The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1879-11-21
Draining the Neck Lands.

MR.. EDITOR: Having spent some time in Bush
River Neck, attending to business, which gave me
an opportunity to examine into its agricultural
resources, find that the most of the land is so
level or fiat that the farmer is obliged to open
bitches or pillow the land in narrow beds, so as to
draw of the water during the wet season, which
lasts about nine months of the year. That is, it
requires that time to run of and dry the swamps.
The land thus prepared is very productive, with
the assistance of lime, bone and other tertiizing
material, and much more beneficial to the farmer
when compared with billy land, where rock and
loose stones are to be conttnded With. All kinds
of grain and grass grow in abundafSe when prop
erly cultivated; Hauling can beylccopplished
pements will last much longer than they will on
what is called forest land and the roads when
made properly vii remain in good order much
longer time, with less repairing. than in any other
district of the county. The farmers are an enter
prising people, living together as though each de-
sired the other to enjoy rs much of this worlds
pleasure as circumstances will admit of, opening
private roads through their farms for the accom-
mediation of those who are hemmed in and cut OFF
from the public highways, giving them free egress
and ingress with u hearty welcome, and whose
latch strings of hospitality always hang on the
pleasure in their society. They have the advan-
tage of water and railroad communication with
the outside world. The waters abound in fish and
water fowl in the spring and fall, and crabs (and
mosquitoes) in the summer time.
Really this district Of country may be styled
Marylands Eden, and like the Eden of old SER
pent is concealed within its ambrosial bowers, and
at certain seasons he crawls forth, tlatterng and
charming the unsuspecting visitor with the idea
garden, exquisite pleasure and knowledge Will be
the result. But alas when once stupefied with
those alluring pleasures the victim awakes to the
shaking consciousness of being in the burning
coils of the monster serpent, which requires pow
erful and oft-repeated doses of quinine to induce
the malarous beast to loosen his sickening hold.
The enterprising men of said Bush River Neck,
with great energy and perseverance, are breaking
up the wet land, clearing up the swamps and
draining them for the reception of lime and other
manures, thereby preparing it foragriculture and
proportionately driving off the malarous infec;,
tion which requires great amount of labor and
Il heavy expenditure OF money; but when accom-
plished 1t will prove to be a great benefit to the
public as well as to the enterprising individuals,
making room for larger population with pro-
portionate increase OF employment; we would
missioners the idea that inasmuch as Bush River
Neck has a considerably less amount of public
roads in proportion to its territory than any other
sub-district in the county, and pays the same
amount of taxes as other districts of the same
taxable basis with greater amount of roads and
appropriations 70 levy certain amount Oh mon n,
Bush River Neck that are infected with malaria,
provided the citizens owning adjoining land and
others directly interested subscribe correspond
ing amount by so doing the district would soon
be in more sanitary condition than it is at pre-
sent, and would likewise increase its taxable
value.
ENTERPRISE
George Gerwig was appointed to open public
road leading from Perrymansville to what is call
ed the new road from Swan Creek Landing to Mi
chaesville. The road undertaken by Mr.. Gerwig
crosses an almost inaccessible swamp, $50 feet in
width, covered at times with water two or three
feet in depth, timber, briars and underground
With his own force and the assistance of Mr.. q.
Courtney and his force of three or four hands, the
work was commenced on Monday morning. On
the following Saturday horse and wagon could
have safely passed over the swamp If the plank
had been laid on the bridgeway. The road is cor
duroyed with logs limbs and brush, and covered
with EARTH 1t is four or five feet above the bot
tom of the side bitches, and resembles railroad
epbankment. FORESTER.