The Republican journal., 1911-07-13
POTATOES VS.. DIVERSIFIED FARMING

Presuue Isle recently made ten Gays
trip in which he passed through quite
number of towns in Kennebec, Somerset
and Penobscot counties, land had more
or less opportunities to note the farming
and other conditions existing in that Sec
ton" He reports that he found the
farmers to be all of zone mind, and that
quite emphatically, on the point that a
mistake has been made in going into po-
tato raising so extensively, and that
they are dropping potatoes for corn
dairving and other specialties which
their soil and situation favor He esti-
mates that at least third will be cut Oft
the present seasons plant as compared
with last years. Here is suggestive
paragraph:
Complaint was made by some of the
farmers that after a crop OF potatoes
had been forced to the standard yield IN
Aroostook by using ton of fertilizer to
the acre, instead of the after results OF
rich grain and hay yields returned by
Aroostook farms, the soil shows signs of
exhaustion and impoverishment. This
would seem to indicate that Southern
Maine farms cannot be maintained,
much less increased IN fertility, as land
is in Aroostook by the process OF using
fertilizer and clover tillage, to the ex-
clusion Of barn yard manure. If this is
true. even in the enjoyment of profitable
markets. it would in time compel South
ern Maine to abandon Sne industry, and
leave it where the physical conditions of
soil and climate indicate it should be
left. in TIE hands of the Aroostook far
mer.
What some of the farmers say
NAV or NAV not be true Of the section
known as Central Maine, which has pro-
duced potatoes at least equal inquallty
with those grown in Aroostook and with
a larger Weld per acre; but we most en-
phatically dissent from the conclusion OF
the writer that tAroostook is the real
farming end of the State Within the
memory OF many of our citizens potato
growing was the leading industry in
Waldo county. The fact that it was
abandoned for other crops, and the furth-
err fact that the buyers, almost without
exception, lost money, would indicate
that it was an Improbable business.
Conditions have greatly changed since
then, with the advent of the canning
factories, the creameries, and the in
creased attention paid to the hen indus
try. Potato raising today is specula-
tive industry. 1t may bring handsome
returns or entail heavy loss. The past
two years have been Improbable, and
this wear it would seem that the market
must have been manipulated so as to
work to the utmost disadvantage of the
producer. Aroostook comes up smiling
after her losses Of the past two seasons,
and promises big crop this year, and if
she wants to raise the potatoes in New
England as heretofore" we believe it
would be wise not to dispute her supre-
macy III that direction.
In raising corn for the factory the
farmer knows before he plants Just what
he is to receive for his crop, and can
make his calculations accordingly. He
mas, as q valuable by-product, the fodder
with which to fill his silo, and this en-
ables him to keep more stock, sell more
butter fat to the creamery and add to
the fertility of his farm. The cream
brings him in cash, the skim milk helps
to feed his pigs, and the ups and downs
of the potato market need cause him no
worrinent. Diversified farming is sure
ly better than dependence upon single
crop Of uncertain value, and many we'll
wishers of Aroostook have advised her
not to put all her eggs-or should we say
potatoes-in one basket.