The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1893-04-29
CECIL COUNTY.
A Review Published in the First Annual
Report of the Bureau OF Industrial
Statistics of tho State of

A Review Published in the First Annual
Report of the Bureau OF Industrial
Statistics of tho State of
Maryland.
Area, 375 square miles; population7
%. $50; white, 81, $50; negro, 4,00l. Area
| per capita, nine acres, or sixty nine per-
sons to a square mile. Assessed value
of property, $14, 255 963. County tax
rate, 81 cents. Size of farms, 2 to 500
acres. Price of farming lands, $40 to
$3.50 an acre. Principal industries,
agriculture and manufactures. Principal
farm products. wheat, corn, oats and
hay. Transportation facilities, Phila-
delphia, Wilmington & Baltimore, Balti-
more q Ohio, Columbia & Port Deposit,
and Baltimore Central Railroads, and
the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal.
County seat, Elkton.
Cecil county Is the most northern of
the Eastern Shore counties and has,
perhaps, greater variety of soil than
any similar amount of territory in tie
State, no ten acres being of the same
quality. The farming lands on the
average are in much better condition
than in former years, result that may
be largely attributed to a more intelli-
gent use of the proper fertilizers. The
price OF farming lands is largely depen-
dent on the Improvements There has
been but little land abandoned in this
county since the war, aud the small por-
ton that has bsen abandoned was owing
chiefly to imperfect drainage. A good
system OF drainage is all that is neces-
sary to mako these lauds productive and
valuable. 7
About sixty per cent. of the farm lands
are worked by the owners, and of the
forty per cent. worked by the tenants,
five per cent. is in the hands of negro
tenants. The general condition of farm
labor is fair. Wages average eighty
cents day, or about SIG month with
board, which is equal to at least $12
additional When the manufactures
are running to their full capacity, agri-
culcultural labor is somewhat scarce; but
a slight increase in wages restores the
equilibrium. At other times the supply
of farm labor is fully equal to the de.
hand But little labor is employed that
is unfamiliar VIM - work in hand.
In common with most other counties,
Cecil stands in need Of greater popula-
ton. The abandoned lands could then
be cleared and drained, the new indus
tries could be established, which in turn
would increase the value of the local
II arket for farm produce. The healthy,
climate, the cheap, though good living,
the natural advantages and the closeness
of the Philadelphia and Baltimore
markets are among the inducemenG
offered to immigrants to locate in IT, -
county.
On farm of one hundred acres the
average amount of woodland is about
one half. Besides the chief products of
the soil, there is small interlarding of
sweet aud Irish potatoes, buckwheat and
garden truck. Cecil county excels IN
the growth of timothy hay; both as to
Weld and quality, and has a reputation
that is almost worldwide. Some tobacco
is raised in the upper districts, but the
soil is we'll adopted to it's growth.
On most farms the fruit orchards
are included In the farming grounds,
while on truck farms the orchard is
used for trucking until the trees grow
too large. Tne3yield of apples and and
peaches is large, and fairly good prices
are obtained for them, comparing very
favorably with the prices received in
in other sections of the State, The dairy
products are generally sold at retail in
the towns. There are two creameries,
one at Chesapeake City, the other in the
northern part of the county.
The manufactures of Cecil are an
important factor in the county's indust-
rial progress. There arc number of
rolling mills and forges blast furnaces
paper and -four mills. FIRE brick, kaolin
and pottery factories; besides the stone
quarries at Port Deposit, which give
employment to about 200 men. The
manu- faeture of stoves and tin cans at
Port Deposit also employs large num-
Der of men.
The live stock of the county has been
greatly improved, and the raising of
stock for market has correspondingly
| increased. The shad and herring
fisheries on the Susquehanna, Northeast
and Elk rivers are also great sources of
revenue through proper investment of
capital and the employment of better
methods would materially increase these.
| The establishment of additional can
neries for the conserving of products OF
the water, which might be Increased to
an indefinite extent, is regarded as one
OF the most urgent needs of the county.