6 



AGRICUI.TURE OF MAINE). 



at the. head of their occupation, it remains a fact that there are 

 thousands and thousands of acres of land, yidding only hght 

 crops, that might be made to produce abundant and profitable 

 harvests of fruits, vegetables, grains and potatoes. 



FARM CROPS. 



Weather conditions in the state during the year have been 

 very unequal. While some sections have been blessed with an 

 abundance of rain, other sections have suffered severely from 

 the want of it. On the whole we find that while some crop?, 

 have been light, others have been up to the average or even 

 better than the average. One fact has been brought out very 

 forcibly in the extremdy dry sections, — that individual farms, 

 given a high cultivation, have produced crops nearly, and in 

 some cases quite, up to the average. 



HAY. 



Hay is the most important crop grown in the state. It is a 

 product of every farm, and forms the basis of all our animal 

 industry. The crop this year, taking the state as a whole, was 

 probaibly 25 per cent less than that of 1912. According to Gov- 

 ernment estimates the hay crop of Maine was the lowest per 

 acre of that of any New England state except New Hampshire, 

 and the crop there was the same as in Maine. The average 

 yield is placed at one ton per acre. Outside of limited areas 

 Maine soil is adapted to the production of large crops of hay, 

 clover and cereals and too little attention is given to their cullti- 

 vation and fertilization. Fields are left for a long term of years 

 without reseeding and without fertilization. Thus the crop 

 becomes very meagre, weeds come in and choke out the grass, 

 and so the quality becomes poor. Maine has thousands of acres 

 of such lands. Instead of producing three or four tons of fine 

 quality hay and clover, their yield is a half ton or less of very 

 poor quality ; and in turn the gradual reduction of the hay and 

 grain crops on so many farms has been due in large measure to 

 the practice of keeping a lessening number of cattle, horses, 

 sheep and swine. We believe a too large use of commercial fer- 

 tilizers has had much to do with the bringing about of this un- 

 fortunate situation. There is a quick and prompt market at our 



