The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1912-03-21
NAMES NATURAL RESOURCES.

At a recent chapel service at the Uni.
versity of Maine, Prof. Archer L. Grover
gave a very interesting and instructive
talk on Natural Resources of Maine. He
made two large divisions of the resources,
those of land and those of water, and 9
third and resulting division. that of scenic
beauty.
Prof. Grover stated that, speaking in
round numbers, there are 5000 square
miles in the area of Maine. OF this, 10
per cent. is water, 60 per cent. wild land
and q per cent. farming land. Of this
q per cent. farming land. only about
one third is under cultivation, so that
only about ten per cent. of our total
farming area is under cultivation. Prof.
Grover said that as schoolboy he had
been taught that Maine was not land
for agriculture. but had lear ed differ
emily later.
Speaking in round numbers of the
annual value of Names products he said,
the value of the annual production of
agriculture is S44, 900, 900; of forestry,
1872, 900, 600; of scenic beauty, SIS, 900, 900;
of water power, So, 500, 600; of fisheries,
$4,000, 600; of minerals Sc. 100000. In
! agricultural products, Names production
of hay is annually worth $22, 500, 900;
potatoes, $4,000, 600; oats, 81, 500, 900;
apples, So, 900, 900; sweet corn, 81 500, 600;
corn, 100000.
AS to acreage Maine cannot compete
with such States as Kansas However,
the production per acre is very great. In
Maine, the average production of wheat
per acre is 20 bushels; in the North At
lantic States the average production of
wheat per acre is 10 bushels; and in the
,bola I hr,c hoJ,
average production of corn per acre in
Maine is 46 bushels; North Atlantic
States, 40bushels; and the United States,
duction per acre than the North Atlantic
of oats. barley, buckwheat, and espec-
the potatoes raised in Maine were raised
cultivation has been taken up and only
about one-half are raised there.
Prof. Grover then spoke of forestry
products. The value of the annual
products of our forests are lumber, $751;
wood, $5,000,000. Of all the States in
output and second in the output of pulp
wood.
In speaking of the scenic beauty of
ing like Maine for beauty. The fine air,
the lakes and ponds and the general land
scape attract many tourists here every
year.
Although Maine is a comparatively
small State, there being 80 States in the
union larger, yet she is third in the pro-
of for OF
However, only about one-third of her
water power is now developed. Maine
is especially we'll watered, there being
something over 1900 lakes and ponds in
the State. The large lakes and their
elevation is the reason for the great
water power. The Rangeley lakes are
of the same height as Lake Itasca at the
head Of the Mississippi. The highest
elevation is found in the northwestern
corner of the State. The four great
rivers producing much of this power are
the St. Johns, Penobscot, Kennebec
and Androscoggin. The area of the
Androscoggin is $500 square miles. 1t
develops 49, horse power or 1913
horse power per square mile. The Pc
nobscot has $500 square miles with TO-
600 horse power or 1-3 horse power per
square mile. No other river has the
same development of water power per
square mile as has the Androscoggin.
The annual value of water power in
Maine is about So, 500, ZOO.
Prof. Grover next took up mineral
products. The annual output of granite
is worth about 50. 100000; limestone,
S745,000; slate, S207, 600; and all others,
S45, 900. Massachusetts alone surpasses
Maine in the production of granite.
The fisheries Of the State were next
considered. The annual value placed on
the industry was S., $50, 600. HOLSTERS
lead with value of $40 $1,000 yearly
Next in order are ground fsh-cod, hake,
and haddock- with herring, scallops, and
halibut following in order.
Prof. Grover concluded his talk by
stating that Maine has the largest pro-
duetion per acre in wheat, buckwheat,
and potatoes of any State in the union;
that she leads in the production of
spruce and that she is third in the de-
velopment OF water power.