320 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



we were convinced that a good lumber farm could be cleared if 

 necessary, and it might form a nucleus for quite a settlement, but 

 it is our unbiased opinion that there is so much good land to be 

 obtained nearer remunerative markets that it hardly seems worth 

 while to spend labor in felling and clearing here. This portion of 

 Washington county is much better adapted for purposes of lum- 

 bering than for agricultural interests, and good pine is better than 

 half-ripened corn. In again looking at Pocumpus we have only 

 to say, that it is also fitted for lumbering. 



We next proceeded to examine a series of lakes lying off to the 

 north of Grand lake. We first reached Junior lake, a beautiful 

 bod}'- of water connected by a pretty short but rocky thoroughfare 

 with tlie lake last noticed. There was the same wall-like look of 

 the shores, the same pine-covered points and long reaches and 

 islands. Beyond the islands are seen what could not be seen on 

 the shores of the two lakes just left — houses and farms. Passing 

 a very singular line of islands, incorrectly represented on all the 

 maps, Ave approached the northei-n shore of the lake. A range of 

 granite hills extended for many. miles along a line parallel to the 

 northern shore, and upon the slopes of these hills there was to be 

 seen, here and there, a farm of considerable size. 



Leaving our birches in a stream on the north-eastern portion of 

 the lake we walked along the bank for a mile, or perhaps less, 

 arriving at a small body of water apparently quite shoal. The 

 bayonet rush extended for some distance into the water, every- 

 where tinging the shores with its color. This sheet of water is 

 called "Duck pond," and has quite a stock-growing settlement on 

 its northern shore. It is a few miles from the road extending 

 from Topsfield and Lee. 



Upon the point at the mouth of Duck pond stream is sand of 

 surprising whiteness, much resembling the sand of the sea-shore. 

 It comes from the decomposing granite of which the hills are 

 made, the granite being remarkably free from hornblende or mica. 

 In fact the blanched, weathered appearance of exposure of this 

 rock, and of tlic soil which is formed from it, is noticeable at a 

 great distance. While camping among the abundant and pertina- 

 ceons musquitoes of this shore, we hoard the familiar lowing of 

 cattle in a direction where our maps gave us no indication of any 

 settlement. A protracted search, late into a dark evening, failed 

 to discover any houses, or obtain any answer to our anxious 



