The independent-reporter., 1910-07-14
FARM AND FARMER
UP-TO-DATE
r. T. Patten is Pro-
gressive and Practical
One Thousand Trees Set Out in Three
Days.

One of the ventures which people
watch with interest is that of Rolant
I. Patten, formerly editor of the
somerset Reporter and, now, propri-
etGr of Eaton Mountain Farm in the
eastern part of the town.
On account of his health, Mr.. Pat
ten determined to go into orcharding
an occupation likely to keep him
much odt-of-doors, in the open air
now-a-d days a panacea for all the ills
to which flesh is likely to fall heir
His way of going into the business
was, perhaps, peculiar to himself as
he had purchased one thousand trees
before he had found a place to plant
them. However, after long delibera-
ton, he became the owner of the old
Calvin Eaton place, the farm next
south from that owned by E. n. Mer-
rill. The story of his proceedings
since that date we report in the or
der in which he gives them.
Last fall the old orchard of one
hundred and seventy trees was prun'
ed, stones cleared from many of the
fields, buildings generally repaired
and sixty-one acres ploughed. The
new proprietor spent his winter a
Orono studying the most improved
methods and this spring was ready to
direct matters at the Mountain. Plans
were made for the new barn, one hun
dred by forty-six feet which at this
writing has been framed and is beint
boarded, under the direction o.
Charles A. Plummer. A force of sew
enteen men in charge of Edward
Bergstrom, pruned and set out the
one thousand apple trees of the
Stark, Gano and Mcintosh varieties
on the land laid out with mathemati
cal precision by surveyor, E. +
Greenwood of Skowhegan. The worl
occupied but three days, a record
time in orchard setting. Mr.. Patter
says this has been an ideal season fol
orchard growing and he now wishes
| he had set out two thousand trees. III
| fact he would have done so had he
known the work could be done so ex
peditiously A few days later he die
plant another orchard of two hun
dred Baldwins on a part of the 81,
acre tract from this farm which has
become the property of Mr.. Patten'i
cousin Mrs. Pearle Curtis Sprague
formerly a Skowhegan girl.
The clouds and rain so favorable
! for young trees, made it rather {
problem for an inexperienced farmer
to get in the crops for the rest of tht
sixty-one acres. However they were
all planted and are growing finely, be
| ing distributed as follows: IndiaI
corn, eight acres; corn for silo, five
sweet corn, 4.8; corn for seed, 0.3
oats and peas for hay, 16; beans, 2
buckwheat, 175; potatoes, 2; oats, 6
garden plot, or The eight acres o
corn on the western slope in the so
called schoolhouse field present {
finer appearance than any other corr
field in the vicinity. Not weed ii
visible. A two-row, cultivator gooC
for fifteen acres a day has been useC
and the acres have been more thar
once gone over in six hours. Will
the one-row machine, two men cal
generally cultivate five acres a day
Mr. Patten has of necessity employed
large number of men. He has haC
as many as thirty men and twent,
horses busy at one time. A large
part of the work has been the remov
al of the old stone walls between thu
fields which he purposes to replace
with wire fencing. Not much fence viii
be built this season, however The
haying at this farm was finished
Saturday night, July 2, but there il
still plenty to do. OF course so many
workers necessitate many tools anC
much machinery. To do away will
the loss and confusion. obviously liza
BILE under existing. conditions, the
owner has originated a system a
once simple and effective. Each i'm
plement and machine has it's number
and its place in the tool house = ol
sheds and the workmen also are
numbered. On each of a row of nails
on the toolhouse wall, hang a plenty
of round tags or checks bearing 8
workman's number. If he requires g
tool, he takes it and in it's place puts
his check. If a tool is missing, he
whose number in its place tells he
had it last, is held responsible and
any neglect of this system means a
fine of twenty-five cents. Mr.. Patten
is numbered with the men. We won
dor who fines him Each tool or ma