The Republican journal., 1909-09-09
drnham and Vicinity.
Is on the Farms, Farmers and Live
Stock of That Section.

We were recently fortunate enough to
ride for half day with Mr. O. B. Nc
kechnie, postmaster of Burnham, and
soon to be appointed, we understand,
deputy sheriff for that town. Although
Mr.. McKechnie has only been resident
of Burnham for some four years he has
made good in more ways than one, for he
has been seectman for two years, is post
master, and is soon to be deputy sheriff,
owns and operates one of the largest and
best farms in Waldo county and is also
proprietor of a very busy livery stable.
Last year Mr.. McKechnie had the mis-
fortune to have his crops cut down by
hail storm, and this year his ill fortune
came in the form of a grasshopper plague
that ate up good field of oats as handily
as horse would devour four-quart meas
ure of plump Maine grown cereals But
Mr.. Mckechnie is not the discouraged kind
and he is keeping right along. He has 20
acres of fine looking potatoes, and says
he shall get considerable more than an
average crop. He has some ideas of his
own in regard to the business, and has
put them into practical operation this
season. He planted his crop early, put
ting one eye in hill, the hills nine to ten
inches apart, and the rows quite close
together, SO that if he should happen to
miss hill now and then it Wouldn t make
great hole in the field. Mr.. Mckechnie
bought 100 carloads of potatoes last year
and expects to buy as many or more this
year. He says that bugs are no detri-
ment to his crop, nor weeds either, for
he cultivates often and sprays occa-
sionaly, so that nothing in the way of
insects or weeds annoys him in the least.
Mr. McKechnie sold M. B. Smith of Bel
fast, the we'll known horseman, a ma
chinery outfit for the potato business and
says that Mr.. Smith has one of the best
potato farms to be found in Waldo county.
He has 100 acres, every rod Of which will
grow potatoes Of the finest quality. This
year he started with 20 acres, getting his
seed from Aroostook county. He is very
fortunate in having foreman in Mr..
Geo. Herbert, who is born agricultural
list, and is most successful superlntend
ent at the Smith farm. Mr.. Herbert
mixed his own chemicals, and his crop
shows very satisfactory results. After
planting a few rows in big field some
one intimated that the potatoes were not
being planted deep enough, SO to satisfy
everybody Mr. Herbert dropped the plant
er down a little deeper and planted 20
rows, and today the 20 rows that were
planted unusually deep are noticeable for
their backwardness as compared with all
the rest of the field. If Mr. Smith can
be half as fortunate with his potato VEN
ture as he has been with his good horses
we shall surely have another potato king
In Waldo county.
We next visited the Everett Libby
place, so called, recently purchased by
Mr.. Harry Kenney, young man who
has spent his life in Fort Fairfield. He
is much pleased with his new purchase
and will pillow up 20 or 80 acres for pota-
toes another year. He has already COM
menced to top-dress and will plow in the
dressing and then use phosphate when he
plants. We asked Mr.. Kenney what he
purposed keeping in the way of live stock,
and he told US that live stock was not his
speciality, but he had purchased few
sheep and might keep a few cows, but
was going to be identified with the potato
business more than anything else. To
this end he has purchased piece of land
adjoining the railroad track, just south
of the creamery, and will build a potato
house 30x40, where he purposes storing
his stock, and he doubtless will handle
potatoes by the carload, and also sell
phosphate. Mr.. Kenney has some good
points on potato culture and is willing to
disseminate his information to his new
found neighbors, hence he is gladly re-
ceived by all, and we are glad to know
that he is meeting with such cordial well
come
Mr.. C. E. Libby of Burnham has so
acres of potatoes on his new farm, pur-
chased at West Troy. This is the birth
place of his mother, and here he himself
IL L, %oD IL
ing fine, and he attributes it to his fer
tiliZer. When he got ready to plant he
took some 40 samples of his soil from
different parts of the farm, mixed them
all together and turned them over to Mr..
Fred Ellis, agent for the New England
Fertilizer CO., who had them analysed
and then had specially prepared fertil
izer made for this farm. The result is
very gratifying to all concerned and Mr..
Libby says that he is satisfied that each
farm, or each particular kind of soil,
should have the fertilizer mixed especial
ly for it. His field is so far along now
that there is no danger of any set back
coming to it, and he confidently expects
harvesting big crop, and will plant
even greater acreage next year. He
used Aroostook grown seed, 600 odd
bushels, and has had two men and two
pairs of horses in the field all summer
until the tops met and team could not
get through between the rows. He plants
his hills about II inches apart, and his
rows three feet apart.
We then drove out two miles to the
farm of Mr. L. A. Pencil, former
truckman in Waterville, now thorough
going agriculturalist, who is much de-
lighted with his new location, and well
he might be, for he has fine crop of
five or six acres of potatoes, and six or
eight acres of grain, and has small,
thriving dairy. We hope to have more
to say of Mr.. Pencil later.
Mr.. Fred Shaw planted Is acres Of po-
tatoes on the Pittsfeld road this last
spring, and 20 acres of oats. For some
reason the potatoes are not doing well at
all. They were planted rather late, and
ton of phosphate was put on to the
acre Whether it was the phosphate or
the dry weather is not definitely known,
but unless the late rain performs almost
miracle the potato crop is going to be
very unsatisfactory.
Driving out on the Mount road, SO
called, running from Burnham to Pitts
field, east of the Sebasticook river, we
visited long line of good farmers. This
ridge of land is wonderfully we'll adapted
to potato growing, being rich fine grav-
ely loan, that dries off early in the
L. L. L