SOLON ROBINSON, 1850 449 



I tavelled with great ease the 96 miles between New 

 York and Philadelphia. This is an excellent road, and is 

 well furnished with first-class engines, cars, and con- 

 ductors. Fare $3. I have heretofore spoken of the bene- 

 ficial effects of this road to the agriculture of New Jersey. 



December 12th, I left Philadelphia at 3 o'clock by ex- 

 press train for Baltimore. The distance, time, and price, 

 is about the same as between New York and Philadelphia. 

 Between Philadelphia and Wilmington, 30 miles, the road 

 passes over a very valuable agricultural district, much of 

 which being owned in England, is but poorly improved by 

 the tenantry. A few miles after leaving Wilmington, the 

 road penetrates a tract of country either naturally poor 

 or made so by poor cultivation. The Susquehannah is 

 crossed by ferry at the old town of Havre de Grace, and 

 from thence to Baltimore the land is much of it flat, wet, 

 cold, unproductive, and uncultivated ; yet all this might be 

 warmed into productiveness by a better system of culti- 

 vation ; but this will never be while land is of so little 

 value as at present throughout this vast country. 



December 13th, I proceeded to Washington, 40 miles. 

 Fare $1.80, with only two or three little spots like an 

 oasis in a desert, to relieve the eye from the painful con- 

 templation of a worn-out country — once fertile. The 

 wire fence erected by Col. Capron along this railroad, at 

 Laurel Factory, still draws the attention of every ob- 

 serving passenger. It fulfills all the purposes anticipated 

 in the description given in vol. 7 of the Agriculturist.^ I 

 believe it is the only principle upon which wire fences can 

 be erected to give satisfaction. It stands firm through all 

 the variations of the seasons. 



The land within sight of the dome of the American 

 capitol is about as unpromising to the eye as it is to the 

 cultivator. It looks poor, is poor, and cultivated poorer; 

 yet wherever the experiment of deep plowing, draining, 

 and manuring has been tried upon this unpromising soil, 

 it affords profitable returns. For a market gardener, no 



'The description appeared in the American Agriciiltyrisf, 8:255- 

 56 (August, 1849). 



