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to sustain the requisite amount of animal heat, to furnish the
the same amount of muscular vigorj nervous energy and of
fat in the animal enonomy—than one which is less. In other
words the amount of food necessary to produce a given result
of force in men and brutes, is greater or less within certain
limits, in proportion to the increased or diminished tempera-
ture.
A given amount of heat is always to be retained in
animal systems, and the means to do this are greater in
cold than in warm weather. This is confirmed by the daily
experience of all practical husbandmen, by the well known
fact that animals fatten much more easily in warm than in
cold weather, on the same amount of food.
A mild climate has therefore its equivalent in, food and
consequently, the same amount of beef, mutton, pork or any
other animal food can be produced by a less amount of forage
than is required in a cold climate. The same amount of la-
bor and capital, will produce more of these money bringing
articles, and is therefore under such circumstances more valu-
able; A far less amount of land has to be appropriated to
the cultivation of food for stock in short and mild than in
long and protracted winters; and a greater quantity can there-
fore be tilled in crops that are to be sold.
In the States north of us a vast amount of hay and roots are
raised, which are consumed in carrying their stock through
long dreary winters, much of the labor and land requisite for
this in Maryland can be appropriated to the cultivation of
other crops, and even if there be raised, a far larger portion
can be sold than can be parted with in the States north and
west of us. The hay crop is one of the chief crops of the
north, but it is necessary to sustain their live stock against
the influences of long and severely cold winters, in Maryland
far less is raised because not required, for such is its climate
in the most southern part of it, that horses live without any
grain, food, or fodder being furnished them in winter. In
Worcester county there is a wild breed of horses known as
beech ponies, that never see the inside of a stable and live
entirely on what they can obtain from the pastures on the
beach. The climate of Maryland of course varies in its dif-
ferent parts, but being farther south than any of the States
to which imigration is directed, it has a shorter winter than
they have, and the general degree of coldness is not so servere.
But it, from its Geographical conformation has in this respect
advantages not posessed by any part of any of her sister States.
This statement is confirmed and proven by the known and
established causes that influence the temperature of climates,
for climate whilst mainly dependant on the latitude is very
greatly modified by the distribution of land and water,
by contiguous oceanic currents, and by the color and nature
of the soil: examine the map of Maryland, and it will be seen
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