The Portland daily press., 1888-09-08
FIRES IN THE coRNF,eL Ds.
The Immense Loss to Maine Crops
by the Frosts.

Reports from Maine towns of the damage
by the severe frosts of Wednesday and
Thursday nights show that the sweet corn
crop is nearly destroyed in many places and
other crops are greatly injured Trustee
Bracket, one of the Maine State Fair trus-
tees, says the loss in Maine from the frosts
this week, will be over million dollars.
The Unity corn factory packed 1900 cans
Thursday, raised by man who had an early
variety. This will probably be the whole
production this season.
The thermometer at Bethel registered 3Oo
above zero Friday morning. Ice formed the
thickness Of window glass. The sweet corn
crop is apparently failure this year. Woolf
q Ressing commenced packing Wednesday,
but much of the corn is unfit for packing.
The frost in the vicinity of Leeds, was Sc
we're, and will probably result in the total
destruction of the sweet corn crop. 1t is a
serious blow to the farmers, who have here
tofore found their corn a very profitable
crop, this town being one Of the best loca-
tion in the sweet corn belt
AT North Anson, some farmers kept large
fires burning in their corn fields. Thursday
night, and Friday morning at o'clock the
thermometer registered six degrees below
freezing point. Much loss will be suffered
by the farmers.
At Mt. Vernon the corn is ruined, the
flowers are spoiled and everybody sorry.
The heavy frost Wednesday night togeth-
er with heavier one Thursday night, near
" ruined the sweet corn in Rumford. Mr..
Ill. Il. Webb's factory at Rumford Point put
up corn some 25 days last year. J. III. Mar
TN, who has charge Of gathering the corn
N thinks they will not be able to run more
than three or four days this year. The loss
In Rumford alone on the corn, beans and
other produce will reach some $1,000. Other
towns in this section will also suffer severe
ly, Dixfeld, Peru. Milton and others.
At Norridgewock the frost ruined the
sweet corn crop, being loss to the farmers
Of that section Of at least $4,000.
AT New Portland, ice fourth of an inch
thick formed on water in pals sitting in the
open air
The fiost, Wednesday night, followed by
that of Thursday, was the heaviest frost ever
known in Winthrop. Old people say they
never saw anything like it. The landscape
in the sunshine looked as If covered with
snow. Crops generally are SERIOUSLY in
jured.
There was second heavy frost at Farm
ington Friday morning, which with the one
| OF the preceding morning, wrought serious
damage to almost all kinds Of farm crops,
especially to the corn crop, which is the
large important crop at this section in the
Sandy river valley. On account of the back
wardness OF the season the corn was not
nearly as far advanced as usual at this date,
and its further progress is effectually stopped
by the frost, and 1t will have to be hurried at
once to the corn canning factories in its i'm
mature condition, and what there Is of it Is
now In damaged state by reason of the
frost. The money damage will mount far up
into the thousands to the farmers Of Frank
lin county, who are little able this year to
sustain such heavy loss.
a La Grange correspondent writes thus {:
IT'S goodbye pumpkin and squash pies,'
nereabouts. and its goodbye other garden
like young snow storm, DESTROYING the I'm.
ture growth of corn and other grains out in
the field. Jack has seldom laid so heavy a
hand upon the fields SO early, and the loss
will be very large"
Gen. Mattocks, interviewed on the effect of
the frost, said: I'VE cannot tell with GER
tainty, for we do not fully know the extent
OF the frost. So far as we have heard, this
morning, the corn crop is damaged in many
localities, and while short crop was already
| reasonably assured by the cold weather the
present season, the recent frost makes the
assurance certain. The crop will be short.
the shortest for many years. There have
been heavy frosts in the Saco Valley and
throughout Cumberland county, where corn
is largely planted. / think it will have the
effect to stiffen prices on the canned product.
Inc snort crop Will increase the sales and
the prices of the Maine corn crop.
Reports from the towns throuehout Y orh
county state that the heavy frost did great
damage to the crops. The season was so
backward that hardly anything had been
harvested,