Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-03-16
MEETING OF STATE BOARD OF

Meeting Ut 81
many exhibits of corn from Maine,
Who ever heard before" said he, that
they raised corn in Maine? / thought
it was a hunting ground"
Maine stands fourth in the produc-
ton of potatoes, as is shown by
report issued from the Census Bureau.
thus jumping from the ninth place
which 1t held in 1889; but in acreage
Maine now holds the ninth place.
The states leading Maine in production
are New York. Michigan, and Wiscon-
sin; but Maine holds first place in the
production Of the greatest amount of
gobers to the acre.
The great trouble in Aroostook
county today is the lack of diversified
farming and in all Maine there is
nothing like the amount of livestock
raised that should be today. We must
not then give up Maine to the cutiva-
ton of the potato alone.
In the cultivation of sweet corn this
State is the third in the United States
and If it is not in excess of that of
that it is sweeter and better than the
, product of any other, else our cam
ming factories could not have the sue
cess for Maine corn that they have
achieved. Mr. George Burnham, Jr.,
the leading packer of his time, once
told me that he was hedging in his
corn packing factories for the reason
he feared Northern New York would
drive him out of business. Later on,
he found the quality of corn raised did
not compare with that of Maine and
he Immediately commenced to increase
his plants. as did the Portland Pack
ing Co, Twitchell. Champlain Co. and
others.
Raising Of Apples.
Apples are a great factor in the in
dustry of Maine and it is said by CEN
sus reporters that there are 100000
apple trees in the State, and pleased
am TO know that evaporated apple
factories are already started and l look
soon to the canning of potatoes.
A majority of the farmers are not
awake to the Importance of the apple
industry, no care being taken of the
orchards or of the gathering of the
II UT anu sHtppliS iit Sduit " ilidihtl
One expert says: Maine has the
best favored apples of any state in
the Union but the system of market
ing has been so wasteful and the
method of packing such that it is Won
dered Maine does not lose the demand
for her apples So-called "aban-
doned farms" can be reclaimed by this
industry. As for abandoned farms"
we do not so class them. but only as
''unoccupied'' farms. AS for that,
however, many were originally located
where they ought not to have been.
Somewhere | have a letter from
Comr. Buckley stating that he was
TO try for the reyiving of sheep raising
in Maine. once so ably represented by
Brown & Hilton of North Arson This
think commendabe AS for horses.
try to buy one today and see if the
price is not as high as before the adj
vent of the automobiles. Where then,
are the successors of Tom Lang with
his Gen. Knox. Orrin Shaw with his
Hiram Drew or Nelson? Down In
Kentucky stock farms are so thick
that railroads in making up their maps
show their locations as much as those
Of their stations. And l am deads sure
there is profit in pigs as there is
constant demand for pork and farmers
would certainly find ii a paying Ven
ture to raise them.
As | look back, | long for a firm
like BodweH & Burleigh, whose bust
ness it was to import cattle of the best
quality for Names progress and I fail
To see with the nearness to market
why the raising of cattle should not
again be profitable, or in any event the
excellence Of breed be advantageous
for dairy purposes.
Let our farmers get out of the ruts;
let scientific farming. obtained by
courses in chemistry. in bacterioIogy.
in soil structure prevail. so that each
and every farmer will know what is
best adapted to his soil and make the
best OF it. thus realizing the possibih-
ties of the farm. If two blades of
grass can be made to grow where ona
grew before he ought to know it,
The speaker advocated Boys Corn
Clubs. Farming Institutes and Winter
Visiting Parties in which farm prob
lens and topics of the day could be
discussed and suggested that perhaps
this last was the province Of thai
worthy organization of Patrons of
Husbandry, which in this State num-
bers approximately $4,000 members
Col Roothby quoted Hon. w. w
Thomas, who some years ago. by
liberal policy then pursued induced a
colony of Swedes to settle in Aroos-
took county, as saying: The only
thing necessary to get more Swedish
immigrants to come to Maine is to
make it possible for them to Obtain,
land at a low price" Col. Boothby
hoped that the next legislature would
look we'll into the matter.
Water Powers of Maine
OF the water powers in Maine the
speaker said The State Water Con-
seryation Commission tells us that tn
total developed water power of Maine
is something like $4,000 horse power
and the United States Geographical
Survey estimates the power of Maine
in its original state, at 100000 horse
power which can be enlarged by stor-
age dams to the extent of 100000
horse power, or enough to turn all the