Smyrna times., 1888-08-08

insecting the ground. This battle "broke
the backbone of the Rebellion" and
from this date to the end it was only q
question of endurance. From this
cause as well as the bravery displayed
on both sides, Gettysburg takes its place
among the decisive battles in the
worlds history, and later on more than
now, it will become the American
Mecca. No other battle field equals it
in retaining its original features in tact.
The country through which we trav-
eled in reaching these points is through
a country entirely different from our
Peninsula, and hence their methods of
farming and perhaps of life are differ
ent. A noticeable feature is their large
barns, made large enough to hold
nearly or quite the farms product.
We could see their wheat and oat stub
Die and fallOw mostly turned, but
rarely more than one or two stacks of
grain or straw outside, mostly none,
being in the barn where everything
else was kept.
The great trouble of the farmers are
the rocks. This was no where more
apparent than near HagerstOwn,
where they were seen everywhere
coming out above the surface. Yet
we were told these lands produced 35
bushels of wheat to the acre. They
plow with three horses, the mould
boards turning to the left, and some
times the pillow in sharp contact with
hidden rock will jump almost as high
as the plOwman's head. We saw in a
field two horses to a cultivator in till
ing corn, in tandem fashion, boy rid
ing the leading horse, the effort to keep
the instrument in the ground requiring
all the time and attention of the man
holding the cultivator.
We referred in our letter last week
to the recent discovery that peaches
could be grown successfully and profit
ably at the foot of the Blue Mountains.
After that letter, in an interview with
the editor of the Hagerstown Mail we
learned that the growing of peaches
commenced there about eight years
ago. Such had been its success that
land that could be purchased ten years
ago for $40. per acre, was now held at
SlOO. per acre. The same gentleman
said that he had been the day before in
the orchard of one of these growers at
EdgemOnt, saw them pulling out peach
trees that had been attacked by the
yellOws, fifty trees having been pulled
out that morning. The owner makes
it rule to remove any tree on the first
appearance of disease, but the point is,
if the yellOws appears in this soil virgin
to the peach so soon after its introduc-
tiOn, what may not be expected in ten
years? And, it strongly indicates that
there as well as here, the nursery may
be responsible.
Another fact was noticed not in har.
mony with prevalent idea of peach
culture. Those who remember the
battle of Gettysburg will call to mind
the hOtly contested fight between Gen
Sickles and Longstreet on the second
day, in which a peach orchard figured
largely. In riding over the field we
came to this prominence on Seminary
Ridge (whither Sickles had gone with.
out orders and got wOrsted), our driver
called our attention to the peach
orchard on the ground of the hottest
part of the engagement. Why, said
the writer, that is not the orchard that
stood there 25 years ago? Oh! no
said he, that was all cut to pieces bv
the bullets; it was removed and a new
one planted in its place; that is gone
and this is the third one planted on the
ground. 1t looked to be four or fiv,
years old, full of fruit and as vigorou!
and healthy looking throughout a,
any orchard we have seen this year. I
was the only one Except at the foot O
the mountains that we saw in q rid,
of 120 miles. The theory is, the peacl
will not succeed itself: perhaps tn
right theory is a section and not par
ticular field.