The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1895-09-19
AroostOok County.

plantations We tiud ourselves Two miles
north of Pressure Isle, on beautiful
hill slope over looking the limpid waters
of the Aroostook river, whose simmer
ings can be seen along its winding track
for miles, in the very heart of the
Garden Of Maine. 1t is the most
charming spot we have seen in this
great county.
Sixteen miles south is Mars Hill, $500
feet high, not the Mars Hill in the midst
of which Paul stood when he addressed
the men of Athens, but the highest
elevation in Aroostook, and then farther
west are Green mountain and Quaggy
Joe and Hay stack. and to the south
west can be seen, when the atmosphere
is favorable, Mt katahdin. After look
ing in a north. easterly direction from
Somerset county for 50 many years Ia
/ see katahdin, 1t seems little odd 10 be
so far north as to be obliged 10 turn the
eye almost rs far away in an opposite
direction 10 catch view # the same
/ summit.
After driving 81 miles due north from
the southern boundary of the county,
and then find you must 90 on % miles
further before reaching Fort Kent on the
northern frontier, and consider the fact
that lis width is nearly equal to its
length ard then be Informed that its num-
Der of square miles is almost equal to that
of the state of Massachusetts, and furth-
er that it is capable of supporting the
present population of Maine without
giving a larger number to the square
mile than now nhabit the settled por-
tons. this magnificent Aroostook county
begins TO grow upon you.
1t is great in many respects, in its
dimensions, its fertility of soil its re-
sources, its potato patches, crops har-
vested, its enterprise, and much that is
/ said about it, and done within its bord-
ers. have learned to make a grain or
/ two of allowance in regard to some
/ things thar read and hear, and then
i from what actually see for myself |
am assured that this county possesses
marvellous capabilities.
The estimated yield of potatoes last
year was 5000, 900 bushels and the crop
this year, it is thought, will be equally
large. When you see the immense potato
fields and the immense yield, you feel
prepared to believe most anything that
is said in the potato line. | passed Il
potato field of 40 acres and on the opposite
side of the road on the same farm is am
other, in sight, of II acres. Some three
miles away Is another field OF 80 acres
which we saw but a day or two ago.
Other fields of 100 and 40, acres | am
told, are farther on at Fort Fairfield and
Limestone. Potatoes abound on every
side of an excellent quality, but just now
they are rotting badly, so badly that
they cannot be shipped to market. 1t
has been only few days since the
disease appeared. But it is doing its
work rapidly. The farmers are busiy
engaged in digging and hauling the
second quality to the starch factories at
the price of only forty cents per barrel.
They are dug for the most part by a
machine with pair of horses attached.
BY this arrangement, the average days
work of man in digging is five acres.
With the hand hoe 1t requires an average
man to dig, sort and put into barrels the
potatoes Of an acre, seven days. The
cost per barrel to grow potatoes is fifty
cents. II the producer can get from one
to two dollars per barrel as he has
frequently done in the past, he is sure of
large compensation. Last year the
price was low and this year it is still
lower by reason of the disease.
The starch factories, of which there
county help the farmer out little in his
dilemma. All the small potatoes and
those affected by the rot in the early
stages can be converted into starch. BY
process of washing, all the diseased
portions are cleansed away and only the
sound parts used. AS there has been
more ready money in potatoes raising
for several years than in any other
branch of agriculture, the tendency in
northern Aroostook has been to increase
attention to potato growing. BY reason
of this unexpected and apparently un-
fortunate turn In the potato business,
farmers are beginning to feel the impor-
lance of other branches of agricultural
industry. Crops of all kinds to which
farmers have given their attention are
abundant this season in spite of the ex-
ceedingly dry weather.
Some of the farmers in this northern
section are giving their attention to
fruit raising. have been surprised to
see so many thrifty looking young
orchards. Only few varieties OF
apples have yet been raised with Profit,
such as the Duchess, Wealthy, Fameuse
and Dudley's Winter. Attention is also
given TO the raising of smaller fruit such
as the Moore's Arctic and the Green
Gage plum visited an orchard OF $500
plum trees owned by J. B. Long, about
three miles out of the village OF Presque
Isle, in what used to be the town of
Maysville. He also has 300 gooseberry
bushes.
One thing interested me exceedingly
in the process Of plum raising is the
bending of the tree down to the ground
in the fall and holding it there by plac-
ing weights thereupon so that it may be
buried beneath the snow all winter. In
this way it is made fruitful every year.
This bending of the tree is easily done
without any injury by planti g it in a
trench in a way to have all the roots
placed on each side the stock on the
same line and then by taking spade
full or two from one side, the tree can be
easily brought to "a horizontal position
fiat on the ground, and the following
spring it is brought TO an upright posi-
ton again and fastened 10 a stake.
But | must stop somewhere in my
eloquence over ArOostook, concerning
which the half cannot be told | will
do so by telling, not a .dSh, but real
potato story as related to me by gentle
man with whom | had the pleasure of
dining, who was a native of Arson, Som
erset County, but for the past twelve
years a citizen of Fort Fairfield, and one