AGRICULTURE OF THE STATE. 17 



advanced in most cases was canned, yielding about half the usual 

 amount. Many fields, however, did not furnish an ear. The crop 

 for the State was about one-half the usual average to the acre, but 

 an increased area planted carried the total pack above one-half the 

 average amount. 



Potatoes were a full crop the State over. Unfortunatel}^ for our 

 State, however, the same held true in the other potato producing 

 sections of the country, which kept the price to so low a figure there 

 was but little money to the farmer in the crop. A large part of the 

 Aroostook crop went direct from the field to the starch factories at 

 twenty-five cents a bushel, a transaction which proved satisfactoiy 

 to the producers. 



The apple crop was a full one, but owing to the wet, cold and 

 prevailing cloud}' weather, the fruit was immature and imperfectly 

 ripened As a result it proved not to keep well and much of it, 

 even in mid winter, was found decayed and otherwise unfit for 

 market. Much of it supposed to be fairly good fruit when harvested 

 was reduced one-half on going to market at a time in the winter 

 when usually it would have been in perfect condition Prices were 

 extremely low and trade slow and but ver}' few sales made through 

 the early half of the winter. The prevailing price paid by buyers 

 for the crop was one dollar a barrel. 



Beans were almost a total failure, the exceptions being a few 

 individual cases where the crop ripened before the frost. 



Thus it is easily seen that the crops of the farm out of which 

 farmers ordinarily realize a considerable income, on the one hand 

 from a failure of the crop and on the other from prevailing low 

 prices, brought to the producers but little money. 



A review of the stock interests of the State discloses some en- 

 couraging features, with others of entirely the opposite character. 

 The production of beef as a prominent feature of stock farming, 

 and with it the raising of steers from which finally to perfect the 

 beeves, has been chiefly driven to the wall and bids fair to finally 

 be exterminated by the advent of Chicago dressed beef, which is 

 being laid down in our markets at rates so low as to leave no possi- 

 bilities for the home business. Six dollars a hundred is now the 

 top price for the best oxen with a descending scale on lower qualities. 



Sheep are oflEering some encouragement to fai'mers, but it is chiefly 

 in a different line from what many of our sheep growers have been 



