Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1892-02-04

posite Leonardtown, Under high
state of cultivation, excellent build
ings, good place for fruit; price
Is, 900. And Others of different
sizes and prices.
WHAT THE LAND WILL RAISE.
The surface Of the county is for
the most part undulating, giving
all the drainage necessary. In the
few instance in which artificial
drainage has TO be resorted to it can
be very inexpensively done. The
soil is adapted to the growth Of
nearly all agricultural products.
Fruits, especially peaches, apples
and pears thrive and produce album
dainty. The chief staples are
wheat, corn and tobacco, of which
the soil viii yield large crops by
proper cultivation. Some farms
now produce twenty to twenty-five
bushels of wheat per acre. On i'm
proved land corn yields from eight
to ten barrels per acre. Hay, prin-
cipally clover and timothy, islarge-
ly produced.
About one-fourth of the surface
of the county is covered with forests,
principally of oak, pine, hickory,
chestnut, popular, ash, &C., which
furnish an abundance of material
for building purposes, fences and
fuel. Saw mills are numerous, and
considerable amount of lumber is
shipped to points out of the county.
EASY TO REACH THE MARKETS.
As the county is surrounded and
indented by navigable waters every
section is easily accessible to the
markets of the cities of Baltimore,
Washington, &c. Steamboats, ply
regularly between Leonardtown and
the above mentioned cities, making
three or four trips a week. Trans
portation by these boats is cheap,
being only about one-fourth what
it would be by rail. The upper
portion Of the county has, in addi-
ton, the advantages of o railroad,
which is in operation down to Me-
chanicsville, q small village about
sixteen miles above the county seat.
II is seldom that navigation is closed
during winter, and when at all,
only for short time. Besides af-
fording facilities for cheap trans
portatiOn the rivers and bays fur
nish fish, oysters and game in album
dance. Wild fowl shooting from
November to April forms one of the
finest sports, as well as being the
source of some profit to the skillful
sportsman, and canvas backs, red
heads, &C., bring good prices in
market.
THE TAXES AND THE SCHOOLS.
The tax rate of the county for
1890 was ninety-three cents on each
one hundred dollars of assessable
property, and for 1891 it is ninety
cents. These rates would indicate
that taxes are high here; but the
fact is, that the rate of assessment
is very low. Hence, the aggregate
amount of taxes which a property
holder here has to pay is no more
than in other counties which have
n smaller tax rate bnt a higher tax
able basis.
The public schools of the county
are in good condition. The teach
ers, in the main, capable and well
equipped for their duties, and the
educational interests have shown a
marked improvement during the
last few years. There are about
sixty school buildings in the county,
so located as to be convenient to
every section. Besides the public
schools, there are three academies
two for females and one for males.
st. Mary's Seminary (situated on
the st. Mary's river, at the site OF
the old city of st. Mary's, the land
ing place of Lord Baltimore, and
for time the Capital of the State)
affords facilities for the higher ed
ucation of young ladies. 1t has an
endowment of 1000 year from
the State. st. Mary's Academy, at
Leonardtown, conducted by the
Sisters of Charity, is one of the
best schools for young ladies in the
State. 1t is well equipped for be-
slowing an advanced education.
! Charlotte Hall Academy, for young
men, situated in the upper part Of
the county, ia known and patronized
beyond the State. 1t is one of the
oldest institutions of learning in the
country. Its curriculum is of a
high order. Some of the foremost
men of the country were educated
there. 1t has q small annual en-
dowment from the State.
The population is divided, as
regards religion, chiefly among the
Catholics, Methodists and Episco-
palians. Each denomination has
churches situated a. convenient dis
-taness throughout the county.
NEW BLOOD Is NEEDED.
The trouble with our people
seems 10 be their inability to adapt
themselves to the advanced ideas of
a progressive age. The farms are
too large, reliable labor is scarce,
and, therefore, the farms can not
be properly cultivated. What we
need is an infusion of foreign blood.
We want q people of advanced ideas