Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-06-14

ington county last week, the Modern
and the University OF Maine set out
Monday morning on it's two-weeks tour
through the central and western part
of the state, and after stops at Wa
terville. Vassalboro and Riverside. ar
rived in Augusta at 5 o'clock Monday
night The cars were open FOR inspec-
ton for an hour and meeting was
held in City hall in the evening. AL
though the fair weather after so much
rain doubtless offered a strong tempta-
ton to the farmers to hurry on with
their delayed planting, large numbers
visiting the train at every stop
Leaving Bangor at 80 Monday
morning. the special arrived at wa
terville shortly after 9 and immediate
ly the exhibit cars We're filled with an
eager crowd of farmers from the city
and the surrounding towns. That the
train is being appreciated was eFl-
denced by the presence at the station
of many of the most prominent aSrl-
culturists of that part of the kennebec
valley and great interest was taken
especially in the horticultural. dairy
and poultry displays. In all probably
5O6 people Jassed through the cars and
lmaly were on hand at 11.30. when three
brief speeches were made by Profs.
+. A. Campbell, G. f. Simmons and
I, Tho fret cna1knr - liz, Ell
uoon the dairy COW. and in the course
of his discussion took up the breeding
Of cows and the care of calves. One
great need of Maine farmers. he said,
is to breed their cows more generally
than they now do, to pure blooded
sircs. and he spoke of the fact that
the size was half of the first genera
tion. lhree-quarters of the second gen
eraticn, and seven-eighths of the third.
so that in few generations almost
all of the alien blood disappears.
Prof. Russell, who is at the head oe
the veterinary science department at
the university. talked upon the horse.
and urged upon his hearers the need
Of freeing themselves from their de-
pendence upon the West for their
horses by raising more colts in this
State, which is as well adapted for
such animal industry as any in the
country. The substance of his re-
marks was as follows:
an these times the horse has become
next to our Creator. our fellowman.
and the soil. our best friend. and we
are dependent upon him in our indus
trial enterprises. in war. and in the
pursuit of pleasure. AS farmers we eS-
pecially dependent upon him. Here i'll
Maine we are unfortunate enough to
look to the Middle West for our horses,
and they are in such demand that 1t
is difficult for us to obtain su1iicient
animals, so that we are trying 10 40
our work with less motive power than
we really need. The use of more and
better horses in this State would enable
us to turn over our fields oftener and
so cultivate them that they would pro-
duce more food for the maintenance OF
every kind of farm animal. More
horses mean more grain, more potatoes,
more cows. and more sheep. and with
the present and prospective prices OF
horses so high, no branch of animal
industry offers better returns than the
breeding of draught horses of the best
tpye."
Prof. Simmons gave a brief discus
sion lof the hay crop and gave some
good advice to the farmers as to the
way to maintain the yield of their land.
Rather than to let 1t run down from
year to year.
Whereas the towns surrounding Wa
Iterville have always given considerable
lattention to the raising of apples,
dairying and potato culture are now
! receiving much attention from the
farmers. During the last year several
farms have been purchased by Aroos-
took county men. who will turn them
over to the growing of potatoes. There
are a number of large dairy farms IN
the vicinity also. among the most
prominent dairying being J. F. Terry,
who owns the Webb farm in Fairfield,
| George Hallowell and the Patterson
brothers. who carry on an extensive
milk business in the city. Apple grow
ing is not losing it's hold. however. and
orchards which have been allowed to
run down in the last few years are
being fortified this year with the ex-
pectation that the apple crop this year
00 ldL6Ck WAN AVt " '''.c
A new enterprise which has just been
started in Waterville is the nursery
| of Mitchell & Terry, which is the larg-
est of its kind in the State. Among
the fruit growers who were seen at the
train are Fred Wing. merchant in
the city. who has recently gone into the
orchard business. and Fred NOVEL; of
Fairfield.
When the train left Bangor yester-
| day morning one or two new men were
| in the party and others joined it dur
| ing the day. Besides the faculty OF
the university. which includes Prof. w.
A. Brown with the poultry exhibit.
Prof. +. l.. Russell with the veterinary
science exhibit, Prof. G. f. Simmons
with the books and pamphlets of the
extension department of the university.
Prof. V. r. Gardner and Prof. Sberwin
with the horticultural display. nj. E.
Reed. who has the forestry stalls, and
Prof. H. a. Bell with the agromony
lexhibit. there are now with the party
Prof. E. F. Hitchings, the State en-
ttymologist, G. c. Sevey, editor of the
New England Homestead OF Spring
field, Mass, and r. w. Redman. who
| Tho damn rt, Of tho 70