KENOVATING WASTE LANDS. g]^ 



in spring, and consequently when nicely dressed each 3^ear, 

 is capable of producing good crops, but a farm of dry, sandy 

 land, away from a city market, is certainly a great load for a 

 man to carry. I think a farm (or w^ould-be farm) of this 

 nature is a waste of land, and also of labor. My advice to 

 any one occupying either of such lands as the two briefly 

 alluded to, is to abandon them to grow up to w^ood and 

 lumber. It is surprising to see how fast the growth will 

 increase on such lands when left entirely alone ; no stock 

 allowed to encroach upon it. The former, stony, ledgy 

 lands, are completely adapted to the growing of the harder 

 varieties of our woods, and the latter or sandy soil, is the 

 natural home of the white pine, that noble tree from which 

 the State derived the name or title of "The Pine Tree State." 



While speaking with reference to the encouraging of culti- 

 vating or letting the pine grow on sandy plains land, I will 

 allude to another class of sandy knolls or hills, which are not 

 confined exclusively to w^hat we denominate plains land. I 

 refer to those elevated spots from which the loose sand is 

 continuall}^ being moved by the winds and very likelj^ taken 

 on to good fertile soil, thereby making that worthless. We 

 always think when seeing one of these " sand hills," what a 

 pity that the natural growth was ever cleared from such spots. 

 They really have a dismal look to me, and if I were cursed 

 by one of them I would try to restore it to its natural pro- 

 duction as soon as possible ; which is also the pine, but per- 

 haps the pitch pine will flourish best on such spots. 



I believe neither of the above classes of land should ever 

 have been cleared for tilling or for pasture. The growth 

 might have been cut oft", but never have been cleared, but 

 left to grow another crop for a future generation. 



We are all aware that the forests of Maine arc fast disap- 

 pearing, and the few lots that remain are the most valuable 

 acres we possess, or among the most valuable, and it looks to 

 me to be an object for the agriculturist to look M'ell to his 

 forests, as well as his fields and pastures, letting, yes, even 

 6 



