RURAL NEW ENGLAND. 125 



We have been told so much and so often that we have no agricul- 

 ture in New England that we almost believe it ourselves, but statis- 

 tics prove otherAvise. Massachusetts leads in her acres under glass 

 and stands second in the production of onions, and famed through- 

 out the world are the cranberries from Cape Cod. Maine stands 

 second in the production of potatoes, producing last year 17,420,000 

 bushels, and Is also third in the production of apples. Connecticut 

 produced in 1908 the prize acre of Dent corn according to the awards 

 made at the national corn show held in Omaha in December. 



The three famous herds of the w^orld are owned in ^Massachusetts ; 

 the Holsteins at Brockton, the Jerseys at Lowell, and the Guernseys 

 at Hardwick. Time will not permit me to enter into detail in regard 

 to our agricultural products but New England enjoys the distinction 

 of being able to raise a greater variety of the substantial of life 

 than any other part of the United States; but there are acres and 

 acres in New England that are producing comparatively nothing. 

 We need help in getting our farms into shape to cultivate. . If the 

 farms of New England could be cleared of the rocks by the U. S. 

 Government so that the farmers could use the improved farm 

 machinery, land would increase in value; the farmers' sons would 

 return to the farms; the hired help problem would be solved; and 

 agriculture would prosper; and I believe the money would be as 

 well spent as in the irrigation of the Great xVmerican Desert for we 

 have the markets of the world at our door. I remember so well 

 riding 500 miles through that great desert in Nevada and Utah 

 and watching the men and horses at work on that great irrigation 

 system. The wind was blowing a gale, the air was filled with sand, 

 and people were shoveling it from their door steps as we shovel 

 snow from ours. This irrigation system will increase the value of 

 the western land and of course we want it should, but we want an 

 equal amount of money spent in New England. 



We want better roads and better schools. Many of our Ncav 

 England roads seem to be about like Topsy, "jest growed," but 

 that we are to have better ones seems to be an assured fact. Already 

 Massachusetts leads in the number of miles of state highways. 

 The Rhode Island legislature has just passed a bill appropriating 

 $600,000 for this work, and !Maine, jNIassachusetts, New Hampshire, 

 and Connecticut have bills before their legislatures asking for large 



