The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1862-11-08
LOCAL AFFAIRS.
THE PRESENT YEAR has not been on,

THE PRESENT YEAR has not been one
Of abundance to the farmcrs of Cecil
Every crop, we believe, is short, save that of
hay and apples. The latter crop is very
abundant, more so than it has been for many
years. The corn crop has scarce ever been
poorer. y field here and there escaped the
ravage7 Of the cut-worm, and the yield is
in'r but scarcely one in hundred has been
thus favored. We speak of the middle and
upper portions of the county, ard arc not
advised As to the lewcr sections. The oats
crop is almost an entire failure. generally
weighing from sixteen to twenty pounds TO
the bushel and the quantity is as limited aS
the quality is inferior. The bug and rust,
combined with dry weather, cut this latter
crop of to almost nothing. The wheat crop
in measure shared the same fate OF its
contemporaries, corn and oats but it did not
suffer quite so severely. The potato crop
is OF but minor Importance in this county.
and is always attended with more or less
uncertainty.
Fall sowing has been much retarded by
the unusually long drought that extended
through the latter part of Summer and
almost the entire Autumn. Though some
few of our tardy farmers are only preparing
their ground for seeding while others
are sowing, the greater part of the wheat is
up, covering the fields with hcalthlul and
beautiful vcrdurc. In few instances to be
m u.hn i II
agricultural activity had been displayed by
the dcnizens the soil, and their crops of
fall grain were got into the ground early, in
spite Of the difficulties presented by the sea
son, the fly have made well nigh Il clean
sweep Of it, destroying the young plant
almost entirely. Notwithstanding the unpro-
pitious season and "bad luck = the farmers
still wear a cheerful countcnancc. and are
as busy as bees taking care Of their mcagrc
in most cascs-corn crops.
A general dcarth of public business
appears to exist throughout those parts of
the county We have recently visited. The
public houses especially are but sparcy
patronizcd, and the general complaint of the
hotel keeper is the almost entire suspension
Of travel, or such travel as patronze public
houses, the waytaring being principally Of a
local. ncighborhood, description. The war
has drained the country Of its floating popu-
lation, and that busy throng which was wont
to be seen on the public thoroughiarc has
measurcably diminished. Every man. how
ever, seems 10th to give up his trade or call
ing, and notwithstanding the heavy license
imposed upon many vocations, the parties
mot without serious protests, however, make
application for the Excise Licenses. appar-
emily in hope that more favorable times are
soon to come round. Where the money Is
calls, in many instances, we are at loss to
answer, for truly the great majority of shops
present lonely, deserted and quiet appear
ance, tcstifying to the truth of their pro-
prietors' complaints.
But aside from the cares and viclSsi
tudcs incident to human nature and human
frailty, the autumnal days of the past week
have been days of loneliness with their
rich haze of Indian Summer flung like Il
gauze over the spanglrd woodlands and
many-hued landscape; the genial sunshine
of those November days, and the soft, but
bright silvery moonlight of those crisp, but
lovely and bracing November nights, lend
charm to life and new sense of beauty seen
only in the declining year. But how sud
denly the whole face of nature changes in
the litful Autumntimc, and we are prompted
to sing with Bryant:
- The melancholy days are come,
The sadlest of the year
OF waiting winds and naked woods
And meadows brown and scar"