The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1911-08-31
SOMERSET RIVALS
AROOSTOOK
Difference More in Size
Than Quality

of the Maine Department or Agrlcul-
ture, after driving through the coun-
try around Skowhegan for two days
last week. Mr.. Barber's opinion is
of value for several reasons. In the
first place he was born on Maine
farm, grew up there, and still makes
1t headquarters when his official du-
ties permit. Secondly Mr.. Barber Is
an agricultural graduate of the Uni
yersity of Maine, and has been train
ed to think correctly along agricult-
ural lines as well as some others.
Thirdly, year in the auditors de-
partment of the Maine Central rail-
road has given him rare grasp on
fundamental business principles.
Fourth and lastly, Mr.. Barber has
been travelling over the State con-
stantly for the past two years, visit
ing and talking with the practical,
every day farmers, learning of their
problems, and getting a first hand ac-
quaintance with social and economic
conditions in rural Maine such as few
If any other men in the State possess.
There were good many things to
be seen in the territory surrounding
the Garden Spot of America" that
Mr.. Barber just waxed enthusiastic
over. One was the way in which the
clover seemed to grow wherever 1t
had had encouragement. Another
was the sweet corn fields down on the
intervale lands of the Sandy River
Valley. Still another was the alfalfa
fields which have been sown by the
patrons in cooperation with the
Skowhegan Jersey Creamery. Refer
ring to the alfalfa crop, Mr.. Barber
said that he had recently seen copies
of agricultural papers published
nearly a century ago, in which ref
erence was made to cutting three and
four crops of Lucerne in New Eng
land. He questioned the possibility
of attaining the best success with al
seed. A Cumberland county farmer
has already started to work out the
problem along that line, and this year
has sown quite a patch of alfalfa in
drills. He proposes to keep down
the weeds by cultivation, and then af-
ter one or two winters have had
chance to kill off any tender plants,
to save the seed from those remain
ing.
Mr.. Barber had some sharp criti-
cism for the archaic laws under
which the Department of Agriculture
is obliged to work. Pretty nearly
every opportunity to use common
sense and really assist the develop
ment of Maine agriculture, he had
found to be either shut off by the spe
cific terms of some statute, or else
rendered barren for lack of appropri-
ations. By way Of illustration Mr..
annually the biggest, most valuable
and most profitable crop that comes
from the Maine farms, yet the prob
lens which confront the farmer who
is trying to raise that crop, are re-
ceiving practically no attention from
the uplift agencies.
specific example of the above
problem was one Of the farms that
Mr.. Barber visited last Thursday. 1t
contained some 200 acres OF soil al
most perfectly adapted by nature to
the production of the finest grade of
market hay. None of the other sta
pie crops would grow nearly so we'll
nor show so large profit. The own
er's particular problem was how to
get his ground broken up at intervals,
titled, humus added to soil and the
whole thing reseeded to hay with a
minimum cost. Similar problems
have been worked out by the state of
Illinois. A solution would be worth
vast sum to the farmers Of Maine
every year, yet there isn't even be-
ginning of the needed work in sight.
Science, money, and little time
would soon find the proper combina-
ton of crop, plant food and treat
ment. but there Is nothing doing.
Even the agricultural fairs utterly
ignore the hay crop when making up
their lists of premiums. The Maine
farmer never has any chance to see
hay judged and naturally loses
sight of these things necessary to Sc
cure the highest quality.
Mr.. Barber thinks that the funda-
mental trouble lies in the way that
our so-called system of agricultural
education was started. Instead of
agriculture being permitted to first
go among the farmers at home, learn
of their needs and problems first
hand, and then bring the resources of
science and money to their assistance,
they have been compelled by law to
squander the public funds on lee
lures. With nothing to guide them in
selecting these lectures, the choice
has naturally been a missfit in the
majority of cases.
The past two years have given the
DeDa rtmant of Agriculture at AuguS-