Smyrna times., 1858-04-01
Delaware It's Agricultural and Com.
mercial Advantages.

mercial Advantages.
We are pleased to see the awakening interes
manifesting itself with regard to the superior ad
vun,ages of our State for Agriculture, Com
merce. &C.; and we believe that the more the
subject is looked into, and considered in all iti
bearings, the palmer it will become that we
possess advantages equal, if not superior, tc
most of our sister States. Our State is lined
on the eastern side with noble bay and river,
each having numerous navigable tributaries
running into its centre. rendering the largest
and best Eastern markets accessible for all that
we produce, above what is needed for home
consumption. Then, the Delaware Railroad,
reaching from one end of the State to the other,
opens out a region of country the value of
which has hitherto been unknown, besides, if
the projected connection is ever completed from
Clark's Corner to Lewes, via Milton and George
town, with an extension of fifteen or twenty
miles through Baltimore Hundred to the Mary
land line, where the genial spirit of enterprise
of our neighbors can continue the iron bands
southwark to a close proximity with Norfolk.
it will be seen that this State is exalted in ad.
vantages over most portious of our vast domain
The climate and soil are favorable to the cult.
vation of all the staple grains-wheat, corn,
oats and rye; also, fax, potatoes, peas, beans,
apples, melons and peaches. The latter has
now become a heavy product, and Delaware
peaches have considerable notoriety abroad j
We think that the SOIL though poor in many
parts, has great advantages over the rocky,
sterile hills of New England, where land, |
nearly all made by labor, having the rocks |
picked off every season, readily brings twenty.
five dollars per acre, and that, too, when situa-
ted at distance Of thirty miles from a shipping
point.
As an agricultural people we have not ar
rived at that degree of perfection that many
other States have, though New Castle and Kent
for the most part are fully up to the age; but
SUSSEX, and our own refused land, must be
more improved. 1t ia said that an exclusively
agricultural people can never reach the degree of
perfection and power that is attained when it
Is connected with manufacturing and useful
arts but, while it would be quite beneficial 10
have such improvements, it does not seem that
we are SO depending upon them after all,-for
we can sell our produce to the cities at a small
cost of transportation, and buy manufactured
articles that we need. But if we could manu. !,
fscture, we would, by that, consume and keep :
our money al home. We would not be under.
stood as discOuraging manufacturing, not by !
any means,-for, by that, we would increase
population, consumption and commerce, and ,
our agricultural communities would be benefit.
ted BY every dollar expended for such purposes,
and labor would be given to thousands who are
now unable to follow the harder pursuits Of
life. T.
There are in the State some fine water privi. .
leges, which could be employed for manufactur.
ing purposes; and the facilities for importing
raw material, we think, cannot be surpassed - b
We would like to ses manufacturing towns 1
spring up along the railroad, and cotton bales c
brought up the Nanticoke, thence up the line t
TO their destination, and converted into such I
fabric as We now have TO buy in the large cities i
The State is capable of supporting more than .
twice the number of its present population, O
towns will increase. and our farming lands will 1
be cut up and better cultivated,-and that is o
what we so much need. D
Delaware lands are cheap enough to offer
quite an inducement for northern men to come
down, buy up and improve the land by fertili-
in this way, we know Of many fine
places that have been made, by a small expen-
dture and some enterprise. We see no reason
why large scope of country cannot be opened :
up on either side of the Delaware Railroad,-
farms made smaller and better cultIvaied,-l'
which would amply repay any one who would
DO it Peach-growing would be quite good
enterprise in all probability, judging from the
amount of money we have known to be made
in few years Past,-thOugh this is considered q
BY some an uncertain crop, yet, taking one sea. .
ssa with another, it pays much better than :
wheat or corn. Trucking can be proftably =,
followed now, since we have so many, and such ;
speedy means of getting to large markets.--I \
We do not look for Thayer Colony" to set I,
Gle among US, for we think that the force of cir
eumstances will develope the resources without =.
any putting; bat we speak of these things, that
those who wish TO better their condition by for
sakng their rocky confines in the North, may
settle upon soil which only needs to be G
"tckled with the hoe, to smile with the har- o
vest" q
"LEcoMProN The bill for the admission