Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1879-04-03
Misfellansons. g
I Bangor Wing and Courier.
Farming in Maine.

The following paper upon Farming in
Maine" was read at recent meeting OF the
Penobscot Farmers Club, by X. W. Murch.
Esq. OF Hampden:
II you should mark out a zone quite
around the world OF about fifteen degrees
in width. north OF the thirty eighth degree
OF north latitude, In which Maine would be
little south of the needle. you would In
close the very best part of the earth In a.
most every respect. Within this zone. ag-
rcsl;ure. and all that pertains 10 1t, are in
the highest state OF perfection. In this belt.
10 North America. and in Europe certainly.
the sun of intelligence rises higher. and
shines brighter by far, than In any other
portion of our world; indeed, her rays OF
Intelligence are shining beyond her own
boundary lines, over into the dark regions
OF Asia and Africa Ia the south. and up into
the colder regions OF the north. Within
these lines. all the leading Industries OF the
world. the arts, and sciences. are far 10 the
adyance,-bu, what Is higher aud better
still, within this zone, moral and Christian
greatness stand pre-eminent.
The present agricultural condition OF
this zone could never have had an eXls-
tence, had not God. 10 His infinite wisdom,
foreseen, and provided for them, by inclin-
ing the axis OF the earth twenty-three and
one-half degrees 10 its orbit.
Ii man could make u world, think IL
would be q very Imperfect one. But when
God, who Is perfect In all His works and
ways" created the world. and stretched
IL out over the empty north, and hung IL
upon nothing" and set il revolving. He
understood the end from the beginning /;
and so planned all its purposes and condi-
iions, and provided for them.
Man could invent and construct print
ing press, a steam engine, cotton-spinning
and weaving machinery, etc, but they
never came from his hand perfect. They
we're homely, and clumsy, and imperfect,
as compared with the beauty, adaptation
to purpose, and perfection OF those in use
at the present day. How nicely each little
part does its work! How perfectly the
whole performs all that Is required OF il !!
But who will say this combined beauty,
and power, aud action, are perfect now?
Take our agricultural implements OF to-
day. Is compared with what they were fifty
years ago, and see what improvements
have been made. The moving machine,
for instance, an invention OF later years.
What improvements have )been made in
this machine! The inventor did not see
the Iced OF them, and could not. Ii was
only when II WAS put 10 operation, that al
terations, and improvements were seen to
be necessary. And SO by changing here
and there, adding something in one place.
and taking away from another, We have
the perfect machine Of to-day. But is it
perfect? Who knows?
Ii man could have made . world, il would
be very imperfect one. Ii Is quite likely
he would have fixed its axle perpendicular
tts Ntxae u kau Ia.
result?
The days and nights would have been of
equal length all over the world, and ut all
tunes of the year.
There would be no change Of season
TO spring to plant and SOW, no summer to
grow and ripea our crops. no fall TO hsr-
vest, and no winter TO enjoy the fruits OF
our labors. Year 10 and year out, as the
years went by. there would be the same
monotOny of climate-the season would
never change.
At the equator the sun would divide the
heavens into two equal parts every day.
the ground would be parched and dried,
aud vegetation suffer.
In this latitude. the sun 10 passing
through the heavens, would reach. at his
highest point, an altitude Of about forty
five degrees. As q Consequence, our tenn
perature would be nearly constant, what
ever that might be. Ii would be neither SO
cold as on the 2lst OF March, nor SO warm
as ON the 2lst of September; but near .
mean between the temperatures Of those
two days, without allowing for u mOdifca-
tion by different order Of marine currents
and winds.
II will be seen that very large portion
of the best l have alluded tO-the best ag-
riculturaI part of the world-N ould have a