MAINE, a State of the North Atlantic Division of the North American Union; bounded by Quebec, New Brunswick, the Atlantic Ocean, Bay of Fundy, and New Hampshire; admitted to the Union, March 15, 1820; counties, 16; area, 29,395 square miles; pop. (1890) 661,086; (1900) 694,466; (1910) 742,371; (1920) 768,014; capital, Augusta.
Topography.—The surface of the State is as a rule hilly and mountainous, excepting along the coast, where it is flat and sometimes marshy. The main mountain system crosses the State in a N. E. direction from the White Mountains, past Mount Katahdin and Mount Abraham to Mars Hill near St. John river. The highest elevation is Mount Katahdin, in the center of the State, 5,383 feet. The coast line is very irregular, and, with its numerous indentations, presents a length of over 2,000 miles. The sea coast E. of the Kennebec rises abruptly to a height of from 1,000 to 2,800 feet, while the W. portion consists of swamps and sand flats, extending 10 to 20 miles inland. The rivers rise in the mountains at the N. of the State and in Canada and New Hampshire, and flow rapidly and with numerous falls and rapids to the sea, affording excellent water power. The principal ones are the St. John, forming most of the Canadian boundary; the Penobscot, Kennebec and Androscoggin, rising in the N. and central portions of the State, and flowing into the Atlantic. Maine has over 1,500 lakes. Moosehead Lake, the largest, is 35 miles long, 10 miles wide, and 1,023 feet above sea-level. Rangeley and Richardson Lakes, in the E., have an altitude of 1,500 feet.
Geology.—The rocks of Maine are largely of igneous and palæozoic origin. The Upper Silurian limestones appear in the N. W., and fossiliferous limestone and argillaceous schists of the Lower Silurian are found in the central portion of the State. The old red sandstone appears in the N., and strata of post-Tertiary, Miocene, and Pliocene formations exist in the S. E. Much of the sea-coast formations are of recent origin.
Mineralogy.—The State abounds in minerals of many kinds, some of them rare, but the chief production is in stone products, especially of granite. The annual production of granite is valued at nearly $2,000,000. Clay products to the value of $1,000,000 are produced. The total mineral production is valued at about $5,000,000 per year.
Soil.—The State presents a great variety of soil. That on the sea-coast and mountain lands is sterile and does not repay cultivation. The soil in the river valleys between the Penobscot and Kennebec is of alluvial formation and exceedingly valuable for cereals. The great valley of the Aroostook contains the most fertile lands E. of the Mississippi valley, producing excellent wheat, potatoes, barley, rye and other grains in great abundance. The upland is the best for grazing and the clay loam for hay. The forests of the State are of great value. In the N. the trees are principally pine, fir, spruce, hemlock, and other evergreens, with cedars in the N. E. In the central portion of the State the white and red oak, maple, beech, birch, and ash are abundant, while further S. the poplar, elm, basswood, dogwood, sassafras, juniper, butterwood, butternut, chestnut, alder, and willow abound.
Agriculture.—Maine has agricultural interests of great importance. The N. E. part, embracing Aroostook county, produces the largest and best potato crops in the world. The potatoes are used largely for seed in other parts of the United States and foreign countries. Garden fruits and vegetables are also produced in large quantities. The principal farm crops in 1919, with their value, was as follows: Corn, 1,100,000 bushels, valued at $2,145,000; oats, 5,746,000 bushels, valued at $5,286,000; wheat, 228,000 bushels, valued at $502,000; hay, 1,146,000 tons, valued at $27,227,000; potatoes, 24,480,000 bushels, valued at $34,272,000.
The live stock statistics are as follows: Horses, about 115,000, valued at $17,000,000; milch cows, about 160,000, valued at about $9,000,000; other cattle, about 100,000, valued at about $2,600,000; sheep, about 165,000, valued at about $800,000; swine, about 100,000, valued at about $1,500,000. About 1,000,000 pounds of wool are produced annually in the State. Maine ranks second among the New England States in the value of its fisheries.
Manufactures.—Maine is an important manufacturing State. It has excellent water power, and this is used to develop power for many large textile, paper, and other mills. In 1914 there were 5,378 manufacturing establishments, employing 82,140 wage earners. The capital invested was $233,844,000; the amount paid in wages, $43,254,000; the value of the materials used was $117,655,000; and the value of the completed products was $200,450,000.
Banking.—On Oct. 31, 1919, there were 64 National banks in operation, having $6,915,000 in capital; $5,846,506 in outstanding circulation and $5,355,750 in
