The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-03-18
FARMING IN THE MAINE WOODS.
A Pursuit. IN which B~srs and Deer Plsy a
Prominent Part.

After tny!us a Tract Of partly cleared and
trohen intervale land, four niles up Long Stream.
he inlet OF the lake, | felt myself justified In reck-
oning on a plentiful supply OF fresh vegetables
In their sea son for cur table" said a New York
man whose beautiful summer residence on the
shore OF Lake Onawa, Ia the heart OF the game
region. Is one Of the most attractive spotsin Maine,
Bert Davis. my prime adviser and helper. took
my iarm in hand and made its cultivation a per
sonai matter That its success might ne more
fully assured. his brother was called 10 assist
in the enterprise, and | At frequent periods
lent my presence and gave the benefit Of my sug-
gesrons In the putting in Of the crops Tho soil
proved as rich and mellow as that Of an Illinois
prairie and, once started III, We plan MED on a scale
as II our intention was ~ provision an all the
yearround hotel from our harvest Instead OF a
private summer cottage.
"A week after the planting was completed |
went up with Davis Ia see how the crops were
coming on, and the mere sight of my fields and
garden made me feel As imagine one OF the pa,
lrlatchS might have felt In gazing upon the and
If Canaan. There had been light showers since
the planting, Just enough To set the seeds 10 sprout
ing well, aud sunshine 10 help the young plants
along, and il zee med to be- a tree ior-al race among
them which should get up into the mir the fastest
The corn WASH the blade, the potato and tue bean
vines were perplng from the ground, tue cap,
bagoS, beetS. turulps, tomatoes aud lettuce all
were tumbiing over themselves In thrir hurry
to push into the sunlight, aud their shades o!
green and red were more beautiful IN my
ewes than roses aud grranlumS G'een com,
salads, string beans and garden sass generally
for my own and my neighbofs' tables throughout
the green season, with Johnny cah-, baked beans
and u, lied dinners to follow tn" autumn harvesting
all these were toretold Ia mo IN a pleasing day
dream as ga7ed on my budding crops, and !
could hear myself saying H.. my guest, at tho
summer dinners served on tho yerandh ~ my
house These are not the vegetables ~ the city
markets, they were picked ibis morning on my
iarrn
midst of the plenty 7%pruI.ng around ~
They're growing to" thirh, my Ht,pef SAID
The corn Hud vegetables will need thinning out,
50 as 10 CIV" what's eft a chance H. grow by,
But needn't TACKLE that Job for y fortnight yet
My cause NJ worry was that bears might rat
the green corn and trampl- down the stalks when
the Ecrnrl- began t. form IN the ear had heard
ui the taste bruln has for this particular dainty,
aud the smtl chance tho Ohner ul the pdlCh has
If eating corn ui ms own GROWING when once
word has been passed. round among the bears
that there j. good iuraCing in his fields lut
Davis cutl,ul.d fr by pIrluting the lun 81 watch
Ing for t"aTs, and ui ira pping them, and ol grtIIs
them hplplessly drunk on rum and mOlasSes
lei, IN tubs where they could get 10 II, 80 mat !
cpa.ed to borrow trouble on thus account, ana
h-Lrn rather iu regard bears Us one II the special
! attractions IN Maine back woods lHtl'luE
Such wa, the hop"iul outlook et the end NJ
the first nerA Visiting my lelds ten days later
, I discovered how needless II hhl teen 10 wpTrN
about bears or to plan tor thinning ont the plants.
The deer had found out that there We're growing
crops on my place ana hrd rromIuE relieved
me- ut all further ANXIETY IN tie mater Every
biaio Of corn, very cabbage aud lettuce plant,
and every \ grtahlr top except IN the potato Patch
had been eaten clean T. NE around Potato
tops dld not seem To- be- 10 tleIr TASTE and thore
. tnav had lett alone. Though not a deer Was to
he, sprn the prints II the SHARP houiS showed what
me marrudrrS were and how systematically
t.ay had gone about tie work Of stripping my
field, ON" Cabhag" plant they Had missed and
4 about II Davis and ] built n fence 10 See II we
could preserve THIS one lone suryIvor OF the gen
Z cral WIe,kHEr
"urr farming for the rest Of the season ron
sisted ia the hU'Ing and the eventual digging
nt tM, ~IOtntOC~ and IN the core ut MAJ cabbage
Deer arp wary about venluring into any place
that suggests n trap, ard WIN" Ney no.rd Tuuut
the fuca n great deal, rs could be seen by lEoir
tracks, none 81 them %v,entufrrd TO .nmp't which
any one II them could rlshy have don" Had
II been legally, ns i certainly was morally, luSli
liable under the circumstances 10 y" So, ! might
have shot y drr then on almost any alvht Tor
the "a bbaRr had an ptlrd,uun it thr antlcred
triaye, rluAl IN that ~ n deer lei BY an acct
dent rtrbuuon overlook onc 81 them, whose Curi
usitv cost lnm h., life. A mon IN my employ
Conn: ore day g. the iHrm 10 dng a mess 4 early
u,tatrae t',N ld' gun along On TIE chance Of
meeting u bear by the Why 81 CnuiS" lie went
first 80 SEE tlq' the rAhbagr MAS all night and then.
irHyug lbs gun leaning agaln't 'hr lrncr, h.
went on 10 LIZ he potatoes lie forgot Tie gun
when Y' started Tor homo, aud coming back for
It t.r next morning he found tying on The ground
discharged and It TIE buca deer lying d"Gd he
side Il IN nosIng around the fence he buck
mad knocked the gun down ana th" weapon dis
charged hy the fall. had been the means OF the
deer umntended suicide
1t WAS MP and tuck between me AMI the deer
for IN" raUbage through IA" summer. but nip
won N the end, tor a drrr At ln.t lrH I"d the fence
and ar u to the ground The potatoes which
had ~ show iur my seasons hIshaudTy were
rNt,leut but the ~ Apartment, vi"wr,I IN Is inan-
cIaI aslr,rt or as a source ut mental satisfaction.
W., scarcely a success. hen | VII" my book
on What | Know About Maine liarhruud, Farm
ing, my lirst adNICe To the would he beginner
VII ID. DON'T try u anu the rrWa 70 lrr Of the
b,oN will treat wholly of the cultivation Of pa
uence aud potatoes