The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1883-07-21
HARTFORD COUNTY.
The Canning Interest-Mr. Woolsey's
Splendid Estate.

in any other county, and the canning i'll
terest is greater than in any county in
the United States or in the world. 1t is
claimed by some that the pack of the
county last year was worth $1,000, 600,
but this is an exaggeration, the pick
was probably worth something more
than half that amount. There are be-
tween 400 and 800 canning establish
ments, and additional ones are being
established. BESIDES the labor furnished
by the county residents, from 10, 900 to
49, 600 hands are brought from distant
points annually to work in the factories
i'll the busy season. MIR. Geo. w. Baker
was one of the pioneers in the canning
business. 1t is said that he commenced
canning operations on an ordinary stove,
and finding it very profitable, increased
his facilities from time to time This
season he has over 900 acres in sugar
corn alone. Farmers who could not get
along at anything some years since went
into canning, and in Il short time were
buying farms. The impression is now
that only big farmers can carry the bust
ness on successfully, SO much have the
profits been reduced by competition.
This, however, has been said annually
for several years, and yet all engaged in
the industry seem to thrive. Men with
farms worth 81, 800 have not hesitated to
engage in canning, and purchase an out
fit costing about $l5, 900. Heretofore all
have been able to get all they wanted on
credit, and so far there has been but one
failure, and that, it is said, through ex-
travagance. This year, however, the
canmakers and others are requiring col
lateral security for goods advanced.
The pride of Hartford is cattle grazing
This is followed in all parts of the county,
but more particularly along Deer Creek
Valley. The cattle for grazing are
bought in Virginia and at the Baltimore
cattle yards. When fattened. they are
sold in Baltimore and Philadelphia. and
a number shipped to Europe. Fine herds
of short-horns and Jerseys are also raised
in the county.
Machine shops and manufactures are
wanted in Bel Air. The county has
plenty of suitable timber, iron ore, min
cral paint and everything needed to make
fine agricultural implements. People
come here from Ohio, prepare the stuff,
take it there, manufacture the farming
requisites and send them back to IIar-
ford. Farmers i'll need of castings have
to send out of the county for them.
The exponent of farming in this sec
ton is Mr.. William Woolscy. lie is said
to be the best farmer in Maryland, and
second to none in the United States. His
beautiful and fertile place is about seven
miles from Bel Air. Mr. Woolsey is not
theorist who has INDUCED his fancy
and spent his money i'll theoretical farm
| ing, but a practical, earnest worker, who
has made Il fortune from Il small begin
ming by the judicious culture of barren
| land. There are certain axiomS i'll farm
ing which Mr.. Woosey states with an
emphasis that will admit of no mistake
His favorite fertilizer. outside of barn
yard manure, is raw bone. lie says -,
rich man may use 100 or POO pounds OF
bone to the acre if he chooses. because it
| is not material for him to raise crop,
| but poor man must use from 1000 to
1000 pounds to the acre, or he will be
ruined.'
Mr.. WoolSey's grand farm is in strong
contrast to its former condition 30 years
ago when he took charge of it, as described
himself and neighbors. For the :512 acres
constituting the home place he gave less
| than 81, 900. 1t was then dead poor, and
would not grow crop to pay the cost oi
cultiyating the land. Lime did not ac,
on the place, and he has improved will
| bone. After two years experimenting
with guano he gave it up, because he
saw he was paying too much for ammonia
and was not getting enough phosphate
He has always farmed for money, and
has always made it. \ number of per
sons interested i'll agriculture visit the
scene of Mr.. Woolsey's operations, anG
all 20 away impressed with his mode o
farming. These not unfrequently are
officials and others from distance. Som,
time since Governor Hamilton (who is
large farmer and party came down fol
the purpose of inspecting Mr.. Woolsey',
crops and cattle. Gov Hamilton said h,
had not believed that such crops as ht
saw could he grown. lie was satisfied
he said. that prominent politician o
Hartford, who accompanied him, had no
overstated the case, though the gentle
man was SO in the habit of shooting will
a long bow that he could not believe him
Gov. Hamilton said he had never raise,
such a crop of corn as he saw before hin
and never expected to, but he would tr,
to improve his corn production. MIR
| Woolsey plants his corn in rows 81 fee
apart. with T. to II inches between tn,
stalks. His average crop is 100 bushels
to the acre on all the land cultivated
and in the last eighteen years he has onl,
gone as low as SO bushels to the acre on
one occasion. He never uses any kind o
manure on corn, but turns under gooc
sod. At Gov. Hamilton's request Mr.
Woolsey wrote him the average yield o
the field, which Gov. Hamilton had seen
Mr.. Woolsey Said that in consequence q
a severe drouth the yield of corn wa
reduced to % bushels per acre, but adde,
with smile. few OF them can do as wei
through large field.
Mr.. Woolsey, though over 20 years o
age, s hale ard hearty and as active as
man Of 40. lie left his beautiful resi-
dence and highly ornamented and well
shaded grounds to go o 'er the farm Will
representative of the SIN without feel
ing that he was doing anything unusual
lie talked as he went, and took pleasur,
in giving to others the benefit of his ex
perieucc. He seeds his wheat on corn
stubblc, using J ton of raw bone per acre
or if he seeds wheat on fallow, which Ii,
does rarely, he puts ton of bone on eacl
acre. Timothy is seeded with the whea
and clover i'll the spring. Mr.. WoOlsey
said 30 bushels of corn per acre woull
have done % years ago, but it won't de
now. Agricultural implements and fer
tilizers have forced farmers along. III,
continued, pointing to luxuriant fields o
grass, that they would do for beds fo
any person in winter time, so continuou,
was the growth. These fields stay i,
grass from to 6 years, and cut . tons o
hay to the acre. AS they grow older Thu
growth is not SO heavy, but the hay i!
finer. His permanent pasture has beer
in grass p years. Cattle are on it all the
time from early spring until late in til,
fall. 1t was i'll many places over was
high, and would have cut IL fine crop oil
hay. The wheat average on corn stub
BILE is about 80 bushels; last year it was
33. On fallow the average has been 40
The oat yield is 80 to Go bushels per acre
and as high as 70 bushels have beer
made. Mr.. Woolscy said he tried to gel
rich raising potatoes. The first year ht
got 81 % per hushel, and was well salts
fed; the next year he got but % cent,
per bushel, and stopped raising in guam
titles. lie plants the middle of June
and thinks the Burbank the best variety
lie farms, in all, between TOO and S0t
acres.
Cattle grazing he regards as the most
profitable branch Of farming, and he fat
tens from 12j to $40 head annually
Drovers bring two-year old steers to Iii,
barn from West Virginia. He buys the