The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1913-01-30
MAINE IN THE CENSUS.

To THE EDITOR OF THE JOURNAL: The alb.
stract of the last census has just heen dis
tributed and it contains about 50 large pages
in relation to the State of Maine. Our popu-
lation is given as 742,37l, an increase Of about
per cent, while the increase of all the States
averages q per cent. The population of Wal
do county is q, $685. or 80 1-3 per square mile:
II, 1865 are males and 1878 are females. The
native-born population of the State is 66.7 per
cent; that of this county is 81 per cent, while
that of Aroostook county is but 46.7 rer cent
That county has the largest per cent of foreign
born Of any county in the State. There are
2l3,088 persons who were born in Maine
now residents of other States. AS regards
iliiteracy, or persons 10 years old and
over who cannot read or write, this
county makes excellent showing. The
whole State has 1 per cent of illiterates,
Waldo county has but per cent, while Aroos-
took county has 12.4 per cent.
Maine is the 34th State in population and
the 38th in area and the 10th in illiteracy
There are 60.O16 farms in the State which oc
cupy about one third of the entire Wal
do county contains 1907 farms. The total
value Of the farm property is s2oo,000000; S.
S29, 900 warth of this is in Waldo county.
There are $1,000 cattle, $500 horses a ,122 hogs
and II, 522 sheep in this county. The average
number of acres per farm is 104 average num-
Der in the whole State 1O5. Franklin county
farms average $50 acres; the largest in the
State. Aroostook county averages 1lS. One
very interesting feature of the report
is that relating to farm ownership. 1t ap-
pears that over "a per cent of the farms
are operated by their owners. This accounts
for the thrifty al pearance of Maine farms,
and the neat surroundings of most of the
farm buildings In some of the States to the
west of New England nearly one-half of the
farms are carried by tenants, the owners
either living in the villages or in houses on the
farm, separate or In connection with their
tenants. The two classes of farms can be
readily distinguished in passing through these
States. The lack of care and oversight, the
general lack of thrift and tidy surroundings,
neglected barns, and those mostly frnged with
bushes, all bespeak that lack of the eye of the
master which is the sine qua non of in
telligent and successful agriculture. Let US
hope that Maine farmers may never give up the
management of their farms to an irresponsible
tenantry. whose sole desire is to get all they
can out Of the soil and make no improvements
that they are not actually obliged to- Should
this occur in Maine. then we may look for that
decadence in Maine agriculture that is evil
dent ii many other States. Another crafty
ing fact is the large proportion of our farms
free from mortgages. Over 70 per cent of all
the farms in our State are free from incum-
brance. doubt if it can be said of any other
business whole that less than 80 per cent
of it is carried on with borrowed capital Look
at our traders and manufacturers and see how
large part of them are doing business on
credit.
The total product of our Maine farms for
the year 1903 amounted to some SOL 100000.
This will be an average income of over $1,000
per farm. The whole amount paid out for
labor, board, fertilizer and iced was about
Sl6,sOO0OO
The census manufactures shows that
there are 8S,476 persons employed in 3,546
establishments. There is 1902, 100000 in CAPT
tai invested. Wages and salaries amount to
SAB ,4290eo. which with other expenses make
the total outlay $l54. 1921 600 The total value
of product was $176, 029,000. If the above
pense account included interest on capital and
depreciation of plant the income would be
about 10 per cent or capital invested, which is
no more than ought to be expected While if
IL Goes not include these items the ne returns
are very small indeed, and far less than the
profits in farming in either case.
C. E. SMITH.