No. 10. Jidvantagp.s offered to AgricuUurisi s in Maryland. 



317 



of the kilns in your j^reat limestone reji^ions 

 on the Schuylkill — lime that is thrown out 

 perhaps in small quantities, from time to time, 

 and is exposed to the weather for months, 

 and some for years, until it collects in quan- 

 tities, and then perhaps these lime merchants 

 that trade with us are paid for takin<j it away, 

 and they bring it to us easy, o^ood-natured 

 folks, and we take it at a high price, just be- 

 cause we know no better. 



Now, sir, I am of the opinion, if any of us 

 had the means, or enterprise, to take a trip 

 up in your limestone country, on the Schuyl- 

 kill, we would find that we could get the 

 prime article, good stone lime, for about (or 

 perhaps a trifle more) than we pay for this 

 poor stuff. As there is no doubt but the Cabi- 

 net is circulated extensively through your 

 limestone country, perhaps some of its read- 

 ers, who make it a business, will inform us 

 if they have not boats for carrying stone lime, 

 and what they could deliver it for at different 

 points. There is a great extent of country 

 here, on the Elk, North East, and Sassafras 

 rivers, mostly within a few miles of the Ches- 

 apeake and Delaware Canal. It is a business 

 which, if once properly commenced, must 

 prove very advantageous, both to the farmer 

 and limeburner. A Constant Reader. 



Elk Neck, March 23th, 1839. 



" A Constant Reader" is advised to take a 

 trip up the Schuylkill, purchase his lime at 

 the kiln, so that there may be no mistake; 

 and then apply it, as the quality of the lime 

 and the nature of the soil may justify. We 

 recommend to our correspondents and readers, 

 who wish light on the subject, the very inter- 

 esting communication of R. M. Black, Esq., 

 in the 8th No. of the present volume of tlie 

 Cabinet, and that of "Evelyn," see page 248. 

 These are both very important papers, as the 

 facts are stated very minutely. 



For the Farmers' Cabinet. 



A.dvantases offered to Agriculturists In 

 Marylantl""-'\Voultl"be-lSmi:;ra»it.s» who 

 ivaiit more Land, read and reflect* 



Mr. Editor, — I observed in the January 

 number of your paper, a few queries propound- 

 Dd by "An Old Subscriber," on the compara- 

 tive value of the investment of money in good 

 steady (5 per cent, stocks, and in land. Al- 

 though I do not feel prepared to give in de- 

 ail a satisfactory statement, as requested by 

 /our correspondent, yet, with your permis- 

 sion, I will trouble you with a few remarks 

 Dearing upon the point at issue. 



It will be admitted, for it must be evident 

 to every reflecting mind, that the decision of 



tlie question, whether .stocks or land afford 

 the most profitable investment of money, will 

 depend mainly, if not entirely, upon three 

 things, viz. the price at which land can be 

 pitrchasrd — the price for which the produce 

 will sell, and the price to be paid for labor. 



Now, although it may be a tact, (but of this 

 I am not prepared to say,) that the invest- 

 ment of money in land, in the neighborliood 

 in which your correspondent resides, /. e., 

 Piiiiadelphia, where land is very Jiigh, from 

 .•tilOO to $200 per acre, and labor in propor- 

 tion, may not be as profitable as 6 per cent. 

 stocks; yet 1 am of opinion that in other sec- 

 tions of country, where land equally good can 

 be purchased for one tenth the above sum, the 

 price of produce equally high, and the price 

 of labor considerably lower — the investment 

 of money in land would be much more profit- 

 able. 



If I am correctly informed, all the land 

 in Pennsylvania, within 50 miles of Philadel- 

 phia, which is at all improved, is held at from 

 $50 to ,$1.50 per acre. Now 1 would advise 

 those who hold such land, and also your corre- 

 spondent, to extend their views a little beyond 

 the good old state of Pennsylvania, and take 

 a view of the lands in Maryland, in the coun- 

 ties bordering on Pennsylvania, particularly 

 in Harford county. It is the opinion of many 

 that lands in this county are lower, all things 

 considered, than in any other county in the 

 state; and there is in the county some land 

 as good as is to be found in any part of Penn- 

 sylvania. The lands lying on Deer Creek 

 are held hiarher than in any other part of the 

 coimty. Here, latterly, some small farms of 

 prime quality, highly improved, have been 

 sold at from $50 to $75 per acre. This land 

 will produce, on an average, from 20 to 30 

 bushels of wheat, and from 40 to 60 bushels 

 of corn per acre, without manure. Wheat is 

 the principal product, to which the land is 

 peculiarly adapted, and the flour manufac- 

 tured from it is preferred by your bakers. In 

 proof of this fact, 1 would refer you to the 

 firm of Messrs. Lee, Benker & Co., of your 

 city, who are the principal agents in the sale 

 of the article. 



The above mentioned is the highest price at 

 which land is held in this county. But there 

 are many farms on Deer Creek, and within 

 .3, 4 or 6 miles of it, wiiich can be purchased 

 at from $5 to $25 per acre. These are, of 

 course, somewhat inferior to the first men- 

 tioned in quality, but with a little care, and 

 by the application of lime, can be made to 

 produce as good (and perhaps better) crops 

 tiian the lands in Lancaster, Chester, and 

 Philadelphia counties, which are daily sold 

 at from .$100 to $150 per acre- When the 

 Susquehanna Canal to tide is completed, it is 

 supposed that lime will be delivered at the 



