The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1877-08-18
HE VISITS THE HoGGEKY AND AFTERWARDS
SEES THE WAITS.

HE VISITS THE HoGGEKY AND AFTERWARDS
SEES THE WAITS.
Thos. Harvey, Wig iolmelly owned the
Experimental Farm, now resides a short
distance west Of it, on the west branch of
| West Clay creek, which is here quite a
pretty little stream, but has none Of the
romantic scenery along its banks that
makes it so delightful few miles farther
down. The house he lives in is very
| antique structure. The brick in its walls
were brought from England, and the house
was built in 1747.
We mention as matter of interest to
your agricultural readers, that Mr.. IL. dis
posed of a number of acres of what was
once a part of the Experimental Farm
but which the State did not buy for asri-
cultural purposes-last Spring for 800 per
acre. The land did not give any evidence
of a high state of fertility, and we do not
think that land of the same quality located
in Cecil county would sell for more than
one third or one-half of that amount.
Mr.. Harvey is a great admirer of fine
stock, particularly Of "kine and swine"
He has large dairy and makes large
quantities of what is known in the Phila-
delphia market as "gilt-edged BUTTER"
which commands fabulous price. We
have been informed that few years ago
the quality of his butter dcteriorated so
much that it lost the peculiar nutty flavor
that is one of the qualities that adds so
much TO it's value. After much tribulation
and research to find the cause of the de-
terioration it occurred to Mr. II. that his
dairy people were in the habit of using a
coal oil lamp, in the evenings, in the dairy
where the milk was kept, and the cause of
the trouble was traced to the fumes of the
burning oil. The use of the lamps was
discontinued, and the quality of the butter
restored.
This gentleman is largely engaged in the
hog business. When at his place we could
not keep from thinking of the song:
Big pig, little pig,
Root hog or die"
The first part of the couplet may be very
tpDIpiji dppIICti W WI. II. . tSLdDllSL-
ment, for he has hogs of many kinds and
of all sizes and all inventions and appli-
ances for their convenience aud comfort.
So much so that it is only as matter of
exercise or amusement that his pigs root at
all. He feeds them SO well that there is
not the least necessity for them ever to
dirty their shouts or soil their proboscises
by delvng in the earth to hunt their daily
bread And when they are sick, or it is
necessary to move them from one place to
another, there is a nice coach or car on
wheels for that purpose. We are not iok-
ing, but just now are in as good earnest as
we ever were We saw this car, and the
agent of the railroad said it was used in
the transportation of a huge male Berk-
shire few days before. lie weighed about
seven hundred pounds, and appeared to
have travelled with much comfort to HIM
self and every one else. We saw num-
Der of stys, each surrounded by COM
modious pen and each occupied by dis
tinct family of porkers. These stys are
the Summer residences of these aristocratic
and lucky swine. Their owner has recently
constructed large house in the shape of
the letter I, the stem of which is 60 feet
long, and the top 100 feet long. The food
is prepared at the angle and transported
along each wing in a car constructed for
the purpose. In this palatial residence
these aristocratc Berkshire, Yorkshire,
and Chester County Whites will spend the
Winter. Mr.. II. has at this time so or 40
brood sows and expects to increase his
stock. He ships them wherever ordered
and his stock commands the highest price.
While at the depot at West Grove our
attention was attracted by the arrival of
number of little girls-there were fourteen
of them we afterwards learned-and the
agent remarked, "there are the wals.'
:" The waifs.'' we exclaimed in reply.
"What waits >" "Those that have been
spending a week in the Countrywide child
rem of families in the middle walks of life,
who reside in Philadelphia, and whose cir
cumstances are too Strengthened to allow
them to come to the country to spend a
few days or weeks in the Summer time,
and who are taken by the farmers and
others along the line of the Phila. & Bait.
Central railroad, which furnishes them a
free ride to and from the city, and enter
tanned for a week, that they may have a
taste of country life and breathe the fresh
country air."
We expressed a desire to know more of
hn of Tor hatn 70
one that Immediately commended itself to
us as one of the kindest and best labors of
love that we had ever heard Of Our friend
said his brother where we were stopping,
had one of the waits, and also had a
pamphlet giving a full account of the en-
terprise. This work seems such good
one, that with a view to its extension, |
hope you will find room for the following
extracts from the report of the lady, Mrs.
Eliza Sproat Turner, of Chadd's Ford,
enterprise year or two ago:
Last Summer we undertook to initiate
the experiment, tried the year before in
Boston, who in her turn had borrowed the
idea from Copenhagen, of asking country
families Up our nelghborhood to open their
homes for a week to some of the poor little
city children who were sickening in the
heat and foul air of crowded streets and
alleys, and who could in no other way get
a taste of country life.
The call was responded to with great
cordiality, and in the month of July thirty
families gave welcome to guests who
could never make return for their hospital
ity except by grateful looks and freshening
faces.
Fifty-nine persons, mostly children, and
few mothers with babies, enjoyed this holi
day, in many cases the first in their lives.
Some families took two sisters or two
brothers, giving each week or more.
Out of tilty-ni guests we had, of course,
CONTINUED On FOURTH PAGE.