The Republican journal., 1909-10-14
oosto0k VS.. Southern Maine.
# an Aroostook Paper says of the Move
ment from that County.

HiSHt HUH tudt AOuHty.
r. a number of Aroostook farmers
ought farms in Waldo county with
past year or more, and the follow
rticle from the Star-Herald of
He Isle will be found of interest in
anection. Aroostook's loss is the
+ other counties and the State as a
the gamer:
he past few years there has been
cradle and possibly an increasing
Aroostook farmers to the west
southern parts of the State. The
for this movement is the tempta-
red the Aroostook man by pres
liuons to sell his farm in Aroos-
"A high price and buy one of equal
in Southern Maine at a small
re of the price he sold his for.
ther important question to settle
by such a move, the Aroostook
ayerages to improve his condition
pair it. Ii there are farms in
Maine to be had for a third or
{ what Aroostook farms sell for,
IRE capable, under Aroostook
of cultivation, of anything like
ats obtained here, of course no
n blame our farmers for making
1ange of location, and we are not
in discouraging the movement.
stock farmers are not bettering
Hdition, but are merely going into
where the chances average that
ave made bad swap, then all that
aE accomplished is that we are
Z our trained, hustling and indus
farmers out into old and really
ing localities to instruct Southern
farmers in Aroostook methods, to
-riment, both of the farmers who
to the county they migrate from.
hin the past two weeks the writer
4 trip through quite a number of
Ips in Somerset County, these
sps, as a rule, being fairly repre-
we of the farming conditions of
uthern portion of the State as a
With pretty good acquaintance
he section visited, as we'll as of
,rably wider scope derived from
MS visits, the writer is compelled
that such general impressions as
through the trip, of the farming
titles of the section traversed,
Il no means calculated to confirm
ANS made for it in the advertise
which tempt Aroostook farmers
re. 1t may be true that when the
took farmer settles on a Southern
farm, in majority of cases he
srrates that Aroostook husbandry
there with true Aroostook vigor
lstle, is vast improvement on the
~ methods of the community he
8 IN. He may demonstrate that he
'e and improve on the old standards
sperity in the community, but he
rely, we believe, accomplish re-
hat will justify the change he has
purely as a business proposition,
at from the standpoint Of money
viii admit that in some cases the
.ook farmer, who is well to do and
ng for semi-retirement from the
GUS farm life that rules in Aroos-
may sell out in this county for a
sum, and find in Southern Maine
Ser life, and possibly some mitiga-
drawbacks arising from climate
moteness from the large business
rjal centers of the State and coun-
8ut we believe that for the Aroos-
IAN still full of sap and energy,
ooking for a chance to turn his
and energy to the best account
ley profit, the place for him is
IRE in Aroostook, particularly if
obtained any sort of foothold so
.e can make energy of body and
Operate with the advantage of
culiar to Aroostook, and found no.
Use short of the great West.
nave no desire to unfairly dispar-
thern Maine in comparison with
COX. but we think, both for the
# our county as a whole, and of
ual Aroostook farmers, that a
% sell out and go to Southern
should not be encouraged if the
urnt averages to be one of money
.antage to our farmers. Southern
shows thrift, but it is the thrift
.e living and careful saving, thrift
Of serious limitations and draw
u the line of farming. 1t is abso-
different from the prosperity
IS marked out by the favor and
! of Nature on radically different
astly broader plan up here in Aroos-
res of farm land in Aroostook are
and it is possible that they may
d maintained at the present level.
Gale, however, is warranted if the
re returns from Aroostook farms
e past ten years are to continue to
leNmanently.