Evening star., 1918-08-25
New EngandS Important Part in the Great War

enrolled in its campaign for food,
production and conservation.
This matter of the food supply Is
The country has been damaged by the
story of it's rocks and abandoned
farms. II has rocks, 1t Is true. hut
there Is nowhere on earth richer soil
than that In its valleys. I am told
land in this section produces annual
ly product worth 81 more than any
other similar acres In Illinois or
Iowa. The value of farm lands is in
creasing. 1t has risen rs per cent
within ten years and the increase con-
tinues. According to the 1910 cen:
were worth $141,000.OOO. and 1t ex-
celled all other divisions in its aver
age yield per acre of corn, wheat.
vegetables and tobacco. Much OF the
tobacco crop of Connecticut sells for
1850 pound. and the product Of the
state averages something like $500
per acre. Some of the tobacco 10
grown under tents. and II Is this kind
that brings the high prices. Con-
necticut tobacco is smoked in the
soidiers that 1t is served as a part
OF their Army ration.
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Some one has said that when GOD
finished making America he dumped
the waste near the Canadian line and
called 1t Vermont. That waste is now
producing mutton and wool for tho
soldiers. Its merino sheep are famous
all over the world and they are even
sent to Australia to improve tho
breeds there. Some Of our best war
horses came from Vermont. Tho
farmers have laid out campaign Of
practical food production. They have
a state market bureau and farm la
Dor agencies.
Maine has enrolled something like
1000 high school boys as part of
Its farm labor for 1918. That state
raises some Of the best potatoes Of
the world. It's potato harvest amounts
to millions of bushels and often runs
to a value of S9,O0O.0OO The yield is
from 100 barrels upward per acre and
800 or 400 bushels is by no means an
uncommon crop.
Connecticut raises a great deal of
fruit and an enormous amount Of
garden truck for New York and other
cities. Its back yards have been
plowed up for vegetables and the
lawns are being cultivated. The store
work for the farmers. Connecticut
is ono of the industrial beehives of
the nation. but 1t comes very near
feeding itself.
L despair of giving an adequate
statement of what New England is
state has its munitions plants and
all sorts of factories have been turned
over to war work. More than rs per
cent of the manufacturing in Con-
necticut is now on government con-
tracts. and the state is engaged in
gun carriages. Browning guns are
being turned out at Bridgeport. rifles
at Winchester. automatic pistols at
Hartford and projectiles in different
places. They are making cartridges
at Lowell. Mass: gun parts at Attle-
town. They are turning out heavy
castings for the mounts of the big
army guns. I saw them making rifles
at Springfield, and they are turning
out gun parts for the Navy at Taun-
ton. Rhode Island, has ten big war
q silver plant there, which was the
largest of its kind in the world. Is
now making shells, shrapnel and
fuses. A large part of its force Is
young girls, who are paid from $11
to $50 per week. Rhode Island is
making machine tools for munitions
and other war goods for all parts Of
tho United States. The same is true
of Massachusetts,.
Massachusetts,, in fact makes al
most everything needed along the
lines Of the war. Worcester Lowell.
Fall River and other centers have
machine works where they make
more than one hundred specialties
for the Army and, Navy. The Wal
than Watch Company works day and
night making wrist watches for SOL
diers. and Maiden, Revere and Hud-
son are turning out rubber boots and
ponehos by the hundreds Of thou
sands for the men in the trenches.
Boston is the leather center of tho
United States. and the tanneries Of
New England are working overtime
on hides for the government. There
is an establishment at birmingham
which makes vast quantities of har-
ness and legsings. and boots and
shoes are turned out by the millions
at Brockton and elsewhere. Some Of
the largest Army shoe factories are
in New Hampshire, and the shoe
machinery for Army repair work and
for the Army factories is made at
Beverly. within twenty miles Of Boston.
Massachusetts, has q number of air.
craft plants and 1t makes flags, tents
and blankets.
Az to clothing. New England
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