Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1915-07-06
Hay Production.

wv. B. Kendall. in Maine Bulletin.)
Because our grass crop, and the ha
crop is not speculative but constant, er
during, honest and fundamentally tr
umphsnt, II cuts no figure in the specu
lative world. People like to lay u
against hazard and take chances. Thi
habit is deep in the spiri, of our exist
ence, especially during the youth o
life, but maturity of years ought I
bring US to our sense and reason.
, Nature teaches US overwhelmingl
that in our northern climate, where tn
SHOWS come early and stay on late
she compensates for this apparent un
kindness, year after year, by yielding u
splendid crop of native grasses durinl
the summer season which, being curet
under the summer sun, provides in thi
way a perpetustion cf domestic auima
life through the cold winter until tn
summer grasses come again. All domes
tic animal life in Maine is absolutely de
lpendent on our hay crop. A failure o
this crop for three years would practi
cally ruin the seventy thousand fsrmer
of Maine financially and, because of this
would nearly depopulate our state
What other crop or crops raised in
Maine can this be true of? The hay
crop is of more important value, directly
and indirectly, than all other crops com
bined. The immense seriousness of this
proposition is not one-half considered
understood or appreciated by the farm
ing population of Maine. We allow our
selves to drift into more speculative
lines of agriculture, especially in the
line of the potato crop, and get severely
punished. Is there any fundamental
reason why the farmers of Maine should
not be more prosperous than they were
twenty years ago, as they are in the
west? Think it over squarely; look at
it fair in the face. Haven't We made a
mistake?
II we had larger hay crops we would
of necessity soon have more dairying,
cattle, sheep, horses and swine. All
these animals and the product OF these
animals are much higher than they were
fifteen or twenty years ago. Hay is
higher and yet, note this: The farms
and farm lands on which hay is grown
are practically no higher, but why
shouldn't they be higher? The general
financial condition of farmers in Maine,
in spite of this splendid opportunity for
advance in such directions, has really
fallen backward in the past two years
because these good Maine farmers have
been gamblers.
RAISING POTATOES
Gamblers in wheat, corn, cotton or
stocks may win for period, but expert
euce and history prove that large ma
jority lose heavily in the long run. Now
this article is written on the subject of
hay production, yet potato raising has
affected the raising of hay, cattle, sheep
and live stock so closely that few
words on potato production are necessary
right here. 1t is substantial fact that,
when the po tato area of the country
produces a normal crop in all the potato
states, the production is so great that
they are worth but very little. 1t needs
a failure in some parts TO make higher
prices in others; hence, it might be said
that Nature herself CANDLES in potato
growing, but she CANDLES but little in
hay growing. When farmer plants
potatoes at a larger expense 10 himself
than he can financially afford to lose,
providing his crop is of no value, he is
certainly gambling, because this often
happens, and he has no right to hazard
his financial standing in such way.
The potato crop is the only crop the
farmer can raise of which it can truly
be said, that at times, the more of it he
raises the worse of he is. In face of
such conditions as these, it might be
further said that farmer has no moral
right, for the sake of his family and his
own financial honor, to put himself in
jeopardy by planting potatoes beyond
his means, and take the chances of a
failure somewhere else in some other
state, or where some other farmer has
lost, that it might turn to his gain. Nor
do we lose sight of the fact that climat-
ic conditions, soil, fertilizer, ETC., bring
a much larger yield per acre of potatoes
in Maine than any other eastern state.
| When the time comes that there will be
government supervision in raising our
potato crop, the Maine farmers must be
given great preference, for conditions
here are naturally loyal to this crop.
The time will probably come when our
state will grow as many potatoes within
its boundary as are now grown some
years in the entire country. Until some
system aud control is established, we
are likely to lose enormously many
years under present irregular conditions;
but hay is the real agricultural staple of
New England and of Maine.
Names annual crop of about fourteen
hundred thousand tons at SIP per ton in
the barn would amount TO about seven
teen million dollars, while thirty million
bushels of potatoes at SOC per bushel
would be worth fifteen million dollars.
| IL costs vastly more each year TO grow
the fifteen million dollars worth of pOta-
toes than it does to grow the seventeen
million dollars worth of hay, and when
the potato crop won't pay its expenses
the hay crop money has to be called on
to help it out.
WHY FARMERS SHOULD GROW MORE HAY.
Note the following ten reasons why
farmers should grow more hay now than
| ten, fifteen or twenty years ago:
1 /. The prices are higher in local and
Boston markets. Six dollars per ton at
that time used 10 be fair price for hay
in the field; now it is IS TO sloan ad-
vance of about fifty percent.
| 2. Better quality. The great inn
provement in the quality of hay grown
in Maine, in recent years, has come
about from various causes, one of which
is the aftermath of potato planting. The
common daisy fields are hardly to be
found, aud there is great increase in
clover production. The Boston dealers
recognize the improved quality Of Maine
hay in recent years.
8. Better machinery, which includes
improved plows, harrows, fertilizer dis
ltributors, cultivators, manure spreaders,
moving machines, hay rakes, hay load
ers and carriers.
4. Better seed. Stringent laws rela-
tive to adulterated seeds have been en-
forced within few years. State in
spection is very close and this, within
the past few years, which is greatly to
the advantage of the farmer. Different
varieties of clovers are coming to the
front, which is gradually increasing the
tonnage yield.
5. Better fertilization. Along with
lother conditions fertilization has greatly
improved with the high quality of barn
dressing, on account Of improved feeds
to animals. The extra care given this
barn dressing and the lining of soils,
Iplowing in OF green crops, and in several
lines of commercial fertilizer, including
bone meal, and the lining of soils fOr
clover, evidently has handsome future