Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1885-08-15
BILL NYE IN MAINE.
Prospect of a Very Large Stone Crop.
Planting Glover Seed With Mus
tard Plasters.

The state of Maine is a good place
in which to experiment with prohibit
ton, but it is not a good placeto farm
it in very largely.
In the first place, the season is gen
orally a little reluctant. When was
up near Moosehead lake, short time
ago, people were driving across that
body of water on the ice with perfect
impunity. That is one thing that in
terferes with the farming business in
Maine. If a young man is sleigh
riding every night until midnight, he
doesn't feel like hoeing corn the fol-
lowing day. Anyman who has ever
had his feet frOst-bitten while bugging
potatoes will agree with me that it
takes away the charm of pastoral
pursuits. 1t is this desire to amalga-
mate dog days and Santa Claus that
has injured Maine as an agricultural
hot-bed.
Another reason that might be as
signed for retaining from agricultur-
al pursuits in Maine is that the agita-
tors of the soil find, when it is too
late, that the soil itself, which is es-
sential to the successful propagation
of crops, has not been in use in Maine
for years. While all over the state
there is magnificent stone founda-
ton on which a farm might safely
rest, the superstructure, or farm prop
er, has not been secured.
If / had known when l passed
through Minnesota and Illinois what
soil famine there was in Maine, !
should have brought some with me.
The stone crop this year in Maine
will be very great. If they do not
crack open during the dry weather,
there will be a great many. The
stone bruise is looking unusually well
for this season of the year, and chill
blains were in full bloom when l was
there. s
In the neighborhood of Pittstield
the country seems to run largely tC
cold water and chattel mortgages
Some think that rum has kept Maine
back, but claim that it has been wei
feet. In another Sabbath morning
talk j will refer to the matter of run
in Maine more fully.
The agricultural resources of Pitts
field and vicinity are not great, the
principal exports being spruce gun
and Christmas trees. Here also thu
huckleberry hath her home. But thu
country seems to run largely to Christ
mas trees. They were not yet il
bloom when / visited the state, so i
was too early to gather popcorn ball
and Christmas presents.
Here, near Pittsfield, is the birth
place of the only original wormles
dried-apple pie, with which we gen
orally insult our gastric econom.
when we lunch along the railroad
These pies, when properly kiln drie'
and riveted, with German silver mon
Ogram on top, if fitted out with Val
time-lock, make the best fire AM
burglar-prOOf wOrmless pies of com
merce. They take the place of civi
war, and as promoter of intestine
strife, they have no equal.
The farms in Maine are fenced i
with stone walls. lido not know VIII
this is done, for l didnotsee anythin
on these farms that anyone woul
naturally yearn to carry away wit
him.
saw some sheep in one of thes
Enclosures. Their steel-pOinted bill
were lying on the wall near then
and they were resting their jaws
the crisp, frosty morning air. In al
other Enclosure a farmer was plantin
clover seed with a hypOdermi
syringe, and covering it with mu
tard plaster. He said last year h
clover was a complete failure becaus
his mustard plasters were no gooC
He had tried to save money by usin
secondhand mustard plasters, anC
of course, the clover seed, missing IL
u,or,,, Stin,uluS uaUIac+nd to roll,