Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1827-09-28

x. 81
rho ou;ckIv renewing chesnut.oak, the bark 81
which is so useful in tanning; but not cord oil
which is found in the tonnage OF the New YORK
canals.
The Eastern section of the Chesapeake and
Ohio Canal will not yield, therefore. in the
quantity or quality Of the produc lion OF its ior
es,s. 20 the Erie Canal of New York.
The next source of profit to the Erie Canal
arises from flour, wheat and other bread stuffs.
and coarse grain-amounting, as we have seen,
in tonnage, 10 moieiy Of the former. Upon the
Potomac Canal. it may he confidently predicted
that there will be no deficiency in those commo
dities. Deducting the inarable, hut, as has
been proved not unproductive mountains, there
will be found, in the comics OF Montgomery,
Frederick, Washington, and A.ieghany, IN
MARYLAND, 10 say nothing ofzthe rich bordering
counties nfPennsylvania; and i'll Fairfax, Lou
doun, Jefferson, Frederick, Shenandoah, Rock
ineham, Augusta, Berkeley, Morgan, Hamp
shire, Hardy, Pendleton, Preston, Randolph,
Monons ALA, Lewis, and Harrison, OF Virgil
MIA, with great extent indeed, ofvery indlffer-
ent land, a sufficient quantity OF fertile SOIL to
supply an equivalent production OF bread stuiis
and coarse grains, to that which ifoated In the
mas, wear on the Erie Canl. In the quantity
of the coarser, as we'll as finer grain. of corn,
oats. rye. and wheat, the New York will have
no advantage over the Virginia and Maryland
canal. The wheat of Virginia, as well as the
-four manufactured Of it, bears a sea voyage
better than that of New York, because it is
is drier; ard the oats Of Scotland and Poland do
not surpass those Of the Allegheny glades.
As to provisions, denomination somewhat
indefinite, there can be no failure Of very a
bundan, supply, while the bottoms of the 'en-
andoah and South Branch yield their custom
ary staple, Indian corn, and SO many glades and
mountains their unrivallcd natural pasture
The oak and chesnut mast Of the forest, and
the offal Of more than seven hundred merchant
mills, (there are seventy in the single county OF
Loudoun,) contribute 10 swell the supplies OF
pork and bacon. One obvious advantage Of
this mountainous country over that OF New
York, is the more abundant water power, by
which il is enabled to manufacture all its grain
while, on the New York Canal, more than a
million Of bushels Of wheat passed West Troy
in the las, year.
The fines, potatoes that have ever seen,
wi,hou, excepting those Of Ireland, are produc-
ed in the All, ghany mountain, by which mean
a country fifty miles in breadth. Nor will the
fruits Of ,hc hills and valleys bordering on the
South, Weld in abundance or excellence 10 those
Of New York.
After this comparison Of the relative produc
tons Of the forests, the orchards, and the fields,
i, will no, be denied that, in the supply of what
is their Joint product domestic sp rils, there
will br no superiority discovered in favor Of the
Erie Canal. An obvious reason can be furnish
ed why, in relation to this article and limo, both
of which require fuel to prepare them, the sup
plies Of the Erie Canal will decline, and those
of the Chesapeake and Ohio annually increase
with the extension Of the Potomac coal trade
The same may be said Of brick (and for the
same reason) 700 tons Of which appear among
the descending tonnage ofibe E,ie Canal. AL
though gypsum and waler-lime remain TO be
found; and for Western salt, the section Of the
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, East al the Ale
ghany; may have 10 await the completion of
that in the West; there will be Immediately OBJ
tanned, exclusive Of salt from the sea board, and
gypsum, too, an ample substitute for the 1000
tons Of these commodities appearing on the
Erie Canal.
This will be found in the slate, sand and lime
stone, marble, granite, iron, and mineral coal,
Of the Potomac, and its tributaries
The margin Of the Erie Canal was, fortunate
y for its easy construo ton, level aud low coun
try, and could not be expected to abound with
several OF The last name commodities. The first
Is known 10 exist on the fOtomaC. MarOle OF
many varieties, abounds in many places. as well
as on the river banks, and inexhaustible beds
OF iron ore and OF stone coal, are to be found on
the very line OF the Canal.
The marble Of the shafts Of the columns Of
the House Of Representatives, are from the
Northern banks of the Potomac, and IN the OPP
posile country, along with the same species,
flesh and dove eolored, white, and beautifully
veined marbles, are daily converted into COM
mon lime.
The Potomac soap stone lines the fire places
Of Georgetown. The sand, or free stone, con-
stituting the pavement of the Ro,undo, and the
exterior steps Of the Capitol, the hardness and
6neness OF which cannot well be surpassed, is
from the Potomac shore; and lime stone, ofeve
~ color and formation, except that which yields
the water proof cement, is to be seen along the
margin Of the river banks, in masses inexhaus
tble. Granite, in many places, constitutes one
Of the impediments 20 the Canal itself
1t is, however, upon the crieni and quality Of
the Goa! OF the Potomac, and the great facility of
approaching it, that the subscribers TO the stock
of this Canal may rop6d,ntlv relv for the laro