Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1863-02-13
Maryland so,l and Agrieul,ure.


ylaRd- The Chesapeake AL ohso Canal
affords cheap and easy conveyance % the
market Al Georgetown. and from thence
the produce Is shipped 70 al parts Of the
counfry. Tbs base q tie sol Is nd
sandstone or sSale. which imParts 20 the
soil a dark red or reddish brown oslor.
AZ some remote geological period. this
whole country Was covered BY the sca. TIE
bottom or aOOr Of -hiob being composed in
part q shale. and bcing acted upon by the
sgitated waters. decomPOsed and formed
fine sedinBenf. which mixing with other d.
composed vegetable and mineral matter. in
time produced a deposition Of grcai depsh.
so thai the sOl here. unlike the thin gran
tie soil OF New England. = from ten 10 a.
teen feet deep. In dry weather this soil
becomes hard. and beng 50 tine the sursace
is easily agitsted BY the wind. constantly
filing the AR With clouds Of dust. bgi IL Is
readily sOftened BY rain. and then % a
great depth il becomes Of the consistency
Of mortar. the large Per cent. Of clay rcn-
dorins Il tough. and this Is the peculiar
characteristics Of Maryland mnd In stoc.-
ding the Easements Of our tents. NJ ALWAYS
AZ tbe intersticcs between the thinkers with
this mud. and in n short time "a harleus
and becomes nearly a. firm a. kiln bu-ued
brick. and Of about the same color. This
shale or sandstone crups out in many rlaccs
ON the banks Of tie Potomac. and Is cxten-
sively quarried for building purposes. The
aqueducts under the canal and the walls a.
the lOcks are all built II IL; IL j. good M,
and Is easily qusrried. ard being soft. IS
fine hammered without officially. and when
finished Il makes very pretty and durable
stone The people here call il q. granite.
bat in composition ard color. Il Is very IN
Ike the granite Of the northern States.
There i no clay pan underlying tbs sol.
bat II rests Immediately upon the shay sea
flOor before spckea o. The intervalcs are
but little raised above The bed q the rivcr.
and Ike the lands on the Nile. arr yearly
Inundated. and the waters rich IN aiavium
fron the Shenandoah and upper Potomac.
deposit their rich TREASURE upon the soI.
rendering j; highly productive. Daring
the dry season good water l. vcry sca-cc:
the brooks and sPnngs dry Up. and there
beng no pan Under the sol 20 hold The Va
ter. II passes down 70 the shay bed. and
tins being composed q layers more or less
tilted up from a horizoatal position. affords
no barrier % H. passage still farther doun.
The staple crops ar What AID corn.
though re and oats are morc or lcss rzis-
81. The dressing used Is Pcrusian clano.
which Is miNel with the wheat and souu
with il IN drills. Tie quantity Of ruano
used Is from tWo 90 three hundred pounds
% the acre. and the average q wheat o. the
acre j. abou; twenty bushels Without
guano the crop y generally failure. Toe
land is sown With wheat and planted With
corn each alternate year. no elano b,ing
used Tor The cora crop. The average %
corn % The acrc = about forty ba,hci.
The farmers here have no barns. The
wheat Is cut and haulcd Co some couvcuicnt
place and stacked. AM wLcn the proper
time comes the threshing machine - 80 u-
close % the group q stack. and The aheat
- separated from the straw AMI chaf AZ the
rate q about bushcl pr minute. r.
straw Is piled up into huge ri-ks and ish
Tor the cattle % pack over. or - blown
around a. The mercy % the winds Oar
soldier. have found these straw rieks very
convenient 90 furnish sediing flr them
selves and their horses. anil a. tlc picket
stations IL is often used a. covering far
quarters.
The corn j. cot AMI packei into large
buuches. the spini.cs or tas,cl. bent over
and tied down 20 Keep out thc rain. anI
here 90 b. If til siuckin-~ or ha.kin-
time. Which Is usaally toward ulld-ai-t,r
In the meantime che ground b. lightly
piovcd and sowed with wheat. which
sprirgs up IN the iail AMI 8. green al sim
ter. The corn Is huskcl in Gle fslI. and
here assorted. and earned thence o. the
cuhs. Sometimes vherc the ground &. nor
O. be sowcd to winter wheat. the ear. ~
corn ar gathered from the stalks a. th.r
grew and the fodder is ich e. h. bu-re5 --
or pioWed snder, Lui the usual r-aete, d.
% cot up sid sow the ground With
wheat
Our Maine fa-mers you'd pc cutie s.-.
Prised AZ The extent Of some of these Mar.
land wheat and corn felds. YONG. b..
land b. called one of the best farm. i- ELL.
Qart 81 fh~ eor-try. NCar,y aH ere u,f,r
81 the Potomac runs ou dis sidc 81 lt. ,..
channel next % the Nirg.aia shore being
only about $50 rpls vide The island
contsins about three hundred and fh,
acrys. and is Doc slightly elevated above