The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1867-05-16
Resources of Maine.

The n. 7. Tribune speaks of o lecture recent
ly delivered in New York city before the Asso-
citation for the Advancement of Science. We
are glad the resources of our State are begin
ming to arrest the attention of distant observ-
ers. We quote: -....,. .,Q ...... i..iv
The lecturer remarked that less was known
of this State than Of any other in the Union;
that for the last 20 years her sons had been em-
igrating from her, but he prophesed that this
would cease and that her future would be OF
growing Importance. The history and
geography of the State were then
briefly referred to, no reason having
been ascertained, said the lecturer, why the
name of Maine" had been given it. Occupy
ing one halt Of the entire surface of New Eng
land, this State was of the greatest national
Importance, and we had reason to rejoice that
the American Eagle had not left it TO the vo-
racity of her neighbor the British lion. Her
14,O00,OO0 acres of forest, rich in pines and
mighty cedars, beech, birch, and hemlock tim
ber, renders her the greatest of sbip-building
States. Her fisheries are second only to those
of Massachusetts,. The climate ranging from
100 degrees above to 20 below zero, was describ-
ed as exceedingly healthy; the winter, owing
to the Gulf Stream, being more moderate than
in New York or Massachusetts, the changes
being less sudden and the SHOWS less deep
The birds-Maine being the hand Of song-ani-
mails grain market, garden produce were then
products of the State were given: Wheat 233,-
876 bush; Indian corn, 1,546,071 BUSH; Oats
2,9SS, ,939 bush; Potatoes, 6,T6,052 bush; Hay,
975,S03 tons. The lecture concluded with full
description ofth minerals ofMaine. of which
specimens were exhibited. 4
AT the conclusion OF the lecture some inter-
esting remarks were made by j. DistarnelI.
ESQ.,, anthor of "Infuences OF Climate Relat-
ing to the World" &C., on the climate of Maine,
New Hampshire and Vermont. The mean an
a1 fam, afr,ra ~ fI,a n, 49,
stated as 81 degrees Fahrenheit and the ayeroce
mean temperature of the seasons as follows.
Spring, 35 degrees; summer, 62 degrees. an
tumn, 40 degrees; winter, IL degrees Fahrep-
heit, the mercury occasionally getting to 36
degrees below zero, and rising to 90 degrees
above. The season Of vegetation in,these re-
glons Is at least three months later than in
South Carolina and Georgia. The mountains
OF Maine, the highest being ,335 feet above the
ocean, and the White mountains exercise great
influence on the climate of this region
Mr.. Page, we think is mistaken in saying
our winters are more moderate than In Ne"
York or Massachusetts, or that the SHOWS are
less deep. We have, happily, more snow here
than in those States, unless it be on the
porksb;re mountains, and in western New
yorl, He is right in speaking of our changes
of weather being less sudden than in the
states before mentioned He might have said
too to our credit, that we are freer from those
terrible northeast winds which, sweeping into
Massachusetts Bay from Newfoundland and
the Fundy foss, are so dis sreeablc and fatal
often, to the seaboard cities and towns of our
parent commonwealth. We suffer little, COM
paratively, from those winds.
Is not Mr.. Page in error when he says that
no reason has been ascertained why the name
'Maine" was given to this State? Unless we
have always been mistaken, it was given in
honor of the Province of Meyne in France,
which belonged to one of the Princesses of
England. In French takes the sound ofd,
and q is the same as i. Hence instead Of ey,
we substitute in English, al in Maiae, rather
than Meyne.