultivation each year. He wishes
to buy adjoining land-would even like
to be located on 2O0-acre farm so that
so acres could be devoted to potatoes
every wear. He thinks that there is
great future for Central Maine in the
potato industry. The farmer who strikes
a winning combination with dairying, Or
charding, corn, general truck-any one
or two, with potato raising, is to be the
successful, prosperous Kennebec farmer
of the future. He said: 81 make study
of potatoes but don't know it all, and
never talk with a raiser without getting
a few valuable points from his expert
ence."
POTATO GROWING IN THORNDIKE.
AThorndike correspondent reports that
the Aroostook people that have bought
farms in Waldo county have revolution
lied farming in that section. Farm values
are advancing very rapidly. In some in
stances the selling price is three times as
much as it was four years ago. This
change has come about through the lowly
potato. 1t is expected that potato
house 100 feet long will be built before
spring and starch factory will be in
operation by the fall of 1910. Milton
Hicks, an Aroostook man, was the largest
grower. He rented the Gordon farm and
had As acres with a good yield. He does
his own shipping and buys from the other
farmers. ]. A. Tweedie, also from Aroos-
took, raised % acres of potatoes and
raised a bumper CROP as he terms it.
Better than Aroostook, he says. B.
W. Knowles, who for several years has
furnished the seed potatoes for Massa-
chusetts scotsman, raised % acres of po-
4e+, L. H.
took last spring and bought the Israel
that has been named 1.-The Knowles Big
Cooper" On just IA acre out of field
of acres he raised 100 bushels this year.
On another field of one acre and ninety
six rods he raised 720 bushels. He has
already shipped six car loads of his own
raising and has more than 1000 bushels
on hand and still more in the ground.
AN APPLE PICKING TENT.
A representative Of the Lewiston Sun
recently spent a day in the town of
Greene, and gives this description of an
apple picking device seen there: The
first stopping place was at B. E. Aliens.
AS we drove up to the door we noticed
what looked to be a tent spread
under one of the trees, and wondered
Wndl II Was 1Of. Later we learned LndC
Mr.. Allen has found way to pick apples
easily and inexpensively, and further
more the apples are not harmed by this
process. Mr.. Allen said 1.-TWO years ago
| had large crop of apples, and there
was no help to be had, you remember,
that year. l had to do something or else
lose about all of my apples. Yes, that's
how | happened to think of it. 1t was ?
case of necessity. l got that piece Of
canvas. and made the roof under the
tree, you see how. Each side measures
twelve by twenty-four feet, and the pole
which holds it up is about four and one
half feet high. Of course it was just an
experiment, but found it such sue
cess that always use it now 1t takes
only few minutes to take it from one
tree to another. That first year five
men in one afternoon picked one hundred
and sixty bushels of apples, in as good
condition as any you ever saw. You see
We shake the tree, and the apples fall on
the canvas, then gently roll to the
ground. There they are all ready to pick
up without bruise on them. 1t wouldn't
do to have the tent set up at too steep
pitch, for then the apples would get
bumped. 1t cost me less than ten cents
barrel to put those apples into the
cellar. Now wasn't that worth while?"