Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1922-08-10
Tte Eestecn Shore Of MARYLAND.

Dear M. Snyder have thought
that perhaps soma of your readers
would like TO know how the people on
the Eastern Shore of Maryland lived
and what they raised down there. We
left Martinsburg July 81 for Baltimore,
got the boat down the bay "A miles to
Claibourn, then over the B. c. & A.
Railroad TO Salisbury. The trip down
the bay was fine. The day was very
hot, but it was cool on the water, with
wind enough to make the water little
rough.
Saturday evening we drove over TO
Crisfeld, past the Aliens nurseries,
and through Princess Anne. If our
farmers could see the roads these
people have here they would get busy
and demand our good roads to be
made. You do not realize how far
behind we are unless we see how other
States use their money to improve the
roads. | really think ii would pay us
to send our road officials down here
TO see what other States are doing
with their money. | know they would
certainly be ashamed of our roads.
The concrete roads seems 10 wear tho
best and they are making them entire
ly now.
AS to soil, it is very sandy, with
clay bottom. Ii is the best for melons,
and they raise canteloupes by the acre
here. The American Fruit Growers are
handling the crop this year. They are
hauling them in by the wagon loads
Trucks are not used, as the sand is
too deep to pull out with heavy
load. Potatoes are planted by the
acre, and there is a fine crop. Ono
man had eleven thousand barrels.
They can get good help to gather the
crops, as there are no other public
works to give employment, The straw
berry crop was good this year. They
plant late potatoes and corn on the
same ground that early potatoes are
raised on, making two crops in one
season. Sweet potatoes are planted
like we plant Irish potatoes, in rows,
and plowed with a shovel pillow.
Sunday we went through the Har-
rison nurseries. They have fine trees,
and a great crop of the finest peaches.
The fruit crop is very good here. To-
matoes here are good crop, but not
ready to start canning yet We all
went on to Ocean City, three miles
from Salisbury. A great crowd is
there all the time, as they run ex
curSions from Baltimore on SUNDAYS.
The wheat crop on the Eastern
Shore is all out in the fields yet They
shock the wheat good, then wait until
they can get threshing outfit, but lots
OF wheat gets wet and is loss. The
country is fiat. with no drainage, that
keeps the soil wet.
Ar CricGaIJ tba,, IT.. -. .-,
loads of crabs and oysters. 1t is tho
largest shipping point on the shore,
MONDAY we went to Snow Hill, forty
miles from Salisbury, then down to
Stockton on the Pennsylvania Railroad,
great quantity of potatoes are Ship
pea out from there. We also visites
pokomoke City, where the great fire
IN April destroyed over half of thu
cry, but they are rebuilding very fast,
with better buildings, as Baltimore
did after the great fire there.
On wednesday we went down to
Cape Charles at the end of tine PENN,
sula, l25 miles, where YOU get thu
boat over to Old Point, Norfolk and
across to Hampton Roads. The Penn
sylVanla Railroad owns and controls
me steamboats, that run to points on
| ''N '"S' Inc small towns in the two
counties of Virginia are slow to i'm
prove, but they are rated as the hes.
financial counties in Virginia, they are
IKE West Virginia-miserable roads
or sand-not one good road. Thev
raise white and sweet potatoes am
line corn, but no fruit. We only saw
one big orchard in the two counties
one man sold eleven thousand bar.
reis Of white potatoes. He rof them
on in June. Now a fine crop of corn
IS on the same ground.
We drove through to Baltimore nm
our way home, passing through thn
towns or Cambridge, Eeaston. Center.
VILE, Chestertown, Chesapeake Cit,.
ana North East, and crossed the Sus-
q"ehanna river at Port Deposit. II ie
very wide at this point. The B. &, n
.<a'lrcad crosses there. The Nanti-
EG,ke, Chester and Wicomoco rivers
"here the steamboats, from Baltimore
run, all Lave draw bridges. So tba,.
can pass. The trip was certainly in,
tcreStns: The country is so differen,
to our hills and mountains. W.,
Close; as YOUR readers NAV be tira4 of
this long letter. ~ VI
TANF MAcprrDr,