The Portland daily press., 1874-02-16
tConciaded.)
The Flora Of Maine.

Inc flOra or Maine. F
A. ID, 1924.
Another English captain, Christopher Leav-
EFT was in these waters, and in the account of
the fruits and fora of the region, adds the
''plum-tr -tree,'' as one OF the features Of his OBJ
servation. But at this time, the lumber and
timber trade with England, from Pemaquid,
had become established, where captain With
erage was found loading mast pines and
spruces for Barnstable. 7e Tdu.Fnai
A. D. 1888. ssd we.f
Thirteen years before Joselyn made his
voyage to Scarboro'. which was in this year,
transfers of land titles had begun to be made
a' remaquid, and official records then were
openeu' In his voyages, he gives data, from
wnich we eau form some idea Of the size of
our forest pine and spruces. He speaks of
the apple tree as .hen introduced, and saws.
that "hag a score of pippins ,oere brought
from Governors Island in Boston Harbor.
there not being one apple or pear tree in any
part Of the country, but onsthat Island,n 1t
has however frequently been in print, that
pears were annually borne on tree upon
Gov Endicot's farm in Salem, planted 1928.
But quiuces, damsons, cherries, with ap-
pie trees,pear trees. cherry, plum and barbery
trees, had replenished the country with
fair and large orchards before 1871. AID.
1885 cattle were still imported to Pemaquid
aud in 1910 hay and cattle abounded at and
about Pemaquid, and were exported from
there to Massachusetts. Land also in Maine
as early as 1926 in and about Pelnaquid, had
become valuable for title and speculation,
aud al active demand as personal acquisi-
ton had sprung up showing not only density
OF population, but population addicted to
agricul'u pursuits.
In 1889 the territory of Woowich border
ing OH the waters of the Sagadahoc, was
bought up by Pemaquid )pIoprietors, and in
1852, the east banks Of the Sreepscot river,
from Ovens mouth to Sheepscot Falls became
the purchase of John Mason. Y-
These purchases bear remarkable ves.i res
If early civilized husbandry and horticulture.
They mark the liver side rod or two from
the shore. The soil is allnvial. John Mason
| the original English owner OF this territory OF
more than six miles square, resided at Sheep
| scot, and at his house on the 9th of Sep. 1860
| sat the commissioners court, which organized
| the region into municipal and shire town
| named New Dartmouth of a new county
| called Cornwall, and Maine became prov
i ince OF New York. The antecedent settle
ment SO organized, was the ancient hamlet Of
'SHEEPsCOr FARMS" which as early as 1928
embraced some fifty families. 1t was now
| the shire town OF Ducal state of which Penn
| aquid was the capital, whose capital was cali
| ed "James Town" .-....
"walter Phips' was the first clerk Of the
courts here, and noted as gardener as well as
public officer. He had acquired large land
ed possessions and had his homestead on the
banks OF the Damariscotta, near the lower or
salt water falls and upon theseastern slope. a
hill below. He had made very great imar we,
ments in agriculture and horticulture, reared
an apple orchard around his house.
Samuel small, a servant OF Hon. Henry
Joselyn, Chief-Justice of the Courts at Pema
quid at the date OF his death 1882 testified
that he had often gathered apples in Philips
orchard, which tor excellence and exten
must have been one of the most attractive il
New England. Subsequent to 1890 ant
which budded and blossoUied in thriffful soil
: tude over the ruins of an old chimney, the re
mains of Walter Philips house, who was
| man of note in his day in these parts, ant
had there lived considerable time past
and whose orchard was growing and thriftfu
amid the desoations )f savage harbarity, at
!, | ter all the Inhabitants had fed 17I9.
Orchaid relics both of the pear, the larg
red and black cherry and apple, half cen
tury ago abounded along the east banks o.
the Sheepscot river below the narrows oil
Wiscasset Bay, of which but one or two
| specimens remain slll u4V ,laIr4T
A pumpkin sweet ian old tree In 1S05)
With trunk thirty inches diameter brancbed
ihto atop of large size and height, stands by
the shore on the Sheepscot, at what was
anccntly ''Nigger-head,' landing for wood
shippers. 1t bears the marks OF great age.
1t was surrounded by ancient sour fuited
apr les OF large size, which overshadowed the
cellar remains of early Sheepscot homes,
relics of past age and race of horticultural
tastes. In plowing down the earth mounds
| of one OF the old cellars, peculiarly shaped
knife armed with hooked back clasp, and a
seven-inch poniard blade, was turned out,
1t was however, mere outline of oxadza-
| ton, and soon crunibled to ashes of iron dust.
These orchard remains We re usually envir-
oned with the debris of early civilized home
steads. The hoary pumpkin sweet" are al
| gone, but the lie relic of a giant and an.
| cient growth, of whose planting no reccit
remains even in tradition; and the most an
cient of the acid fruits of large size are utter
! ly extinct nowl l2,.is esao .4j -iE7
A solution of these orchard problems may
be hal in the hypothesis of an early Span
ish, French or English colonization here; o.
perhaps of children of Faderland, from the
Rhine or the Hudson, may haye here herald
ed the dawnings OF civilized inarstries on
the shores of New England in the patie.t tot
and husbandry OF that agricultural race who,,..
thrift MAKES Germany the garden spot O
Europe. s753Ils.l sdi yT9ad llgs- 8.