Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1900-05-16

tue savage emerge from some glen, or TO
| see, Tying at anchor, the rude shsilop OF
800 yeers ago; or, stranger still, to behold
some WaRGefer from England, France or
Spain, In the hahilmonts OF his time,
with steeple hat, peaked beard, slsshed
douhiet, AID sword by hts side, climbing
the sea we'll thrown up by The ocean, to
seek his rude cabin ON the shore"
The late Edward II. Elwell in his his
tory OF Maine says, after briefly describ-
ing Mount Desert: "The writer has
Toasted his eyes on some OF the fairest
scenes on either side the Atlantic, but
never saw the equal, in all respects, to
this bright mosaic OF island and bay.
The memory OF a month at Mount Desert
at the noontide of the year, is itself a
summer idyl, aud will combine the ele-
ments OF choicest interest and most en-
during pleasure"
Mount Desert island Is about fifteen
miles In length from Hadley point In
Eden to Bass Harbor head in fremont;
aud twelve miles In width from Great
head in Eden to the cape in fremont. and
embraces about 100 square miles. Somes'
sound, deep arm OF the sea, sea river
or regular Norwegian ford, divides the
Island into two almost equal sections
Across the centre OF the island from the
western mountains on the jwest ito New
port mountain on the east stretches the
granite range of mountains giving the
island its name, rising to heights varying
from 300 to over 1900 feet. Upon the
island are thirteen mountains and thir-
teen lakes, few OF them bereft OF story,
all interesting alike to the student of
history, OF geology, OF botany, and to the
sportsman aud the artist.
In earlier times very little attention was
paid to farming upon the island, doubt
less because OF its physical character
which is not OF nature favorab bile to agri-
culture, except under limited conditions.
The surface is chiefly mountainous or
rocky, the soil usually thin and poor and
has often disappeared as covering-a
result OF reckless wood cutting, and OF
the consequent forest fires.
Taken a. whole, the north OF the
island contains the best farming land; he
south Is for the most part too near the
dominant granite range to furnish deep
soii or level ground. Moreover, under
these unfavorsble conditions there was in
the earlier days nothing to encourage
farming as a means OF support, much less
a business, for there was no market for
garden products. It is not strange there
fore that other pursuits, numbering, fish
ing, shipping, were more profitable en-
ploy OF the early settlers. All agri-
cultural operations were conducted on a
very limited scale, and for the most part
involved nothing more than the cuitiva-
ton OF small vegetable plots for home
use.
FLORA OF THE ISLAND.
Regarding the fora OF Mount Desert
island, Edward l.. Rand says hat one OF
its most marked characteristics is It's not
only strongly northern, but it, distinct
lively Arctic charset er-about 80 OF the
Towering plants OF the island being
common to the Arctic flora. 1t is an in
teresting feature in the flora OF the island
that there are few introduced or foreign
plants, especially OF weeds found in the
cultivated fields OF the Older portions Of
the Stale. The reason Tor this ts simple
one--tbe slight development Of the island
for agricultural purposes in former years
gives an explanation that is fully sus-
tained by the facts.
In his book on the "Flora OF Mount
Desert island, he gives total of 527
species OF plants, l,2S6 species ana 2ei
varieties. Oithe Towering plants there
are catalogu d 3i2 genera, $50 species aud
seventy-one varieties; and OF the eryp.
togamia or iiowerless plants, 2l5 genera,
COG species and 1873 yarietie-.