The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1911-02-02
THE POTATO BOOM IN CENTRAL MAINE
HAS BEGUN TO SLUMP
Diversified Farming with Stock Husbandry Now
To Be the Main Feature

The potato boom in central Maine
has begun to slump. Men who we're
declaring a year ago that the market
could never be glutted with first
quality stock now frankly admit
their error, and are making plans ae-
cordingly. 1t has been a hard les
son for many. but good will come
from 1t in the end. Diversified farm
ing with stock husbandry as the lead
ing feature, will now occupy the
place to which it was assigned by
both experience and science many
years ago. Thousands of acres that
were plowed for potatoes this fall
will be planted with corn instead, and
the fiocks and herds will flourish ac-
cordingly. The sheep industry will
show the results of the transition
first. with poultry, swine and dairy
cattle following in the order given.
The fertilizer companies have been
primarily responsible for the renewed
interest in corn. Special prizes offer
ed in connection with the New Eng
land Corn Exposition, put the lime
! light upon the fact that more food
can be grown per acre right here in
the far east, than anywhere else in
the United States. Results obtained
i by practical farmers working under
ordinary conditions, have been held
up to the public with great effect. The
methods employed have been empha-
sized until the average man feels sure
that he can go and do likewise and
be sure of getting fair return for
! his labor
Sheep will come first when the
/ farmers stock up with something to
eat the corn crop. One of the princi-
pal reasons for this is thu Somerset
& Franklin Sheep Breeders Associa-
ton. which has been diligently at
work for nearly a year, sounding the
/ praises of the golden hoof.' First
! they say that the capital required is
not so great as to debar any inter
ested farmer from getting at least the
! foundation for good flock. Then
the returns come in so quickly that
the buyer will have his sheep and
the money too at the end of few
months, or else stock enough to en-
large rapidly afterwards. Finally the
profits that good sheep men get out
of the business seems almost in
credible. To care for sheep is not SO
eXacting as chicken raising or dairy
ing, and the change will not make
the eX-potato grower feel that he is
tied down after all
A lot of that corn crop will be
turned into eggs and chicken meat
unless something unforeseen upsets
the carefully laid plans of the poultry
specialists. Here again the center of
organized activity is in Somerset
county where two poultry producers
associations have recently been
formed. Poutrymen insist that hens
have the same advantages as sheep
only more so. The census figures
prove that lot of people think so
too, for the fowls kept in the county
have doubled in number within a
very few years. The producer gets
more out of the consumers dollar
when he raises poultry and eggs, than
from anything else turned into the
usual channels of trade Freight
and express rates are lower in pro-
portion to the value than on other
/ food products, and the competition
among the traders keeps their mar
gin of profit down. Still the poultry
men are wise to the fact that the
margin cen be still further reduced
by cooperative organization and
marketing. They propose to get to-
gether and grade their stock with eX-
/ IRENE care, and then work to cut out
every superfuous middleman. They
won't have to buck the beef trust
either. The way was paved for com
prehensiye plans in up-to-date breed
ing, when. the Somerset Poultry Pro
ducers association held the first
show at Skowhegan Everything
was on a business basis, and in the
fat stock classes the birds were kill
ed and picked then drawn and truss
ed before the judges said which was
which. 1t took something besides
/ feathers to win in that class. and
everybody said it was the most inter
esting thing of the kind they had
ever seen.
Swine will take a back seat as
compared with sheep and poultry
chiefly because the breeders have
not taken the trouble to organize
/ Several progressive farmers have
demonstrated that pork can be
grown on the products of a Maine
| farm and marketed at good profit
but the how and the why makes slow
progress around the State Organized
effort would work wonders with the
business. but nothing of the kind is
in sight. so the pig is likely to keep
on for a time as a side issue In the
dairy business.
The lovers of the dairy husInesa in