Excerpts from our earliest farm magazine

To the editor:
    The “New England Homestead” (1842-1969), sent by subscription at $1 a year to “the most enterprising and wealthiest farmers and rural families,” included the following potato report in the September 27, 1884 issue.     Aroostook County – At Easton, 500 to 700 acres were grown about the same as 1883. Average yield is less or about 150 bushels per acre. Price 25 cents and farmers are selling freely. The starch factories take the entire crop. [In the fall of 1884, in the midst of the starch making season, the Easton factory was consumed by fire, but was rebuilt during the following year.] At Houlton, crop not yet dug. Rust and rot reduce the yield of good tubers. At Presque Isle the acreage is larger, about 1,500 acres; average per acre 175 bushels, a noticeable increase; size and quality better. Boston is the principal shipping point. Starch factories are paying 25c per bushel of 63 lbs, and growers sell freely at this price.”
    The February 9, 1901 edition reported from Maple Grove that “there has been much sickness and deaths in Fort Fairfield. Many potatoes being sold. The price has dropped to $1.25 to 1.35 per bbl. Butter is in good demand. Eggs sell for 24 cents per dozen.”
    The February 16, 1901 issue reported from Mars Hill “Market for farm produce is dull at present. Potatoes selling for $1 to 1.15 per bbl., hay 9 to 11 dollars a ton, butter 18 to 20 cents. Weather has been so bad that farmers have found great difficulty in getting produce to market. J.T. Smith has sold $300 worth of hay and has a cellar full of potatoes. Shipments of hay from Aroostook Co. this season surpass all previous records. All kinds of livestock are in good demand. The Northern Aroostook agricultural society held its annual meeting in Presque Isle Feb 2. The society is in a flourishing condition.”
    The March 9, 1901 issue reported from Mars Hill “A farmers’ meeting was held in Houlton, Feb. 26, at which Prof. A.H. Kirkland of Boston, Mass. gave a lengthy discourse on spraying potatoes for profit. The experiment station and its work was the topic of Prof. Charles D. Woods of Orono. Potatoes have dropped to 90 cents to $1 per bbl. Nearly half the crop is still held in the county.”
    The March 16, 1901 issue noted from Perham “A large amount of hay has been sold in this and adjoining towns during the winter, the price being about $10 per ton delivered at railroad station, buyer to pay for pressing. Potatoes have been moving steadily though prices lately have been rather unsatisfactory, especially for Rose varieties. Dealers claim that they are not receiving the usual amount of orders from southern N.E. for seed potatoes and 80 cents per barrel is the price for Rose, and $1.10 for Hebron and Green Mt. About one-third of the crop is unsold. Not so much lumbering done as last year, though the winter has been very favorable for it. Snow is about 3 feet in the woods.”
    The December 10, 1910 issue reported from Presque Isle that “Potatoes are dull. All are keeping well. The lack of a better price for cash causes a pressure all around, which is to be hoped will soon pass. Many horses have been shipped from here since the fall farm work was done. Beef, pork, butter and eggs are away up.”
    Situation and price reports from across New England were just part of these vintage issues full of articles by farmers and other specialists, editorials, and interesting illustrations and advertisements.
Steve Sutter
Presque Isle