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they can scarcely grow, some not all. Many of the fruits
are of varieties that I have not seen elsewhere, (no two speci-
mens being alike,) and are of surpassing beauty, resembling
more the finished production of an accomplishment artist than
fruit grown without particular care or attention in a common
orchard. At an entertainment given some time since at
Washington, attended by the elite of the metropolis, several
baskets of apples were left untouched, the guests mistaking
them for wax work, or porcelain, or enamel; and when
the Hon. Daniel Webster, the sage of Marshfield, made some
remarks on the rare beauty of the workmanship, he was
incredulous on being told by the gentleman who had pre-
sented them to the hostess, that they were genuine apples,
and was only convinced by touching and eating them. Yet
this fruit was grown with no more than ordinary care, in a
common orchard in St. Mary's county.

The forests and fields too abound with many excellent
wild fruits—such as grapes, chesnuts, walnuts, hickory nuts
(several varieties of each,) persimmons, from which an excel-
lent domestic beer is made, and from the burnt seed of which
is made a drink, a good substitute for coffee, (much better
than many sold in the shops at present); blackberries, cran-
berries, whortleberries, and many others too numerous to
mention.

Many of the forest trees, especially the oak, hickory, and
beech by their abundant mast, furnish a most excellent and
fattening food for hogs, and good pork is frequently thus ob-
tained without the aid of any pen-fattening.

The forest and fields also abound with game—such as
pheasants, partridges, snipe, woodcock, wild pigeons, rabbits,
squirrels, raccoons, opossum, deer, and for sport the red and
grey fox.

The mild climate and abundance of food enables all of
these animals to multiply in great abundance: Great as is
the supply of game meat or wild food from the land, it is far
exceeded by that of the waters, which, as I have shown, are
very evenly distributed through this whole section. Amongst
biids we have almost innumerable quantities of wild geese,
swan, wild ducks of the finest varieties and most delicious
flavor. Ortolans is a delightful repast for convalescent or
gourmand, and under the water the supply of wholesome
nutricious food and luxuries is greater by far than that from
the other two combined, great as it is, and far exceeds that
found anywhere else of which we have personal knowledge
or written record. First.

The shad and herring fisheries in the Susquehannah, Po-
tomac, and other tributaries to the Chesapeake exceed in
quantity as they do in excellence all the rest of the United
States. Besides these staple fisheries we have rock fish,
sturgeom, mullet, taylor, trout, sunfish, croakers, and very