MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 229 



they could be much more profitably operated. At present the profits 

 are divided among a number of small, poorly equipped plants, which 

 tend to cripple the industry rather than to encourage it. 



The fruit industry of Cecil county also deserves mention, as large 

 quantities of peaches and pears are annually placed on the markets. 

 Although the cultivation of apples and cherries is less, these, as well 

 as small fruits, are grown both for home consumption and for the 

 markets. 



The market advantages of Cecil county are good, for with the rapid 

 and abundant transportation facilities the county enjoys, the products 

 can soon be placed on sale in the large Eastern cities. The county is 

 midway between Baltimore and Philadelphia, and these cities con- 

 sume the greater part, of the farm products. There are two main 

 lines of railroads which cross the county between these cities, in 

 addition to branch lines of one of these roads, which furnish an easy 

 outlet for the northwestern part of the county. The southern part 

 of the county, while it has no railroads, possesses fine waterways, and 

 consequently cheap water transportation to Baltimore and Philadel- 

 phia. Several points in the southern part are reached by daily steam- 

 boats as well as by sailing vessels of various descriptions. 



~No systematic efforts have been made to equip the county with 

 roads built on scientific principles, and the majority of the roads are 

 not in very good repair. Some of them have been made of broken 

 stone and gravel, and these are above the general average of country 

 roads. Others, again, are deep and sandy, making the hauling of 

 heavy loads over them almost impossible at any time of the year. 

 The roads are all free, are maintained at the expense of the county 

 and connect all of the towns and villages, with frequent intersecting 

 cross-roads. 



Soil Formations. 



The soils of Cecil county range from barren to exceedingly rich and 

 productive lands, and from coarse sandy soils to stiff, intractable 

 clavs. 



