Oxford Democrat., 1909-10-05
The State Experimental Farm.

some few of the possibilities that this
charming location possesses. Our read
ers are already familiar with the farm
and its history, and our visit was made
to ascertain from those who are to have
it in charge something of what they hope
TO do in the near future.
Director Woods of the experiment sta
ton, who is in charge of the whole situa.
tion, and Prof. Bonns, the newly elected
horticulturalist, were in conference on
Woods will make frequent visits to the
farm Prof. Bonns can only spend the
present month at the new location, when
be will return to Cornell to complete his
course, which will occupy him the COM
ing winter, when he will locate per-
manently on the farm, and begin sys-
tematic course of operation. The pres
ent month he is making careful survey
of the several orchards and when the
work is completed will have the general
condition of each and every tree in the
entire farm noted. While this is a very
slow and tedious occupation it is alb
solutely essential in order to handle the
orchards intelligently. The rows of
trees running east and west are put down
in pass book, and those that should be
removed are indicated, and those that
should be pruned are also indicated.
When be has got through the entire Or
chard he can easily make blue print of
the farm and from this blue print direct
mis- men just where to operate and how.
While it would seem on the surface as
though this work could be done by 9th
erS, little thought will easily show that
the doing of this detail work by Prof
Bonus gives lot of very valuable infor-
nation in regard TO the individual merits
of the trees, and gives him the very best
opportunity to study the needs and re-
qurements of every section of the 10
acres devoted to apple trees.
| IL seems TO be generally conceded on
every hand that the purchase of this
farm was a move in the right direction.
If Maine is to do anything along the line
of commercial orcharding, and the more
one studies the condition of the trees to
be found on the farm the more he will
be convinced of the correctness OF the
move made by the Maine Pathological
Society to secure this new feature in
Maine orcharding.
| If the trees were all in tiue condition
and all looking just right, there would
be but meagre opportunities for the farm
to be helpful to young orchardists who
are sadly in need of the right kind of in
struction, but the orchards are as a mat
ter of fact in anything but first class
condition. The trees are set correctly
with the exception OF being too near to-
gether, but they have been sadly neglect
ed and need a whole lot of work put out
on them. The work of removing dead
and dying trees will be taken up first,
and the pruning will come as competent
help can be secured. As indicated else
where, here will be an ideal place for
| few young men who have a natural in
clination toward orcharding to put them
selves under the tutelage of Prof. Bouns,
who is a wide awake enthusiast on the
subject of commercial orchardiug. He
says that an orchard plays no favorte,
or in other words that it gives up just
what you give it to work upon, and II
you have your orchard covered with
crops that take the fertility out of the
soil you must not expect the trees to
bring forth good fruit from what there
| is left TO feed them on. He says that
clean culture is the only way to produce
| fruit under the best conditions, aud his
aim will be to get all the sod out OF the
orchards as soon as possible.
The apple curculio is making 50 much
| trouble that il is conundrum whether
to keep the orchard in sod and put sheep
or hogs into the orchards for the pur-
pose of picking up the diseased fruit, or
take the chances of picking the fall fruit
Il ha al cultivated EnrtanA
There are objections to either course,
but in any event the fallen fruit with the
worms in it has got to be destroyed
or there will not be any perfect fruit on
the trees, no matter how thoroughly
they are pruned or how carefully they
are sprayed and cultivated.
For obvious reasons these orchards
present not few difficult problems to
| be solved at this juncture, and while
Prof. Bonns is very bright and intelli-
gent student of horticulture he is GER
tainly going to have use for all his
knowledge and ingenuity in correctly
solving these problems. And here
comes the beauty of the whole new de-
parture. The experiment station under
the direction of DR.. Woods is doing this
| work not only for the whole state OF
Maine but for the whole country, and
the humblest orchardist in Maine Will
get the benefit of every experiment that
is made there.
The general location of the farm is
simply ideal. II lies three miles west OF
the village of Monmouth, and while 1T is
located on high land and the buildings
are plainly to be seen for miles around,
the view from the farm buildings is very
enhancing, and the air at all seasons OF
the wear is most charming. The Maine
| Central railroad has agreed to put in
flag station right at the foot of the hill,
only a few rods from the house on the
Pennington branch, something like
mile and half from Leeds Junction
This will make the farm easy of access
from all parts of the state.
Prof. Woods has been very fortunate
in getting a good farmer in the person
of Mr.. wellington Sinclair, who has
been at the college farm for number OF
years. The buildings are in much need
of repairs, and a crew of carpenters and
painters will take charge of this work in
the immediate future under the direction
of Mr.. +. l.. Parker, we'll known con-
tractor in the vicinity. The barns are
capable of accommodating good sized
herd of stock, and it would not be
strange If flock of sheep was added to
the farm this fall. Swine may come
later, and herd of neat stock perhaps
another season. But the one thing that
is demanding the attention of all at the
| present time is the renovation OF the
long neglected trees. Mr.. j. w. Max
we'll, who has a fine orchard east of the
farm, on the shore of Monmouth pond,
is to assist Prof. Bonus in his work in
the orchards this fall.
| Quite an acreage OF the best SOIL on
the farm is being turned over for pota-
toes and corn another season. Prof..
Pearl of the college is very much in
terested in seed corn, and six acres OF
the very best land has been put in prime
condition for bis use another year. Do
the opposite side of the buildings Blk or
eight acres are being plowed for pota-
toes. A new form of racks for drying
! seed corn on the ear is being construct
ed. They are nine feet long, two feet
wide, and have shelves eight inches
apart made of wire netting. The newly
husked ears will be laid on this wire and
IL is believed that the corn will dry out
quicker and better by this arrangement
than by any other. We could't help but
suggest to the manager that this would
lL.a, ;daal nlace IN sDrout pOtatOes il