90

It embraces all the varieties of soil common to the Blue
Ridge division; such as the "limestone clay soils," mica
slate and other varieties of granite soils, a very fine variety
of hornblende soil in the neighborhood of Baltimore city,
famous for fruits, flowers and vegetables, and on the bay ex-
cellent varieties of white-oak soil. It has vast deposits of
several varieties of the best limestone, convenient of access to
all parts of the county, and also to the whole country , many
varieties of the best building stone, large deposits of most
valuable marble, of which many buildings and the famous
monuments of Baltimore are built; and the large monolithic
columns (columns of a single piece of stone) are also furnish-
ed to the capitol at Washington from the quarries of this
county. Besides these it has vast deposits of iron ore of the
best varieties, with good mines of copper and chrome.

This county is, therefore, represented by almost every va-
riety of intrinsic wealth in great abundance; raw materials,
facilities for manufacturing hem into the most valuable
forms, direct access to the markets of Baltimore and the
world, and a highly intelligent, energetic and industrous
posulation, with a pure atmosphere, a mild and genial cli-
mate. Its soils, some originally most excellent, all capable
of being cheaply made so, produce fine crops of wheat, In-
dian corn, rye, oats, grasses, fruits and vegetables. It is fa-
mous for the excellence and great perfection of its live stock
of every variety. The productions of its daries are also very
large and famous for their excellence. Its facities for trans-
portation are very great, and are being constantly increased
by the enterprise and public-spirit of its population. These
are the Patapsco River and several other arms of the Bay,
the Bay itself; and the P. W. & B. Railroad, on its eastern
border, the Northern Central, and the Western Maryland
through its middle portions, and the Baltimore & Ohio
liailroad on its southern Border; besides these it has nume-
rous fine turnpikes traversing the county and giving with its-
liailroad system hourly intercourse with Baltimore city.

With all these advantages, the lands are comparatively
cheap, and capital may be invested in them with certainty of
remuneration. The price of its lands vary, of course, with
improvements and locality, but good farming lands can be-
purchased at from twenty to one hundred dollars per acre,
with all the collateral advantages which I have indicated.

It is well wooded, well watered and presents many loca-
tions of unsurpassed health and beauty.

BALTIMORE CITY, with its rapidly increasing population of
now more than three hundred thousand ;—with its European
lines of steamships and other lines, keeping up constant com-
munication with all the chief ports of our Union, the Islands
of the sea and the country adjacent;—its lines of Railroads,