The Portland daily press., 1867-10-03
Terms Fight Dollars per annun,, In adramce.

otaIe since the frost the 18th morning OF
S'p'emoer u''inho. Some farms appear quite
Canadian, corn, beans, grapes. and indaad ev-
cry thing the frost can kin being dead. whilst
others, perhaps within a single mile ara do
cidedly Pennsylvanian. The frost of that date
was very extensive. In some parts of Ohio
and Illinois 1t was as fatal to vegetation as II
appears to have been in the worst examples
of our own State. And yet we have seen
farms, or parts of farms, all around us
that remained untouched by frost, and
on which vegetation, but for old age, was as
green as it was before any frost appeared IN
the country. Such locations are very desir-
able, especially in q cold country like ours.
1t is a great object here to escape our early
frost. AT best our seasons are short; but il
by the means suggested, we can be sure to
have our seasons long enough 10 mature all
the crops suitable to this latitude, we have
gained agreat point. We should not want
farm ON mountain, or the top ofa high hill;
for aside from the trouble of climbing up and
down it with teams or otherwise. the cold
winds of winter are exceedingly uncomfort-
able, especially when the dwelling house is To-
Gated on bare summit. This, however, even
on such farms is seldom necessary. Almost
every where there may be some cosy place
for the house and outbuildings upon south
ern aspect, which is sheltered by hill or shell
tered by groves on the north lines, and fam
lily is as comfortable as in the deeper vale be-
low-nay more so,-for the mercury does not
sink so low on hill sides as in the valley.
Passing through Androscoggin and Franklin
Counties within weeks. we noticed
some farms which were in the same latitude,
and yet appeared to be in so deg. north, while
others in the neighborhood appeared to be in
only about 40 deg. On the first, vegetation
was as etlectually killed as it is in lower Can
ada, whilst on the others it was as lively and
beautiful as in New jersey. We called on a
friend who until the pasi four years has resid-
ed Oh an intervale farm in Somerset county.
orally, and the winter SO severe, that his corn
was often prematurely destroyed, and even he
said his apples, pear and plum trees were kill
ed by the winters. He had Southern or
Western fever come upon him, and visited
Pennsylvania, Ohio and Illinois to get cured.
He returned and purchased a farm in Maine.
He has found a latitude southern enough for
his purpose Of crops and of health, without
going out Of this State. We noticed that his
oorn, beans, squashes, tomatoes, etc, were as
green as in August-all but his corn was too
ripe to look "green.' Frost had been merci-
full to his premises and everything was out of
the way Of danger from it. What could
Southern climate do more?
He informed us that year before last, the
first of his operations ON his present farm,-
his potato tops, whilst he was digging in No
vember-theY were the late "California vari-
ety-were then yet green and healthy. He
had no fears of injury by frost. So in passing
through Falmouth, Cumberland and Gray in
Cumberland county, a few days since, we saw
farms in certain localities which had no sign
of frost upon them, whilst others on the same
road were considerably smitten. A gentle
man called ON the writer last week who had
recently made purchase of a farm in Winthrop.
1t is situated on gentle elevation overlook
ing pond, and he remarked that no sign of
frost had yet appeared on his premises. His
cucumber vines and melons are yet green and
fruitful. The owner of such farm has no
concern, when his seed is once in the ground
OF its ever suffering damage by frost. There
aresuch chosen spots all around us, of which
as we have said, we have had occular and
pleasing demonstration during our rides about
the State since September commenced.
Net only are lands of elevated and undulat-
ing surface to be preferred on account of their
freedom from frosts, but the SUBMITS are al
ways sure locality for wheat The air is
never at perfect rest on the top of a hill; con-
sequently wheat growing there is always agi-
tated by breeze, and when this is the case
the wheat midge or weevil cannot alight and
hold on for the deposit of its Larvae. We rec
ollect calling not long ago on a good, inde-
pendent farmer whose tarm is amongst the
highlands that separate the waters ofthe Ken
nebec from the Penobscot, and he remarked
to me that he never saw weevil on his prem
ises! He has never failed OF a crop Of wheat,
and while he had lived there he had never
bought a barrel of -four. The same facts are
found to be true by late call upon farmer
in Franklin county. The secret is, these gen.
tlemen occupy elevated ground, and always
sow their wheat on SUBMITS where the stalks
of grain in the Towering season are agitated
by the gentle air in circulation day and night,
and the grain is allowed to go into perfection
free from the depreciation of the insect tribes.
The Franklin farmer, where we called the
other day, was harvesting five acres of excel
lent wheat, from which no doubt he will VIM
now up one hundred bushels. .ag.
TRAxL