The Republican journal., 1917-09-06
Senator Fernald's Farm.

Owning and operating home farm of
l0O acres and managing 600 acres of adj
ditional farm land, as well as being the
head of concern that operates half
dozen of Names largest corn factories,
Senator Bert M. Fernald, of Maine, is
qualified to speak as farmer and bust
ness man. He is considered in his home
State, of which he was governor, as one
OF the most expert farmers and as the
man who gave to Maine the standing it
has IN the packing industry.
Senator Fernald came to the Senate
with the experience of practical farm
er behind him; he is man who has made
money out of farming.
He grew up on farm. The place on
which he lives is part of the 200-acre
parcel upon which his great great-grand-
father, Bert M. Fernald, settled in West
Poland, Maine, 125 years ago. Ninety
years ago that same grandsire divided his
lands. Each of his two sons received 100
acres. Senator Fernald's great-grand-
father had the farm upon which the Sen
ator now lives. In turn it descended to
the Senator's grandfather and father and
then to him.
And, ;" remarked Senator Fernald re-
Gently, 81 think it will be sure to be
owned by Fernald for another hundred
years, as have q son and he has son."
Could that original Bert M. Fernald re-
turn to West Poland and see the farm to-
day he wouldn't recognize it. A hun
dred years ago it was not all fertile fields
Some of it is uncleared even today, but
In those days the major portion was
rocky and wooded. Each year they clear
a certain portion of this area, and Sena-
tor Fernald always works many days
with the men,
light. 1t starts at the main highway and
extends back many rods. It's area is ten
acres, and it is one of the handsomest
hay fields in Maine. At the time Sena-
tor Fernald's father turned the farm over
to him he took his son out to the top of
knoll overlooking that piece of land and
said: ebert, no matter how prosperous
you become, don't ever attempt TO clear
that field. 1t will cost more than it is
worth"
The future senator's reply was that
some day he would have it cleared. His
father laughed. But the son kept his
word. He cleared the field, though it
was tremendous job.
The first step was to dig ditch ten
feet deep and as many feet wide the en-
tire length of the field. Then rocks were
dumped into the ditch 1t was filled to
within three feet of the top and then COW
cred with good soil, hauled from differ
ent part of the farm. But this did not
take care of all the rocks ON the place, so
fence was built at one side, ten feet
high, eight feet broad and some twelve
rods long, and rocks were piled there
some of them so large that a derrick was
necessary to move them into place.
On his home farm Senator Fernald
keeps from thirty to forty cows, and he
always has from dozen to fifteen head
of young stock, making a total herd of
more than fifty head of cattle He
specializes in Holsteins. He has a silo
with a capacity of 1875 tons
Labor-saving machinery is hobby
with Senator Fernald, and he has four
gasoline engines, one to operate the Silo
filler, another to run an electric-lighting
plant, another to pump water, and the
fourth, a portable engine, to saw wood
and do other chores R. Michael
In Country Gentleman.