Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser., 1886-08-13
A TrIp to the Mountains.
I Editorial Correspondence.l

Editorial Correspondence.
AuGusT 10, 1856.
As stated in the our last issue the Junior OF the
TINES in company with y Kind friend had y
short vacation which was spent amid the noun
taius of " ashington county, and from which We
returned after ~ short sgourn exhiierateu III
body and pleased in spirit from influences OF the
fresh mountain air and the genial and generous
hospitality of kind friends. We VIII endearor
briefly TO give our readers few "f the impress
sions that struck us forcibly during our stay in
this fertile and favored section, though To do
even feeble justice 10 the beauty and attractive
hess OF the mountain scenery OF TO the proSre>-
Sive work of the busy and hardy husbandmeu
who inhabit here. would require more trehch,
ant pencil and perhaps = more discerning and
observing nature than we P~-eSs; We ist'
Washington city on the morning o! the 1th INST,
by the Metropolitan brai,ch OF the Is Il o. X. r.,
and after q snort ride through the outskirts OF
that city and the contracted and busy section OF
the district in which il lies, finally emerged in
the fertile and productive Montgomery county,
which spread out in a broad panoi anna OF beauty
to the gaze, where fertile and bountlful neIds
Iintersp-rsed with cheerful looking farm house.
and evidences OF thrifty and Intelligent farming
lent a charm to the scene pleasing 10 ahe eye
and grateful to the heart, and which made de-
lshtfu and pleasant an otherwise Inonotpnous
car ride. 4 trip through this section would
make the heart OF a farmer glad. and short stay
here would. perhaps imbue some of our tliles
with q spirit OF emulation and give then
knowledge OF how poor aud worn out lands can
and should be repleuished.
About o clock We left the train at Claggetts
Station within sight Of the home of MIR. Augustus
Young familiarity known ~ Hop, frnrr
resident OF Charles and well known ana re-
spected here. This was our destination and here
We were received with IA hearty and genial good
old southern Maryland hospitality, feeIns
which becomes part OF the mature "i All ~hn
are born In region and which no protractrd
residence elsewhere or no change oi scene
aud custom can fully eradicate. the home OF
MIR. Young is situated in = lovely and fertile 's-
gion sppropriateiy called 10y the Inhabitants
thereof Pheasant Valley, and never WAS IA spot
of Gods green earth inore aptiN or drserNeuy
II 1tF..EN tP> -
high mountains, which seem to stand As >cil-
tinelS guarding the peace and Tranquility ot the
homes OF those who inhaoit below. and awaken
ing in the mind of tnO~.. who obsrrS" them for
tn. rsi time feeling OF awe aud wonder aud
admiration. Their towering toIr reach up~a'i
graceful outline a. II to meet the heavens ana
To cut OF from further connection ei the outside
world and To guard IN peace ana >ccaFl'y AMI
keen from turmoil and contamination the
blessed region over which they keep perpetual
guard pn the right - the range oi mountains.
beginning on the Maryland >lie at hArl~.rs
Ferr. with the historic Mary laIi Heights. hich
Is but >iN mile, distant and Ia plain view. ms
peak towers above all Others IN the range Hhr
giant commander over rig 'In.'nt o hills ami
Mas tine scene OF the brilliant >tra'"s'f hlit'tAiN
movement OF the irOn-hearted and courageous
confederate chiritain. SiouewalI JacA~in. when
h.. captured the command OF General AtIr.. and
took from hi> whole field artiiiary which after
wards Ia, IN ttIc hands uf ja.-S 1'n devoted
s,no ,aithf,II follower. m-..cugrr~ OF death and
destruction and haSO@' to ihu-.' who wcrr once
the owners. In gazing ON ihis scene th'i>r awful
aud turbulent struggles ar brought ioTriuIy to
tr lttt.F anu Tue Ai4At
ihe-r spots, which nature ~'-.ni''d destined to
ucct,u,- >af- and beyond TcsCh ni THE Ge>srFaiing
hand uf InaII. should have n.-''. scaled and mad.
the OF such awful turmoil IHie EAfE"
extends northward along the crrur~e al tn"
Potomac for Aunut a miles, AMI then grasiu.i!s
,:nt.- INTO the table. .tr,i~ aud j. .t sIghI uf IN
the green fields aud gently uudulRt1ng COUNTRY
which reaches the ~" t-'N"ud. ls.'h inz south
warl. from an elevation. til" mountain Is-aA~ ,Hi
th,. virginia side. at Nryrrtrn. ---~Iu> I" meet
tn,.,,. OF Mar, land and in that direction Ia" Nal
lev apKs.TS shut up r'S~-, and SECURE from which
their rrs> aud iu'ics~i 1T tht~ ~rs~it. when
the eve takes ia all tur surrounding plain with
IL green aud fertile lie It's and grow lax cFuI~ AMI
all tine evidences of thrift aud pnSiucitS"u'-~S
that l. manifest. with the substantial and cE"''r-
tnI iarmhuu>.-~ and tine quiet Ir-acrfLlu"~~ ui Al!
nature ar.uui. one could almost ssh that there
Ma no outirt. and the heart >..-rI> ,ati>acI "a
end peacefully here the silOtsd years of cN-t"HC"
pn the righI. the range oi mountains which,
hrm> the Valley extends northwafd aud s'S>.->
lts-If ia the fiu- Ridge. of which II i spur. aud
tl- ain. range ia " hirh TIM famous tuniain
r,>,,r; OF Pen Mar j. situated The rang AT This
lnint although not ~ cl"Sais-i a. thn>-' on the
lett more continuous In outline WITH fewer
breaks and gives "a clearer Nl-w "a the mt l~-
holder al the ruxgrdnc>S and extent ~ noun
tam ranges.
Al q gap or crossing O! this r.-ze and "n the
peak II 1. mountain. Mr.'' ''-orgc Alfred Townsend.
In, .r,rti II the Journalistic word. has erected.
nn = beautiful site ov-rlooal lns the productive
and widely known "Middletowu Valley. uf
Frederick county. a handsome country home.
The view from THIS >pot of the Valley below IL -
magnificent one. The arabic country II wilder
In extent than that Oi flrAsant iihin
the fact that the western descent uf the noun
tain i more abrupt and irrer from foliage the
view i broad and uninterrupted. " hen IL hrst
bursts on thu view thr impression lett viii long
he remembered. the quiet loNlinrss m which
must b+ >-rii Ia be appreciated when W" nrst
b.l,rli 1t the sun was lst sinking low II. the
wet ox.r III" mountain peaks beyond. and the
red glow al thu de parting orb ltmnered the sky
with translucent colori ny and she it, reflections
ON th, quiet landscape below which, coupled
with the shadow. Of the towering peaks that
formed n dark outline To the brightness nf the
intervening scene, lent "a harmony and char Ia
nature which no P.ncil or master hand could
correctly de pict. Truly we envied Mr.. Town
send his pleasant home and were 10th To iraNe
the spot.
Of the farming Of this section we can say but
little as our knowe edge OF the practical working
Of hand i limited. one thing, however would
strike n southern Mary rylHnder travelling here
and that il an entire absence OF tobacco. either
growing or in the harms. Fields Of wheat. corn
and hay. growing in luxuriance or stacked In
mammoth piles. meet the eye on all sides aud
stretch far up the valley IN pleasing view, bnt OF
tobacco. our stay and prop. there Is none. With
them wheat II the money crop AS tobacco IL with
u.s. Though much hay IL raised aud shipped or
| fed stock, thus proving n fruitful source Of
revenue. The wheat crop had been gathered
and was being threshed during our stay, and
some of the Yields We're In strong contrast to our
section. 81 ard 81 bushels is the average yield
in that section for an acre of land. though some
times 1t reaches even u higher nEure ana also
/ frequently falls below it. Here far mers pay but
2 cents per buShel for threshing their grain. and
many of them complained that this was an ex-
! Orbitant price and should be reduced. we were
told that many farmers put their wheat crops
unthreshed in the barn and kept il there until
the winter months. and utilized their spare time
during that season for threshing II. Frequently
II was known To lay over until the following
spring before the grain was separated from the
straw. Though the economy % this habit was
| not satisfactorily explained to us.
One feature of farming In that section struck
US forcibly as being worthy of Imitation by US
and would prove "A valuable medium not only
in saving dollars but in producing lasting and
permanent Improvement to lands that l. theil
barn yards. TO each barn is attached "a yard o
large dimensions and here Is hauled all weed.
that taken from the fields gardens or else
where also all surplus wheat and AT straw. AND
in this enclosure the stock OF the farm is driven
every night throughout the year ns regularly rs
clock work. The result is large deposit Of rich
e. op producing manure. This is hauled out and
peal on tiI, land twice year-in the fall anC
>pri.s. he work of spreading this manure Wa
being carr ed on during our STAY and load aftel
load OF II hauled to the fields there to do the
same work. or even better. for which 'nr farm
ers pay annually many thousands of dollars II
the purchase of commercial fertilizers. No mat
ter how limit. was the stock of any farmer into
the barnyard il Went nightly. and their rich de
posits utilized in enriching the already produc
tive fields.
| Another noticeable feature the horses
Here horse weighing less than a thousand o
twelve hundred pounds or measuring less thai
Is hands Is seldom seen. They are all large. mus
culariand active with bodies round and full from
careful attention and abundant feed. capable o
doing the heavy work which is required of them
and load Of from to tons drawn by four Il
the farmers pride and they are forced from fOa
To maturity for all they worth, and the resul
is a county stocked with mammoth animals o
hercuean strength and size. Many other thing
we noticed some with admiration others will
less appreciation, but to enumerate all oar i'm
pressions would prolOng this letter to an inter
mfnable tlength and bore our readers to to
great an extent. Suffice it to ay-what has beer
frequently said befOre-that for progressive, In
telligent, active. busy and successful farmin
, Southern Maryland is away behind the Westerl
, section of our State
Our short stay in that section was pleasant an
o agreeable. thanks to the kind hospitality we re