Radio Script #1139

Little Talks on Common Things
November 13, 1977

One of many volumes of Maine historical interest in the library of the Waterville Historical Society at the Redington Museum is Agriculture of Maine, published in 1868 just three years after the close of the Civil War. It contains the 13th annual report of the Maine Board of Agriculture, whose secretary was a well known promoter of Maine farming, S. L. Goodale. The Board consisted of 16 members, one for each Maine county. Kennebec was represented by James Carpenter of Pittston, Somerset by Albert Moore of North Anson.

In 1860, according to the Federal census, Maine had 58,675 farms, most of them small, less than 100 acres. But more than 5,000 had as many as 200 acres and about 100 were 1,000 acres in extent. Even in 1868 farms constituted by far the largest proportion of Maine’s taxable property.

Long before 1868, Somerset County had become noted for its sheep. When Thomas Flynt and associates went from Madison and Anson to California in the 1850’s, one of their first return trips east was to collect a flock of 2,000 sheep, which they drove over the Rockies to California. This 1868 report tells us that there were then about 10,000 sheep in Somerset County. One Anson man had a flock of 800.

The report heralded a new machine to accompany the already used, but relatively new mowing machine. The new implement was the hay tedder, of which the report said: “Its action throws the grass upward allowing it to fall lightly and loosely, thus drying it quickly throughout, getting all grass to the barn in prime condition.”

From this report we learn that as early as 1868 potatoes were already Maine’s staple crop. The principal rival was Michigan. Idaho had not yet come into the market.

Attention in the years immediately following the Civil War was focused on the new Act of the U.S,. Congress, granting funds for the establishment of colleges of agriculture and mechanic arts. In Maine there was at first a strong movement to establish the program at the two, existing’ colleges, Bowdoin and Colby, placing agriculture at one and mechanic arts at the other. The forces contending for a separate new college prevailed. Then there ensued a long battle between those who wanted the college at Topsham and those who preferred Orono.

When this report came from the press, the decision had just been made for Orono. Architect and major contractor had been selected, but no building had yet gone up. The report said: “What shall we do to give better and more practical education to young men in Maine, who are the sons of farmers, mechanics, and lay laborers? One answer is the agricultural college we are now to set up at Orono. There the study will be of a practical character taught in a practical manner. There will be observation of facts, and things as well as statements in books. Instructor and students will go into the field to study soils, animals, plants, crops, machines and implements. Our agricultural college can become the crown of our public school system, a benefit to all the people of Maine.”

Some leaders did indeed see the new state college as part of the school system. One commented: “We desire to bring our industrial college and the schools together, thereby improving both the college and the schools. We intend to prepare our boys for the business of life, to apply knowledge to all kinds of labor.”

It is significant that in the dozens of comments on the new college quoted in this report, not a word is said about girls. The original intent clearly was to make it an institute solely for the male sex. Furthermore, because Maine was then predominantly an agricultural state, that side of the program was emphasized with the result that all over Maine what is now our great state university was known as the “cow college”. A more complimentary, but still one-sided appellation was the “Maine Aggies”.

In 1868, General Joshua Chamberlain, leader of the heroic 20th Maine at Gettysburg, was governor of the state. In October he addressed the Maine State Agricultural Society meeting in Portland. Let us note a few short extracts from his long address.

He began by noting the prominence of farming in Maine. He said: “By far the greatest part of our productive industry is in agriculture. Yet our farmers are given to grumbling. In Maine the season is short, the soil is not so rich as elsewhere, the rocks are a plague, the rust gets his wheat, the crows get his corn, the dogs get his sheep. His boys leave the farm for the rich loam of the prairies or the lure of the cities, where fortunes are made over night.”

Then the Governor painted a more attractive picture:”’Maine farming is badly underrated. The yearly value of our hay, grains and potatoes alone exceeds $30 million, and when other produce is added the total is $50 million. In principal crops per acre Maine exceeds many of the other states. We lead in corn and are second in oats and barley. Even in wheat we get more bushels per a ere than Ohio, Indiana or Illinois. In 1867 hay, our chief product had a market value of $19 million”

Chamberlain pleaded for development of home markets, “We need to work our raw materials into fabrics at home, not send them outside the state. It is better to bring the market to our goods than to carry the goods to market. The increased employment created by providing manufactured products within Maine is an imperative need.”

The Governor praised the decision to create a state college. “We hope our Agricultural College will do something special for our farmers. But we must not think of it exclusively as an agricultural institution.”

It conspicuous part. “Our young men have come home to us again. The war taught them something. They have traveled and seen more of our nation. They have learned something of life and a lot more about themselves. They know how little a man can live on and how much he can live for. It was a great school – that war. It took the greenness out of boys and the meanness out of men. They are now ready for brave and noble deeds at home. We must not drive them to seek success elsewhere.”

The report tells us of the fairs and exhibitions held by various county societies. That of the North Kennebec Agricultural Society was held at Waterville on October 4, 1868. It saw an accident, fortunately not serious, to the famous race horse General Knox, owned by John Day of Vassalboro. The first secretary was Daniel Wing, publisher of the Waterville Mail. Prize dairy herds were exhibited by Abraham Morrill of Mayflower Hill, Eleaze Penney of Penney Hill and Wilbur Drummond of Sidney.

Connected with the fair was this warning to sheep raisers. “Trying to get fine wool opens the danger of losing your best mutton. We would discourage further introduction of merino sheep to Maine farms,”

The Agricultural Commissioners in 1868 were not friendly to horse trotting at the fairs. They said: “Unusual prominence has lately been given to the horse at our fairs. Under the name of “speed trials”, trotting matches have become the principal feature of too many exhibitions. The largest premiums offered are for the fastest horses. But what do the farmers, whose business the fair is really gain by that? Trotting for speed gives no better farm horses. The only advantage is amusement of the public, and we did not start our fairs to provide amusement. Worse still, these contests are being taken over by the gambling interests. There is more and more betting on these trials of speed.

“In New York state, the Agricultural Society does not allow trials of speed, yet their attendance increases every year. Our Canadian neighbors will have none of it at their fairs. This fast horse business is a detriment to Maine agricultural societies.”

When we consider today’s importance of Maine poultry, especially in Waldo County, and the annual chicken festival at Pittsfield in Somerset County, it is amazing to find poultry raising frowned upon in this 1868 volume. It said:”No farmer can rely on profits from poultry to get a living. They will not pay for what they consume. They are articles of luxury for which the farmer can never obtain an adequate price. A few barnyard hens to supply his own eggs and an occasional bird for the pot are all he should have.”

Many pages are devoted to Maine fisheries especially to studies recently made to fishing on the Penobscot and Kennebec Rivers. The report noted how the devices, of men had driven out the fish. Of the Penobscot the comment was: “In old, times the most abundant fish was shad, followed closely by salmon: Many were taken annually at Old Town Falls, where the prevailing price for shad was $1 a hundred. Before the river was closed by dams, the price of salmon has risen to six cents a pound, smoked alewives for the West Indies market brought 33¢ a hundred. It was the dams at Old Town that stopped the run of salmon. Only when fishways were demanded and installed, did any salmon return, but never as of old when the annual catch each spring on the Penobscot would exceed 150,000 salmon.”

For the Kennebec, the report sadly commented that there were no longer the big, fish, above the Augusta dam.

In the 1840’s Maine’s largest farm crop, next to corn and oats, was not potatoes, but wheat. By 1868, the decline in wheat was already under way. This report attributes the decline not, as it more correctly should have done, to the rich soil of the prairies, but to neglect of proper care of Maine land for wheat culture, a kind, of running out of the soil. “Yet,” said the report, “Maine has not failed to raise a fat crop of wheat in any one of the past 20 years.”

Well anyhow, that is briefly the story of Maine farming 109 years ago.

Year: 1977