Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-04-18
REPRESENTATIVES OF 16 COUNTIES
MEET AT STATE HOUSE AT REQUEST
OF STATE COMMITTEE
Best Ways to Help Farmers in Increasing Cul-
tivated Acreage tilizer Shipments Dis
cussed


this afternoon at the request of the
State committee on the conservation of
food, to- talk over plans for helping
,he farmers and increasing the cult
waited acreage for 1917
Those present from the several
counties were Walter F. Sawyer OF
Lewiston, Herbert c. ketchum OF
Pressure Isle. Silas B. Adams of Port
land, Albert X Gardner of Farming
ton, Charles Morang of Ellsworth, "A.
2. Starrett of Warren, William j.
Thompson of South China, H. l.. Brad
ford of Wiscasset, John A. Roberts OF
Norway, Congressman Frank +.
Guernsey of Dover. Frank w. Farrar
of Bangor. William 3. Kendall of
Bowdoinham, f. E. Greenwood OF
Skowhegan, Clarence A. ayD of Ma
chias, Orlando E. Frost of Belfast and
W. B. Deering of Hollis.
Z. II. Kimball of Lewiston was also
an interested attendant.
Chairman Harold NJ. Sewall of Bait!
of the general committee of safety
spoke briefly of the urgency of the sit
uation, and explained the reason why
the several chairmen had been sum-
moned to the State House. He stated
that the result of the deliberation Of
the committee on the conservation Of
food would be accepted conclusively
by the general committee of Maine.
and then acted upon officially by the
Governor and Council.
The First Work
Donald F. Snow of Bangor, as chair
man Of the food conservation commit
tee, urged upon the several chairmen
the necessity Of speeding up the work.
He called upon Prof. Charles d. Wood,
director Of the Maine Experiment Sta
ton, who addressed the several COM
mittees and explained to them how
to get quick results by the various
committees working in harmony. He
said that Of the $4,000 farms in Maine
the committee expected to get definite
information from about 10000 of them
right away. He said that blanks
would be rinted apnd sent out asking
various questions as to the needs Of
the tillers of the soil. The questions
that would be particularly pertinent
were those inquiring how much fer
tilizer each farmer needed and when,
and how many additional acres each
intended to plant this year over 1916,
also the total amount of seed that
each one needed beyond what he al
ready had on hand. Prof. Woods stat
ed that Governor Milliken would be out
of the State on business until Satur-
day night but as soon as he arrived
home all the details would be submit
ted to him for approval and then the
work would go on hurriedly.
For Garden Making
Prof. Woods said there would be is
sued next week for distribution over
the State. particularly among the city
jewellers, a four-page leafet designed
for man who never saw garden
This will tell how and when to Guilt
Vate the little spare patches of earth
N'Nt APP'hi Gil cNCI tilc CITY, anu lne
instructions given will be based on an
average family Of four. He said the
Ieafet would contain a great many
'Don'ts' to offset some Of the foolish
practices Of city people in trying to
make garden.
On the matter of additional help for
the farmers, P.'of. Woods said he had
had conferences with some of the
large manufacturers and other en-
ployers Of help to see if it were possi-
bic at harvest time to turn loose lot
of people to help out the situation and
he was confident that this could be
brought about. At the suggestion of
II. G. Ketcham the committee thought
favorable Of the plan to keep the pub
lie schools closed until Oct. at least
40 that the school pupils might also be
available at harvesting. 1t was point
ed out that the labor question in
AroostooS county was particularly ac-
ute.
When asked If the State of Maine
would guarantee financial assistance
to the farmers of Maine. Prof Woods
reply that he believed it would He
thought the State would assume n
moral risk, in this emergency that a
bank would not
The Fertilizers Problem
The question OF obtaining fertilizers
was one that engaged much attention.
Sec. John A. Roberts of the State de-
partment OF agriculture. said that he
had got word from the Maine senators
and representatives in Washington
that they were ir close touch with the
fertilizer situation and would use all
their influence to- have as much as pos
sible shipped into the State. w. b.
Kendall Of Bowdoinham, said he be-
!ieved that. so far as transportation
was concerned. the fertilizer shipments
would be given the right OF way. al
though he did not think there was a
great amount Of manufactured fertili-
ger on hand
E. II. KimbalI Of Lewiston. who OPP
crates canneries in South Monmouth,
told Of his plan Of financing the farm
ers in that section over a radius of
about 10 miles. He said he found MANY
farmers who we're willing to plant if
they could get fertilizers and also
found they would be willing to contin-
he to live on the farm during the crop
season II they had a little financial as
sistance. So he planned to meet these
difficulties and In the months of June.
july and Auguss he advances some s2o,-