The Portland daily press., 1872-09-30
Farming in ArOOstOOk.
Mr.. Carroll >

f1OuLTON, sept. ZSth.
To the Editor of the Press :
The completion of the European and North
American railway in connection with the New
Brunswick and Canada railway, has brought our
rich and undeveloped Aroostook two days near
er Portland Not long since it was as much of
an undertaking to go to Aroostook as to go to
the West. Consequently nearly all of Names
surplus young men who found the home farms
too small for old and young, followed the ad-
vice of the great and good Democratic candi-
date for the Presidency to Ego West" AS the
young men of Maine, the intelligent ones,
won't ollow Mr. Greeley in November, let us
hope that more of them will look to our own
resources before needing the injunction of the
candidate who hasn't been appreciated by ''the
hide bound states of the East where 'revou-
tions never begin"
The census tables show that the population
of ArOostook county increased forty per
cent. during the last decade, while the value of
farms has more than doubled during that pc
riod, which of itself shows that the increase of
wealth has been largely in excess of the increase
of population, proving that farming in that Sec
ton pays better than most other investments
careful farmer in our new county has made
money the last ten years. There is hardly an
exception even in the older towns. Farms have
increased in value, buildings have been improv-
ed, better horses and carriages are driven, and
that surest of all indications of thrift the saw
ings bank, affords ample evidence that this new
coutry is most prosperous. An officer of the
Houlton savings bank informed us recently that
the deposits the first year at the present ratio
will reach 100000. Nevertheless such is the
restlessness of our Yankee people that good
good farms can always be purchased at reasona-
BILE rates, varying from $500 to $4,000, according
to the improvements, the latter price securing
farm having good buildings, young orchard,
which in Cumberland or Kennebec would be
worth $4,000 or more. The man who really has
made up his mind to make his pile by farming,
can do as well in Aroostook as elsewhere as the
above facts indicate.
The present week the annual exhibition of
the Aroostook Agricultural Society took place.
The weather was uDpropitious both days,yet the
show of horses and cattle on the first day-par-
ticularly the first-was one of the best we have
ever seen. Aroostook is famous for horses and
80 OANNA oo"ho Oau uAiuS Out LlUIe anu HHer
horses than the same number of farmers else
where in the State. There were two hundred
entries of horses at the show, the greater part
being young. 1t beat the State exhibition at
Bangor most decidedly. There is a growing
tendency to breed with reference to the trotting
course rather than for the farm and more use
full callings, which is already so marked as to
make the wiser apprehensive of the results in a
few years. The exhibition of neat cattle was
not what we should expect. There were but
few oxen, very few thoroughbreds and no herds
that give evidence of care or enterprise in this
most important of all departments of stock rails
ing 1t is encouraging however, to know that
the attention of Aroostook farmers is gradually
being turned to this matter. In the important
branch of sheep rearing, Aroostook leads the
State as the exhibition showed. The State
Show was nowhere in comparison. The at
tendance of farmers was very large, and never
saw more intelligent or interested lot. In
dress they differ from their brethren in your
section-the homespun suit of gray mixed OF
some other homemade manufacture, constitut-
ing the prevailing dress. I wandered about
the grounds all day, taking observations. saw
any signs of indulgence of that character
The day following, Friday, was set apart for
the fair. 1t was anything but a fair day. New
ertheless the farmers and their wives, sons and
daughters, came out in very large numbers,
showing what an event it would have been at
any other time. The display of dairy products
was very large and excellent land the samples of
the industry and handiwork of the household
embraced everything from web of non-shoddy
homespun to quilt of rainbow colors, from a
handsomely plaided dress pattern of home
manufacture to web of house linen from the
ga ne industrious source. Nor were the finer
an more fanciful departments neglected
There was no lack of those whimsicalities of
worsted, cotton, and whatever else that so de-
light the feminine heart, made, probably, by
the same skillful hand that wrought the web of
homespun that took the first premium.
The display of fruit was not great in variety
but excellent in quality. The samples could
not be excelled. We are glad to notice that the
best farmers are giving much attention to fruit
culture, and in few years there will be hun
dreds of fine orchards. Rev. Mr.. Elder delv-
cred the annual address, plain practical dis
course, bristlng with sharp points and home
tnruStS, showing tnaI he knew something ABOUT
farming and something, too, that is useful.
The crops the past year for the most part
have been good though the bad weather has
damaged them somewhat in harvesting. The
potato crop is very much lighter than last year
per acre while the breadth planted is not two
Thirds az large There will not be half the
crop of last year. The hay crop is a third
larger than last year though not so fine in quail
ty There is great deal of grain not yet Sc
cured, the weather has been so bad. Up to this
date there has been no frost to kill the tenderest
vines in this locality 5.
care in Ch;oaro