The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1906-03-16
Eelfrt Misrellany.
In Southern M sryla I'd.

E.htors Country Geutleman:-
As ycu travel between Baltimore
and Washington on the main line Of
the Pennsylvania railroad, if you will
leave the train at Bowie and take the
Pope Greek branch train which leis
usply rumbles southwark, it will CAL
ry YOU straight down into the part OF
the state rather specifically known as
Southern Maryland This name is
given to the peninsula lying between
the Chesapeake Bay and the Potomac
River. TO distinguish it from the pen
lLsula lying between the Chesapeake
ayd the ocean which is known as the
Eastern SLoro.
Southern Mary land is a region full
of surprises and interests to one from
north of the famous parallel of Mason
and Dixon's line 1t is a sleepy land,
where the summers come and 60 and
bring small change. Those who ought
to know tell me that there remains no
where any section which, in its history
it's habits, its instincts, its spirit, is
more typical OF the traditions of The
old South than these five counties OF
Mary land. 1t is slumber land cut
off by natural conservation and by ge-
ographical environment from the rest
of the busy world. Commercially, it's
main outlet is by one short line of rail
way and by means of the steamboats,
that find their way up the rivers and
connect with Baltimore and Washing
ton.
For two weeks have been IN these
five counties, meeting their people in
farm-institute audiences, taking long
drives across the land, sleeping in
queer old country inns or in stately
old manor houses, and seeing and
bearing much that is strange to me-
These five counties make up the prin.
cipa tobacco district of the state.
Out of them goes annually on an av-
erage 33 900 hogsheads or % million
pounds of tobacco. 1t is more than a
special crop--it is an hereditary crop
"a crop which has been the chief
crop for many generations. Maryland
is an old state, and these counties are
the oldest portion. The first settle
ment was made at St. Mary's City,
down in St. Mary's County, away
back in 1884, and ever since tobacco
has been the main crop, practically
the only crop for which men expected
to be paid in money. Tobacco was
once legal tenaer for the payment OF
public or private debts, and ever since,
the history, the habits, the industry
the very instincts Of these men have
clustered around the growing Of this
plant. 1t is ingrained into all their
agricultural thoughts and efforts
Amid it and for it for $50 years have
they lived, and in the odor of its sane.
tity will they die.
The palmy days OF the industry are
in the past. Back in the golden years
before the war, tobacco made by slave
labor sold for from 2 to 20 cents per
pound, and those, as an old planter
said to ne, were "the days when
Southern Mary land was in fowe
suh.' But prices for tobacco have
now been low for series ofyears, and
there is a general feeling of discour-
agemrnt in this respect, and spirit
Of il Ouiry after son5 hing else. Just
now an effort is benz m de to form a
tobacco growers association, with the
main purpose of urgan ng he mai ket
So as to receive better prices for the
crop. The S ,uthcrn Mary lan.l toGac-
co lacks the satiny tex urc and pIa-
billy that woull tit it for cigar wrap
pers, neither is it OF suitable quality
for plug, but it is said to have free
burning qnaities which make it espec-
tally valuable in fine pipe tobaccoes,
and thirds Of the crop goes direct
ly from Baltimore to Europe 1t is
uniformly shipped in hogsheads bold
Ing from 600 to 800 pounds One
peculiar auricultural condition. and