The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1876-11-25
Topeka, KANSAS.

Observation-Disclosures FAIR, ETC, ETC,
We are at the close of a bowling Kansas
snow storm as | write on the evening of the
18th of November. The snow, or rather
hail, for the pellets are like crystal shot
hard and dry as though they had never
been in a liquid state. In crossing the
prairie this morning, which is inclosed as
the State House grounds, composed of four
squares in the heart of the city, the keen
wind seemed to be tedged with needles,
and reminded me of the Winter north
westers which sweep the Octoraro hills with
terrific tierceness. You don't often enjoy
those hill country winds in Elkton. The
changes from hot to cold, and cold to warm,
and dry to wet, are very similar to those
you experience in old Cecil. The extremes
of temperature are as sudden and violent
| see but little difference in this respect,
but the atmosphere is never surclarged
with the amount of vapor which is always
prevalent in the Atlantic States, and herein
consists the great superiority in healthful-
ness of this climate over that of Maryland
which is in the same latitude as Topeka
/ We have experienced some severe rain
storms since | have been in the State, a
| facsimile of the northeast storms which
usually last about twenty-four hours in the
East, and are as disagreeable as it is posi-
bic for weather to be. But when the rain
ceases the dry wind generally lcks up the
mud in few hours, and the weather is
/ pleasant again. Nevertheless people grow
! sick and die here, and are subject to colds,
and bilious diseases when they happen to
expose themselves in malarious neighbor-
hood. Pneumonia, typhoid fever and the
whole catalogue of ailments which torture
the flesh in Cecil are familiar as household
words out here, and druggists and doctors
thrive in about the same manner here that
they do in old Cecil.
But will go back and begin anew. We
have had visitation of grasshoppers here
this Fall which confounds all theories here
torore in vogue concerning this insects
habits. They were believed to be a dry
weather pest but this Fall has been one of
the wettest in this latitude, or rather longi-
tnde. for the dry line is east and west. The
erasshoppers were not nearly so numerous
as in 1874, and did but comparatively little
damage, there being abundance of vegeta-
ton for them to feed on. The young wheat
was about all they troubled seriously
When it appeared above ground they eat
it out to the very roots. Wheat that was
sown early, and had grown several inches
before the grasshoppers came. upon it,
shared the same fate. The fields were eaten
off till they were bare of vegetation as the
day they were sown. They destroyed every
spear, root and branch and then deposited
their eggs in the bare earth to insure crop
of young grasshoppers in the Spring. The
farmers are pucky out here; and when the
Fall advanced. and the insects disappeared,
they sowcd their fields again, and the young
wheat is looking very well.
This section Of the State does not seem
particularly well adapted to the growth of
wheat, though further west is a good wheat
reg ion. About seventeen bushels to the
acre is considered good yield herea bouts.
Elk Neck would raise thirty bushels sure
with land in as good condition as this land.
Corn, vegetables, and stock are the great
products of this section. farmer on a
small scale can raise three or four thousand
bushels. Corn is now selling for twenty
cents bushel 1t looks like sin to see
great piles of horse manure lying about
bar t,, Whau II
lates about the stables in town, carriers are
hired to haul it away, as you do rubbish in
Elkton.
Cattle and other stock is the best crop a
farmer here can turn his attention to, as is
also the case in Maryland. But to raise
stock successfully requires a little more
capital, stock of patience, and a good
deal of attention and considerable brains.
1t will require three or four years to get
the stock business properly under way.
Calves are worth ST. yearlings SO head.
Calves, well wintered, are worth SIS head
the next season: and the stock is said to
increase in about this ratio till fit for mar
kct at three and four years old. 1t is the
NdSG htilpullI VI lttu llldJ grows WIFI mere
which gives this country it's superiority
over any section of the old States. Here
every foot of land is teeming with arank
growth of grass. None of it is given up
to timber; all, all is a vast area of grass,
and probably more than the ninetenths
lying out without fence. What you 6esig-
nate commons The readers of The Wig
may be enabled to form some conception of
the pasture facilities of this country, if they
will suppose that large tract of country.
covered with forest, and known as Charles
town and North East barrens and Elk
Neck, to be divest of its present growth of
timber and converted into rolling prairie,
covered with thick growth of fine grass
twelve to twenty four inches high.
What herds of cattle could live and grow
fat on it. Well, such is about the condi-
ton of thousands of square miles out here.
The only difference worth naming in an
agricultural point of view, between this
and Maryla is that which two feet of
rich, black soil make, as against the thin,
starving soil of the old State. Tie latter
has considerable advantage in markets,
but it is hard to get much produce to send
to market. There is great deal of stock
very poorly cared for out here. Very lit
tie shelter is provided against the ptiless
storms-as severe and protracted as your
worst Winter and Spring storms in Cecil.
One ton of hay is the allowance for a steer,
but ton and half is better with good
shelter. Those prime essentials pay here
in stock raising as they do East. You can
have as much hay put in stack here-not
in the city but out i'll the country-as you
wish for 81 90 a ton. There are miles of
unfenced prairie, everybody's hay field.
Go out with Il moving machine and cut all
you want. There is great deal of butter
made here, aud much of it very good but
ter, too better than the average you will
find in Ekton. 1t is now bought by the
E,r