Daily Kennebec journal., 1910-03-08
FARMERS WEEK.
(Continued from Page One.)

OF these lines, tHdl lar Sei class .ii. : =
thing of farming solely as means OF
livelihood-not a business proposition, but
simply shield from the poornouse
They have no thought nor ambition 10
portions, or even to increase their knowl-
edge of the business. Theirs Is waiting
game-waiting for a turn OF their luck.
have no wish or desire to dwell long on
word to this large, and l fear fast in
creasing class The great majority OF
them must ever be what they now are.
but my hope is to stay the tide that
looking forward to life on Maine
farm. For that purpose / address you
who are assembled here this evening on
the important theme Maine Agriculture
merely as a means of earning liveli-
hood but as Business, to be conducted
precisely as men engage in any of the in
dustrial or commercial pursuits.
At the outset it should be understood
that if agriculture is to be business it
must be conducted on business principles.
and what does this mean?
First, that there must be an APTITUDE
for it. No sane man would attempt to
make an artist of his son, who could not
tell the difference between brown or
black or blue and green. Neither should
a man go to breeding stock who hates
the sight of any of our domestic animals
There is no business where education
will count for more than in agriculture
The man who is to feed the dairy herd
or flock of poultry, a flock of sheep or
a herd of swine cannot do it intelligently
unless he has studied the makeup of the
various feeding stuffs as we'll as the in
dividuality of his fiocks and herds, and IS
prepared to tell the why's and wherefores IS
of his work from scientific point OF
view. The time has passed for any one
to get hystercal over the term "Sclenti-
fc Agriculture" 1t has been the bugbear
of too many well meaning people, and
now deserves to be relieved from that
duty permanently. for scientific agricul-
ture has come to be acknowledged as
handling very important and often
very intricate business. Intricate as
rule because 50 little understood. :,
We have just been celebrating the
and it would be well to look back and see
some of the principles that this great
man propounded for the proper conduct
of his farms. and | am not quite sure
make a Business of Maine Agriculture
today One of his best recalled axioms
was, Buy nothing that you can produce
sell more Truly these smack of com
mercialism and true New England thrift.
Show me the man, young or old, VINO Is
exemnifying these principles and you
will show me "A man who is conducting
agricultural operations, be they great or
small, as a Business.
The planting and gathering of the crops
at Mt. Vernon was but a small part of
the work performed by the 300 or more
people there. There were various manu-
featuring plants maintained on the sew
era @aral farms making cup up thls s,.st, vast estate state
where not only the farm work but out
side work was done as well
A wood burner made charcoal: a gang
of carpenters built ready made houses. to
be erected as called for. A brickmaker
supplied the material for the employment
of many masons. water mill not only
ground corn but manufactured farm
grown wheat into excellent flour The
coopers made the barrels and Washing
tons own schoonerS carried the flour to
market. The estate also had it's weavers
and shoe makers The shores were one
caught and salted for winter sustenance
Not one thing was purchased that could
be produced on the estate. If this should
be the rule of Maine farmers today what
should we see?
Why. we should see plenty and abund-
ance where there is actual penury and
want. We should see happy homes and
good farms, and prosperous farmers where
we see precisely the opposite today Can
we not learn lesson right here by hark-
ing back to the early days of this Re-
public?
The educated young man who has an
aptitude for the business and who is
good piece of land. with a fair location as
to markets. cannot fail. If
First. He is willing to work with his
head as well as his hands His head
work will call for the best there is in
him. He must first study his SOIL If he
| is to plant or SOW (and he must do both,
even if he is to engage in Live Stock
Husbandry) to ascertain what it needs to
produce the best crops Then he must
study the markets, not only of today, but
must ascertain what they will probably
| be in six months later. and the crop, too,
must be the one best adapted to the pc
cular soil of his farm.
| Who says Maine agriculture does not
| call for the best there is in the best men
| in the good old State of Maine?
Remember 1 am not discussing farm
operations that will just give the OPERA
| tor a scant living and keep his children
| out of the mill or the factory. Oh no!
| 1t is Business that stands away above
and beyond any such pitiful conception.
The Business l would cali your atten-
| tion to here this evening, the Business I
| would ask these bright eyed young en-
| thusiasts to take up, is one that If con-
Quoted intellioently and with the zest and
zeal we see displayed in other business,
will yield good farm, a pleasant home.
supplied with not only the comforts but
with many Of the so called luxuries of
life. and best of all. a little nest egg for
a rainy day or the quiet twilight of life
1t will educate the children in the best
schools Of the land, and give means for
travel and study not only in this land