34S 
AGRICULTURE OF MAINE. 
for whep there has been the slightest cross, the frontal 
bones always widen, as a preparation for these ap¬ 
pendages, and are most jealously watched. The 
unimproved animal is rather a stiff handler, low in 
the rump, and rising in the tail, which latter is set far 
into the back. Breeders are attending to all these 
points by making careful selections; and in the best 
animals they are no longer found, or, are at least, 
very much improved. The Galloway ox stands low 
on the ground, and comes to the shambles about four 
years old, weighing about 600 lbs., when from the 
«* high district.” The bull is remarkable for those 
masculine features about the head and neck, which, 
in my opinion, have been bred too fine and delicate in 
the improved Short-horns. The Galloway cow is 
generally a poor milker, and is not expected to do 
more than bring up her calf. Her milk, however, is 
very rich, and the butter sweet, and though 1 am 
writing from the “ higher,” or “ upper district,” I 
occasionally meet with an excellent Scotch cheese. 
The Galloways are generally sold out of the coun¬ 
try at two-years old. The heifers are all spayed, ex¬ 
cept a few selected for the dairy and breeding. They 
are then kept and fed in England, till nearly four 
years old, when they fetch the best prices in the 
London market. This breed would do well in Massa¬ 
chusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine; for 
though the winters are severe and the pastures short, 
they are generally sweet, and they have a good beef 
market in Boston. R. 
Drumlaw, Scotland, Oct. 1st, 1845. 
AGRICULTURE OF MAINE. 
There is nothing in your paper that interests me 
more than those of your correspondents in different 
States, who tell us where they live, and the particu¬ 
lars of their climate, soil, and productions. In hopes, 
then, that the same account of ours here in Maine 
will be equally entertaining to others, I submit to 
your disposal an account of ours. In my account of 
the climate, &c.,'of Maine, I propose only to give 
those particulars which are more immediately con¬ 
nected with her agriculture. 
The latitude of Dixfield village—about one geo¬ 
graphical mile north of my domicil—-is 44® 32' 46s. 
north. We have generally about five months con¬ 
tinual sledding, and the snow accumulates from three 
to five feet deep. We expect one month thaw in 
the winter, under the cognomen of the “ January 
thaw,” which sometimes breaks up the ice of two 
feet or more in thickness in the Androscoggin, and 
plays some wild pranks along its banks. From this 
statement it will readily be perceived that we have 
but about six months in which to perform all our 
operations in farming, which bring us to the surface 
of the soil. This, perhaps, is the greatest objection 
that can be brought against this State as an agricul¬ 
tural one. 
Wild animals. —The most of those of a malignant 
and depredatory disposition have nearly disappeared ; 
and their company is exchanged for those who— 
though less dangerous to man’s safety—are about as 
troublesome to us. Among these more modern intrud¬ 
ers, is the common rat, which was unknown in this 
neighborhood several years after I came here. Foxes, 
skunks, and mischievous dogs abound, as with our 
brethren in the northern States. 
Serpents. —Of the poisonous kind, I never heard of 
any in the State, except some two or three towns in 
York county; where it is .said there is, or has been, 
some rattle snakes. I do not recollect of seeing but 
one species of the snake kind in this State. This is 
of a brownish color on the back, with yellow stripes 
on the sides, and is two or three feet in length. So 
you see we are not very snakish. 
Birds. —Those kinds of birds which are most com¬ 
mon in Massachusetts, abound to some extent here. 
Some of these, however, are seldom seen, and some 
never. Among those I have never seen, is the beau¬ 
tiful quail of the middle and southern States. I have 
not seen a single bobo’link, or thrush, or blue-bird, 
or common black-bird, that I recollect this summer. 
Mischievous crows, and saucy jays are plenty 
enough. Partridges swallows, hawks, and owls, 
are as common here as in other northern States. Wild 
pigeons are much plentier here than in Massachusetts. 
Wild fruits. —Some species of raspberries are the 
most plenty. They are, however, an inferior variety 
of a red color. I have never seen but one bush of 
the black kind common in Massachusetts, and that 
is long since dead. The next plentiest is a blue¬ 
berry, which grows on very low bushes, and is quite 
a pleasant fruit. The common black whortleberry 
is not found to my knowledge in this county. I 
believe they are found in Kennebec; but probably of 
limited extent. Strawberries are plentier here than 1 
have ever seen them in Massachusetts. Cranberries 
are found in some places, growing wild, but I have 
no knowledge that they abound to a great extent. 
Blackberries of one species only, abound in this 
State. This appears to be one kind of bush that 
grows in Massachusetts; though the structure of the 
bushes, and their green features are merely similar 
there is a wide difference in the value of the fruit 
The fruit is generally of a conical shape, and I hav< 
seen now and then some of a superior size and fla¬ 
vor, perhaps nearly an inch long, and half an inch in 
diameter at the bore. I have no doubt it might, with 
pains in cultivation, be rendered a superior fruit 
Grape vines are seldom seen, and those that are seem 
sour fruit and of little value. 
Cultivated products, stock, fyc. — Everybody know? 
that Maine is a good stock country, and is capable ol 
producing as good stock of every kind, as any State 
in the Union. And was it not for the serious draw¬ 
back in the profit of raising and keeping, in conse¬ 
quence of the length of our winter, we could com¬ 
pete with any other State. 
Wheat. —The depredations of the grain-worm have 
interposed a serious obstacle to its cultivation in this 
part of the State. We find we can avoid its ravages 
by sowing after the twentieth of May ; but it is more 
subject to rust than if sown earlier; so that the alter¬ 
natives presented are something like (as Pomp the 
nigger said) avoiding “ Silly to run on Carryfagus !” 
It is, however, cultivated to considerable extent in 
this country, and perhaps nearly enough raised foi 
home use. But little winter wheat is sown here. 
Indian corn. —I find no serious difficulty in raising 
Indian corn. In the experience of a quarter of a 
century, l have never had a total failure from frost 
or otherwise; and I see no reason why we may not 
cultivate it in this and the more southern and western 
parts of the State, with a fair profit. It is true we 
