OXFORD SOCIETY. 89 



really eloquent, never at a loss for R-orcls or ideas, and always 

 in earnest in what they advanced. 



Instead, then, of addressing' you on a single topic, I may take 

 the liberty of directing your attention to a variety of subjects 

 pertaining to the fanner's calling — and such subjects, too, as 

 have been suggested by yourselves. 



Soils. Tlie soils of Oxford county may be arranged in four 

 different classes — intervale, meadow, sandy plain, and rocky 

 upland. 



The Androscoggin river, with its tributaries extending from 

 the New llampsliire line on the west, to Liverrnore on the east, 

 is a treasure to this county, forming a winding belt of the mosi; 

 valuable intervale nearly its whole distance. The annual floods 

 which overflow these intervales are to you what l.lie rising of 

 the Nile was to the Egyptians. It has been estimated that one 

 pailful ol" fertilizing mud is found in every one hundred and 

 thirty-two ol' water in the Nile. U the ancient Greeks could 

 call Egypt the gift of the Nile, in a limited sense we uiay call 

 Oxford county the gift of the Androscoggin. The sediuient 

 which is deposited on these intervales, is in the finest state of 

 division, a)id abounds in mineial and vegetable matter in a 

 state of complete solution and dccoiriposition. No l»etter prep- 

 aration could well be made to increase the fertility of a soil 

 than this. While the owner of the upland farm must spread 

 upon his land ashes and lime, and manure in abimdance, to 

 secure his crop, and keep up the fertility of the soil, the An- 

 droscoggin comes rushing along with its thousand cartloads of 

 manure far better to make a permanent soil than guano or 

 super phosphate of lime, howevei- valuable these may be in par- 

 ticular cases, sifted out, too, not only from the mountain rocks, 

 and primitive forests, but also Trom the upland farms. Thus 

 the soil is pulverized to a great depth, rendering the labors of 

 the farmer comparatively easy. The chemist will fi)id on ana- 

 lyzing Rucli a soil, that all tlic necessary elements will be pres- 

 ent and nearly in due proportion. He is a miserable man 

 indeed who cannot secure a good living on an intervale farm. 



"While on a recent visit to the \Yhite Mountains, I was forci- 

 bly struck with the value of that huge pile of rocks to Maine. 

 Instead of regarding it as a barren waste, T look upon it as an 



