Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1881-04-29
SOUTHERN MARYLAND.
Its Resources al Advantages.

! SOUTHERN MARYLAND.
Its Resources aad Advantages.
| We have from time TO time alluded to
the inviting field for enterprise and we'll
directed energy presented by the broad
acres of sparsely populated and cruelty
neglected Southern Maryland. Upon this
point we have frequently, though vainly
perhaps, urged the Importance ofour PEG
pie making some organized e1ertion t"
divert from the great flood tide of foreign
emigration that is flowing steadily thro'
our State to the West a small current suf
fcient to populate our penin> ular and de-
velope and utilize its great hidden re-
sources. We have urged TOO upon our
young men (some of whom depressed and
discouraged by the lethargy that seems to
have settled upon our people, thought OF
emigrating also to the Vest the inpera-
tive duty incumbent upon them of re-
manning at home and assisting in the no
BILE work of developing and improving the
land of their nativity. We do not propose
at present to say anything further on the
subject of encouraging immigration into
our county, but intend merely to point
out what we believe to be some of the SUI
perior advantages possessed 10y this sec
ton of the country which in our judg-
ment ought TO keep our young men at
home, and which, if brought to the notice
Of the agricultural enigrant from Europe
would be apt to induce him to settle here
in preference to the West.
The inquiries which naturally suggest
themselves to the emigrant, who is pros
pecting in a strange country for place Of
settlement. are with regard to its climate.
soil, market facilities, state of society and
nature of government. Now let US see
what answer an intelligent agent repre-
seasing n immigration society Of Charles
/ several inquiries. First as to climate. Il
| is well-known fact that our climate is
more equable, mild and temperate than
almost any section Of the West in which
foreign emigrants are now settling. In
deed in this respect our section is pecu-
liarly blessed. The seasons here are re-
gular and uniform, and the animal and
vegetable kingdoms alike thrive and pros
per under their influence. The distress
>f he
and the necessity of irrigation of crops
was never heard of. In point of health
fulness, it is all that could be desired; an
in this respect, immensely superior to
nearly all the new country in the West r
One OF the first duties OF our people is to
correct an erroneous impression in this
rency in the northern section of the State
that these lower Potomac counties are
subject to an unhealthy malarious atmos-
phsre. With the exception of few val
legs, lying Immediately adjacent to creeks
our county is not at all subject to msl.rial
troubles. The greater por ion of the in
terrier of our county is as free from this
trouble as the Allegheny mountains.
The next inquiry is as to soil Here it
nust be admitted that our county pre-
ssnts in this particular less inviting as
pect than in any other. While We have
many valleys equal in fertility to any in
the seaboard States, and much fertile
highland, yet it must lie admitted that
much of our interior lands are in point of
fertility rather below the medium. 1t is
in point of present existing fertility alone,
however, that any portion of our lands are
by any means at a discout. The surface
of the country generally lies beautifully
is gently undulating and always we'll
drained. Our lands cannot be said to be
worn out. By 'no means. Almost every
intelligent stranger, capable of Judging
lands, who has visited this section of the
country, with whom we have conversed,
has expressed himself highly pleased with
the "kindness'' of our Southern Maryland
soil and its easy susceptibility of increased
fertility. 1t may be safely said that our
lands will show as good results from the
application of fertilizers as any in the
world
Bearing upon this point there is an i'm
portant question as to this natural resour
ces of our peninsular that is worthy of the
serious consideration of our people. Some
years ago, when student in Washington
city, the writer was interviewed by a dis
tinguished scientific gentleman of that
city, who stated that he had theory that
the whole of this peninsula of Southern
Maryland is underlain by a sub-stratun
of mari of high fer.ilizing properties. He
asked US a number of questions as to the
natural features of the country, the char
acter of the water &c, with a view ct
testing his theory. By observations We
have since made of the frequent outcrop-
pings of this natural fertilizer in different
sections of the county, and from inquiries
made of those digging wells, we are con-
WINGED that this theory is substantially