The Republican journal., 1912-07-04
Farming Opportunities in Wal
do County.
IFrom the Maine Farmer.]


The more l travel about the State of
Maine, the more strongly am persuad-
ed that there are several sections of the
State in addition to Aroostook and WASH
ington county which contain some of the
finest farming lands of New England. 1t
is the undoubted fact that Maine is the
premier agricultural State of New Eng
land and that there is nothing in the east
that is superior to it. Its premier place
agriculturally in New England is not due
entirely to its size. More than size is
the fact that the quality Of the land and
the extent of the cultivatable areas offer
opportunities for extensive operations in
farming, and for the convenient and easy
handling of land of high fertility and pro-
ductive value.
1t will not be difficult for any good
farmer in Maine to think of some of the
fine farming sections of the State where
the land seems to be made and laid out
for convenient farming and for good
farming, where the land lays level, or
nearly so, and is free from stones, where
large fields may be readily cultivated. A
large part of Waldo county is just such
section of farming country as that, and
it is not strange, therefore, that Waldo
county should be one of the good farm
ing counties of the State.
| Certainly there are some sections of
Waldo county which are rough and rocky,
and there are some sections where the
soil is not such as to offer the greatest
encouragement to agricultural operations
but there are other sections of the coun-
ty where farming, with good machinery
and the necessary appliances for success
full work, must be positive delight.
ing a living out of the rough and rocky
hiIlsides of some of the farms which we
are working and have been working in
the State of Maine for century or
more; there may be satisfaction in sub
DUNG the earth where it is necessary to
use radical methods to compel it to pro-
duce, but for real pleasure and satisfac-
ton in farming the best opportunities
are offered by those portions of the
earth which are best fitted to the grow
ing of the things which we desire to
grow there.
If it is cultivated crops which we wish
to grow, then we naturally desire ground
that is readily cultivatable and which re-
spends readily to the good effects of Gull
tivation. II one would grow trees, there
are rougher, more rocky hillsides which
may be adapted to that purpose with
success.
For every sort of a purpose that a
man may desire farm in New England
none have chosen better nor wiser than
those who long ago settled upon the fine
farming lands in Waldo county The
land in Waldo county is varied in charac-
ter, but good deal of it lays in broad
high fields which are easily worked, well
drained, we'll located as regards frost
limits and forming altogether a country
which is most delightful to live upon. And
there are many fine farms and good
farmers in Waldo county. 1t could not
be otherwise.
To be sure, there are probably some
poor farmers IN that section of the State,
as there are poor farmers all over the
country, but apparently the better
farmers predominant. Waldo county is
one of those sections of the State
also where farming is progressive
1t has many good Oranges which
are made up of successful and pro-
gressive farmers. This is always an in
dication of good farming community.
Strange as it may seem, in view of all
these conditions, there are good many
opportunities in Waldo county for the
purchase of good farms for little money.
Although there is some of the best farm
ing land in the State in that county, and
although there are good facilities for
transportation, large and we'll equipped
farms, good schools, the best of good
farmers and delightful communities in
which to live, there are many of these
fine farms with every opportunity for
the operation of good business in agri-
culture or stock raising, which can be
bought for very low prices.
These prices may not be generally
lower than the prices of similar offerings
in some other parts of the State, but
to the values offered in many sections.
Waldo county is more strictly an agricul.
tural county than some sections of the
State and much more so than many sec.
tons of other New England States where
farm values have gone up to a much
higher level. Waldo is naturally con-
servative section, and the low prices
which have been reached during the last
decade or more of agricultural decadence
have not recovered there so quickly as
In those sections of country which are
nearer the large cities, and which have
been doomed in the ''back to the farm
agitation.
1t is very likely true that the man who
has moderate or small amount OF money
and who wishes to make good start in
the farming business can find no more
favorable opportunities for investing his
money in the soil, with reasonable pros
poets of making profit on the invest
ment with ordinary good management
and reasonable industry, than right over
in Waldo county. This is not simply be-
cause land is cheap. Land may be cheap
and yet difficult, because of its character
or isolated location, to make profitable.
The land in Waldo county is not open to
these objections. The profitable farm