Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-02-05
STRAIGHT TALK.
Maine Farmer Tells the Truth Abou
Maine Farming Conditions.
New York SUM-

To the Editor of the Sun-Sir: I read
| a letter to The Sun from "Would-be-
| Farmer recently in which it was said
| that farmers in the East could not obtain
| loans on their farms as farmers in the
West can. l was surprised, for there are
more savings banks in the East than in
any other part of the country. Farmers
do not have any trouble in borrowing
money on good farm property In Maine.
In fact, bank officials tell me that good
farm property is their best security.
We all know that good real estate
mortgaged at 80 per cent. of its value is
far better security than stocks or bonds.
In Waldo county. Maine. few farmers
need to borrow money. Many of them
have money to loan. 1t is plain to see
why this is So Farms are held at rea-
sonable prices, Notwithstanding they are
very productive. We raise large crops in
Maine. The yield an acre of potatoes is
more than double that in any other state,
and there is only one state that raises
as much corn an acre as do. Our
god farmers have no trouble in raising
fifty or more bushels of corn or seventy
five Of oats. or 300 to $50 bushels of pota-
toes an acre. Then we obtain better
prices for our produce than the farmers
do in the West. For the last four years
we have got from a. to so cents bushel
for our potatoes between October and
May: for oats. from 80 to g. cents Corn
will bring from 65 to 50 cents a bushel.
Live poultry nets us II to IA cents n
pound and eggs have brought us for the
dozen cash. With potatoes at 60 cents a
bushel some of our farmers often get
over 800 net cash an acre. our farmers
can get as much for buShe of potatoes
as Western farmer can for bushel of
wheat. and can raise ten times as much
to the acre. Besides, a bushel of wheat
impairs the Western farm ten times as
much as a bushel Of potatoes the Eastern
farm.
We get % to Sc cents a pound for butter
fat at the creameries and have the skim
milk to feed to the pigs and calves In
the East every farmer has his own wood
and lumber on his own farm, so he is not
dependent on a lumber dealer for every
board and shingle he needs. 1t is known
to every one that Maine apples are SUI
perlOf TO any raised elsewhere. Name
potatoes, both for seed and on the table,
are the standard the country over. When
I was a young man l bought farm for
about $1,000 and ran in debt for $1,000. In
about a dozen years I had a chance to
buy another farm for the same price. OF
course I could not pay for them both, so
I had to borrow 81 600 from the savings
bank for awhile. When / went to pay off
the mortgage the treasurer told me he
didn't want want me to do it, as good
farm mortgages were their best security.
If 'Would-b will come to
Maine we will sell him good farm cheap
on which he can borrow money, at the
bank, raise good crops, get good prices,
and bring up his children in the best
moral atmosphere of any state in the
Union. He may travel all over Maine and
not be offended by the sight or smell of
liquor saloon, Holman Day to the con-
trary notwithstanding.
c. f. Smith.
Thorndike. Me-, January q.