The Republican journal., 1885-04-16
Name: Its Agricultural Features al
Capabilities.
BY SAMUEL l.. BOARDMAN.
[Copyright. 1884. S. u. Rl


Copyright, 1884, S. l.. 3D.
oRCIIARDING, TRUCK FARMING, AND SMALL
| FRUITS.
In the value of its orchard products, Maine
leads the New England States. and stands the
thirteenth in rank among the states of the
Union. Compared with the other New Eng
land States in this particular, the figures are as
follows:
NcW NanG amn y ll3ys6 y31
vermont NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. $40 942
Mas @massachuseits.. OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. l,o0j,503
hhoue lslitnd. ...-..-........-......... 5S l5l
N"nhectic"t'. '.-.- ..-.... 435,2i6
Maine ispre- eminenfy an apple growing and
apple producing State. The soil. climate and
other natural conditions are just suited to the
! healthy and vigorous growth of the trees and
the rerfecting of the fruit. 1t has long been
known that our Northern grown fruit. are
among the best keeping and finest favored
| apples III the worid. and will command the
| highest price wherever apples can be carried,
and, with cargoe~ Of ice. they have been safely
| carried 10 the fartheSt points of the goie.
| The greater firmnes> of flesh which Maine
| grown apples possess, and their quent
| high and rich flavor give them great superb
| orlty for shipment over those grown in the
| Cuba IN Slow sailing vessels have arrived in
| much better condition than those sent from
| New York by steamers, and our Maine apples
| can be sent after more southern grown fruit
| has gone out Of the market. Already there
| has IA large trade sprung up in Ga cow and
| Liverpool for Maine apples, which are shipped
| from Portland. A line Of English steamers
leaves this port weekly during the winter
| season. for Liverpool, and with almost every
| trip Maine apples are sent out, arriving in
oh
Formerly but little attention was given, COM
| paratiVely. TO varieties; but in recent years
large orchards have been set out of the best
winter sorts, which are now bearing large
crops and giving good returns. The leading
varieties of winter or shipping fruit are Bald
win, Greenng, Northern Spy. Bellfowers.
RoAbury Russets and Talman Sweets. Sys-
ematc, careful. judcious orchardng as
business Is now being carried on largely by our
farmers, who make a study OF this branch Of
farming and are meeting good success. We
have many orchards in the best fruit growing
sectlons-kennebec, Franklin. Anuroscoggin.
somerset. and portions of Oxford and Penob-
scot Countles-that number from 1000 TO 5000
tlceS. Apple trees do not succeed along coast
towns so well as in the central portions of
the State; and in the high laitudes fruit cul-
ture il not much attempted. as in the northern
part of Aroostook County. Pears, grapes,
piums, and peaches are grown generally
throughout The central and southern portions
of Maine. One grower IN York County raises
300 or 400 bushels of peaches annually, of good
quality
With the development of our water-powers
anu the erection of the manufacturing cities in
our Slate, a new market has been maie for the
products of the truck farm. and market gar
denlnS Is becoming leading specially in the
vicinity OF all our large cities. Until Within a
iew years our markets were supplied from
Boston markets. but now growers in our own
State. are making truck farming leading
Portland. Lewiston A hi
ner Bath. Rockland. Augusta. Waterviile,
Bangor, and hundreds Of smaller villages now
form good markets for early garden crops
lettuce. cabbages. celery, Strawberries potatoes.
onions, and ali varieties of "truck,' and there
are already celebrated farms devoted to this
class of crops. Not unfrequenty three or four
acres of Strawberries are grown bv one person.
There Is Il good market for these crops and
there are many good openings for the business
OF growing them near our large and enterpris-
ing towns. cities. and villages. This line of
farming is comparatively new in Maine, but is
already one of our most successful lines of
business farming.
There are good markets for everything grown
and raised upon The farm al the very doors of
Ihe farmer in every part OF Maine, and at the
best prices.
STOCK HCSBANDRY.
What was then called thoroughbred stock,
was brought to Maine as early as 1927 The
thoroughbred bull Denton, "a ..Durham short
horn, having been introduced into kemnebec
Co"nty al thai date. The Hert1nrds followed
soon after, Then the Devon>, aud then the
Jerseys. Al present We have few Devons, but
have many tine herds OF Shorthorn> and some
Of the best herds of Jerseys. IIerpfords, Pollcd
Angus. and SUSSEX cattle on the continent.
L, rhaps there Is more interest in the Jersey, in
This State at present than in any other breed
There are ten or "A dozen splendid herds Of
American Cattle Club Jerseys in the State
" bile of The Maine jersey Cattle Association
registry, this society having published three
volumes Of its Herd Book, there are equally As
many. Within the past few years six hundred
head of thoroughbred English Hereiord> have
been imported directly by Maine breeders, a
@oodl number Of which have gone West,
while about one hundred PUlled Angus and "a
cholre herd OF Sutf1 H. have also been import
td directly to kcnntbtc County. the heart of
The best farming section of The 5 Ate, if Week
ctpt AroU>touk County. The cru>~-bred and
grade cattle of the State. a. working oxen,
mich COWS. and young Stock are Of good
quatltN ana show great lmprovrmr over the
cattle OF twenty wears ago In ISS2 Maine sent
1896 head of cattle to the Boston market but
IL Is SAFE 70 say the numbers sent in 1883 will
reach nearer l3,OQO. The value Of the farm
stock IN Maine returned by the census of 1850
was Sl6499316.
Sheep hu>bandry receives great attention at
the hands OF Maine farmers, particularly the
improved American Merinos. In Somerset
county, the census Of 1850 returned l16.9lO
sheep, nearly double The number Of IN, other
county in the State. The Sheep OF thi, county
are almost wholly Merinos and their grades
and Anson, in Somerset County, is he head
quarters of the Maine Merino Sheep Breeders
Association, which has established registry
of the thoroughbred, selected sheep of the
state. But there are thoroughbreds Of South
downs. Oxford Downs. Hampshire Downs.
ohfop>hlres, and CotsWolds in The State in
large numbers, 50 that cross bretls are widely
introduced. OF the 900 800 sheep demanded to
supply Boston market yearly. Maine sent in
iSS2 366o6; but now that facilities exist at
HOulton, III Aroostook County. for slaughter-
'hS sheep at that point and sending them to
market dressed in refrigerator cars, the num-
peF forwarded viii be very much greater in
1853, and will continue to grow larger wear by
year IN the future. In all probability the
slaughterng of beef cattle for Boston market
VIII also form leading business of the live
stock industry of Maine in the wears to come
we have unsurpassed facilities for IT. and the
opportunities only need to be mentioned to
soon be taken advantage of by business men.
IN the production of fine carriage, road
gentlemen driving. and business horses, Maine
mas reputation second only to that of one
other State IN the Union. Famous sres have
gwen Maine great fame as horse rearing
State ana we have breeders all over the State
who are carrying on the business with the ont
iay OF great SKILL ability, and money; and
building upon good foundation a Solid struct-
ure OF high credit, superior characteristics,
and staying qualities for Maine horses. In the
value OF horses, working oNen and sheep,
Maine leads the New England States
Working
State. Horses Cows oven sheen
Malhe ....-.-...S1,S4S 150,Sf5 1903 56S.9S
Ne" ianrslllie..--- .46,I13 9o,5i6 29,l5l q ,s25
Vermont a.2lJ 2lT,033 lS,sGS 43g,o10
MtSsacnuSetl tls.... 59,629 l50455 H,5I 6l,979
Rhode Island ....... 9.66l 1850 1913 l7yII
Connecticut t........44 4.94O llG,3l9 2o,4io 59,43!
FISH AND FISHING. Fish Commissioners
Sliiwrll and Stanley. and the newly elected
commissioner of sea fisheries, b. w. Counce Of
Ihoma>ton, had a meeting at the State House,
April 1st, and asked the Governor and Council
to clear up certain discrepancies in the new
law......lt is rumored that unless there is a
revival in that branch of business, the sardine
factory at Mibridge will not be worked the
coming season.....B. W. Counce, the new Maine
commissioner of sea fisheries, will begin work
immediately, visiting the western portion of
the state this week appointing fish war(enS to
enforce the law.....yhe close time for black