The Sunday mirror., 1880-07-25
FROM THE CHESAPEAKE.
Random Notes from Wilmingtonian on
the Eastern Shore Things Interest
ing About Peaches and other
Matters.

Special letter to the MIRROR.
BARNARD's LANDING, CHESAPEAKE BAY,
July 24.-When any of your many readers
who are fond of Steamboat riding desire
change from Cape May and other points on
the Delaware, let them go up on the Fsffon
to Philadelphia and get aboard one OF the
Steamers of the Ericsson line to Baltimore
which leaves at 4 p. m. just half an hour
after the FELTON, arrives, next wharf above
Chestnut The ride through the canal and
down Chesapeake Bay is very enjoyable OF a
moonlight night, and on board you will find
good meals and good berth if you prefer
It to moonlight on the water. After leaving
the canal and passing through Slackwater
river, you enter the Bay proper, and on your
left, or Eastern shore, lies Kent Co. Md,
one of the best agricultural counties on the
PENINSULA country as little known to most
Wilmingtonians as the Slopes of the Sierra
Nevada. If you desire to explore it, steE
ashore at Betterton, or Barnard's and yo1
will soon discover that you have invaded thy
far-famed peach region. Kent county, Md; /;
has more peaches this year than any other
of the peach gsowing counties in either
State. As many as five thousand baskets are
shipped from this point daily, to Baltimore
and Philadelphia, during the height of the
season, and about the same number from
Betterton, the next shipping point. Atboth
of the above places are good accommodations
for boarders, and the bathing is good and,
fishing and boating all that could be desired
in that line.
The peach growers of Kent have become
alive to the importance of evaporating por'
ton of their large crops, and ''fruit dryers
of various kinds are going up in every d
rection. This is the only sure road to profit
for any one who grows fruit largely, and the
comparative merits of the various "Dryers'
are being brought to the front by those in
terested The tendency seems to be towaro
low priced machines, that will not require ;
whole crop to pay for, or much capital to lay
idle in seasons of failure. Good machine:
that will dry from rs to 1850 baskets every
twenty four hours can now be bought fol
S I5o to 600 and make just as good fruit as
the high priced evaporators.
Like much of the soil of the peninsula,
that of Kent is adapted to the growth oi
small fruits as well as peaches, and they are
largely grown, and have been profitable the
present season, One shipper at this point
sending some 500 to 300 quarts per day
A ride through this country will show man,
well kept and productive farms, and man.
others that prove how hard tits to overcome
habits formed in slave-holding times. Build
ings that look as though they had just drop
ped from the moon, and fences strewl
around promiscuously. "Can you tell mi
the way to Mr.. Ms" inquired traveller
"yes sir; take the next turn to the left, an
keep on till you come to place that look
as though it had just been visited by a
earthquake, that's the one" He could nc
; have put it better in that many words. Br
neat or slovenly, fast or slow, rich or pool
. you will always find the latch string hans
ing outside the door in Kent.
TRAVELLER.