miscella:n^eous papees. 



FRUIT GROWING IN THE DIFFERENT COUNTIES IN MAINE. 



Befoi'e writing his essay on the "Climatic Line of Fruit Culture in 

 Maine," which appears in this report, the author, Mr. Atherton, ad- 

 dressed letters of inquiry to prominent fruit growers in different 

 parts of the State, asking questions in regard to the varieties grown 

 and the success attending their culture. The answers received con- 

 tained much information which could not all be embodied in his 

 essay, and Mr. Atherton has placed these letters in my hands, be- 

 lieving that the}' contain matters of experience and history regard- 

 ing fruit culture in our State, sufficient to warrant their preservation 

 in the transactions of our Society. I have, accordingly-, carefully 

 edited these letters, and present below what seems to me to be their 

 most important contents. Their writers, as will be seen, are gen- 

 tlemen of known prominence in connection with the pomological 

 interests of our State, and this gives greater value to these county 

 reports on fruit growing. 



AROOSTOOK COUNTY. 



There are portions of this county that are well adapted to orchard- 

 ing, and other parts where apples cannot be profitably grown. I do 

 not extend my sales above 14 miles north of here, for this is the very 

 northern limit of orcharding except in some isolated spots where 

 there happens to be an admixture of granite, potash, etc. Some of 

 these detached positions are found in Mars Hill, Mapleton, Castle 

 Hill, Perham, and even as far north as New Sweden, where apples 

 may be raised in limited quantities for famil}- use, but cannot possi- 

 bly be made profitable. 



There are places in this vicinit}' where it is almost impossible to 

 make an apple tree grow, then there are other localities where all 



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