AGRICULTURE AND LIVE STOCK. Like that of the other New England States. the surface is too rugged and broken. also the soil for the most part too sterile, to admit of the extensive development of agriculture. In the river valleys, however, the soil is very fertile. The Aroostook Valley, in the northeastern part of Maine, is the largest district of fertile farming land in New England. Only 32.9 per cent. of the total land area is in cluded in the farms, and of this acreage only 37.9 per cent. is improved. But these areas increased steadily until 1880. Since then both have de creased—the latter very considerably. During the period from 1850 to 1900 the average acreage per farm remained nearly constant, the average for the latter year-106.2 acres—being the larg est for the entire period. The average size of the farms varies greatly in the different counties. The State is remarkable for the small percentage of rented farms—less than 5 per cent,. of the total.
As elsewhere in New England. the influence of the Western competition has obliged the Maine farmers to give up cereal farming in part. espe cially wheat. Oats is now the principal cereal. although this too decreased in the last two deeades of the century. Buckwheat, the next most important cereal, has more than held its own, but corn and wheat decreased from 1880 to 1900. The area devoted to cereals is rapidly in creasing in Aroostook County, constituting in 1900 one-half of the total fur the State. The potato crop. though having a less acreage than oats, produces a greater income than all the cereal crops combined. In Aroostook County an average of 6.6 acres per farm is devoted to po tatoes. Intensive methods of cultivation are
used, and a very high per acre product is ob tained for potatoes. as also for most ()tiler crops. The acreage of hay and forage is over seven thnes, as great as that of the cereals. Increased atten tion is being given to dairying and market gar dening, the poorer soils being turned into per manent pastures and the most fertile being ap propriated for the raising of market products. Sweet corn is the most important of these crops. Much attention is given to the raising of apples, the total number of trees in 1900 exceeding 4.100,000—an increase of 39.3 per cent. for the decade ending in that year. Other orchard and small fruits receive little attention.
Stoek-raising is not a leading industry. Since 1880 the number of sheep has decreased over one-half, and the number of neat cattle had de creased rapidly after 1860 until the last decade of the century. The number of horses more than doubled during the last half of the century. Likewise the growing interest in dairying has resulted in the number of milch cows increasing considerably during the same period. In 1900, 29.9 per cent. of the farms of the Slate derived their principal income from dairy produce. The production of milk increased 71.8 per cent. dur ing the decade ending in that year. Over 85.600, 000 was realized from the sale of dairy products, about two-fifths being the returns for milk, two fifths for and one-fifth for cream.
The following tables show the importance of the leading kinds of crops and farm animals for the census years 1890 and 1900: