PRINCE George's and anne arundel. 373' 



ing July, 1819, it was quoted at from $8 to $10 and from $10 to $12. By-the- 

 by, we may copy here, as a curiosity in more ways than one, the very first quo- 

 tation of prices in the first number of the old American Farmer, dated 1st of 

 April, 1819. 



" Tobacco may be quoted, second quality at from $9 to $11 ; first ditto, $12 to 

 $13 50. Ten hogsheads from Talbot County sold yesterday, on credit, for 

 $10 50 and $12 50. This article has fallen in price and is dull sale — little sell- 

 ing for cash, though there is not much in the market. Wheat — red from $1 50 

 to $1 60 ; corn 55 cts. ; rye SO els. ; oats 50 cts. ; best beef, retail, 125. 300 

 bushels wheat made by Mr. Robert Gamble, of Kent County, sold yesterday for 

 $1 60." 



Such was the state of the market 29 years ago. Planters, we guess, would 

 like to have such " dull sales " reported now. There is not, in the district of 

 country we have described, an intelligent cultivator who might not, with good 

 management, speedily bring his land to produce 60 bushels of corn, 20 of wheat, 

 40 of oats or barley, and 1000 weight of tobacco to the acre ; for although it may 

 be contended that he may not have force, or capital to hire the force to put his 

 land in the requisite condition, he might restrict the area of his cultivation to a 

 smaller surface. 



The great political misfortune of the State is, that while she has not one- 

 fourth of the force necessary to cultivate her land properly, other force will not 

 come to it under existing circumstances. Another sad misfortune is the want of 

 a policy that would bring consumers and fashioners of agricultural produce to 

 settle down at the door of, or very near the producers ; and the want of whom 

 restricts the cultivator to only a feio staples that will bear transportation to the 

 distant consumer and fashioner or manufacturer. In practical management, 

 the great defect consists in neglect of the means of accumulating home-made 

 manure, and in bad, careless and unskillful management of their live-stock — in 

 not studying to know how much of each kind it would be most profitable to keep, 

 and hoio to keep and improve it. A good and rigid Dog Law, and a rigid and ex- 

 emplary punishment of receivers of stolen goods, (instead of gentlemen's speak- 

 ing to and even shaking hands with the scoundrels because they are white and 

 have votes) — strict regulations on these points alone would enable the landhold- 

 ers of the State to draw, from sheep alone, an additional clear income of 

 $100,000. But alas, every man is a politician, and every man looking for office 

 — civil or military — for himself or some near connexion. In the mean time a 

 fearful National Debt is running up against the farmers and planters of the State, 

 ready to come down upon their lands before they have time fully to discharge 

 that which they have just commenced to pay off*. 



It was a maxim laid down with Judge Buel, who rendered more lasting ser- 

 vice to the United States than any warrior since the days of Washington, that 

 every good farmer should husband his resources for manure in such manner as 

 to accumulate from 12 to 15 loads for each of his horses and cattle. At that rate 

 there are hundreds if not thousands in these counties who should haul out from 

 three to four hundred loads every year. Do they do it ? and how much do they 

 call a " load ?" Is it a wheelbarrow load, or a donkey load, or as much as two 

 well-kept yoke of stout oxen can bend their necks to ? In the New-England 

 States, where they know " a hawk from a hand saw," and call things by their 

 right names, they write about, and speak of, and measure manure by the cord — 

 so many cords, of 8 feet long and 4 feel high and 4 feet wide, in a compact, solid 

 mass that has been well worked and turned over and compounded. 



(733) 



