The Portland daily press., 1868-05-11

j. z. CHAFFEE, of Colorado.
Letter from Lewiston.
Fruit Culture in Androscoggin County-Baild-
ing Of q Nelo Shoe Factory in AUBURN
The Aetburn Y. Dr. G. A-Pref Eninger-
Shoe, Woolen and Cotton Manuf factures in
this District
To the Editor of the Press:
1t is altogether pleasant to observe, among
the people of this county, a growing zeal for
fruit culture. True, our farmers, as a class,
are not waking up to the merits of the or
chard; yet here and there one, reinforced by
few engaged in other CALI ngs, has gone ear
nestly to work, planting apples, pears, cher
ries, grapes, ct cetera. For example, Lucius
Packard, of North Auburn, has, within a few
years, set out some 1900 apple and pear trees,
covering about 25 acres of land.
A better idea, however, of the expanding
fruit culture in this county may be got from
the operations of the Chase Brothers, whose
p. o. address is Sidney, Maine, but who sell
fruit trees in different parts of this State, in
New Hampshire and Massachusetts. Two
years ago these gentlemen sold fruit trees and
vines, at this point, to the amount of $1,000
last year to the amount of $500; while their
sales, this season, will reach $4744, as follows:
at Lewiston S3644, at Greene $500 at North
Auburn $500. They also have sold quite
large number of trees at Mechanic Falls
about $500 worth-one half perhaps to be set
out in this county, the remainder in Oxford.
Here they SELL principally, apples and pears,
grated when they are one year DID, and they
are four years old at the time of the SALE
Here they also find a market, though less ex-
tensive, for cherries, plums, gooseberries, cur
rants, grapes and strawberries. All their trees
are from Rochester, New York. If the apples,
selling at $50 per 100, compose two-thirds Of
the sales the present season, then there must
have been sold of them $1,000 trees, enough to
cover 240 acres of land, allowing 80 trees to
.i'0- Hvrr. w men we cuIsIuer ConsIuera-
BILE is being done by other parties we may fair
ly conclude that during this spring 400 or 500
acies have been or will be planted with fruit
trees of different varieties in this county
which has never made any pretensions to fruit
culture. To be sure, this is not much, yet it
is vastly better than nothing, while the work
of planting appears to be on the increase We
ought to have the best of apples at fifty cents
per bushel, and 1 believe there is great deal
of land in this State upon which they can be
protitably raised at that price.
The sales of the Chase Brothers in this
State and in Massachusetts, am told, will
reach about $1,000 the current season. In
Massachusetts they sell, principally, pears,
small fruits and vines, together with orna-
mental trees and shrubbery. I understand
that the sales of the Chase Brothers of Buck
field, who also deal in fruit trees, win amount
to some $4,000 or $4,000 this spring.
Messrs. Asa Cushman & Co, shoe-manufac-
turers of Auburn, have commenced the
erection of shoe factory near the depot.
1t is to be of brick, 4OxsO feet and four sto-
res high. They will put in 10-horse engine
to drive the sewing and bottoming machines;
of the latter there will probably be two, of the
former thirty or mole. Only one of the Auburn
shoe-manufacturing establishments Miller
& Randall-now use power for driving their
sewing machines. The result is that the girls
running them break down rapidly, so hard
is the work. Messrs. Cushman & Co. now
employ 125 hands-S5 men and 40 girls. Up
on the completion of their new building they
will probably employ a somewhat larger num-
Der even.
The animal meeting of the Young Mems
Christian Association, of Auburn, was held
last Sunday evening at the High Street Con-
gregational Church, when the report of the
treasurer Mr. Frank Bartlett, was made, and
a very interesting and admirable address was
delivered by Mr. f. L. Dingley, President Of
the association for the past year. The receipts
of the association, the past year, amounted to
$2O43 cash. For books $3.50 were expended
27S books were also donated, and the library
now contains 904 volumes-a very excellent
collection. The reading room has daily and
35 weekly newspapers, with 10 monthly peri
| odicals. OF the subscribers to the library
more than one half are boys. The library has
| paid 25 per cent. interest on the investment
1t is proposed to double its capacity at once
| funds are now being rapidly raised for that
| purpose. 1t is thought that the receipts from
| the library alone, when enlarged, will nearly
| pay the annual expenditures of the associa.
| tion, which are estimated at about 5000. -
| Some $1,000 tracts and papers of various kinds
have been distributed by the association dur
ing the year. Over $50 meetings for prayer
have been held in the loom of the association
over 500 Sabbath sessions of mission school,
and prayer meetings; over so souls have been
converted. The association begins its second
| year with about $500 in cash, with property
valued at $1500 and with undiminshed yea
and hopefulness. Mr. r. M. Jordan is Presi
| dent for the current year.
| Prof Eminger, who has been for number
of years organist at the High Street Congre.
| gational Church, Auburn, enters upon an en-
| gagement with the State Street Church, Port
land, tomorrow. Prof. Eminger is undoubt
edly thorough master of his art, and thi;
community is largely indebted to him for Cor
rect musical taste.
The following figures show the internal rev
| enue collections in this district the past foul
months, upon shoes, woolen and cotton goods
Shoes-January, $5S5 SS on December sales
February, 573 "a on January sale,
| March, S26 As on February sales
April, 1,226 16 on March sale:
| Total revenue, S3211 81
| AS the tax was two per cent. this would in
dictate that the total sales for the four months
ending with March, amounted to S160,592-
This was not a large amount, for the manufac'
turers and purchasers both held back, expect
that the tax would be taken OIL. Inc TAX IL
now 81 on thousand, when the safes io'
the year amount to $4,000. Manuiacturer'
license $40 besides.
woo,ens-,Jan., S3,477 81 on December sales
"'o Feb. 322 90 on January sales
Mar, 2,551 As on February sales
Apr, 1873 46 on March sales
4