The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1891-09-12
POOLS ISLAND.


more have but little knowledge. Many
know that excellent peaches are raised
there, but very few people outside of
those who deal in the luscious fruit know
that nearly the entire island is peach
orchard, or tina. it is the model peach
farm of the State. 1t is not so large as
some of the big peach farms OF Kent aud
Queen Anne's counties, m"ny II which
contain from thirty thousand Ia sixty
thousand trees, but from the quality of
the island fruit, and the manner i'll which
the farm is conducted, it is said to be
almost without rival,
The island is long and narrow, much
broader at its northern than at its south
ern end, and on it's eas51ri S'lo IL IN ~
ted with pretty cove. lG II nearly IA
mile and a-half long. with al average
width of three eigths OF mile, and C III
tains about $50 acres. Many are the
stirring incide uts connected with the
islands early history, when Claiborne
was making things lively along the bay
shores, but for the past half century or
more it has been a quiet farm home. 1t
was bought IN 1905 by Peregriue Weth
the place as grain farm. raising crops
that were the wonder and the aGn.ira-
tion of the farmers all along the bay.
Here were kept large numbers OF slaves.
Both before and after the war, whenever
colored farm hand i'll the bayside
counties was questioned as to his strength
dation he could give, and the one Of
which he was proudest was, ''l've cut
wheat on the island" THIS was usually
enough to secure him employment.
There has been much Conjecture as to
the origin of the island, the genera sup.
position being that 1t is of volcanic
origin. Some think that 1t as formerly
a portion of the mainland. but the char
acter of the soil is entirely different IA ON
that of Hartford or Kent Counties, which
are within a mile or two of 1t, and then
again a chestnut or piLe tree has never
been known on the place, while both are
abundant along the neighb ,ring shores.
The soil is a rich black loan, vary ing
from eighteen inches to eight feet IN
depth, with a heavy clay sub-soil. 1t is
so rich that the most abundant crops are
produced today without the and Of Ter
tilizers, none except the m nure made
GU the place ever havln, uern used on
it in its hundred years u GU IVA: ION.
Numerous wells Of clear Sp rkling water
are scattered about the island The
water also differs from that usually
found along the bay, bel K rot Instead
hard, rest mbling greatly that found on
the high lands i'll the western counties.
Peaches were never grown in any
quantities on the island until 1872, when
George Merett, who bought it from John
Wethered, son of Peregrine Wethered,
set out an orchard of over 5000 trees
This began the places reputation AS a
peach orchard, which has been kept up
May, 1882, by MIR. Charles G. Homer,
president of the Seooud Natiou.l Bank
of Baltimore, and Mr.. John J Mashet er,
of Ohio. The story of the purchase is
rather peculiar one. Mr.. Masheter,
who has the entire charge of the farm,
was a farmer in Ohio but came East
and was associated with MIR. Homer in
business in Baltimore. He went to the
island one day on a fishing trip,
and returning told Mr.. Homer that he
had found piece of Iowa soil in Mary
examined, it's posi- for peach Gull
ture recognized, and it was bought short
ly afterward by Messrs. Homer and
Masheter, and Mr.. Masheter took charge
AS many more trees as were then on the
place were set out, extensive improve
ments were made from time to time, and
the inland was devoted to peach and
sheep raising, III both of which branches
of agriculture Mr.. Masheter has been
remarkably successful.
The orchard is peculiar in that it con
talns some of the largest peach trees
known to fruit growers. TIE Trunks OF
a great number Of these are ten inches
fifteen and few measure eighteen inches
These large trees have great spre lding
branches, and from one was taken,
two or three seasons ago, twenty
seven boxes of choice fruit. This was
only about two thirds of the trees
yield, the remainder being lost by some
branches breaking down from the weight
of the fruit upon them, whc fruit, of
course, did not Iipen. The orchard is
not remarkable SO much from the guam
tity as for the quality OF the Iruit which
is raised upon it, although. i'll 1886 the
yield approached 10, 900 packages.
Several unsuccessful attempts have
been made to secure IL p)rJion OF the
island for an excursion resort, but none
have been successful us yet. On ore
end OF the island is Il beautiful grove,
with a hard white beach stretching ho
fore it for half mile Or more. Fac
timber here is OF original growth, very
large, and none of it has ever been cut.
Five miles away to the southeast is
Colchester, and to the east is the new
resort, Worton Manor Beach. Two
lines of steamers run To the island-one
the boats of the Sassafras river line, and
the other the steamer Fannie. an tndlvi-
dual enterprise of Mr.. Andrew Woodall,
of Kent county. Capt. James E. Wood
all, his son, commands the Fannie, which
being the night boat, and in conse-
quence assuring an early morning market
for the fruit, is the popular means OF
transportation.
An Immense Fall Trade.