Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1908-01-29

done. This costs less than the old way
and saves the timber besides.
One means that has greatly helped In
this line is the stations on mountain tops
that afford wide view OF the country,
tie Waterman provided with map and
range-hnder and connected by telephone
with wardens below. Five Of these sta
tions are now in operation on the Ken
nebec river, land owners paying for the
equipment and the State furnishing .
man. Great saving Of expense and tim
Der has been effected thereby, and land
owners are enthusiastic over the results.
That means Of protection can be had on
these waters II owners will arrange for 1t
and undergo the very slight expense In
volved.
On this head one more thing Of con-
sequence can be said, and that ID that the
people Of Maine in general are in very
liberal spirit to-day toward this kind Of
work. They believe in Maine forests and
their maintenance in productive shape,
and there 10 no object to which they will
more willingly lend their authority or
contribute their share Of expense than to
weli-planned means of fire protection.
BLUEBERRIHs vs.. LUMBER.
There is another matter intimately re-
lated to this which could not be omitted
from discussion and that is the blueberry
business. Blueberries are natural prod
net OF our mountain tops and barrens.
They also grow freely ON run-out farms
and follow timber growth frequently
where it has been destroyed by fire. The
sandy plains Of the Narraguagus and
Pleasant rivers have been most productive
Of the berries. The land was heavily
stocked with pine in the natural condition.
1t is natural pine land, growing that
species Of timber very fast, and pine, If it
were allowed, would quickly cover large
areas again. What has prevented is the
repeated fires, and these Of recent years
have been set in the interest OF blueberry
production. The berries are utilized at
canneries. The blueberry canning BUSH
ness started in eastern Maine some thirty
years ago, and it has grown since to con-
siderable proportions. The amount Of the
crop at the present time is some 45,O00
bushels yearly. Something like $4,000
are annually paid out for berries and some
labor is involved in packing and shipment
besides. This is legitimate and paying
industry. 1t means q good deal to the
country in general and to certain districts
in particular.
1t seems to be true, however, that this
industry Is whole has been reckless in the
use Of land. The area drained by Pleasant
river, for instance, is approximately $1,000
acres. Ofthis territory only 1900 acres, Is
near Is can be estimated by the men best
acquainted with it, is timbered land. Two
thirds is kept open and bare OF woods by
BURBERRY fires. In Washington county
Is whole 10000 acres, as near Is can be
figured, are barren in the same way, and q
considerable territory in Hancock county
as well. One hundred and sixty thousand
acres is perhaps q fair estimate Of the
whole, or about four acres to each bushel
Of blueberries packed, 10000 acres OF
land on these various rivers that might be
in valuable forest, kept barren by fires
that it may produce in the average nine
quarts OF blueberries per acre each year.
That is the way it figures out, and it seems
to me the blueberry men and the people
OF Washington county in general ought
to carefully consider it.
II this were necessary for the mainte-
nance Of the industry, that fact would
have weight, but everyone knows that it
is not. Among the results Of inquiries
made none is more striking than the large
yield OF certain small tracts of land. A
BURBERRY Gamer OF Cherryfeld, for in
stance, tells of a tract Of forty acres which
under careful handling by the owner had
yielded as high ss 1000 bushels a year,
and Mr.. Grant, OF Columbia Falls, tells OF
tract of about ten acres that yielded 700
bushels in 1905 and again 400 the past year.
There is profit in that, large and hand
some profit, and no detriment to any one
the country through.
Nor would it be SO bad il 30 much
country were not laid utterly waste. We
all understand that it is burning early in
in spring before the ground is dry which
perpetuates the crop. Burning later kills
the plants completely and leaves the sand
and stones exposed which will no longer
support them. These areas, though no
longer productive, are yet run over by the
fires and so kept from bearing timber. In
this way great stretches of land under the
system pursued have been made completely
barren.
IRRESPONSIBLE FIRING.
And there is still worse feature about
the matter as it has gone in the past, and
that is the irresponsible use Of fire. For
an owner with due safeguards to use fire
on his own land in order to secure the
crop he desires, is a justifiable proceeding
For irresponsible men to fire the land of
others, destroying valuable timber, in
order to start up a crop that is looked on
as common property is an entirely different