578 



MAINE. 



1875, $1,250 ; in 1876, $677 ; in 1877, 



in 1878, $725; total cost from 1871 to 1878, 



$7,454. 



The returns made by the inspectors for cities 

 and towns show the number of barrels of 

 pickled fish inspected by them during the year 

 ending November 30, 1878, to have been as fol- 

 lows : Mackerel, 23,434 ; herring, 4,081 ; cod, 

 15 ; shad, 67 ; alewives, 6 ; swordfish, 14; total, 

 27,611. 



At the close of the year 1878 there were 

 forty-two fire, fire-marine, and marine insur- 

 ance companies organized under the laws of the 

 State, and authorized to do business therein, 

 of which one was stock fire-marine, two were 

 stock marine, one was mutual fire-marine, one 

 was mutual marine, and thirty-seven were 

 mutual fire insurance companies. During the 

 previous six years the risks written in Maine 

 amount to $466,383,678.73, and the premiums 

 paid to $6,758,383.61. The companies have paid 

 for losses the sum of $4,495,969.07. At the 

 close of the year 1878 there were ninety-five 

 fire, fire-marine, and marine insurance compa- 

 nies of other States and countries authorized 

 to transact business in Maine, of which ninety- 

 one were stock and four mutual companies. 

 The aggregate amount of tax on premium re- 

 ceipts paid by the several companies was 

 $8,241.20. The domestic stock companies re- 

 ceived premiums on marine risks amounting 

 to $228,844.24, and paid losses on the same 

 amounting to $182,558.07, or 80 per cent, of 

 losses to premiums. The companies of other 

 States and countries received premiums amount- 

 ing to $736,634.71, and paid losses amounting 

 to $665,935.20, or 90 per cent, of premiums 

 received. The assets of the mutual companies 

 that made returns amounted to $753,079.08, 

 of which amount $639,184.64 consisted of pre- 

 mium notes. 



The statement of the Treasurer of the Maine 

 Beet-Sugar Company represents that industry 

 as improving. The pulp produced from the 

 beet is one of the great benefits arising from 

 its culture. Twenty-three tons of beets per 

 acre is the average in Europe ; one ton of beets 

 makes 400 pounds of pulp, which is worth 

 more than the beets themselves for feeding 

 purposes. When dry the beet has 13 per cent. 

 of sugar. If kept until spring, the sugar is 

 reduced to 8 per cent. Pulp is sold at $1 per 

 ton, the railroad transports it for 80 cents, and 

 this is equal to hay at $4 per ton. Twenty 

 pounds of pulp, ten pounds of straw, and one 

 pound of meal is the feed per day of a cow in 

 Europe. The farmers in the vicinity of Port- 

 land raised from 14 to 40 tons of beets per 

 acre; average amount of sugar, 11 per cent. 

 'In 1878 fifty acres of beets were raised in that 

 section, and as many more in Aroostook. A 

 capital of $150,000 is required for the manu- 

 facture of the sugar. No one can raise beets 

 at a profit but a farmer, and no one can man- 

 ufacture but a refiner. Deep plowing, early 

 planting, and early thinning out are essential. 



Forty tons per acre is not a large yield with 

 good cultivation. In France the beet-producers 

 receive $3.50 per ton ; the company paid $4. 



A statement of the amount of ship-building 

 on the Kennebec Eiver has been prepared, 

 which shows the number and tonnage of ves- 

 sels built there from 1781 to 1879, classified 

 according to rig, to have been as follows : 



During this time vessels have been built 

 in Augusta, Hallow ell, Gardiner, Farmingdale, 

 Richmond, Bowdoinham, Pittston, Vassalboro', 

 "Waterville, Sidney, and Chelsea. 



A National Home for disabled volunteer sol- 

 diers is located at Togus, near Augusta. The 

 number of soldiers and sailors aided by the 

 institution during 1878 was 1,351 ; admitted, 

 267; readmitted, 121; honorably discharged, 

 92 ; dishonorably discharged, 6 ; transferred to 

 other branches, 45 ; deserted, 47 ; average num- 

 ber present during the year, 836 ; belonging 

 to regular army, 17; volunteer service, 1,330; 

 navy, 4 ; disabled during the war of rebellion, 

 1,340; Mexican war, 2; war of 1812, 9; one 

 colored man. Of the whole number, 216 came 

 from Maine, 521 from Massachusetts, 296 from 

 New York, 95 from New Hampshire, and the 

 remainder from several other States in the 

 Union; 568 were native-born, and 783 foreign- 

 born ; 573 were married and had children ; 

 627 were common laborers, the remainder hav- 

 ing trades; 917 could read and write; 434 

 could do neither ; one had lost both arms, 60 

 one arm, 70 one leg; 4 were totally blind, 18 

 partially blind; 11 partially insane, one totally 

 insane. Pensions have been paid to 664, to 

 the amount of $70,272.98; of this sum $10,- 

 023.23 was retained for the purposes of the 

 Home, $27,296.75 used for the benefit of rela- 

 tives, and $4,185 retained in trust for pension- 

 ers. The boot and shoe manufactory has been 

 carried on, employing 55 of the men, with a 

 total product of $12,819.20 and a net profit 

 of $4,255.21. Total value of farm products, 

 $7,756.38, including 275 tons of hay. Total 

 number of inmates employed for pay, 257; 

 paid out for labor the past year, $22,385.98. 

 There are 4,326 volumes in the library, 22 daily 

 newspapers, 115 weeklies, and other periodi- 

 cals and publications. Protestant and Cath- 

 olic religious services are held weekly, and 

 temperance organizations sustained. The total 

 amount paid for expenses of the Home dur- 

 ing the year was $103,647.12 ; average cost 

 of keeping each man with clothing, $134.25; 

 without, $119.37. Many of the men have 



