Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1912-11-06
FARM EXPERIMENT.
o.rLRoAD PLAN OF DEVELOP
ING MAINE.
roIAI FARM ON THE cHERRyFfELD
BuUEB SRRY pLAINs--wHAT IS
BEING DONE.


,,so. Of land at Deblois, near cherryfeld,
,,aer the direction of the New England
lines, Industrial bureau, are contained in
= recent article in the Boston Transcript
Tram the pen Of a writer who has been in
that section of late. II is headed, swest-
srn Cotonists for Maine and pictures in
r,ther rosy coiors the situation to be
,ouua dow a east as compared with present
western conditions. While containing
many Inaccuracies, and. the writer shows
81 sck Of knowledge of Names farming
conditions, ON the whole 1t gives one OF
the fret extended accounts OF the pro-
pnsed development OF the season. As TO
The location the writer says:
40 one visiting the region for the first
time. these miles on miles of level, tree
less plateaus are revelation. The map
shows them without roads and without
inhabitants and marked only as pIanta-
tons. though some OF the region has tiny
towns With postoffire and a road or two;
such are Dsblois and Beddington on the
western border OF the region, NorthfieId
and Wesley in its middiesand Cooper and
Meddybemps on the east. y
"Into this region comes suddenly new
factor, railroad that seeks to make bust
mass for itself. The Maine Central rail-
road ls planning to coloniza Washington
county with prosperous people who will
increase its income by using ii to their
own advantage, and it sees in these 800
square mites, more or less, OF level, arabic,
cleared land an opportunity for prosperous
farms that will enhance its own pros
perity.
"Baes OF this Ia the Mcllen idea, the New
England lines industrial bureau, which is
working patiently and vigorously for the
upbuilding OF New England, seeking con-
iinuously TO bring into its territory new
people to work the old farms, new indus
and greater, more prosperous population
which in the end, OF course, is bound to
make the railroad more prosperous. 1t is
the custom in some quarters to speak i'll OF
the New England lines and their general
manager. Here certainly is one thing in
which the railroads are spending thous-
snds for the upbuiiding of the COM
mauity, an idea that originated with Mr..
Mellen himself.
Most people, even IL familiar with
much of the wild land OF Maine, think
OF this region Of plantations as vast for
est Instead, the Maine Central branch
of the industrial bureau recognizes IT
as region OF potential farms and
wishes 1t occupied. The beginning OF
the work has come in getting control'
through purchase or option, OF 5000
acres in and near the tow nship OF Deblois
on the western edge OF this great series OF
plsteaus. This in itself has been no light
task. The wild lands, bought a century
ago for their timber, lost their value
when the timber was cut and were not
salahle to anyone. They descended from
father to many sons, to more grandsons,
and still on until perhaps forty people,
inheriting under one original title, are
scattered over the known earth. But the
Freeman heirs and the wyman heirs have
been found, and sixty square miles are
nov In hand for the beginning OF the ex-
pertinent.
That makes quite tract of land, lying
townships east. II is a sandy loan, with
water always to be had at depth OF five
or six feet. Before the Civil war this
region was surveyed by 3 stan OF engi-
neers from Washington, ID. c., for the
national government, and jefferson Davis
was in charge OF them. in lone boulder by
tue side OF the road leading up to Deblois
from Cherryfieid may be seen big copper
bench mark, put there by his orders II not
by his hand. 1t gives the height OF land
there as al feet above tide water. Climb
ing a long slope above this the road
comes to level at height ofi,200 feet
ana here one finds that mile-long furrow.
THAT MILE-LoNo rURRow.
at marks the beginning of the demon
stration farm which the industrial bureau
has planted beside the road here to show
beyond q doubt what the land OF these
sandy plateaus will do. Here is plateau
OF 1000 acres in extent, level as floor,
without a stone in the soil, and the mile
long furrow might just as well have been
two miles long or three IL the man oenind
the plough had been ordered to make II.
The land is there. The furrow parallels
the road; at right angles to it run plots
planted to various crops.
SIN MAY of this year this land was as
much in the rough as any land in the
county. Now it shows fine stands OF po-
tatoes, oats, beans in several varieties,
flint and sweet corn, barley and wheat.
The wheat is the Dakota flint and 1t shows
as fine heads as one would expect TO ma
in the western fields. The barley ana
oats, the beans and the corn, are thritty,
and the State agricultural college at
orono has inspected the potatoes, and pro-
nounced the field the finest in the state
OF Maine. This work is done by the IN
dustrial bureau here and in two other
portions OF the railroads holdings to
prove to skeptics, particularly those farm