Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-04-04

|
seed industry is in peril. car of
seed represents at least $500 and the
animal revenue is $4,000 says the
/ Produce News. The future of the
Maine potato is in danger and seed
| shippers realize the gravity of the
| situation. Although there are only
about 500 cars of seed still held in
storage, mostly under contract, ship
pers are submitting to drastic mea-
sures to save their name. One seed
! potato affected with dreaded pow
| derry scab condemns for seed bin
of 500 barrels. There are 50 inspect
ors covering 200 odd loading stations.
! They apply the rule in rabies, shoot
the dog, then examine him. and all
| scabs look alike to them. Close in
spection is a new wrinkle in Aroos-
! took: another season it will be the rule
and a grading system may he insi-
tuted
Cleaner, brighter stock never left
Aroostook than the 800 cars shipped
the first six days of the inspection
ending March IA. Half of it was seed
and not a car was held by the inspee-
ton program AS chief of the in
spection staff. State Horticulturist
Gardner has made good. He has handl-
ed every kink automatically positive
". but broadly. In one week s time
he whipped into shape an inspection
staff of IS men. The task seemed i'm
possible at the outset, and the inspec-
ton program still faces serious PROP
lens.
Scientists say every scab has score
of spores, each capable of reproducing
the powdery scab disease. They ad-
NIT it may already be all over the
country. but it may be stamped out
in Maine in three seasons If all hanas
cooperate.
Growers used sc, 600 tons of fertilizer
last season, avera ging three-fourths OF
a ton to the acre for potatoes, max
ing the acreage about 10000. the out
nut will be close to $4,000 cars Inc
b. & A. has SO stations; c. P, 70, anu
the Aroostook Valley (electrlc), ~.
The four big stations have Az to oo
hc-,ses each. These have from TOUR
RI eight bins each and a bin carries
400 ia 800 barrels. B. & a. houses
store about 100000 bushels: these are
de1 Iers' houses. The B. & "A. leases
the land. the dealer puts up the house'
costing on an average of S5oOO for
two door house, up to $4,000 Tor
civ door one. The c. p builds Its
own houses to lease to dealers. IheS
ore heated by wood stoves. false
eide wall provides a dead air space.
Met houses are fairly we'll lighted
In only one was seen modern grae-
Noor1v all use the common rack,
tba Grader picking out culis as the
,rlt
,ero who make two sizes or three
are scarce They say 1t oeesh peas
an notatoes are selling so low do
they have been this season ana i"ss'
Dealers are preparing a grazing IN
snection system carried out oy eN
nerts So cuils win go to the starea
Factory. which pays 3oc per earrei'
sc6oar 3s will sell as that grade hl.ei
syra ling for size. sseaeby tubers Will pc
sh,o,yn ont and a record made SO the
-, WOW he examined. The seab scare
lii no codsend to Aroostooh III
49, md Seed dealers are the most
sl.ontical and worried. Maine seeo
sotato industry is capable of big oe-
f,o1onrent only along the INES now
tet,iishod The present scare Will
hurt trade how much remains " D
seen as only a few shippers can sho"
clean bill of health.
state inspector Gardner has neeh
Tho ioh since Feb. 9. Chlet 1ieih
nay looks after the details OF Tue
MAIN office. By telephone he can feaeh
80, insnector on short notice ana IN
s,,oo+ors play no favorites and each
ta must hear the number of inspect
ton certificate. on mo tor-
roIs In %. 600 barrels of 20 up 10 oVo
harrels each, samples of scap Were
found. or only Is per cent sn 80
i,faot;on-not 10 per cent. OF the "hoie
was affected but scattering speoi.-
IN 70 ner cent. This is eneoura glns'
Points along the Maine oehi,ai q.
generally free, while along we
Jobn,s river and near the new ID 80 ui
wick line every place SHOWS IL
hon was one of the ugly spo'S:
side of Aroostook there Is NO i-''p
ton. ,a, nroduc-
southern Maine is ALREADY plouu
ing a lot of potatoes ana ny
season will furnish 20 TO 20 pei
of the States crop. ora
Lined cars and Eastman heaters arc
two frOblemS which pdhic =.
The Y. & A. each fall allots 2'ooo po ,a
cars to shippers, who invest $4o 10 gov
in equipment and the car is reserVea
for that shipper, violation of law: as
IL constitutes a discrimination agains.
tho small shipper. Last winter iiiieo
cars averaged 10 trips season 80
that the extra cost was around sla per
car trip. although $40 to s25 is lalr
average. If potatoes freeze the snip.
per stands the loss. Each strihs Vi
Ave cars carries an attendant TO Keep
the fires going. 1t takes week 10
reach New York and sometimes Two
or more. The shipper pays the man
fare home. The intense cold caused
some cars to cost $50 or nearly hVe
cents per bushel extra. The Eastman
heater pays most in the long run as
| that company insures for three cents
per bushel to Boston and six cents
to New York. For $3.50 shipper
puts his potatoes in New York with
an allowance of As hours for unload
ing. If the car is held in the 53rd
ctreet yards both a car QemurfaSe