Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1881-05-07
Maryland Letter.


Hartford County, Md, March 25. 1s''
EDS. FREE pREss 1t is most difficult
task 10 impress the mind of Valley Nlr-
rinian with the fact that this land of the
Chcsapoake is not n sort Of Sahara-a place
ofglistening and shifting sands. upon which
grows nothing profitable 10 man or beast
We. nevertheless. assure all that ours Is
goodly land, II not 50 ii It's original quality,
il Is SO now in It's improved and improving
condition. and in its multiplied aad multi
plviuv produs stions of value. The waiers oi
our Bay and rivers abound IN fish and fowl.
The shad ard ,he herring are here and now
since the operations of the government OF
the I. : in Matching, are destined 10 be
continued and increasing supply. Nehaye
the canyass-back duck--supGrior not only
70 all other ducks, but superior 20 The can
vass-back in any other waters. Here II
feeds on tho celery, which not cnly iat'cns,
but gives IN exquisitcness Of taste surpass-
ing all other food The attractions OF Tho
hunt bring 10 our waters IN the season
sportsmen from the large cities, and the
marvel is that these with the water towlcrs
leave one bird alive. And Yet am told by
one competent % krow tia; they are in
creasing in number
Agriculturally we arc moving o. thclont.
Our Weld OF wheat per acre IS as large, per-
hars. as that Of Jefferson, which IN my ear
ly days was called ".hc garden spot of the
world" In corn We excel, - % 20 barrels
10 the acre being not an unusual yield, eI-
ceptiona Yields larger, and reaching rs NJ
the case of the Bond premium corn nearly
40 barrels 20 the acre Potatoes are large
cron. rs also oats and hay. We arc rated
As the third county of the state IN the rear
ing of cattle Nor are our mineral resources
Insignificant. Iron Gre and chrome are
mined Nagneeia and Asbestos exist IN
considerable quantities but are Of no value
now for lack of facilities of transportation.
Flint is ground and marble quarricd for cN-
porlaton. hecannng ofyegotables ospeci-
ally of tomatoes aud corn, is assuming large
proportions. This is comparatively n recent
industry with Us. The pioneer m tins en-
terprise was George W Baker, Esq, who II
living and resides in theEicinity of Aber
deem on the Baltimore. Wilmington, and
PHILADELPHIA r. r. lie il still engaged in
canning. making sugar corn n speciality
Last year his sales Of this article amounted
to Sl25,OOO, and he i preparing 10 plant
| 900 acres this season in corn alone The
Baker corn is sold everywhere in the United
states and Canada and in Europe. and
brings the Highest price. Following the
example Of this cnterprisilg gentleman are
many Others. the number Increasing every
wear and if the limit Of demand shall not
be found within the next ten years canning
will become leading industry And sim
gularly tobacco. which had not been planted
for many years. is within the last two or
three years extensively cultivated. II Il OF
fne quality and brings a good price IN
the market, being used principally for the
manufacture of cigars The habit OF our
farmers of raising but one crop Of IL on The
same land. and following Immediately VIII
wheat heavily manured with bone or phos.
phate ensures the exemption OF the soii
from exhaustion.
The topography of our county is misun-
derstood by many. Though on tide water
II +, not generally level. II il for the most
part a land Of hills and gentle slopes. IL i
a land Of abundant forests, of rapid upland
rivers. and of gentle lowland river. moved
by incoming and outgoing tides. 10 is
place Of health. also. Save upon our tidal
streams no malaria il known, aud the long
evity Of our people il remarkable. from
50 10 100 vears is not an uncommon lifetime.
Tn one family there have died recently three
pcrsOns. husband. wife and sister, aged
respectively 100, i03 and lof years. our
county is not such thing OF beauty %
Jefferson possesses in the Landscapes seen
I'm tho vicinity Cf Chariest0wm and
elsewhere. Standing upon some emi-
nence. say upon that on which John
Brown Of O-sawOtOmie met bis fate, and
looking eastward in the morning, and west
ward in the evening, ard nor'hward and
southwark in the morning and Che evening
the eve catches glimpse d terrestrial
plorics that remind one OF the descriptions
which the Imagination has given of that
land on which the Fun shine not, nor TIE
moon. but lighted mp by the inei!abie light
giving to mountain and valley, TO ocean
and river a transparent glory, and 70 tho
city with It's gates Of pearl and streets %
gold an attraction inoxpressibie. Nor 20
beautiful p vour land Of the valley and the
mountain is this land by the rivers but yet
a lard Of beauty and If promise.
I send YOU "The Rocks Of Deer Creek +,
Their Legends and History" book oi
modest pretcnsions, written by your corTos-
pondent-a native of Jefferson. beg yOn
accept it. First, As an infnitessimal com
pensation for the pleasure efor1ed mo in
nv youth By reading the FREE PREss, AMI
Second That YOU may see that oBr "liOcks,
wild and weird, the homes Of spirit and of
sDrite. of clf and goblin, have q histor
wild and weird, end that they arc TO-DAY
clothed with the charms which invest The
mysterious everywhere. IURSRR
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