1870. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



177 



CHOPS IN MAINE. 



During our late visits into the State of 

 Maine, we not only listened to many public 

 remarks in relation to agricultural practices 

 and their results, but made many inquiries as 

 to the general condition of the art in that 

 State; what the leading crops are, and 

 whether farmers, as a class, are gradually im- 

 proving their farms so as to give them a per- 

 manent value of one or two per cent., or 

 more, annually. 



In all the public exercises, and in private 

 conversations, an interest and earnestness in 

 farming, was clearly manifested. It was evi- 

 dentl}' ihe earnestness of those who believe 

 their calling to be honorable, tending to ele- 

 vate the race, and Indispensable in sustaining 

 it. 



The discussions in the State Board have 

 greatly tended to encourage the farmers of the 

 State, and have recognized the dignity and 

 high character of the calling. 



Its leading crops are grass and potatoes, 

 but investigations showed that the wheat crop, 

 which is adapted to a large portion of the soil, 

 has been greatly neglected. There Is official 

 authority for saying that the State of Maine 

 needs 650,000 barrels of flour yearly — nearly 

 all of which is Imported at an expense hitherto 

 of nearly ten millions of dollars ! Stimulated 

 by this startling development, the legislature 

 has made appropriations of money for premi- 

 ums on wheat crops, under certain conditions, 

 which have already had an influence to in- 

 crease the breadth of land devoted to v/heat. 



In the sessions of the Board last year, much 

 attention was given to the potato crop, where 

 every means seem to have been used to elicit 

 from the members Information in regard to 

 varieties, quality, productiveness, soils best 

 adapted, kinds and quality of manure to be 

 used, and every thing else bearing upon the 

 crop. 



In a lecture upon the Culture oftlie Potato, 

 by Mr. Z. A. Giliskrt, from the Androscog- 

 gin Society, he laid down several points for 

 discussion : — 



1. What we want. 2. What varieties shall 

 we plan! ? 3. Preparation of the soil and 

 manure. 4. Planting. 5. After culture. 6. 

 Harvesting. 7. JMarketing. These points 

 were thoroughly dncus-sed, with ti>e object to 

 bring out facts and settle principles, so that 



the cultivator when he goes Into the field to 

 plant shall have more definite conclusions as 

 to what is best for him to do, than he ever had 

 before. It is hardly probable that the princi- 

 ples or practices stated, fell alike upon all 

 who heard them, so that a variety of opinion 

 and practice will still prevail In procuring 

 future crops. 



The Hon. Samuel Wasson, President of the 

 Board, read an interesting paper on the "His- 

 tory of the Potato," which affords a remark.-i- 

 ble instance of what human skill can accom- 

 plish in ameliorating some of nature's pungent 

 and poisonous plants, into mild and whole- 

 some food. 



Our word potato. Is supposed to be a cor- 

 ruption of the Indian word batatas. The 

 potato was first found in 33° south latitude. 

 In the mountains near Valparaiso about 1550. 

 Sir Walter Raleigh is said to have carried it 

 to Ireland in 1610. In 1728, the potato was 

 carried to Scotland, but the peopla opposed 

 the introduction of this new vegetable, be- 

 cause its name was not mentioned In the 

 Bible. 



The priests in the Ionian isles, said the po- 

 tato was one of the forbidden fruits — the cause 

 of man's fall, and Its use was irreligious. 



In France, this vegetable was viewed with 

 extreme disfavor. In vain did Louis XVI. 

 and his court wear its flowers in the button- 

 holes of their coats to enlist popular favor. 

 At last, Parmentier, the chemist, hit upon fhn 

 following Ingenious plan. He plant ^.d a field 

 near Paris, put up notices around the field 

 that all persons who stole any of the fruit 

 would be prosecuted with the utmost rigor of 

 the law. WitJdn a fortnight thereafter every 

 potato had been stolen and eaten ! 



It is somewhat remarkable that In nearly 

 every State In Europe Its Introduction met with 

 great opposition; even as late as 1723, its 

 use was interdicted in some of the German 

 States, being accused of producing dysentery 

 and leprosy. 



In its wild state, it is a watery, bitter, un- 

 wholesome plant, with tubers rarely an inch 

 In diameter, or exceeding half an ounce in 

 weight. 



In Maine, the value per acre of those sev- 

 eral crops was as follows, in 1860 : — Potatoes, 

 S79.56; corn, $44.55;. wheat, S.')6.32. 



This intrinsic value, and the facilities for 



