CHAPTER XXV

A LESSON ON TOBACCO





PERCY found Leonardtown almost in the center of St. Mary county,
situated on Breton bay, an arm of the lower Potomac.

From the data recorded on the back of his map of Maryland, Percy
noted that a population of four hundred and fifty-four found support
in this old county seat, according to the census of I 900. After
spending the day in the country, he found himself wondering how even
that number of people could be supported, and then remembered that
there is one industry of some importance in the United States which
exists independent of agriculture, an industry which preceded
agriculture, and which evidently has also succeeded agriculture to a
very considerable extent in some places; namely, fishing.

"Clams, oysters and fish, and in this order," he said to himself,
"apparently constitute the means of support for some of these
people."

And yet the country was not depopulated, although very much of the
arable land was abandoned for agricultural purposes. A farm of a
hundred acres might have ten acres under cultivation, this being as
much as the farmer could "keep up," as was commonly stated. This
meant that all of the farm manure and other refuse that could be