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many other public and private buildings there, have been
constructed. It has also great quantities of fine brick build-
ing clay. The face of the country is rolling, in some parts
hilly; it has abundance of the finest water, and is well
wooded.

The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal passes through a part of
the western, and the whole southern border of this county,
nearly enclosing one half of it. There is now a through
Railroad under construction by the Baltimore and Ohio Rail-
road from the Point of Rocks to Washington City, which will
pass through the central part of the county, and will prove
of incalculable local advantage to it. Its early completion is
a fixed fact.

Besides these there are several turnpikes passing through
the county, which afford ready communication with Wash-
ington and Georgetown.

Its county town is Rockville, a very pleasant and agreeable
village, about fifteen miles distant from Washington City.

CARROLL COUNTY.

This county is bounded on the north by the Pennsylvania
State line, on the south by the Patapsco River which separates
it from Howard county, on the east by Baltimore county and
on the west by Frederick county.

The soils of this county comprise all the varieties of the
Blue Ridge Division, viz. : white and red isinglass, clay, lime-
stone, mica, slate, and the red land soils; they likewise em-
brace almost every grade as to their fertility, from those which
are poor and unproductive, to those of the most exuberant
richness. All of its soils have, however, either a good text-
ure, or are capable of receiving it from the proper use of the
natural sources of improvement in the county, viz. : lime,
aided by judicious cultivation. This county has a high rank
in agricultural improvement, some of the best managed farms
in the State are found in it, and some of the finest herds of
cattle are owned by its citizens. It produces abundantly all
of the staple crops, such as wheat, rye, oats, Indian corn, the
various grasses, fruits and vegetables, with large products of
the dairy. Its proximity to Baltimore aided by turnpike and
Railroad, give it great facilities of trade to the daily markets
of that city.

The face of the country is undulating, raising into hills
with no abrupt ascent, with pertect surface-drainage. The
landscape scenery is very picturesque and beautiful, particu-
larly in those portions of the county where the distant view
of the Blue Ridge mountain lends great charms to the scene-
ry. This part has been improved with many fine dwellings,
and has a combination of advantages possessed by but few
places out of our State.