Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1884-03-27
COMMUNICATED
FAYETTE COUNTY, o.,

ED. CLARION: L nave Deen abSent from
your State and my old home SO long that
about consider myselfa stranger to the many
improvements, both public and private, that
have marked the spirit of the age with you
since left isabella Mills" in 1869, and were
it not for the fact that the CLARION, on its
weekly arrival, brings some notes of the
many changes, both with men and their bust
ness, as we'll as with the public improve
mcnts, should surely be rs surprised as old
Rip Van was when, as l anticipate some time
in the near future, paying visit to former
home and friends.
The completion of the w. NJ r. r., the P.
L. r. r., and the w. and G. turnpike would
each be pleasant to comment on in this let
ter as each are bran new to me- but am re-
minded if would interest your readers
must write of Fayettc and not Frederick
county.
Our winter was almost facsimile Of yours
except we had it colder The mercury fire.
quently marking as low rs 90 degrees below.
March, too, has been succession of snow,
slcet and hail since its advent, and for the
past eight days we have had fine sclghing
To-day we are having genuinec qunoctial
storm of rain, snow, and high wind, but as q
general thing we do not differ much from
your kind of weather or time of sowing and
planting as reported by the CLARION. We,
however can get up a bigger flood than old
Monocacy ever dreamed Of
We differ widely with you in soil. The
general phase of our country, and for 200
miles north, is a level one with an occasional
rolling plateau. The color Of our soil is on
the flat land black, slightly rolling, mulatto ;
high ground, clay. The rolling llrd is gen
orally limestone, ard the only fertilizers ever
used is barnyard manure, or clover rye, or
buckwhcat plowcd under.
Commercial fertilizers are almost entirely
unknown by the masses. A few years ago a
resident of Brown County settled in our
ncighbolhood, and, being accustomed to
using phospatcs there he tried it on wheat
crop on our upland at the rate of 100 pounds
to the acre. At harvest there was not per
ccptiblc difference enough over that not fer
tllzcd to induce him to try it again.
Our soil is naturally rich in all its compo-
ncnt parts, and all we need to assure boun-
tiful crop Of any of the cereals is, for upland
good system of rotation with clover, and
for the black land good under draining, and
ditto farming. The subject of tile draining
woud be as novel to tho most of your readers
as supcrphosphatcs to ours
Tiles for draining arc made from the wax
lest black ground that can be found, usually
about three feet below the surface, thence
down to dcnth of six feet. This dirt is
ground quite wet in tilc-mill something on
the order of an improved iron byick-mil!, the
tiles are forced through dies from the ma
chine and cut exactly one length-l2! inches,
OF course different sized dies are used and
tiles from three to ten inches in diameter are
produced They are thoroughly dried in
long, narrow sheds, admitting air plcntifully,
but no sun. They are then burned in air
TIGHT brickkins much as bricks are. These
kiIns usually hold about four or five thous-
and rods fall sizes at one burning, all, when
done, nrc the color of red crockcrywa.c and
each capable Of lasting a life time when prop
crly laid in the ground. The bitches as a
rule are cut three feet deep some places and
frcvuently as much as 100 rods arc drained
by one outlet. This means, of course, say
one main line of Sinch, GO or 50 rods, with
six 5, 4, or 3 inch branches latt"rly entering
main line. am fully convinced that tI.ous-
ands of dollars could be saved on lands along
the Monocacy and Owens creek by proper
system of under d'aing by tiles; and now as
TO cost, that depends on the size of the tiles,
10-nch cost 20 cents per rod, S-inch Go cents,
6,nch so cents, AMI all in the same ratio,
cutting the ditch and laying the tile IS cents
per rod.
You will notice this is pretty expensive to
begin with, but once there it is permanent
and one Of the best investments put in the
land too wet, to raise grain or grape success
fully. But You will say enough of this, but
am convinced now that while Mechanics.
town and Htuvcrs districts may not need
any, much could be used to good advantage
in Emmitsburg and Creagcrstown districts
Agriculture and stock raising are the prin-
cipa industries of our county, and each in =
very improved state so far as implements and
stock are concerned. Sulky plows for break
ing, and disk and double section spike har
rows for cutting and lcyeling the ground.
Double automatic cornplantcrs to drill or
check row corn are about the only kind in
use Binders are about as plentiful as drop
pcrs used to be, and hand binding now is al
most a thing of the past. In stock we have as
u rule for draft the Norman and C'ydesdalc,
for roadstcrs and general purpose Morgans,
lIamblctonans, Cadmus, and Edwin Forest
as leading in favor. OF cattle, short horns
or Durhams for both beef and milk, but for
butter the Jerseys and Aldernys are coming
into general favor, especially in towns. But
they will never supercede the thoroughbreds
with stock raisers
Our county is known all over the State as
Little Bristle from the great NJ m 'cr of hogs
raised and marketed as well as for quality,
so this brings us to notice.
For the porker we clam the ribbon on Po
land. China, and the Klever Bro, the leaders
in this grade of hogs as breeders, reside in
this cnunty. Last year they shipped to every
State in the Union, north and west of Arkan-
sas also to England, Wales, Austria, and