Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-12-10
Small Grain Growing.

Maine. He said in part:
From the close Of the Civil War &c
the early sos New England wa.
famed for her production Of small
cereals. But all this Is changed. Ir
me sos and 90's the opening UP Of
fertile areas in the West made 1t pos.
s,ble for the the Western sons to lay
down Grain on Eastern markets a,
lower price than their fathers could
rr0duce this commodity on the home
farms. Hence. it was natural that the
grain field should give place to the
nasture or meadow. and even to the
abandoned farm. But the pendulum
&c swinging back. Rise I'm land values
increase In the demands Of a grow
Ing populace. and high freight rates
have forced the price Of corn. oats
and wheat up to height that is al
mos, prohibitive to the fastener. The
time has come when he can again
compete with profit in the raising OF
these much needed cereals.
The climate of Maine is indeed some.
what severe for the growth of corn
hut great hopes are entertained for
tta breeding Of a corn that will ma
ture in 80 to 10 DAYS, which is about
the Emit of the average corn growing
season of many of the fertile districts
of this state. Small grains such as
oats, wheat and barley, coming from
the more rigorous climates Of Europe
and Asia. thrive under the conditions
which prevail in Maine. Probably nc
State in this great Union has q more
propi:ious climate for oat growing
than has our own Pine Tree common
ACCOMPANIED by abundant rainfall are
conditions that make good oats.
These three cereals. moreover, prefer
a medium clay to sandy loan soil in
preference to soils rich In. humus.
Undoubtedly such soils which prevail
in Maine are capable Of producing
good small grains if suchs soils arc
properly drained. and the crops han
died In judicious rotations upon them.
A clover crop should be grown ami
plowed once in 8, or years, on most
Of Our fields. More cattle could be
kept If more feed was grown and as
q result manure could be applied to
the soil III greater quantities. Drain
age, crop rotation, and application OF
barn dressing. and limited amount
of commercial fertilizer are keys to
Success in general farming in Maine.
Great advancement has been made
In tie knowledge of grain growing
sInce the time that Maine was famed
as q cereal producing State. AS q
CONSEQUENCE her farmers, who wish
TO undertake this Commendable ana
profitable phase of farming at the
present time. have not to take all the
arduous steps that found place III the
period between the grain growing days
Of oyr forafathers and those Of the
present Much has been learned about
soil preparation and fertility main
tenance Still more has been learned
about the varieties themselves.
Can we raise winter wheat In Maine ?
We believe it is possible if the land
Is we'll prepared by thorough drainage.
careful and thorough tillage: the seed
is planted early in the fall or in the
late sninmer-not later than Sept. 1
for most parts of Maine and only seed
Of frat quality is used
Now, why should Maine grow small
grain? The 49th annual report Of the
Maine Central Railway records that
eTl.54l tons of grain-corn. oats. wheat
ard barley. We're brought into the
State for distribution in 1910. Beside
this 7i.405 tons of mill feeds and g.
ISL tons of -four was also imported
by consumers in Maine. Think of it,
over S5.420.s2o. going out annually for
grain alone,
Most people will be SURPRISED to learn
that If the $4,000 farmers of Maine
grow three acres of wheat. Welding 80
BUS. per acre, they would have 40o.O10
bus. Of wheat more than the farm live
stock consumed. If each farmer grew
" acres OF oats yielding so bus. per
acre, Maine would have 20.O00,000 bus.
Of oats to sell.
1t Is our opinion that diversified
type of farming, except in such cases
as where a farmer Is located very
near to large city--diversified farm
ing, practcing a good system of rota-
Ton of crops, and making u specially
OF seed grain raising to limited ex-
tent, would not only build UP the fer
unity of our farms but would build up
the Pride of our farmers, and aug
inent their finances to an extent that
was not deemed possible on the farms
o. this state. Not only would this
DC possible, but inducement would be
neld ont for the establishment OF
manufactures using cereals as raw
Materials to locate in this part of the
country. We have natural power in
our water falls, intelligent farmers on
our lands upwards of 2o,000.000 people
Within radius of $50 miles.
Let us give some thought to raising
grain Of quality to supply such de-
mandS.
Inc papers by DR.. Pearl upon corn
breeding and by Prot. Bell upon small
sla'h growing We're quite generally
discussed, making the afternoon ses-
SION very interesting one. DR.. Pearl
made recommendations in regard TO
handling. inbreeding and line breed
ing and paying attention to the male
aement IN corn breeding and espec-
iaiiy in regard to the cutting off OF
barren crops.
Prot. Bell was asked numerous ques-
ions at the close OF his paper on small
saroen growing. The questions OF
weight per bushel. size shape and the
amount the oat should be filled out
were taken up as well as the percen-
tage of hull md inherited ch2rac-