Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1890-06-09

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operations may at once be commenced.
Indeed the
fransforsnattsn In Spring Tiae
from the thick wintry covering Of snow
to the rich green carpet upon our fields
is sometimes wonderful and il often
seems "A II some magic wand had been
waved over the bosom Of Mother Earth
and caused the change. Late in April
the forest trees may be stretching out
their bare and leafless branches to the
winds, when ere We are aware the pop
lars at the edge Of the woods are begin
ming to bud, and almost in day the
leaves burst forth and they are covered
with wealth Of verdure. Winter here
seldom fingers long sin the lap Of
Spring. for spring is a busy maiden in
Aroost0ok and when seed time comes old
Winter must take up his white blanket
and depart for spring has no time to daily
with him. He sometimes fingers in the
woods and fence corners and watches
the operations as il 10th to depart; for
often the spring sown wheat has sent up
its strong, broad spires and is even be-
ginning to tinge the soil with green and
to wave little In the breeze while on
the north sides Of the fences and in the
edge Of the adjacent woods may still be
found the remains Of the winters drift.
In fact the change from winter to spring
is in some seasons so wonderful as hard
ly to be credible unless actually witness
ed, and were not my reputation for
veracity established beyond peradven.
turc should hesitate to state the fact
that three years ago the present spring
on Monday morning early in May the
slope upon which was to SOW my wheat
was covered with an immense snow drift,
and rivers of water from the melting
snow were flowing over the entire length
Of the piece. Yet on the following Friday
my whea1 was all sown and nicely har-
rowed into the dry and well pulverized
soil. BY this fortunate
Peculiarly of our Climate,
we are not subjected in spring and fall
to the long and tedious interim of deep
mud or frozen ruts. Our soil having a
perfect natural drainage from its under
lying rock Of porous limestone the roads
dry quickly after the snow leaves and
soon become smooth and even for car
rage driving. Another advantage of
our Aroostook climate il its even and re-
liable character and the absence of the
terrible meteorological disturbances with
which other sections are visited If we
see a peculiar shaped cloud arising in a
summers day we may predict a heavy
shower with perhaps a strong wind. but
we merely shut the doors aud windows
aud are not obliged to burrow like goph-
ers in the ground to avoid being blown
over into the Province Of New Bruns-
wick. The long continued droughts
which are often so injurious to other
portions even Of our own good State are
seldom known in AroOstoOk. On the
other hand, though occasionally an ice
jam may cause a stream or river to rise
and sometimes carry away 4 bridge, yet
Hoods never bring wide spread havoc
and dire and fatal disaster to fields and
villages in Aroostook or sweep away in
an hour the product of a seasons faithful
toll. We have some fairly cold winter
weather here and at times the mercury
seems disposed to leave the tube and go
down an inch or two on the clapboards,
but even in times of our extreme tenn
perature the cold is not so penetrating
or so noticeable to one travelling upon
the road as ii Is in places near the coast
when the mercury is many degrees
higher.
Delights of Farm Life i'm Aroostook.
We know what to expect here
too in the winter season and pre-
pare for it. Our houses and stables are
built to exclude the cold. we dress
warmly and have an abundance of the
best of good maple and birch wood pre-
pared and stored year ahead and, now
that in most places we have servicable
road machines to deal with the wintry
SHOWS, we laugh at cold weather,
whether we are at home or on the road,
and take solid comfort during the winter
months. Time was. even in Aroostook,
when the farmer felt obliged, in order
to meet expenses, to find some employ
ment for himself and team away from
home during the winter months. This
he usually found either in
the woods at hauling lumber, or in
hauling supplies to the camps. The
advent of the railroad and the assured
market thus afforded for all farm pro.
ducts, have changed all this however,
and now the majority of farmers who
own their farms and have got good
start remain at home during the winter,
care for their stock, prepare their wood,
haul their potatoes to the station and
visit their neighbors. Socially, the
farmers Of Aroostook are the best
mixers" in the world. Frequent din
ner and tea parties are the rule during
the winter season and by thus often
meeting at each others houses and eat
ing ut each others tables good neigh
borly feeling is sustained and COM
munity of interest is kept up. In this
respect the oranges have had great
influence for since their organization In
this county farmers living in different
sections know each other better
and feel stronger interest in
each others welfare. Nearly every
town has its prosperous Grange and
the Pomona Grange, which usually
meets each month alternating among the
several Oranges. now numbers over 200
members. This social good fellowship
is not confined to the farming sections
but is noticed in all the villages as we'll.
In none of the villages in Aroostook is
there any pretention towards caste or
exciusiveness among those who may
chance to be possessed Of the greatest
amount of wealth. Gatherings of a
social and literary character are main
tanned especially during the winter, and
Mt these meetings all are welcome. So
but they bring the only required pass
port, the bearing of a lady or gentle
man. We mention these social advan-
tages as among the inducements to any
Maine man, who has been accustomed
To the enjoyment of such privileges, to
settle in Aroostook il he designs to
change his location for any reason
The religious and educational privileges
Of Aroostook are now well established,
and the settled portions of the county
are we'll provided for in this respect. 1t
Is to be supposed that the majority OF
those seeking homes in this new county
will come for the purpose of engaging
In farming and In this respect the out.
look never was more encouraging.
Value of the Potato Crop.
The potato crop, as il well understood.
is the leading crop OF ArOostook at the
present time and the one upon which
our farmers mainly rely for their cash
income. The soil appears to be peculi-
arly adapted to the raising Of this
crop aud though some were long
ago afraid that the continued eui.
ture of potatoes would result in the
exhaustion Of the soil. yet with the ro-
tation praeticed by most farmers and
the application OF manures from the
barn yard and Of commercial fertilizers
Of the fertility of the farms has been
kept up and the average yield is by no
means decreasing. The numerous starch
factories afford an assured marke. for this
crop in any year when the demand for
shipping is not brisk, but usually the
crop OF merchantable potatoes Is all
called for by the outside market at re-
numerative prices and the factories work