The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1866-12-03
Names Climate and Fertility.

Mr. ED1ToR,-I have. no doubt that if
school OF walrusses in the Polar Sea were to
overhear one of their number speaking OF 'ne
water thereof as cold, they would break ior'n
IN denunciation against him and exciania'ions
such as who's cold? This cold! VINO "an1si'
any warmer? Who ever heard OF any warmer
water than this?" and for aught know they
would set unon him and tear him In pieces for
slurring his native element.
find myself brought somewhat into the
position of the walrus by my two recent con-
tributions to your columns, in one of which
spoke of Maine as cold, and in the other as in
fertile. Various viva-voce and sundry written
rebukes have been administered to me for
having "blackguarded my native State, in
nearly all of which, occasion has been taken to
remind me of the "effect likely to be produced
upon the minds of strangers" by the reading
of such articles.
/ am not able to see how the EFFECT upon the
minds of strangers" can affect the trustworthi-
ness or even propriety of my statements; tax
ing it for granted that none of us are disposed
to pull the aoool over the eyes of strangers or
anybody else, as.regards either our climatic, ag-
ricultural, or any other conditions. L am
further not able to see, upon consideration,
that my averments did not exhibit the real
state of the case, as regards both the climate
and the productiveness of Maine.
Our mean temperature is about 10 IL deg.
below the mean temperature OF the earth, and
ours is therefore a cold and not warm coun-
try. 1t is further, as shown by my first article,
8 ID deg lower than is appropriate to the lat
itude, being but5 deg. above that of Reikavik,
Iceland, for example, the effect of which deficit
is equivalent to many scores of miles removal
towards the poles; SO that Maine is not only
cold, but for the latitude, unusually cold. The
statement of these facts may not be agreeable,
put it is certainly not calumniatory.
As regards fertility. The af1uence of vege-
tation in any region is determined, first, by the
amount of heat and moisture found therein
acting in combination; and secondly, by the
quality of the soil Our mean temperature is
% per cent. below, and our rainfall 80 per cent
below the average for the earth. 1t is difficult
to see how our fertility, SO far as determined
by these elements, can be otherwise than below
the average of the world, and our State, there
fore be otherwise described than as S,yertile, j.
e., not productive to tn, average OF the lands
as a whole.
In respect to our quality of soil. There are
parts of Maine, as for example its river bot
toms, whose soil is of decided fertility Nobody
denies this. Every citizen of the ate dwells
upon it with satisfaction, none with more than
your correspondent. But, sir, the river bot
toms are very small part of the State. The
valley of the Sandy river" line of emerald
beauty amid surrounding mountain piles and
vast stone hills, is SO narrow that an athletic
man, standing atits central line, can along per-
haps halt the length of the river, fling stone
to the first abutting ridge Of the bordering high
lands. The alluviums of nearly all our streams
ore SO narrow, as to considerable extent to
afford room for only single tier of farms be-
twixt the stream and the uplands. The river
bottoms all together will not constitute tenth
of our territorial area.
On the other hand, the far greater part of
the southeastern portion of the State is exceed
ingly infertile, a vast expanse, of most desolate
surface aspect and stinted agricultural capa-s
bility. The high country lying betwixt the
river valleys is generally hard and rocky, SO
budt tut JUuEucylilS AohSC cekAhCo nv ~ oAAAOSe
every other step from the fiinty roads. Forests
of hemlock spruce and fir have excluded hard
wood growths over an immense proportion of
our northern country, indicating, as always,
prevalent sterility of soil.
am, therefore, upon general view OF its
capacities, not able to discover that the quality
ofour soil is such as to make good the deicien-
CIV of heat and moisture, and as to bring our
State up to the average standard of the worlds
fertility
If it be urged that Maine is fertile for the
latitude, I reply, so is Iceland remarkably fer
tile for the latitude, butt is nevertheless des-
ert as compared with the lands as whole.
1t may be observed, that in endeavoring to
reach just conclusions in the matter In hand, it
is hardly the thing to compare Maine with 10Th
er parts of New England" alone. Comparing
ourselves with ourselves and our next-door
neighbors we shall very likely conclude ours
to be the sunniest, latest land on the round
globe 1t is further not the thing to dwell up
on the river bottoms and say nothing about
the desert districts of the southeast, the rocky
areas of the northwest, and the swamps of the
northern central portions Further, it is not
the thing to leave out of the account the sever
ity OF labor with which, on the average, crops
are produced on the average quality of our
land; which labor from the shortness of the
season, the hardness of the soil, and the lack of
accumulations of humus over extensive areas,
is as a whole severe beyond the average for the
world.
The conclusion reached above involves no
u
important agricultural district" We have
productive capacity enough, if directed with
skill land this we look for in larger measure
from our State Agricultural College, to yield
large aggregate of agricultural supplies. But
no skill, no amount of labor expended in the
tillage of our land alone, will ever enable us to
support what is for our area great population,
or to build up an opulent civilization.
just here, then, my motive appears for writ
ing the articles referred to, and particularly
the latter-to set forth as clearly as might in
view of all the circumstances, what line of Ia
Dor promises best for our ultimate and greatest
Certainly we have excellent facil-
tiles for "shipbuilding," but great and opulent
population over this large State cannot be
created or sustained by shipbuilding. The same
is true of numbering" which at the best is
only temporary make-shift. But manufac-
turing, endeavored to show, can be carried on
here to peculiar advantage, and here as else
where may b expected to build great cities, ac-
cumulate wealth, and nourish great popula-
tons; and no other avocation open to us can
have not the slightest doubt that by turning
Dur unrivalled manufacturing capabilities to
The best account we can have ten times the
and fifty times the financial strength
ne can reasonably hope to attain by agriculture
lone By this would not seek to discourage
he one but to encourage the other. When our
capabilities in one direction are so eminent,
imply to set forth their superior claims to pub
10 attention, and by implication the subordi-
lation of other interests, should not be con-
trued into an attempt to depreciate our gen.
raj good standing. w. WELLS.
A SENSIBLE SUeaBsTIoN.-The Argus calls
attention to the fact that while two of the fire.
proof blocks, recently erected on Middle street,