The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1941-06-19
Maryland And Back To- The
Farm Urge

! limestone origin. The reddish soils in
these counties are highly productive,
but are affected adversely by eX-
tremely wet or very dry seasons. The
grayish piedmont soils are also excel
lent for general farming, but being
higher than the red soils they need
more care in order to keep their fer
tility.
Light loans and sandy loans are
found throughout Southern Maryland
Similar soils, though with local vari-
ations, also occur in the southern
| counties of the Eastern Shore. The
northern counties of the peninsula
have soils of a somewhat heavier tex
ture, suitable to crops that require
stronger land.
In addition to soil and climate,
other very important economic fac
tors, to be considered carefully before
buying farm, are: The distances to
markets; the transportation facilities;
the supply of extra labor available,
especially for harvesting, which is at
present a serious problem; the crop
competition, that is, the production or
over production of any particular
crop.
How Many Acres?
The most efficient size for a farm
will naturally be determined by sew
eral conditions, such as the type Of
farming, the amount Of labor in the
farmers own family, and the posi-
bility of hiring other labor from time
to time. One successful general farm
in the western part of the State
contains 1872 acres. During a typical
year on this farm Ga acres were in
crops, and the pasturage totaled 20
acres. The crops We're: Corn, II
acres; wheat, acres; other grains,
mostly oats and barley, 81 acres; hay,
19 acres; white potatoes, 5 acres;
vegetables for market, 2 acres. The
live stock included 8 horses, milk
cows and 2 heifers, beef cattle, 18
sheep, a brood sow with pigs, approx
niately 100 chickens.
A farm of this type, when well
managed, is obviously self-support-
ing. 1t furnishes the family with milk,
eggs, meat and vegetables; it also
provides corn, oats and hay for the
live stock, and to supply cash, it
raises a variety of products for sale,
including wheat and other grains, po-
tatoes, vegetables, milk, beef cattle,
wool, lambs, eggs, chickens.
Dairy farms, because of the great
er amount of pasturage required, are
fairly large. In the central piedmont
counties, the dairy farmers keep
relatively more cows in proportion to
their total acreage, and the rotation
of the crops is planned principally to
raise feed for these cows. On the
upper Eastern Shore most of the
dairy farms also grow considerable
acreages of wheat for market, thus
having two main cash crops, milk and
wheat.
Two Dairy Farms
One dairy farm in the piedmont has
22l acres, of which 167 acres are in
crops and pasture; this farm keeps 18
mature cows and heifers. An East
ern Shore dairy farm has 266 acres, of
which 2l1 acres are in crops and
pasture. This larger farm keeps
fewer cattle than the other, II milk
cows and 3 heifers. However, it has
"a acres in wheat compared to 30
acres of wheat on the piedmont farm
The Eastern Shore farm also keeps
10 horses and mules, while only are
needed on the piedmont farm. The
peninsula farm has II acres in vege-
tables for market, compared to 8
acres of vegetables on the piedmont
farm. The piedmont farm subordi-
mates everything else to dairying.
while the Eastern Shore farm, though
dairying is it's main interest, also car
ries on considerable amount of gen
eral farming.
Truck farms, specializing in vege-
! fol .1Ae. f,N,. II i 4