212 AGRICULTURE OF MAINE. 



you to decide whether my impressions were correct or not. 



First and foremost, I find a great lack of system and business 

 principles among the average farmers. These two things alone 

 almost double the cost of production in many cases; especially 

 is that true where the farms are cut up into several small fields 

 instead of being in one big field. The markets are not watched 

 closely enough to enable the farmer to sell with intelligence and 

 to the best advantage. The farm is nothing but a factory and 

 the cost of production must be kept down. 



The second point that became apparent to me was a lack of 

 interest, in quite a large number of cases. I believe this fact 

 is due as much to me as to anyone. I have not been with you 

 the whole year. I have not had an opportunity to talk to many 

 of you for any length of time. I have not been able to show 

 you examples of men who are doing good work along these 

 lines. 



The third point that I noticed was the inconsistency of some 

 of the members. Changes of any importance do not come in 

 this work in a short time, but it takes several years. If you start 

 to improve one crop and do not get satisfactory results the first 

 year, keep at it until you are not only doing well, but you are 

 doing the best of any man in the State. 



With regard to the crop conditions as they appeared to me 

 from my conversation with farmers over the State, I would say 

 that as a whole the crops are a little below the average this year. 

 Aroostook suffered most decidedly from an over supply of rain. 

 As a result the hay crop was ruined in many places. The grain 

 was injured to some extent and the potatoes turned out about 

 20 per cent lighter than last year. 



Through the central and southern parts of the State the crops 

 were somewhat better, but the cold weather, combined with the 

 rain, made a very light corn crop, both sweet and field corn. 

 The potatoes on the average did very well in this section and 

 there was a good crop of hay. The grain was rather light, due 

 to the hot week in July and the damp, cold weather that fol- 

 lowed. Of apples there was a good crop through all parts of 

 the State. 



I am going to devote most of my time to plans for the coming 

 year. There are two reasons for this: First, I have not much 

 to say about the year just past, and second, it seems to me more 



