Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1888-09-28
Young Mems Emigration.


The following interesting article upon tn,
subject of our young men emigrating to tn,
West is taken from the Baltimore San, ant
was prepared by Mr.. H. G. Hallowell, o
this county, at the solicitation of the abov,
named paper:
EMIGRATION TO THE WEST.
Mr. Hallowell writes as follows: "When
l received your fattering invitation to write
an article on some topic connected with the
present interests of agriculture in the Mid
die Atlantic States l at once thought of the
subject mentioned above. Having recently
returned from a visit to Illinois and Mis-
souri,, am confirmed in an opinion long
since formed and publicly expressed that II
our farmers would practice the same rigid
economy, industry and perseverance here
that tho emigrant is forced to do in the West
they would be as well or better off finan
ciallY after term of years, and at the same
time have the benefits of an older civilization
with all its attendant blessings and com.
forts. In your issue of September Col.
Beverly has placed the matter in so clear
light that at first was inclined to take up
some other point, but have concluded to
supplement his forcible presentation of the
subject with some additional thoughts.
OUR ADVANTAGES.
"The States Of Pennsylvania, Maryland,
Virginia, West Virginia and North Caro-.
lima have many exceptional advantages,
First, as to climate. We are far enough
north to have sufficient cold for purifca-
ton of the air, and destruction, partially, of
miasmas, as well as for bracing and toning
up the system and at the same we do not have
the long and wearing winters of New York,
New England and the West--in the latter
accompanied by frequent billiards.. SAM
tary statistics indicate Enthusiastically the su-
periority of our section. BY the census of
1880 we find that where there were about
"a 900 deaths from consumption, nervous
diseases, diarrhea, &C., in the five States
mentioned during the census years, there
were in the same population in Missouri,
Illinois, Indiana and Iowa, $4,000 or a diff
ference of 5000 in our favor. 1t is true that
we have an occasional very cold winter, and
now and then dry summer, or period of
local epidemics but these are the exceptions |
rather than the rule We are also spared |
the terrible and devastating cyclones, so
fearful in their results, and which once ex-
perieced, so unnerves the sufferers that every |
cloud seems afterwards to be death laden |
While we have now and then a tornado that |
wrecks building here and there, and that,
OF course, is terrible 10 the sufferers, yet they |
are very rare when the extent OF country is |
considered, and cannot recall a single in
stance where the loss OF lite was comparable
to that in the West. Our own State is par
ticularly favored in climate conditions, In
this county Montgomery my young cattle
have in some seasons run upon pasture until
snowfall in the latter part OF November, and
have been turned out as early as the LIST OF
May. Within our borders we have wide |
range OF temperature, and yet most of our
State is unusually healthy. Even the mala-
rious portions will doubtless become health.
full with the advance of sanitary science and
improved methods OF husbandry.
OUR SOIL AND CROPS
SECONDLY, as to, soil. 1t is true that por-
tons of the West are fertile and beautiful,
but other portions are as sterile as any that
can be seen in our section. We produce
crops nearly as large per acre, and when
proximity to market is considered they are
of more value. From the tenth census we
find that where the average yield'oi wheat
per acre in five States named above was
about II bushels it was only ID bushels in
Indiana, Illinois, Missouri and Iowa, about
equal in population, and in corn our yield
was 20 bushels per acre to their 81 bushels
not Il very great excess in either case, con
sidering their boosted fertility and that con.
portions of our States are noun
tains. We also raised 100000 bushels of
potatoes 10 30,000000, while the value OF our
orchard products exceeds theirs by nearly
half million OF dollars Moreover, the
Western i4rlnoIs are already discovering
that the fertility of their soil is not mex
haustble. They no longer build their sta
bles on the banks of streams that they may
easily get rid of the manures, but find that
10 get the best results they must abandon
the wastelul methods of former days and
even use bought fertilizers and apply brains
with them. No portion of the West that |
saw surpassed and but little equaled to the
eye of an agriculturist the exquisite farming
and productive and well managed
farms OF the better parts of the Middle Allan
tic States Our clay loans and even our more
sandy soils will, | believe, in years to come
equal the productiveness of Illinois, Indiana,
Missouri or Kansas. They respond quickly TO
lime, clover and bought fertilizers, while, as
mas been mentioned, the atmospheric candi-
liens are favorable. Ii our young farmers
IAN only be convinced of the advantages OF
our section, and also have fair presenta-
ion of the drawbacks in others, they will
not long hesitate as to where they will
ocate. 1t is very true that some Ego west"
Ind do well, but We rarely hear OF the very
many who never cease TO regret having
Yielded to the tempting prospect only to find
hat they had grasped the dead sea fruit.
The weary monotony OF "a prairie country,
90, is wearing TO those who have enjoyed
he beautifully rolling, well-drained and
we'll watered East How the settler, tired
,f the sluggish, muddy streams, longs for
he clear sparkling springs of his native
State
NEAR THE MARKETS.
Thirdly our position, with reference to
needing all we can produce, is
advantageous. The cities cir
cling around the Atlantic coast within our
'each-New York, Brooklyn, Newark, Phil
idephia, Wilmington, Baltimore and Wash
a population of about four mil.
ions Add to this the vast number of at.
endint towns and villages and inland cities,
and we see that there is an immense and
rapidly increasing demand for all that we
,an raise There are also minor consid-
erations, such as our proximity TO the sea
coast, when needed for the health and recrea-
lion, and the grand and restful mountains,
easily accessible, with their bracing air and
magnificent scenery.
"Fourthly, the associations OF our old
homes, Of acres that have passed perhaps
from sire to son, the duties and RESPONSE
bilities of citizenship, the pleasure and pride
of sustaining the honored name and chlrac.
ter OF parents and grand parents-these arc
not lightly to be cast aside Ii any one is
thinking Of making the change, and these
lines should meet his eye, hope he will
pause long enough To examine the subject
carefully upon every side, and above all
things make personal inspection, remain
ing long enough to watch the effect OF the
varying seasons, before severing the ties
which bind him 10 his native State