Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-08-30
POTATOES AND POLITICS.
Or. West Gives Some Figures in An
swer to Pattaneaips Statements.

anu 'lpi wi u s
speech on potatoes and notifies 4
4 DR. West said. in part.
The Democratic candidate far conl
gress. Mr.. Pattangall, in a speech ri
Clinton said, Removing the dntv from
potatoes would have very little effect
upon Maine potato raisers for ,he
reason that New. Brunswick could not
furnish a breakfast of potatoes for
Maine eitener than once in six months
if they exported 10 Maine all DE pota
toes they raise
! Mr. F. is very able and erudf,e
j gentleman, and he demonstrated his
ability when he chose New Bf,inswick
as an exafhpRsa but why do you sup
pose, gentle reader, that he did not
! choose Prince Edward Island for an
example, which is another Canadian
Province Let me tell you why. t'yince
Edward Island has 2oo0 square miles of
territory and contalps 1866, 800 acres
Of extremely fertile ped loan. made of
disintegrated Ted sandstone. The
island is surrounded by inexhaustible
supplies of fssil. fish bivalyes and
crustaceans in some places thirty-six
feet deep. which the farmers can have
| for nothing, except the cost of digging
and hauling, which labor they do in
the winter while not otherwise en-
ployed hole Is cut in the ice, and a
horsepower dredge is set, which
| brings up at four lifts enough material
for a load for two horses This ma
| terial is composed largely of nitrogen.
potash and lime. combination of
plant foods, difficult tn excel and very
hard To equal.
This dredged material is piled mp, in
great piles, and the alternate freezing
and thawing puiverizes IL to such an
extent that by planting time it can be
used with the utmost facility.
With a mere nominal expense for
fertilizer
With cheap labor, which is abundant.
With no rocks to pick.
With cheaper machines (Which Mr..
r.. admits.)
With an easy working SOIL.
With a salubrious climate.
With farmers who study agriculture
as a profession and work at it dill
gently and persistently. and who are
familiar with all the scientific and
practical details of all varieties Of
farming.
Do you think it possible that If they
tried hard they might raise enough
potatoes for Maine's breakfast once in
six months?
| Lee. us discuss the facts, The people
of Prince Edward Island We're raising
potatoes To some extent and exporting
them to this country at a profit when
the duty was fifteen cents per .bushel
But when the duty was increased to
Twenty-Five cents, they found 1t more
difficult 10 compete with us and turned
largely TO- darying as their chief pur-
suit.
However, as early as 1883, the island
produced six million bushels annually
and so eheaplS We're they able to pro-
duce them that they could, as am
reliably informed, did. sell them to a
starch factory at Chariottetown for
fourteen cents per bushel, and were
thriving and content With that price
Fancy a man delivering potatoes at
Buriham for fourteen cents bushel
and being happy about it. =
Now we will discuss that potato
breakfast for Names people once in
six months and see where we land.
Maine has 742600 people. and Prince
Edward Island has and can raise 5000.
900 bushels annually of potatoes. and
IN order for. Maine people to eat in a
breakfast once inSsix months, all those
potat Jes, ii would necessitate the eat
ing at one time by each and every
man, woman and child in Maine for
breakfast once in six months. of a
trifie more than four bushels OF pota-
toes
am afraid some of those people
you'd nave starchy Indigestion.
How do you think farmers will re-
oeive such statements?
Mr.. p, in his Clinton speech, belittled
the potato industry. an Industry which
means so much to the good, honest.
hardworking God fearing farmers OF
Maine. He said this country raised
$40. 600, 600 bushels of potatoes, when as
n matter of fact in 1912 we raised AL
e00,00O bushels, only very slight dis
crepancy of $4,000, 600 bushels.
; He again said Maine raised about 20
million bushels and we raised - mil
IONS. only slight error of % per
cent.
Maine has l9 million acres of land
142. 900 people, and in proportion to its
area of improved land, raises greater
percentage of potatoes per acre. and u
greater percentage of acres. than any
State in the Union.
The average percentage of improved
land planted in the United States to
potatoes, is per cent.
The average for Maine is SIS per cent.
Aroostook is the largest potato rails
ing county, and raises on an average
he largest number of bushels per acre
of any county of like area in the
known W. rid.
Potatoes IN Waldo county in the last
decade Q9H0-lalN:
Waldo county has $500 farms. con-
tanning 80, 200 acres. worth 5000, 600.
Farm hard increased in value AZ per
cent.
We have 500 acres Of potatoes.
We raise Is 900 bushels, worth
s695.0O0. 5.
We have farm animals worth
$l,145,O00
We have $1,000 acres of hay.
We have $4,000 tons of hay annually.
We raise $500 bushels of apples. !
All crops valued at $2,145, 900
Mr.. Pattangall said at Clinton that