Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1912-10-29
Farm Conditions In Maine.
SWEET CORN PRofrrABLE-PoTATo
AN AVERAGE YIELD-INcREAsE OF
COMMERCIAL ORCHARDS.

The growing Of sweet corn for can
ming is extending over . larger area
every year. New canning factories are
continually going up, and In this the
farmers themselves are taking hand.
Several cooperative factories have been
built this season, and, basing their suo-
cess on the results that have been seour-
cd by similar factories In past seasons,
they will add materially to the net in
come Of the crop. It appears that the
general average net obtained for corn
packed in these cooperative factories
has been cents pound, ~ against the
1-2 cents paid by the proprietary fac
tories.
Sweet corn growing 10 . very profta.
BILE branch Of farming In our dairy dis
tricts, a. II 10 q money crop and fodder
crop combined. The average money
value 10 little above $50 an acre, and
the fodder, cut flne into sil0s, fully
equals In value two tons Of flrst quality
hay. This gives . feeding value of
double the average acre in grass, insures
crop rotation and promotes tillage. II
10 not unusual for the yield Of ears to
amount to 500 an acre. Farmers In my
own county have obtained that this
year, and last year one Of our best corn
growers got 81 900 from eight acres. OF
course, the value OF the stover 10 in
creased proportionately.
There are now ITO corn canning fac
tories In Maine. which take the crop from
Is, 900 acres. These factories usually
put up 500, 900 cans each, although some
Of them are double shops and handle
twice that amount. Corn is handled in
these factories in the most cleanly man
ner. In those whore husking machines
1--we been installed the corn Is not touch
cd with the hands, except as II is
placed In the cutting machines by wofI3s
en-, and all the machinery in modern
corn factory works automatically. Sweet
corn brought Maine farmers last season
S3, SOC, 900.
Potatoes. with somewhat
reduced acreage, are not above an aver
age In yield, but the quality is excellent.
Few have been put upon the market at
present writing and they will move slow
ly as the price continues low. The cost
OF growing has been considerably in
creased because of the extra spraying
made necessary by tho continuous rains
Auu 0uh WOobuOks 4hUA0 70 WV w
doubt of the efficacy of bordeaux for
preventing blight, and our Aroostook
farmers, who were the pioneers In its
use, have reaped rich harvest from its
use this season. The extending Of the
season increasea the total yield, and the
proportion of marketable tubers a. we'll;
thus there is q gain In two directions.
The Apple Crop.-The orchards In
many parts Of Maine now present Z very
beautiful appearance. The trees. hich
leaved very heavily In the spring, arc
still beautifully green and are full Of the
best oolored apples have seen for many
years. Commercial orchsrdipg 10 rapid
ly increasing In the state, and ! have
recently talked with many farmers who
estimate their yield this year above one
thousand barrels each. The prices Offer
cd for apples are low, and they, too, will
move from the farms slowly.
Fall Ploughiug. Never before have l
seen larger area ploughed for next sea-
sons crops than now. Within the last
month have travelled from York to
Aroostook, and everywhere have ! seen
teams turning the sod. This indicates,
l fear, not more livestock, but q larger
acreage of hoed crops. 1t also will have
q happy tendency to lessen our area OF
old fields and create an increasing inter-
est In specialized farming, which 10 the
only hope for profitable work.-B. Walk
or McKeen, in Tribune Farmer.