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opening speedy and direct communication with every portion
of the Union, conveying to them all the fabric and material
of domestic manufacture and foreign commerce, and receiv-
ing in return the agricultural and mineral wealth of
the whole country;—its paramount superiority in the
tobacco, flour, coffee and many other trades ;—its lines
of internal communication already extending to many
and being rapidly pushed to all sections and sub-ssctions of
our country,—with a population famous everywhere for me-
chanical skill, professional ability and the practice of the
Christian viitues of which the greatest of these is charity,
which have given monuments to its defenders and graves to its
invaders; whose patriotism has stood the most trying or-
deals; the inspiration of whose valor in defence of their
homes has given to the world the national anthem "the Star
Spangle Banner," and who are yet willing to do and
dare all that men may do, that it may long wave "over
the land of the free and the "home of the brave," stands at;
the head of Patapsco river in this county. It can be reached
from any part of this county by a few hours drive over a fine
road, and in much shorter time, almost hourly, by safe and
well conducted Railroads Such is the locality where all
may find work, all realise profit from landed investment and
all gain a home with all the blessings that attach to that
word in the minds of the American citizen.

HOWARD COUNTY.

This county, formerly a part of Anne Arundel county, is
bounded on the north-west by the Patapsco river, which sep-
arates it from Baltimore and Carroll counties, on the south
by the Patuxent, which separates it from Montgomery coun-
ty, on the east by the Baltimore and Washington Railroad,
which separates it from Anne Arundel county, and on the
west by Frederick county; lying immediately on the Granite-
ridge above tide-water and extending to the summit of Parr's
Ridge, it embraces all the best varieties of volcanic soils,
viz: red and white isinglass, hornblendge soils particularly in
the district of country known as Elk Ridge, limestone clay
soils, mica slate and talc soils.

Many of these are already highly improved, all are capa-
ble of being made so. It produces fine crops of wheat, rye,
oats, Indian corn, tobacco, timothy, clover and other grasses.
Fine fruits of the varieties suited to the latitude, and most
excellent vegetables flourish here. From its large produc-
tion of fine grass crops, the raising of the finest breeds of horses,
cattle, sheep and other live stock and attained great perfec-
tion amongst its agriculturalists, and from its herds have been
selected numerous spocimens for exportation to other States