The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1911-04-06

bushels to the acre, while the yield
In Illinois was but 1872 bushels, Ia
Iowa, but $50 bushels; in Nebraska
but 16.0 bushels. and In Kansas, but
40 bushels The average for the
country WAS only 209 bushels
The Maine farmers product WAS
worth 1851 per acre. as against
sl4.50 for Illinois; $I2.78 for Iowa;
sl4.00 for Nebraska; $l400 for Kan
sas, and 1851 for the entire cOun-
try. Maine farmers were receiving
sc cents bnshel on October /. 1903.
while in Illinois farmers were receiy-
ing SO cents; the Iowa farmer. $1.01;
the Nebraska farmer, Il cents. and
the Kansas farmer, SO cents Thus
though the Maine farmer received
less for each bushel of buckwheat
than did some of his fellows. so album
dant was the yield from his land, that
this return per acre was greater
Though Maine land is selling in the
market at lower price tnan it IL
worth, an alert public Is rapidly
grasping the opportunity such CON
dition affords. To get the greatest
benefits, the prospective buyer must
purchase quickly, though there will
always be advantageous opportunities
to buy small farms in the State, due
TO the tendency toward intensive cul-
tivation.
Aroostook Somerset and Waldo
counties are typical farming districts
of Maine. Aroostook may fairly be
said to represent the highest develop
ment of agricultural opportunity;
Somerset. county with equally great
gifts Of nature in which Aroostook
methods are we'll established. and
Waldo, a county in which magnificent
opportunities for development exist
in a great measure.
AS a rule throughout Maine. farms
can be purchased at a low price com
pared with land values in other states
the exception being the valley of the
Aroostook river in the north central
part of Aroostook Co, and to some eX-
tent in the MeduXnekeag valley in the
vicinity of Houlton. In this section
the people are waking up to the real
value of their lands. There is prob
ably no better potato land of equal
extent in the country and land values
are here reekoned on the basis OF the
average net income of the potato
CROP. Fifty years ago this valley was
mostly covered with the original for
est growth. The advent of the rail
roads has revolutiOned farming meth
DDS. Where formerly the surplus sent
out of the county from the farms
consisted of cattle, sheep, clover seed
and herds of grass seed, now nearly
every farmer raises potatoes. every
thing else done on the farm or any
other crop raised in rotation being
incidental to the one great cash crop
potatoes.
The Aroostook valley lands are
peculiarly well constituted for pOtpto
raising. The ledge of constantly dis.
integrating stone containing large
quantities Of lime gives the whole sec
ton a soil, which, with proper treat
ment and rotation of crops will CON
tinue to produce beautifully from year
to year for an indefinite period. The
formation of the immense ridges. moi
steep, but rising gradually so as Ia
give practically the whole surface a
good drainage constitutes a most
favorable condition for the soil to re-
sist the unfaYorable effects of eX-
cessive rains or drouth Its freedom
from loose rocks and the great ex-
tent of unbroken lands. where, if
need be, furroW could be run for
miles without break. gives this sec
| ton surface which can be more
cheaply worked than any other sec
ton of New England
The average yield of potatoes un.
der these ideal conditions approaches
300 bushels to the acre at an aver.
age cost of production between 5000
and $4,000 That the industry is i'm
mensely profitable to the farmers is
evidenced by the fact that 90 per cent
of the deposits in Aroostook county
banking institutions belong to farm
ers.
Their market begins at the village
store and has no other limit, except
the demand. AS a matter of fact few
of the potatoes raised in Aroostook
get out of the country and e. per
cent of them are eagerly absorbed
by New England markets As the in
dustry spreads throughout the State.
steps will doubtless be taken to de-
Velop the South American trade
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