1836.] 



FARMERS' REGISTER 



289 



bushel ; or, it may be made to yield its oil by the i 

 follovvina; process, as practised in Northampton 

 county, Virginia. 



The seeds are first to be thoroughly cleaned of 

 dust, and of portions of the capsules that may 

 have adhered to them. Tiiey are then intioduced 

 into shallow iron drawers, arranged on both sides 

 of a furnace, where they are exposed to a gentle 

 heat ; the object of this first operation being to ren- 

 der the oil more easy of expression. From these 

 drawers they are convej'ed into a powerful screw- 

 press, by the operation of whicii the oil is obtain- 

 ed. So lar, however, the oil is impure : It must 

 now, theretbre, be transferred to clean iron boilers, 

 previously supplied with water. As the boiling 

 proceeds, the impurities that rise to the surface are 

 skimmed ofi", and the clear purified oil finally makes 

 its appearance, floating on the water. It is now 

 careiully removed, and a second time subjected to 

 the boiling process, with a very small quantity of 

 water, until the latter liquid has been entirely dis- 

 sipated. This isascerlained by taking out a small 

 portion into a vial, and observing whether it pre- 

 serves its transparency as it cools. Some care is 

 required not to push the heat too lar, as then the 

 oil would acquu'e a brownish hue and a hot peppe- 

 ry taste, which would at all events unfit it ibr use 

 as a rneJicine. One bushel of seeds yields about 

 one gallon and three-quarters of oil, at an expense 

 of about 25 cents a bushel, which is re.'unded by 

 the sale of the /Jitm/ce, found to be an excellent 

 manure for corn crops. Acknowledgments are 

 due to Mr. Smith, of Northampton county, Va. 

 an intelligent and experienced planter of palma 

 christi, and manufacturer of castor oil, m the vi- 

 cinity of Eastville, for theinibrmation contained in 

 the above paragraphs. 



It is needless, alter what has just been said, to 

 expatiate upon the value of this plant. That the 

 soil and climate of at least the lower portions of 

 the Eastern Shore of Maryland are congenial to 

 its growth, cannot be doubted. The praiseworthy 

 example (crowned, it is believed, with entire suc- 

 cess) has already been set to the inhabitants of 

 Somerset, by one of the most intelligent farmers of 

 the county — Col. Arnold E. Jones. 



Persons well acquainted with the cultivation of 

 rice confidently assert and believe, that there are 

 many spots on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, 

 Avell calculated to the production of this important 

 agricultural commodity. Rice has been raised in 

 Maryland, in the vicinity of Salisbury, at the head 

 of the Wicomico, and a promising attempt, the re- 

 sult of which has not been ascertained, was recent- 

 ly being made opposite Vienna, on the Nanlicoke. 

 It would seem desirable to encouragesuch attempts, 

 as further conducive to the practical illustration of' 

 the possibility of rcclaimiiiir a vast body of lands 

 at present of little value. These are the marshes 

 and cripples that occur on the margin of the large 

 rivers on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. An 

 examination o! the actual condition of these marsh- 

 es justifies the belief that they might, to a certain 

 extent, be drained; whether sufiiciently to be 

 made permanently arable, or only to the extent of 

 serving as more firm and safe pasturages, remains 

 to be tried. It is thought that the single operation, 

 though one not unattended wilh difficulties, of di- 

 vertintf a part of the course of the river so as to 

 cause it to pass betw'een the marsh and the main- 

 land, would greatly contribute to their drainage. 



This appearsfrom the tact, that their most elevated 

 parts are those contiguous to the river, inclining 

 moderately towards the firm land, adjoining which 

 the marsh is always found to be the softest, and 

 more liable to a total submersion. i3y insulating 

 these bodies of land, always more or less miry, and 

 thus establishing a drainage around them, it is pos- 

 sible they might eventually acquire sufficient con- 

 sistence, without having recourse toembankrnents, 

 to afibrdsafe and valuable pasture grounds. The 

 cripples seem irreclaimable by -any other means 

 than by embankments, — an operation deemed 

 |iracticable by those who have given much atten- 

 tion to the subject, and who represent them as best 

 fitted ibr the cultivation of rice. 



Such are the agricultural resources of the lower 

 counties on the Eastern Shore of Mar3'land,- so 

 fir as the productiveness of the soil, and its sus- 

 ceptibility of improvement are concerned. It has 

 already been stated, that the only incidental re- 

 source possessed by this section of counlr}', is to 

 be derived from the facilities of obtaining calca- 

 reous matter (in which the soil is essentially defi- 

 cient) from the shell banks, oyster banks, and other 

 sources already referred to. But before any hope 

 can be indulged, that the inhabitants of this por- 

 tion of the state will avail themselves of these 

 means of bringing their lands into a higher state 

 of cultivation than they seem to have any idea 

 that they are capable of, it is necessary to remove 

 a fatal impression, too generally made, that the 

 lime derived from shells is of but little value. The 

 result of the inquiries made to disprove this opin- 

 ion, will be given in the next section ot this Re- 

 port. 



An error equally fatal prevails among the citi- 

 zens of Maryland, in reference to the counties that 

 have just been passed in review — that they are as 

 devoid of the interest as they have been believed 

 to be of resources. It is hoped that the minute, 

 and, at the same time, faithful account given of 

 them — more minute than would otherwise have 

 seemed necessary — will have a tendency to rec- 

 tify the false judgment so commonly passed upon 

 this portion of our territor}'' and contribute like- 

 wise to cheer those of its inliibitants who have be- 

 come dishartened at the present aspect of things^ 

 and who are too prone to believe that their indus- 

 try could be better rewarded at a distance. Indus- 

 try meets wilh its just reward every where ; but 

 the assertion is safely ventured, that the same 

 amount of enterprise at home, would secure more 

 comfort and happiness, than, under any circum- 

 stances, can be expected m a newly settled coun- 

 try, where all that is .obtained is at the cost of 

 solid enjoyments. The adventurous merchant 

 and speculator may find a wide field in the "Far 

 West" to satiate, if possible, his thirst for wealth ; 

 but the industrious fiirmer, on the tide waters of 

 the Chesapeake needs no better patrimony than 

 that which he already possesses. A soil easily 

 cultivated, and v^ery improvable, having the means 

 of improvement at hand; the necessaries, and 

 even luxuries of life in abundance; a temperate 

 and healthful climate; a free and constant inter- 

 course with a large commercial emporium, by 

 means of a water communication reaching to the 

 very door of his granaries ; surrounded moreover 

 by intelligent neighbors, and a peaceful and or- 

 derly population — such are the advantages of 

 which he can boast, as a set-ofT again.sl those of 



