The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1910-06-16
Young Girls, Heed This.
The Potato Business in Maine.
From Turf, Farm and Home

Sngnt idea OF the ADVANCE that mas
been made in the potato business in our
State, and in fact, in the country, was
gained the other day in an after-dinner
chat with Mr.. Wilbur E. Reynolds, pro
prietor of Crescent Shore Farm, Lake
years ago, =" said Mr.. Reynolds, in sort
of reminiscent mood, that James H.
Ames and | began to get infected with
the potato business. 1t was like this.
Mr.. 7. B. Terry, who was then writing
for the Practical Farmer of Philadelphia,
came into the State and lectured on
clover and potatoes. He told his story in
such a fascinating way that before either
of US knew it we got very much inter-
ested, and we not only subscribed for the
Philadelphia paper, that we might get
weekly messages from Brother Terry,
but we bought his book, and now, as we
recall the doctrine that he preached to
US in the light of the experience that we
have both passed through, his utterance
seems very crude and matter Of fact.
For instance, we queried him in regard
to power sprayer for potatoes, ma
chine to be hauled by a horse, but he
assured us that no brute, even horse,
should be allowed among the tender vines
of potato field. "Why, he said, ''just
think of turningsa horse at the end of the
rows, or allowing him to switch his tail
on the tender vines, not to speak of the
whiffietree and traces trailing on the
vines. No, he told US that we must get
knapsacks holding five gallons each, and
work the pump as we went along. This
seemed to be comparatively easy, and so
both Ames and | equipped ourselves with
knapsacks, and many weary day we
/ tramped through the potato fields squirt
ing Paris green from these receptacleS,
just because Terry told US to. After
while some one discovered that horse
could do more good in potato field than
HARM so | ventured to buy nozzle
sprayer, but it was an old fashioned
affair, and gave me lot Of hard work,
but it was easier than Juggling the KNAPP
sack, and have used a power sprayer
ever since
The above story of the early days of
potato culture in Maine illustrates very
plainly the advance that has been made
in the business in the last dozen years.
What would Brother Terry say if he
could come back to Maine and ride
through the potato zones and see the
potatoes planted, sprayed, cultivated,
and dug with a horse, or rather with
thousands of horses, and be obliged to
hunt vigorously among the small grow
ers, even, to find the old fashioned life
taking, nerve-racking knapsack sprayer
in use. We are not pretending but what
this simple device was effective and did
the work it was designed for, and as
matter of fact, they can be found now
and then in use, even today, where
farmers have less than an acre to care
tboy h o1 M
ception of the extent to which sprayer
would be employed, else he would have
despaired of ever doing the potato bust
ness on anything like liberal scale. And
yet there are lot of people that believe
that we haven't seen the beginning of
the business yet. To commence with,
there is sure to be a constant increase in
the consumption of potatoes, and it is
pretty certain to be a matter of the sur
vival of the fittest; that is, those who can
produce the tubers to the best advantage
and for the least money are going to have
the business.
1t is possible that a lot of people are
not aware that the modern potato ma
chinery has made the potato business
what it is in Maine today, and with all
due regard to those who think lightly of
: it as business for Maine farmers to en-
r gage in, we are not prepared to say
| what would have put our Maine farms in
their present condition as quickly as the
potato industry. To commence with,
the farmers are absolutely compelled to
have the soil thoroughly fortified, and
cultivated, not only once but through the
4 entire season, and the digging of the po-
t tatoes with modern digger in the fall is
e thought by many to be equivalent to one
6 blowing in its effect to reduce the soil to
aproper condition to produce the best
" crop. But the potato business does more
. than to fertilize the soil and pulverize it
1t clears the field of troublesome rock:
e and bothersome stumps, thus increasing
}. the value of the farm, many fold. Ii
f these ways it will readily be seen tina
=. the cultivation of potatoes Throughout
: the State in the last few years has dom
wonders in adding to the value Of farm
J. property, not to say the fertility ant
', adaptability of the soil for future use.
+
d Mr.. Reynolds has a fine farm that wa
n handed down to him from several gener
8 atoms. 1t was cleared by his grea
|, II grandfather, who came from Middleboro
). N. H., coming through with yoke Q
!. cattle. He was in the Revolutionar
k war, and Mr.. Reynolds has cudgel O
d white oak that his great grandfathe
brought from Virginia at the close Of tn