The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1881-08-12
For tie AgiS and HteitigeaceI
Farming in Cecil County,

While the thermometer ranges among the
| nineties the farmers here in Cecil complain
of the wheat crop, although the straw would
indicate good one. Other crops look well
Tobacco, which is generally good is being
topped and wormed. The latter requires a
good deal of patience, as every leaf must be
looked over carefully.
1t is worth visit here by our Hartford
county farmers to see the amount of farming
done with SO little help. This is generally
the case, but description of one farm will
doubtless be interesting, l refer to that of
Mr.. Thomas Grubb, who is well known in
Hartford, having been engaged for years in
| market trade with our people, buying an
nually $12 worth Of butter, eggs, calves
and poultry. He owns 400 acres, nearly all
OF which are under cultivation. His usual
crops are 90 acres of wheat, so acres of corn,
20 acres of oats, and he cuts from 90 to 100
acres of grass. He also cutivates several
acres each of tomatoes and tobacco. OBJ
served 40 acres of clovcrseed, in full bloom,
not weed or filth of any kind being permit
! ted to grow with it.
| There is u dairy of 20 to 30 cows, which
are fed with meal twice day the year round.
The butter made is of the most inviting kind.
The Cooley Creamcr is used In IL hours
the cream is raised and the milk is drawn
from The can by a spigot at the bottom, leav-
ing the cream IN the can Much time and
labor is thus saved. The milk is kept at
temperature Of from 45 to so degrees, and l
really envied the porkers who SO readily con-
sumed it. The butter is taken to Philadel-
phia every week and sold from Mr.. Grubb's
stall in the Farmers Market, along with
large quantity of Hartford county produce,
gathered weekly by Mr. Grubbs sons and
wagons.
Mr.. Grubb has high opinion of the people
of Hartford He thinks Hartford has improv-
ed as much or more than any county in the
State. He related the following incident,
which occurred nearly forty years ago When
boy, in company with great number of
farmers, with wagons, from Lancaster, Ches-
ter and Cecil counties, he went by way of
Dublin to Baltimore. In the town of Dub
lin the road was almost impossible, several
days rain having made the mud very Deep
On his return the weather had changed and
the wind had gathered into the roads large
piles of poverty grass, which at that day grew
on the fields and plains. This, becoming
mixed with the mud, plastered the wheels of
the wagons until not spoke was perceptible.
Many jests were made at the expense Har-
ford, these people supposing they had carried
away large portion of Hartford provender,
This same land has since raised so bushels of
wheat to the acre, and produces crops equal
county causes them to blush when they visit
her fairs, which are second to none, either in
stock or farm products.
To operate his large farm Mr.. Grub has
only his two sons, one hired hand and boy.
The oldest son, Charles A. Grubb, gives his
entire attention to market, occupying four
days in the week in gathering up produce and
two days in the Philadelphia market. The
others, four in number are devoted to the
farm and dairy. They have enough to do,
as you may imagine, with milking all these
cows twice day, the numerous Cummings
during the week, and the working, weigh
ing and printing of all this butter. Nor
is this all They reweigh and put in shape all
other butter they get before going to market,
and every egg, amounting often to over 900
dozen per week, is examined, by simple
process, which detects the bad from the good.
They have tin box with hole cut in it, and
light placed in the rear. The reflection
of light upon the egg reveals ut once its
character The merchants of Hartford, who
furnish large number of these eggs, would
be surprised to see how many they are paid
for that are useless.
Having given you a history of the males, l
must not neglect the females belonging to this
busy household They consist of Mrs. Grubb,
her three daughters, nearly gIown up, and
one hired girl. They do all the household
work within themselves, besides assisting
with the farm and dairy products. With all
their vast amount of daily work they also
find time for enjoyment. Festivals, pic MICS
and social gatherings are invariably attended,
and time is found to chat and entertain
their many friends and callers. A well sys-
tematized line of business, and an energetic
and industrious people is the sequel of it all.
HARTFORD.