LETTERS OF R. L. ALLEN.-NO. 1. 
21 
decorous sitting of some six hours, the President 
called on a gentleman present, to sing their grand 
national Anthem, of “ God save the Queen,” which 
was performed in capital style, the company stand¬ 
ing, and all joining in its magnificent and spirit- 
stirring chorus. The company then adjourned 
wnn a health to its next social meeting. 
On the subsequent day, the premiums were 
awarded, and the election of officers took place, of 
whom our excellent friend, the Hon. Adam Fer- 
gusson is President, and the place for the meeting 
of 1848, was appointed at Coburg. L. F. A. 
LETTERS OF R. L. ALLEN.—No. 1. 
One sees and learns but little of farming in the 
hurried by-path travelling in the rail cars and 
steamboats of the present day. The passengers 
generally found on the route, are anything but agri¬ 
cultural in their pursuits or conversation ; and the 
almost incredible distance passed over in twenty-four 
hours, more than half of which at this season of the 
year is done by night, would seem effectually to 
preclude any useful or practical observation for the 
benefit of agricultural readers. 
We leave Jersey city, opposite New York at 5 
o’clock, P. M., arrive in Philadelphia, by railroad 
and steamboat at 9£ ; leave again at 10 , and reach 
Baltimore by railroad at 5 A. M., from which we 
again take the cars for Cumberland, at about 7, and 
reach the foot of the mountains at 0., nearly 400 
miles distant from New York, which we left but 
twenty-six hours previous. Even with the facility for 
rapid travelling, there are inconveniences and an¬ 
noyances tfiat render this route objectionable. The 
fare through New Jersey is enormously high for a 
great railroad route ; the time of departure in Phi¬ 
ladelphia is so soon after the regular hour for ar¬ 
rival, that the slightest hindrance throws the tra¬ 
veller over for a day. The cars between Philadel¬ 
phia and Baltimore are mean and uncomfortable • 
and in getting into them from the ferry boat at 
Havre de Grace, we were drenched by a shower of 
water thrown into the passage way by the roofs, 
which the slightest attention on the part of the 
local hireling would have remedied. There is a 
petty charge by railroad at Philadelphia, for bag¬ 
gage exceeding 50 lbs., and this is levied between 
Cumberland and Brownsville, a distance of 73 
miles by stage at the rate of four cents per lb. for 
all baggage ex eeding this amount, an exaction so 
enormous as tr amount to gross, downright extor¬ 
tion. The rou-e by stage top, is excessively dila¬ 
tory, requiring nearly a day to perform the above 
distance over the national road 5 and but for feeing 
our driver at an immoderate rate,-wc should not 
have reached the Pittsburg boat in time, and thus 
should have lost an entire day, which most of those 
m ou„ train were forced to submit to. 
The farming properly coming under my notice on 
this route, was first exhibited some 20 miles beyond 
Baltimo e. The country near the city—though 
here and there under high cultivation for the neigh¬ 
boring ma kets—is generally ‘ turned out to com¬ 
mons, and affords a scanty pasturage for the tran¬ 
sient anin ials sent out to glean from it ; while 
through the vai ley of the Patapsco, for an extent 
of nearly 20 miles, the road is so closely hemmed 
in by prer'j to .is LiLs and cliffs on either side, as 
scarcely to admit of tillage. The falls along this 
route afford large water power, -which is occupied 
by thriving artisans in a continuous village of 3 or 
4 miles. Beyond this, and between the Patapsco 
and the Potomac, the surface is undulating an i the 
soil apparently thin. Much of what came under 
my observation, however, seemed to be in good cul¬ 
tivation ; and it w r as not unusual to see large crops 
of Indian corn still remaining in shocks upon the 
fields where grown, follow'ed by a very handsome 
growth of wheat or rye, intended for cropping the 
iollownng year. This rapid succession of the grain 
crops, to yield well, as I am assured they do, im¬ 
plies a close attention to manures and thorough til¬ 
lage. Lime has been largely introduced into this 
section of country, and its liberal use has resulted 
in rescuing immense bodies of land from a nearly 
worthless condition, and placing it in a highly pro¬ 
ductive and profitable state. More grazing, and es¬ 
pecially the adoption of an extended sheep hus¬ 
bandry, in this and similar regions, would carry 
forward the system of renovation with all the 
rapidity and success of wdiich it is capable. A few 
only of these useful animals meet the eye in pass¬ 
ing ; but these few showed decided evidence of 
good carcass and an excellent mutton sheep. The 
houses, farm buildings, and the general appearance 
of the fields, fences, and cultivation along nearly 
the entire railroad route, gave evidence of a thrift 
that implies both good crops and a good market; 
the latter of which is directly, and the former pro¬ 
bably indirectly secured from the numerous manu¬ 
facturing villages that have within a few years be 
come so widely disseminated throughout Maryland. 
The bottom lands on that part of the Potomac lying 
on our route, are not extensive, but seem to be un¬ 
der good management, both as meadows and tillage 
lands. The river itself, w T ith its accompanying pic¬ 
turesque and variegated shores, affords a pleasing 
landscape, and is well calculated to gratify a well 
formed agricultural taste. The land on the Mona- 
casy and around Frederick, was equally attractive 
and productive, and in this neighborhood are pro¬ 
bably to be found some of the best and wealthiest 
farmers in the State. 
Harper’s Ferry, so highly and enthusiastically eu¬ 
logized by Mr. Jefferson, for its wild and majestic 
scenery, strikes one on a slight observation as en¬ 
titled to no extravagant commendation. The 
Shenandoah and Potomac, here somewhat diminu¬ 
tive streams—course along in a very leisurely way, 
each under a moderate sized but rugged hill, and 
as they approximate they glide into each other at 
an angle less than 90°. I looked in vain for gran¬ 
deur and sublimity, and could hardly excite even a 
moderate degree of enthusiasm. In my opinion it 
cannot compare with the union of the Alleghany 
and Monongahela at Pittsburg, where the clear 
broad rushing stream from the north comes dash¬ 
ing on, and nearly at a right angle, compressing the 
deep, sluggish Monongahela within a few rods of 
its own shore. The difficulties of constructing the 
canal and railroad at this point, seem to have been 
much exaggerated; and on a slight observation 
they appear to be less than at Little Falls, New 
York, or at the Point of Rocks a few miles below. 
The tongue of land between the two streams is 
high and abrupt, and contains many good buildings 
