Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1891-08-01

u. G., and WIS tbe perfofmanee 81
visit long contemplated, which had
once BEEN fully arranged about
year ago. bat vas very unwiil
Inxiy postponed at that time on account
. Of circumstances Impossible to prevent or
, change. Having visited almost every
state In the Union and hsvipg made
II three trips abroad to study the agrfcuI-
cure Of England snd Continental Ea-
j., rope, Mr.. Dodge felt a great desire to
Visit the county Of Arodstook. 20 much
having been szid and written concerning
q i.s extent. fertility and magnificent sgri.
L cultural possibilities. The observations
| Of an intelligent man, the seeing with
ones own eyes, )" ia worth great amount
= Of descriptive information at second
hand, and =. was for purposes Of per-
sonal observation and original study Of
conditions that Mr.. Dodge decided to
: undertake this visit He WAS not with
. out facts and statistics Concerning the
county and Its agriculture. but was igno-
rant Of personal knowledge without
which no true account Of the county
could be written. 1t was 10 supply this
deficiency that called Mr.. Dodge TO
Maine. His observations and views upon
aroostook county viii appear In report
on New England Agriculture which will
be published by the Department Of Ag-
ricaIture the coming fall.
We arrived at Houlton by rail and
inspected the farms and industries OF
that yillsge. Next We visited the towns
OF Linnsus and Oakfield in the southern
part Of the county. Thence we went to
Presque Isle, visiting the towns Of Lit
Teton, Monticello, Bridgewater, Blaine,
Mars Hill and Westfield. Making head |
quarters at Presque Isle for two days
we visited the towns Of Easton, Mays
vile, Mapleton and Castle Hill. We
next visited Caribou and Fort Fairfield |
"A originally planned our trip embraced
visits TO Limestone, Perhsm, Washburn,
Woodland, New Sweden and other towns
In the northern portion OF the county.
Unfortunately, however, no sooner had
we reached Houlton than Mr.. Dodge re
eeived telegram summoning him to
appear before the senate tariff
committee, to give his views on agricul |
tural prices during the past ten years,
which committee was holding session |
at Boston. This rendered necessary the |
abandonment OF part OF our plan, cur |
failing our visit to one week instead Of
two, and. much to our regret. leaving |
unvisited the towns north Of Caribou |
which we had designed specially to see,
chiefly the town OF New Sweden and the |
progress of the Swedish colony there.
| The county Of Aroostook consists Of
6 800 square miles or nearly forty-four
million acres, and embraces Us
towns. townships and plantations.
The extreme length Of the county |
north and south is l20 miles its greatest
width los miles. 1t was Incorporated in |
1889 and enlarged to It's present dmen
.ions from territory taken from Wash |
ington county, In 1913 The number OF
settled and incorporated towns, town
ships and plantations is IS. Only one
twelfth Of the total area Of the county |
has vet been improved but the vast
tract yet covered by forests, ia for the |
most part as we'll adapted for farms as
Is the now settled portions. This one
county ia capable of easily allowing Il
| population of 600, 600 instead Of the 49, |
553 shown by the last census. That
ia to say, were the county as
| completely cleared and fitted up for set |
tlement as are older counties in the |
state the present total population OF
Maine could be put into Aroostook coun
ty without in the least overcrowding' |
and giving to every person abundant
lspace.
The surface of AroostoOk county is
rolling and regular, with but one or two
high hills, and few or none of the irreg
ular and broken surfaces found in the
central and western portions. of the
State. The peculiar feature of the
general contour of surface is al
series of extensive ridges running
east and west, having long descents
adown their sides, and rising to the
height OF from 30 to 100 feet. These
ridges often extend for distance Of
fifty miles in an almost uUbroken
course. In the valleys between these
ridges are streams. brooks and ponds,
upon the high swells of land are the
finest farms in the county. The valley
lands bear fine grass, and the ridges en-
brace the best farming portions of
the county. The geological formation
of the entire county Is calca
reoul slate which Is everywhere very
near the surface This rock contains
unfailng chemical elements OF great fer
tility In the lime, phosphoric acid and
potash which 1t Is constantly giving up
and which accounts for the enduring
fertility of the soil OF Aroostook county
Disintergration OF this rock Is constantly
going on. and the surface soil is steadily
being enriched and added to from this
cause. An interesting fact In confir
nation OF this was given to US
BY Mr.. Albert L. Haines of Maple
. Grove. son of the late Mr.. j. Wingate
Halnes formerly of Hsllowell who was
one of the early settlers of that part of
the present town Of Fort Fairfield. Mr..
Haines said II had the best yield of
, potatoes ever raised on my farm last
, year on knoll, where forty years ago the
ledge came so near the surface and was so
I solid that it was impossible for anything
! to grow upon it. | remember the spot
} well when a boy. My father left it in
} clearing the farm and for years and
] years it was only rough ledge protrud-
, ing from the soil. 1t is now good pillow
} land and gave me great yield of pota
r toes last season" The soil of the county
4 is much Of it slluvial, rich in vegetable
: matter. exceedingly fertile. easily
worked, friable, deep, and not much
I affected by droughts. This year, said
Z Hon. E E. Parkhurst. an old resi-
dent of Msysvilie, to US, 1--WE came
= the nearest to having drought In
e Aroostook thst we have any year since |
lived here. 1t began to be very dry In
June and the grass and grain punched