Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1883-07-25
The Canning Interests.
Correspondence of the Baltimore SUM-

twenty years than any county 10 the
State. More corn ia produced than IN
any other county, and the canning in
terestis greater than in any county
in the United States or in the world.
1t is claimed By some that pack ct the
county last year was worth $1,000 900.
but this is an exaggeration. the pack
was probably worth something more
than half that amount. There are be-
tween 400 snd 500 canning establish
ments, and additional ones are being
established. Besides the labor furnish
cd by county reslGests from 10000 to
Is, 900 hands are brought from dis
tant points annually to work in the
factories in the busy season. Mr..
Geo. w. Baker was one of the pioneers
in the canning business. 1t is said that
he commenced canning operations on
an ordinary stove, aud fodingit very
profitable increased his facilities from
time to time. This season he has over
1000 acres in sugar corn alone. Farm
ers who could not set along at anything
some Years since vent into canning,
aud in a short time we're buying farms.
The impression is now that only big
tanners can carry tie business on sue
cessiuly, so much have the profits
baen reduced by con petition. This,
however. has been said annually tor
several years, aud yet all engaged IN
the industry seem TO thrive. Men with
farms worth $500 have not hesilated
TO engage in canning, and purchase an
outfit costing about SIS, 600. Hereto
ioie all ha,o been able to get all they
wanted on credit, aud so far there has
been but one failure, and that, It is said,
through extravaganza. This year,
however, the canmakers and Others
are requiring collateral security for
goods advanced.
The pride Of Hartford is cattle.grazing
This is followed il all parts o: the
country, but more particularly along
Deer Creek valley. The cattle for
grazing are bought in Virginia and at
the Baltimore cattle yards. When
fatted they are sold in Baltimore and
Philadelphia, and nunber shipped to
Europe. Fine herds of short horns and
Jerseys are also raised in the county.
Machine shops snd manufactures are
wanted in Belair. The county has
plenty of suitable timber, iron ore,
mineral paint and everything needed to
make fine agricultural implements
People come here from Ohio, prepare
the stuff, take it there, manufacture the
farming re quisites, and send them back
TO Hartford. Farmers iu need of cast
lpcs have TO send out Of the county fol
them:
The exponent of farming in this sec
ton is Mr. Wm. Woolsey. He is salC
to be the best farmer IN Maryland, and
second TO none IN the United Estates
His beautiful and fertile place IS about
7 miles from Belair. Mr.. Woolsey Il
not a theorist who has INDUCED hl'
fancy and spent his money in theoret
cal farming. but n practical, earnes
worker. who has made a fortune iron
a small beginning by the judlciou
culture Of barren land. There are GER
tain axioms in farming which Mr.
Woolsey states with an emphasis that
will admit Of TO mistake. His favorlte
fertilizar, outside of barn-yard manure
5 IS raw bone. He SAYS: "a rich mai
| may use 100 or 900 pounds of bone tC
the acre if be chooses, because 1t Is no
material for him TO raise crop, but
moor man must use from 1000 TO l,2OO
pounds to the acre or he will be ruined.
Mr.. Woolsey's grain farm is IN stron
. contrast to It's former condition q
wears ago, when he took charge OF 1t
as described by himself and neighbors
For The 3I2 acres constituting the hom
S place be gave less than $4,000. 1t wa
lien dead poor. aud would not grow
crop 10 pay the cost Of cultiva'ing th
land. Lime did not act on The place
y and he has improved with bone. ATE
q two years experimenting with guam
h lie gave 1t up, because he saw he wa
r. paving too much for ammonia and wa
a not getting enough phosphate. lie ha
o ALWAYS iarmed for money, and has a
p yaXs made it. a number OF person
: interested in agriculture visit the seen
p Of Mr.. Woolsey's operations, an
/. all 90 away impressed with his mode
c farming. These not unireqnenily al
I officials and others from a d.s'ance.-
b. Some time since Governor Hanliio
# (who is a large farmer) and party cam
down for The purpose Of inspecting Nj
Woolsey's crops aud cattle. Go
: Hamilton said he had not believed th'
such crops as h9 saw could be grow
lie was satisfied, he sad, that prom
} neut politician OF Hartford who a
I companled him, had not overs!atcd u
case, though the gentleman Was so
le the habit of shooting with long DO
that he could not believe him. GO
y Hamilton said he had never raised SUI
erop of corn as ne saw before hir
ID and never expected 10, bat he wOu
y try to improve his com production
IL Mr.. Woolsey plants his corn in ro'
" 81 feet apart, with II 10 IA inches 0
10 tween the stalks. His average crop
' 100 bushels to the acre on all the lat
Is cultivated and in the last elghtet
c years he has only gone as low as
u bushels to the acre on one OCCASION.
- lie rover uses any kind OF manure
'' corn. but turns under q good sod