The independent-reporter., 1910-09-29
Mr.. Gallup said in part:

Mr.. Gallup said in part:
The time seems TO have come when
the condition of agriculture is of in
terest to every man that has gro
GERS and butchers bills to pay. While
it is natural for you business men to
think of Names development in terms
of manufacturing and commerce, 1t is
time to turn your attention to that
vast source of wealth, our soil. Sur
rounding practically every town in
central and southern Maine, are vast
tracts of choice agricultural land.
representing idle capital aggregating
millions. Actual conditions | Will
not attempt to portray, lest be
charged with knocking.
In the great centers of population
up and down our Atlantic seaboard,
the cost of living for the average man.
has reached the acute stage. To many
of these places Maine has access by
tide water direct Whenever you bus
| mess men are ready to give the mat
ter your attention. a vast population
will cultivate our soil, and supply
food stuffs to these ever growing
markets.
Every successful manufacturer
knows that he must keep his costs
down. The same holds true of farm
ing, and to keep the costs down the
farmer must use modern methods.
Now modern Farming is capitalized
industry The more modern it is the
more highly capitalized. There was
time when hard work would dig the
essential capital from virgin soil.
The man who attempts it today is OF
few days and full of trouble. Capital
must first be applied to the farms, be-
fore they can be made to pay prop
er return for the labor upon them.
But between the banker and the
farmer in general, there is great
gulf fixed.
A striking exception to this is af-
forded by Aroostook county. Here we
find the bankers and farmers in close
business relation, and at the same
time we find one of the most remark
able pieces of territory, from an agri-
cultural standpoint, that the country
affords.
The spread of the Aroostook meth
ods and the potato industry over Sc
large a part of our State, is but the
natural result of the attitude of CAPT
tai. The farmers have been able to
finance their enterprises from the out
side. Dealers in fertilizers and ma
chinery have been glad to sell their
wares, and wait for payment until
after the harvest. In short they have
adapted the terms of credit to the
necessities of that particular industry
Conditions were made that the farm
ers could meet Results show wheth-
er or not the farmers of Maine are
ready to do their share towards de-
veloping the fundamental industry.
Of course nobody can expect a
banker or a business man to extend
credit to an enterprise which he
knows little or nothing about. On
the other hand what hard headed
farmer would borrow money to fl
nance a branch of farming without
first knowing that it would pay. The
great stumbling block is that we
know little or nothing about the IL
nancial side of agriculture. Any
one that does know very properly re-
CARDS his knowledge in the light OF
trade secret.
Those who have studied this prob
lem carefully agree that first and
/ foremost we need facts. Facts that
will guide us in applying simple busi-
ness principles to the conditions we
find 1t is to an exact and practical
method for securing such informa-
ton, that the almost wonderful agri-
cultural development of Denmark
may be traced.
To apply their ideas to our condi-
tions we need demonstration farms.
Something that will not only show
the farmer how to get the best re-
suits, but at the same time give him
the courage to borrow the necessary
capital At the same time the banker
would be learning that he could well
afford to finance modern enterprises
in agriculture.
A small appropriation by the State
should suffice to work these problems
out. Under the direction of the De-
partment of Agriculture there should
be a soil survey, in order that the
foundation be laid right. Then in CO.
operation with some good practical
farmer, the management of the farm
should be planned and financed in ac-
cordance with the best of modern and
scientific ideas. Last, but not least,
there should be system of account
ing, open to public inspection, that
will show to the farmer and the
banker, the common ground on which
their natural interests lie.
Address of Payson Smith. State
Superintendent of Schools. Mr.. Smith
said
The Maine State Board of Trade
seeks to promote the industrial well
fare of the citizens of our State. /
take it that your aim and ambition