Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-04-25
BREEDING SMALL
FRUIT PLANNED
FOR ARoosTook
Variety of Small Fruits May Be
Proven Financial Aid to
ArOOstOOk Farmers.

Orono, Me-, April 21.-(SpeciaD-
Charles d. Woods, director at the
Maine Agricultural Experiment Station,
Orono, today gave cut the following
outline Of work that will be taken UP
in connection with the breeding Of
small fruits this coming season at the
Aroostook farm:
In the. opinion Of many people one
of the needs of Arocstook County is
more diversified agriculture. The evils
Of a one-crop system of farming have
been amply demonstrated with cotton
in the south. Where farmers depend
upon only one crop for their income,
there are bound to be both fat and lean
years, and as time goes on the lean
years tend to come more frequently.
Potatoes will always remain a DOM
inant crop in Aroostook. However, it
should be the aim Of farmer to have
his crop so distributed that in case Of
a bad potato year he will have suffi-
Gent income to meet his necessary ex-
penses. The Maine Agricultural Ex-
pertinent Station in it's work at Aroos-
took farm, while by no means neglect.
ing the potato, is endeavoring to de-
Velop other crops that they may take
their rightful place in the agriculture
of the county. In this connection the
work of grain and grasses is we'll I'M
der way.
Because Of it's climatic condition
Aroostook agriculture is limited in
many directions. However, the grow
ing of small fruits is one of the things
to which it's climate is we'll ADAPTED
Wild strawberries and raspberries
grow in profusion in every waste
place. These fruits demand an
abundant supply Of moisture, a thing
upon which Aroostook can always
count. Furthermore, the main portion
OF the work on these crops comes at
time of year when the farmer is not
rushed with his potato and grain crop
A Few farmers have already realized
sood incomes from comparatively
small patches Of such fruit. The de-
inand of the local markets has al.
ways been far in excess Of the sunnlv
Even II the supply should become
greater than the local demand. the
iiul'lhg season is so late that the ber-
RES could undoubtedly be sold In more
southern markets at profit.
For the present year the experiment
station expects to undertake a variety
test of some Of these fruits IN Aroos.
TOOK farm. With this as a basis II is
proposed to do some breeding work.
both by selection and liberalization. in
an attempt to develop fruits especially
adapted to Aroostook conditions. For
the first year this work will be limited
py the amount Of suitable ground
available, but If all goes well It "a
hoped to carry on this work on a much
larger scale in future years.
Among the Strawberries which ara
to be tested this year are represent
atives Of early. medium and late fruit.
ing varieties. Also few of the ever.
bearing varieties will be grown. These
latter varieties, which are Of recent
origin, have not yet reached the de-
gree Of perfection found in the stand
ard berries. They do, however, offer
great promise for the future Of the
strawberry industry. With these
there is a great opportunity to pro-
duce improved varieties. 1t is hoped
that some of these may be originated
which will be especially adapted to our
northern ATTITUDES.
Probably one Of the things which
most needs to be looked out for in
strawberry work in Aroostook is to To-
cate the field where it will be least
likely to be affected by occasional sum-
mer frosts. 1t is not uncommon to
have light frosts even late in June. Il