296 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



[No. 5 



counties of the Eastern Shore, where the worth 

 of the material is appreciated, it is made to under- 

 go two operations : it is passed througli a coarse 

 sieve, in order to separate the black highly fertili- 

 zing mould with which the shells are associated, 

 and the fine fragments of these ; the coarse clean 

 shells are then burnt into lime. The sifted arti- 

 cle readily commands from three to four cents a 

 bushel : the lime sells at from six to nine cents, ac- 

 cording to its quality. By referring to the section 

 "On the comparilive value of shell lime and stone 

 lime," your Excellency will perceive that the dif- 

 ference in value, between the two articles, for ag- 

 ricultural purposes, is very triflng, whilst the dil- 

 ference in price is considerable. Can any farmer 

 doubt that the discovery, on the Eastern Shore, 

 of hmestone quarries even of moderate extent, 

 and to be used solely for the conversion of the 

 stone into lime, would be of immense benefit to 

 the country ? The equivalents of such quarries are 

 lound in the shell banks that have just been in- 

 dicated. They should no longer be neglected. 



Worcester county has long tiilt the want of some 

 parental assistance, to enable her to bring fully 

 into action her natural resources. She has asked 

 lor three capital improvements, of which two have 

 been reported necessary and practicable ; viz. the 

 cleaning out of the Pocomoke river, so as to ren- 

 der it navigable for flat-boats, at least about fif- 

 teen miles above where it is now available, or se- 

 venteen miles beyond Snow-hill, at present the 

 head of navigation; and a canal communication 

 between Sinepuxent Bay and the Delaware. To 

 understand the value ol these improvements, it is 

 necessary to possess an outline of the geography 

 of the county. 



This county is bordered on the east by the At- 

 lantic Ocean ; but between this ocean and the cul- 

 tivable portions of the county there is a prolonged 

 sandy beach, varying from a few hundred yards 

 to a quarter of a mile and upwards in breadth, and 

 extending the whole length of the coast without 

 a single oiulet to the sea from Indian river, in De- 

 laware, to the southern extremity of Chincoteague 

 island in Virginia. Between this beach and the 

 main land lies Sinepuxent bay, fi-om one to four or 

 five miles wide, and nearly thirty miles in length. 

 It is a shallow sheet of water, navigable only to a 

 short distance above South Point, at the lower end 

 of Sinepuxent Neck. The entrance to the bay 

 is reputed to be also very shallow. Sinepuxent 

 Neck, about ten miles long, lies between As- 

 eateague or Trap Creek and Sinepuxent Sound, 

 at the head of the bay. The produce of this 

 neck, and of country on the Assafeague, which, 

 comprising the Berlin district, are amongst the 

 most flourishing portions of the county, has thus 

 to be sent down a long bay through a difficult en- 

 trance, to encounter finally the dangers of an 

 ocean navigation in search of a market, whilst an 

 easy, short, and safe transportation could be rea- 

 dily obtained. To effect this latter object, it has 

 been proposed to connect Trap creek by the St. 

 Martin's and Indian Rivers, with the Delaware 

 Bay, inside of Cape Henlopen. The surveys for 

 this substantial improvement have been made, 

 and its easy accomplishment, at a moderate ex- 

 pense, demonstated. 



The other improvement, solicited by Worcester 

 county — the clearing of the Pocomoke — has like- 

 wise been found to be practicable. Viewed in 



connection with the canal communication just re- 

 ferred to, it acquires more importance than is at 

 first sight apparent. The Pocomoke river rises in 

 an extensive swamp, situated partly in Maryland 

 and partly in Delaware, called the Cypress Swamp, 

 from the profuse growtii of this valuable limber, 

 by which it is covered. The bed of the river, now 

 obstructed by large trees, lying across it in every 

 direction, passes through the heart of the county, 

 dividing it into two nearly equal portions. Owing 

 to the obstacles presented by the fallen trees into 

 its bed, its downward navigation commences only 

 a i'iiw miles above Snowhill, after which it is li-ee 

 for schooners over a distance of about twenty 

 miles, to the mouth of the river in Pocomoke Bay, 

 on the Chesapeake side of the county. It has been 

 proposed to remove these impedients as far up as 

 the use of the river is found to be impeded by 

 this cause; and the advantages to be thence deri- 

 ved are shown to be considerable. — It would fiicil- 

 itate the access to a vast body of valuable timber, 

 and to'exfensive deposites of iron ore of good qual- 

 ity; and by confining the waters of the river with- 

 in their natural channel, it would effect the drain- 

 age of a large tract of land, now an almost impen- 

 etrable swamp, covering doubtless a rich and fer- 

 tile bottom. These are interesting considerations, 

 whose importance becomes enhanced by the fact 

 of the practicability of farther connecting, by a 

 canal navigation, the head waters of the Poco- 

 moke with the St. Martin Kiver, and its projected 

 communication with the Delaware, tlius establish- 

 ing a complete thoroughliire through the county, 

 from one bay to the other. 



But to render this project of internal navigation 

 complete, another improvement seems to be re- 

 quired. Tlie mud flat in Pocomoke Bay, already 

 alluded to, forms, as is well known, a serious impe- 

 diment to the free egress from the mouth of the 

 river, through the sound into the Chesapeake, and 

 the inquiry has been made as to the possibifity of 

 removing it. Attention having been turned to 

 the subject, the removal was concludeii to be 

 quite impracticable, as well from its nature as from 

 its extent; being the natural eflect of causes, that, 

 as /feej/ cannot be removed, would be constantly 

 giving rise to the same results. Whatever reme- 

 dy might be partially applied would be therefijre 

 but temporary, very expensive, and would do but 

 imperfectly, what, it is considered, can be accom- 

 plished in a more permanent, less cosll}^, and 

 more efficient manner, in another direction, name- 

 ly: by connecting the Pocomoke with the Anne- 

 messex, — a project which has already met with 

 the approbation of the Legislature, and for the 

 performance of which an adequate sum of money 

 has been contingently appropriated. 



As this project was brought forward by an hon- 

 orable Delegate from Somerset, it shows that this 

 county is equally interested in it, as she is in anoth- 

 er direction with the proposed connection of the 

 Nanticoke Avith the (Jhoptank. Viewing these 

 projects connectedly, it will be seen that they are 

 intended to establish an internal communication ol 

 someextent, calculated to bring into llill operation 

 all the resources of the country through which it 

 will pass, enabling it to send its products to a mar- 

 ket by the shortest route, and fiicilitatingto it the 

 means of obtaining the materials necessary for its 

 improvement. Some advantages would likewise 

 be derived fiom it in case of war, upon which the 



