The Republican journal., 1909-09-23
MAINE AGRICULTURE.

Advance sheets of the seventh annual
report of the Maine Commissioner sof
Agriculture have been received, and it is
very interesting and instructive vol
its pages. 1t is customary to speak
shghtingly of such reports, whether is
sued by the State or National govern
ment, and to lay them aside unread.
This would be mistake so far as the
present volume is concerned. 1t con-
tains much Of interest to the farmer, the
gardener, the fruit grower, the dairy
men, the entomologist and the naturalist.
For example, in the report Of the State
Pathological Society we have "Demon-
stration in Apple Packing;;" "Why APP
pies Decay" "Starting a Commercial
Orchard. and other practical and sug-
gestive papers. E. P. Mayo in advo-
eating an apple consumers league said,
among other things:
| have no fear of successful contra
diction in predicting that if every lover
of the Maine grown apple here present
at this hour would enroll themselves in
this organization and live up to their
pledge. our home demand for choice
fruit would increase By more than so per
cent in the immediate future, and this is
surely worth trying for. 1t it were nee
essary ! could cite medical authorities
without number to show the value of ap-
pies at meal time, from an hygienic
point of view, but surely nothing of the
kind is called for at this time, as prob
ably all here are strong believers in their
benefit as tonic and an aid to digestion.
The Commissioner in reviewing the
agricultural conditions of our State for
the past year, while noting some discour-
aging features, sees many indications Of
an upward trend in our farm life. He
says: The farmers are more alert, more
anxious to learn new and improved meth
DDS and are placing their farming on
broader and more intelligent basis. They
have had to contend with some serious
obstacles during the year, such as unfav-
orahle weather and insect depredations.
But those who have learned to anticipate
these conditions by providing supple
mental crops by a system of rotation and
fertilization, which tends to produce Wig
orous ught-resisting plants, and by
intelligent methods of combating insect
pests, have kept the margin on the right
side. Of orcharding the commissioner
says: The orchard industry is one of
our main branches of farming, and in
spite of the fact that unfavorable wealth
er conditions and depredations of insects
have depressed this industry somewhat,
it is slowly but steadily increasing in
extent, and we are firmly of the opinion
that il is to be one of the most profitable
industries of the State. In order to ac-
complish this result, however, the indi-
vidual fruit grower has personal work
to do. The orchard is too largely neglec-
ted. A better system of pruning, fertil-
ling and spraying should be adopted.
The department has given this subject
much attention during the past year,
He also finds the dairying industry grow
ing in Importance and says that an in
creased knowledge Of the business is nee
essary in order to secure the best results
During the past year the department
has NJ atle an earnest effort through the
Stat airy instructor to raise it to
higher plane, The closing paragraphs
Of the commissioner S report are devoted
to Agricultural Education, and are as
follows:
The department has continued its eff
forts TO impress upon the people of the
State the Importance and necessity of
agricultural and industrial instruction in
the public schools. These schools should
fit for vocation. The population of
this and other States is continually in
creasing, and in order for the farms to
meet this increase there must be more
intelligent system of agriculture. This |
can best be brought about by teaching
the principles of agriculture in our pub |
lie schools.
THE farmer has business to be stud
led and learned. 1t needs trained mind |
as much as any other occupation. Let
US educate our boys, who are to be the |
farmers of the future, for that work.
Specific training of practical kind is
necessity for the coming occupants of
our farms, as well as those engaged in
the mechanical industries. The most |
valuable asset of the State is her children.
They should be trained to high ideals of
every day living and to high efficiency in
their respective vocations.
The educational departments of some
of the States have already introduced
the teaching of agriculture into the pub
lie schools, and others are making strong
recommendations in this line. Maine
must keep in the front ranks, if her ag-
ricuIture is properly developed. We are
convinced that agricultural and indus
trial education must be carried on side
by side with general education by our
school authorities We believe that the
State department can care for this form
of education as successfully as it has
cared for the older forms, and that it
can do it without great expense by elm
mating some Of the other branches that
are not so essential.
In a pamphlet just issued by Hon. Payson
Smith, State superintendent of schools,
he recommends, among other courses, an
agricultural course, which is taken up
thoroughly in detail in a special pamph-
let. The proposed course of study en-
braces all phaSes of Agricultural educa-