Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-06-30

meeting held here tocaE. WHICH
the largest in the histor! OF the organ
,:a;ion. The report OF the manager :.
Z. Embree. showed that althous"
marketing conditions have been OF tfle
pcorest especially with regard TO po-
tatoes. the union has come throush
the year in a satisfactory conul'ioii'
Fourteen local unions were 1orife"
during the year, bringing the total TO
S. and every county in Maine is no"
represented.
Manager Emhree's Report.
Following is the annual report OF I.
+ Embree. manager of the Farmers
Union Of Maine. as presented today at
the meeting: !
II is with considerable relief and
much pleasure that I submit my thlro
annual report of the financial opera
tions of the combined unions afhiiateu
with the Farmers Union OF Name.
Relief that we have passed through
distressing marketing conGiuons sell
dom cQualled and pleasure that I'm
not called upon to report any serious
disaster TO any Of he Unions. our
farmers have had many problems con-
fronting them hut they have met them
manfully and 10 some extent over
come them.
7. is time that the unusual condl-
lions have lief: many cf them with I'M
mid hills and = future without bright
20
firm in the belief that climatic ana
marketing conditions will again turn
in their favor and that the troubles
Of 1a14-l5 will soon he past history ana
that ttey will be stronger for the en-
perionce they have passed through
! We began the year under most faN-
orable conditions. The sun. the ram
/ and the fertility Of the SOL ieeGed not
the turmoil over the water. but Kept
right along cooperating with Inc
f rr,,ers III their eff.rt Il utilize them.
Tho result wa a hiGh general level OF
production. The man behind Tic pow
( felt that nature had been kind to him.
/ However. the conditions that produced
a good crop in Maine produced more
largely for other parts of the country.
with the result that We oNer-prcduced.
throughout the vholc season the re-
tufns have remained at a low level
causing heavy loss to producers
| There were many unfortunate condi-
/ tons confronting Us. Tho removal Of
the duty or fcrclcn stock was a source
: Of much VERY. hu; ,ae var in Europe
removed their anNi"Sy for tho present.
! The discovery of Powdery Sca5 in
Aroostook County was another source
! of worrv to our growers on account Of
the fact that the Government found it
! reCos sarv t. quarantine thC rounty
and caryy or i rl@id method of in
spoctiop. Vt first 1he inspection tcoN
place az the leading station. Later
4 most of the irsneGior5 were withdrawn
and the growers concluded that the
/ trouble Was not important. Later.
however, the Government found more
seal at the marketing end, AID then
ve were notified that 3I cars from IN
fec,cd areas would he inspected at
Portland.
This method of inspection caused
considerable LOGS to hoth shipper and
grower However. TIE season is over
ana we are looking forward to the
crop Of 1915 to reimburse us for our
, less on the crop OF 1914, and as is al
ways the case. the farmer is optimistic
ard therefore is not worrying about
the future.
Fertilizer.
Unfortunately, Germany is practical
~ our only source Of potash supply.
The war cut this supply short. and we
were notified by the various companies
doing h,,&iness in the State that we
would have to content ourselves with "a
mixture not exceeding ! per cent in
potash.
Our growers had been using a mix
ture anaiyzins from to IL per cent in
potash and they felt they were facing
o Gisc1urasing proposition in using
per cent. However. the value of the
organization was demonstrated in the
fact that the Farmers Union of Maine
again came TO the rescue and supplied
their membership with their usual an
alysis in potash.
There were many difficulties in the
way CT securing such a satisfactory
contract. but that we did has been
tlIHpiS ne lat tlidt We
were able to do better than others had
its drawback for il attracted the at
tention of the various fertilizer agents
in the State ard demonstrated to us
that many of them had very little re-
gard for honorable methods.
In the first place our members were
told that the Farmers Union would
not be able to supply them with fertil-
izeT, and when it was discovered that
they were mistaken they then said it
was impossible that we would be able
10 supply over a 4 per cent potash, and
if we did it would be a substitute.
We found it impossible at the start
Of the sea son to make a contract with
the company who had supplied US
c-ith cur fertilizer in 1884 and we
we're, therefore, obliged to look up
now company. We finally made a con-
tract with the Standard Guano Com
pany, of Baltimore, and then the old
company sent out circular letter to
our Unions offering the same grade
and price that we were selling.
After sending cut the circular letter
and then canvassing the State per-
sonally it was found that all the Tn
ions with one exception We're loyal to
themselves, and as a result all secured
l,<,,. Z