Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1896-06-02
KENTUCKY LETTER.
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1 pahItts ME- '"f''
| Editor Democrat
Seeing that the Democrat has new
home, will slip In for peep at Its new
abode.
The people OF kentucky are experienc-
J lag one OF the longest and most severe
J drouths, for this season OF the year, that
has occurred for many years. There
has been scarcely rain enough 10 wet n
persons clothing since March 18th.
! The weather il extremely hot, there be-
/ ing several days In April when the
thermometer was up 10 % degrees In the
shade. 4 number Of farmers Ia this Vi
cinity have been compelled Ia stop plow-
1 ing on account Of the extremely hard
and dry condition Of the ground; but
! the greater number have finished their
planting. But, until there Ia rain
enough 10 soak the ground, the seed will
not terminate. A great deal OF corn
which has been planted from two to
three weeks Is lying 10 the ground per-
fectly dry and sproutless. No crops
have been cultivated yet, although some
corn Is SIMPLY large.
The crops which are being the worst
damaged by the drouth are oats and
grass Unless rain falls in few days
the above mentioned crops will be al
most total failure, and will, In any
case, be light. There is yet time TO
plant corn, for planting at the first OF
June will usually mature before frost
comes.
| noticed mention made in the Demo-
crat OF oats being soaed In Maine in
April, which seemed 10 be considered
very early. We often SOW oats In
February, but then, We do not live In
/ Maine.
The outlook here for fruit crop Is
very encouraging. Unless hereafter
destroyed, there will be crop OF every
variety of fruit raised here, but not as
heavy as that o; last year.
The tide OF immigration has been ilow-
/ ing regularly from Kentucky 10 Illinois
since the beginning OF the present year,
but all who have gone there report times
| dull, and number have returned. One
hundred families left Madison County,
| this state. In two weeks, and twenty or
more families moved from this county To
| Central Illinois; but, notwithstanding
! this, more improvements have been made
and more work done by farmers this
| spring than for MANY heretofore. They
seem TO begin 10 realize from the success
of their neighbors who have gone west
that home Is very good place after all,
consequently they are doing more on
their farms.
Too many farmers are going West.
| IL they would use their means In i'm
| ~ q. bat
aud informing themselves on scientific
and successful methods Of farming, in-
stead OF selling what they possess and
spending all they have acquired in trav-
cling over the already-overrun western
states hunting for Garden OF Eden
which does not exist, they would Be
more successful, and could soon make
their homes what they would like to
have them.
IL seems TO be prevalent idea with
| farmers In the South and East that they
can accomplish nothing unless they 20
! West. Where they go. in the majorit!
Of cases, they either return. have nc
success, or live dissatisfied. OF course
the western states are not TO blame FOL
this, but those who go there expecting
IN amass great wealth with but little
labor. They must work, no matter
where they are; and taking all things
into consideration, the South and East
offer them just as good profit on their
labor as the much-exalted West.
A lady in this state recently gave
birth 10 five well developed boys, thu
quintette weighing % pounds. IL Maine
can beat this we would like TO hear from
it. NATHANIEL SEwELL, JR.