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This county is bounded on the north by Wye river, which
separates it from Queen Anne's county, on the south by the
Choptank river, which separates it from Dorchester county,
on the east by the Choptank and Tuckahoe creek, one of its
branches, which separates it from Caroline county, and on
the west by the Chesapeake bay. It embraces several
fine islands contiguous to it on the bay. The soil in the
northern part is principally a sandy loam, with a sub-soil of
good yellow clay, easily improved, well drained naturally,
and productive in all of. the standard crops, fruits and veget-
ables of the latitude. These latter mature early and at-
tain very great perfection. In the peninsula formed by Wye
and Miles river, these soils are gradually changed into the
white oak soils, which have been well improved, are very
productive, and command a high price, The dividing ridge
between the waters of the Choptank and the Tred Haven
river, as for as it extends, is composed of an excellent variety
of soil of the sandy loam variety, underlaid with yellow clay.
As the water courses of the Tred Haven is approached, the
white oak soils are found in a state of fertility and in a high
degree of skilful cultivation. The peninsula between Miles
and Wye river on the one side, and the Tred Haven on the
other, is mainly composed of a fine quality of white oak land
with small spaces of sandy loam, much of it highly, and all
of it capable oi being made highly productive, at slight cost.
Though more level and flat than the eastern part of the
county, yet still its drainage may be made most tnorough
and complete by the easy'means of surface drains.

The face of the county towards its northern and eastern
sections are rolling and hilly, in the other parts of the
county it is undulating, and as a consequence of this, the
small amount of land transportion required is done on good
roads with but slight grade.

On the Wye, Miles river, Tred Haven and some of the other
branches of the Choptank, are many beautiful sites for dwell-
ing houses, which have been improved by the taste and in-
telligence of many wealthy citizens, natives as well as
strangers. On many of the water courses, old houses built
in colonial times, still maintain all their characteristic of the
hospitality and social refinement which distinguished their
memories. The climate is mild, its alterations are not rapid.
The health is very good. The productions of the soil are of
great excellence, and its numerous waters abound in all the
varieties of wild fowl, fish, oysters, crab, terrapins, &c.,
afforing the inhabitants not only luxurious and cheap living,
but also means of profitable traffic with the markets of Balti-
more and Philadelphia.

The whole county is serrated with numerous salt water
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