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AoBNOT IN New York.— C. M. Saxton, Agricultural Book Pub- 

 lisher, No. 152 Fulton street. New York, is agent for the Ge\T5SEE 

 Farmer, and subscribers in that city wlio apply to him can have 

 their papers delivered regularly at their houses. 



Farming in the Peninsula of Maryland. — Between 

 the Chespeake Bay on the east, and the Potomac Bay (mis- 

 called river) on the west, there exists an area of farming 

 land of about one hundred miles in length, and an average 

 of some twenty in width, which possesses agricultural and 

 commercial advantages that deserve to be far better known 

 than they are. At the head of the Cliespeake stands the 

 city of Baltimore, with a population of about 200,000, and 

 it is still growing with great rapidity. At the the head of 

 tide water on the Potomac may be seen the three cities of 

 Washington, Alexandria and Georgetown. The first named 

 contains over 50,000 inhabitants, and, like Baltimore, adds 

 annually some thousands to its population. Alexandria 

 increases faster in trade and commerce than in the number 

 of its citizens, although the latter shows a handsome gain 

 in the last five years. Georgetown grows a little, and but 

 a little ; for the Long Bridge across the Potomac at 

 "Washington injures its outlet to the ocean ; while the 

 Chespeake Canal, extending down to Alexandria, makes 

 that city, with its deeper water, the grand depot for 

 Cumberland coal. Alexandria is at the head of naviga- 

 tion for large ships, although United States vessels of war, 

 drawing twenty feet of water, ascend to the Navy Yard 

 on the East Branch of the Potomac in the metropolis. 

 The Potomac being in truth an arm of tlie sea, with an 

 average of more than three miles in width from Alexan- 

 dria to where it unites with the Chespeake, it is important 

 to know that bituminous coal, so largely consumed by 

 steamers, is cheaper at Alexandria than in Baltimore, 

 Philadelphia, New York or Boston. Indeed, it is sent to 

 all the cities named for sale and consumption. 



The tract of land lying between the two arms of the 

 sea, which extend from the Atlantic to Baltimore and 

 "Washington, is divided into three counties : the ont 

 nearest to, and adjoining the District of Columbia, is St. 

 George's, the next Charles, and the lowest St. Mary's. 

 This editorial is written in the last-named county, after 

 exploring this beautiful peninsula, which has, perhaps, the 

 Tsry best agricultural climate on the continent. Figs 

 flourish in St. Mary's county. It has many superb oyster 

 covers ; and that county alone contains more than five 

 hundred miles of salt inlets, or tidal creeks, every square 

 foot of which will breed and rear the finest shell-fish in 

 the world. The annual oyster crop of Blaryland is said 

 to exceed three million dollars ; and it may be easily ex- 

 tended to ten millions. To one familiar with the wheat 

 soils of the Genesee country, it is interesting to see how 

 oyster-shell lime, so freely used on the lower part of tliis 

 peninsula, makes poor land yield forty bushels of wheat 

 per acre. Farmers are now just closing up their wheat 

 threshing; and unlike wheat in the District of Columbia, 

 the interior of Virginia, North and South Carolina, and 

 Georgia, it has a brightness and strength, as well as 



abundance of straw, which we have uever seen excelled in 

 tlie valley of the Genesee. Nearly one-half of the earthy 

 part of a bushel of wheat is phosphoric acid, combined 

 with alkaline bases ; and marine shells yield this important 

 acid, and old Ocean all the needful alkalies, including am- 

 monia. "\\ liile we have been writing over a sheet of fools- 

 cap paper, a couple of gentlemen have caught, on the 

 north side of Point Lookout, one hundred and fifty fine 

 pan fish, with hooks, lines and fishing rods. Point Look- 

 out is the extreme point of land between the Potomac and 

 Chespeake, and it demonstrates the fact that abundant re- 

 mains of marine animals will impart extreme fertility to 

 what would otherwise be a barren, silicious sand beach. 

 The coal reefs of Florida and Bermuda, covered with a 

 scanty allowance of clay, sand and vegetable mold, have 

 long produced extraordinary crops. If any farming lands 

 are inexhaustible, such as abound in the shells and bones 

 of animals, and are almost daily moistened with sea-spray, 

 leaving fine crystals of salt behind, surely are. To take 

 crops of wheat, corn and hay from farms thus situated, is 

 precisely like taking showers of rain from the ocean by 

 solar evaporation — the supply greatly exceeds the demand, 

 and restitution is perfect. 



There is a growing trade between this peninsula and 

 Boston and New York in fire-wood, which is mostly pine. 

 The same kind of trade, with the addition of ship-timber, 

 is carried on extensively on the Virginia side of the Poto- 

 mac and the Chespeake. Bostonians pay three dollars a 

 cord for pine wood on the banks of coves, where ships can 

 reach it. A negro fellow of common skill and industry 

 cuts five cords in a week, for which his master receives 

 $2.50, and has to board his laborer. Some Maine choppers 

 cut twelve cords a week ; and many Northern men are 

 making fortunes in Virginia by buying up large tracts of 

 timbered land contiguous to navigable water. Since wood, 

 lumber, staves and ship-timber have become in great de- 

 mand, good wood and timber lands have naturally largely 

 advanced in price. They are selling at from ten to fifty 

 dollars per acre. 



We have been able to discover nothing peculiar in the 

 cultivation of wheat, corn or tobacco in this part of Mary- 

 land. On the tenth day of September not half of the 

 ground intended for wheat this fall is yet broken, owing to 

 the extreme drouth and hardness of the earth. In this 

 warm climate wheat may be sown till Christmas, although 

 September is doubtless the best time to seed. Clover does 

 well on marled land, but not where the calcareous element 

 is wanting. Commend us to a low-lying sea-shore farm, 

 where hogs and neat cattle, sheep and horses, grow finely ; 

 and where fish abound in the contiguous waters, and the 

 soil abounds in the elements of wheat. 



There are lines of small steamers that run cnnstantlj 

 and regularly from Baltimore to "Washington and back, 

 touching at all places round the peninsula, for the convey- 

 ance of passengers and freight. No farmer is over fifteen 

 miles, or such a matter, from market. To send a barrel 

 of potatoes, grain or meat to "Washington or Baltimore, it 

 will cost him at his landing twenty-five cents, in the small 

 way. If he can freight a sail craft or a propeller, the cost 

 is much less. By railroad, "Washington is thirty-eight 



