654 



FARMERS' REGISTER, 



[No. 9 



ing season, or to the mountain roads at any sea- 

 son, cannot admit of doubt. 



I liave not yet arranged the data by whioh may 

 be shown the great advantage which the road 

 offers for the rapid tran?mi3.sion of inie!!igence, 

 and its consequent connection wilh the transporta- 

 tion ol'the mail. What I hav^e already said, while 

 spealiing of the experimental survey and of the 

 grades, is, iiowevcr, sufficient to enable the Com- 

 missioners to^ perceive the nece.?sary connection 

 which it must liave with this souri;£ of revenue. 



Situated as the soutli-western terminus of the 

 ]ine is, in a cliaiate comparatively mild, the navi- 

 gation of the Vv'aters near it, are rarely closed, and 

 never certainly so much obstructed by ice as to 

 present serious difficalty in keeping it free to ves- 

 sels arriving on our coast, ef^pecially from the 

 south, and destined for a port inaccessible by rea- 

 son ot the inclemency of the season, Tangier sound 

 and the neighborinij waters, always easy of access 

 and safe, oilier sufncient harbors and anchorages 

 in near connection with the road, and capable of 

 being brought in direct contact with it. The ad- 

 vantage, therefore, which it presents of an occa- 

 sional winter-harbor for merchant vessels, and the 

 facilities which the road"presents for the convey- 

 ance of their cargoes to their proper destination, 

 are, I conceive, of no inconsiderable importance, 

 viewed either in relation to the mterests of the 

 Eastern Shore, or to those of the conTmercial cities 

 of Baltimore, Philadelphia and Wilmington. 



I have already, gentlemen, exceeded the limits 

 which I liad assigned to this letter, arid must, very 

 reluctantly, pass over a branch of the sahject not 

 less interesting, nor less fruitfid of mutual advan- 

 tages than those I have already spoken of; I mean 

 the benefit which this improvement is likelv to re- 

 ceive fiom, and to coaler upon the country ihrouffh 

 which it is proposed to carry it — its connection with 

 the agricultural improvement, and the general 

 amelioration of the condition of the peninsula. 

 These and other topics must be reserved as sub- 

 jects to be considered in a general report hereafter 

 to be furnished. 



The plans and profiles of the ground, and of the 

 pevcral parts of the work, and the details of the 

 estimates, are already prepared in the rough form, 

 and will be in readiness to accon)pany my report, 

 on which also some considerable progress has 

 been made, should it be in my power, as it has 

 been certainly ni}^ desire to coinplete it. Of this, 

 however, I have no expectation, as I am under or- 

 ders which separate me from this dut}', the moment 

 my health is sufficiently re-established to permit me 

 to travel. The general report which may be some- 

 what voluminous, and will embrace fuuch detail, 

 will necessaril}' occupy some time in its jirepara- 

 tion; but it can beready rpiite soon enough for any 

 purpose ibr which the Commissioners may have 

 occasion to use it. 



It has been my intention also to give plans and 

 estimates ibr the eastern line as liir as it has been 

 surveyed, and of the route which, on separating 

 from the one on which the annexed abstract of esti- 

 mate is (bunded, at or near the right bank of Sas- 

 safras River, w juld cross Back Creek at Chesa- 

 peake City, and j:ursue thence the most fiivorable 

 ground, would r.nn^a Big Elk River, at or immedi- 

 ately west of i.V'.'on. 



The survey ul' the ground over which the 

 Branqh Road, south of Princess Anne, leading to ] 



the Virginia line, with the intention of uniting 

 hereafter with the Virginia Road to Cherry-Stone, 

 has been completed so far as the compass work 

 applied to it. We are, therefore, enabled to as- 

 sume the length of tKfe branch, and this, together 

 with the striking resemblance which much ot it 

 bears to the ground over which the levelling was 

 carrieil for the location of the main stem near 

 Princess Anne, enables me to give an approximate 

 estimate for this branch, and which will he sent to 

 the commissioners whenever they may des're it. 



The lateral roads contemplated to be surveyed 

 under the resolution of your Legislature, Ni. 108, 

 it has as yet been impracticable to survey, but 

 their location, I presume, will be made at as eaily 

 a period as possible. 



I have the honor to be, 

 Ver}' respectfully, 

 Gentlemen, your obedient servant, 



JAMES KELAKXEY. 



Abstract of an- estimate of the cost of the main 

 stem of the Eastern Shore Rail Ruad, of IIS^I 

 miles long, and of the cost of a steam boat line 

 from itssmdh-western termination, near Tangier 

 Sound, 85 miles to J^ortsjuouth, in Virginia. 



For the road, Dolls. Cls. 



For 1,129,073 cubic yards, excava- 

 tion and embankment, 263,892 27 



For clearing and grubbing, 11,397 00 



For bridges and culvej-ts, 120,928 00 



For sleepers, string pieces, wedges 

 and iron tor superstructure, and 

 for crossings and sidings, 302,034 50 



For depots, water stations, wharves 



and fencing, 70,000 00 



For purchase and condemnation of 

 land, 21,500 00 



Contingencies at 12 per cent. 



Total cost of the road and its ap- 

 purtenances, 



For locomotive engines, and for 

 passengers' and burden cars. 



For two steam boats. 



Total estimate, 

 JVovemher 10, 1836. 



S 945, 773 77 

 109 754 85 



1,024,378 62 



81,000 00 

 150,000 00 



1,255,378 62 



FAUBIING ON THE RIVANNA. CORN CUL- 

 TURE — CLOVER — MANURING. 



To the Editor of Uic Farmers' Register. 



November, 23d, 1836. 



Admonished twelve months ago, as well by a 

 sense of dutj^, as by repeated calls on the subscri- 

 bers to yoin-valuabie journal, for practical commu- 

 nications — I then devoted part of a niiny day to 

 givinijto it a modicum of my experience. But 

 unwilling to obtrude my opinions on the public 

 eye, sharp-sighted as it had become fiom light re- 

 cently shed on yoar paper by a discussion amon^ 

 soiTie of our most distinguished agriculturists, I 

 declined offering my meager essay at so inauspi- 

 cious a period. Jlnolhcr rainy day, however, and 

 the annual business of arranging papers, force it 



