Hydraulic cement is manufactured near Cumberland and Hagerstown, and at Union Bridge, in Carroll County. Serpentine stones are quarried on Broad Creek in Harford County. Clays constitute an important feature of the economic geology of Maryland and are used in the manufacture of building brick, terra cotta and tile work, fire brick and pottery. The workable areas of clay suitable for build ing brick cover a large area of the State, and the Baltimore pressed bricks have been very ex tensively used. In Harford County there are produced large quantities of flint, which is used in the manufacture of porcelain. Kaolin and feldspar of fine quality are found in Cecil County and glass sand is used from Anne Arundel County.
In the provincial period, after a few years in which the fur trade was important, agriculture became the principal em ployment of the people. The settlers lived on large plantations along the shores of the Chesa peake and its tributary streams and cultivated tobacco, with the assistance of indentured white servants and later with negro slaves. There was an active demand for the staple crop in European markets, and an extensive commerce resulted, which brought wealth to the planters. Tobacco became the currency of the province, and, for a long time, debts and public dues were paid therein. In the early 18th century, the cultivation of grain gradually supplanted that of tobacco, on the Eastern Shore, and, since that time, tobacco growing lands have been limited to the southern part of the Western Shore below the Severn River. For about 175 years there has been a State inspection of to bacco, and the hogsheads containing it are brought to large State warehouses in Baltimore. Indian corn, or maize, was grown by the ab origines and has always been largely produced in the State. Wheat finds a congenial soil and climate, and the grain trade of Baltimore has long been great. The fertile soils of Frederick, Carroll and Washington counties contain some of the best farming land in the United States, and large quantities of grain are also grown in Queen Anne's County on the Eastern Shore.
The sandy soil of Anne Arundel County is well adapted to early vegetables and to small fruits, such as strawberries. Large quantities of tomatoes are grown there, as also in Fred erick and Harford counties. The neighborhood of Baltimore and Washington city has caused large numbers of men to raise vegetables for market in Prince George's, Montgomery, Anne Arundel, Baltimore and Harford counties.
Dairy farming is also widely practised in Car roll, Baltimore, Harford and Montgomery counties. There is very little vacant land in the State, except some in the swamps of Dor chester County or in the mountains of Garrett County. The value of farm land has consider ably increased of recent years on account of greater accessibility to markets, and runs now from $20 to $150 per acre. The unoccupied land belongs to the State, which maintains a land office in Annapolis.
There is an important trade from the East ern Shore in sweet potatoes, melons and small fruits, to the markets of Baltimore, Philadel phia and New York. For nearly 50 years large orchards of peaches have been grown on the Eastern Shore and in southern Maryland, and there are now considerable areas of ground in Carroll, Frederick and Washington counties devoted to similar orchards; while many apple orchards have been planted along the mountain sides in the two latter counties. In 1910 there were 48,719 farms in Maryland, of which 33,408 were cultivated by their owners. The value of the buildings was $72,751,000, of the farm ani mals, $30,649,961, of the grain crops of that year, $21,918,730, of the fruits and vegetables then raised, $15,195,629.
The forest trees are princi pally pine, chestnut, oak (in three varieties, white, black and red), hickory and walnut. A deadly blight has destroyed a large part of the chestnut trees in the past few years. A State department of forestry was organized in 1906, and has done much toward producing proper methods of forest management throughout the State. The trade in lumber for pipe staves was one of the very first industries of the province.
Game and Allegheny Moun tains still contain deer; wild geese and ducks may be found on the bay; woodcock, grouse and partridges exist in considerable number. The waters of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries abound in fish, crabs and oysters, and terrapin were formerly commonly found. The annual value of the food produced by these waters is very great. Oysters, both fresh and canned, and fish are sent to other States, and Crisfield in Somerset County is one of the greatest crab markets in the world. Of recent years, the State has paid especial attention to the con servation of life in the waters, and has en couraged the cultivation of oysters.