The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1901-06-06


the Exposition in Charleston will be
the most complete and the richest
made by any Southern State.
The great and varied resources OF
the State, ranging AZ they do from
the colossal fisheries and truck farms
of the coast region to the rich mines
and towering hardwood forests OF
the mountains, make the possibilities
OF North Carolina exhibit second to
none, whenever the State chooses TO
stir itself. Agriculturally there il
perhaps no State in the Union whose
products are more diversified than
those of North Carolina. The moist,
warm airs Of the Southeast make the
conditions under which the cultiva-
tion of rice becomes possible and
profitable, while the crops Of buck
wheat and barley flourish on the steep
mountain slopes OF the Blue Ridge
and the Smokes. With 80 wide a
range as this and with all the inter-
mediate temperate zone crops, the
grains and the grasses. the clovers,
the textiles, the tobaccos in the great
est variety, an agricultural exhibit is
assured that will surprise those who
live in a less favored land. The apple
crop of the Western part of the State
will be shown as natural-apples
fresh from the cellars of the mountain
growers-and this part Of the exhibit
will be changed from time to time, SO
that it will be moro perfect than any
apple show ever made in this coun-
try. Western North Carolina apples
were awarded fifteen prizes at the
Worlds Fair in Paris last year Other
fruits Of the State, of which there is a
great variety, will be exhibited in
preserved form, the experience of the
officers OF the Agricultural Depart
ment enabling them to present an ex-
hibit in keeping with the importance
OF horticulture in the State.
The forests Of North Carolina have
for many years been one of the chief
sources Of revenue to the people OF
that State. The value of their pro-
ducts, including domestic fuel, tim.
Der for construction and such bv-
products as turpentine and its derivi-
ties, aggregates more than s25,0O0,-
900 year. These forests extend
from the sea level in the Eastern and
Southeastern parts OF the State to
attitudes of 600 feet along the States
Western borders. The richness of the
forests of the State is not approached
by that of any other State or terri
tory in this country, and in the
variety of hard-woods or conifers
North Carolina is not surpassed by
any region in temperate climates OF
equal area. Twenty-four kinds OF
oaks are to be found in the State,
eight kinds of hickories, all the naples
of the Eastern United States, all the
lindens. all of the American magno-
lias, three of the birches, eight of the
pines. both species Of hemlock and
the balsam fir, three Of the elms, six
OF the arborescent species of plum
and cherry, and three Of pyrus (apple).
Not less than twenty trees reach in
North Carolina the greatest size they
attain. The State is careful Of it.
forests, and upon the Biltmore estate
a department of forestry has under its
charge about 10000 acres OF wood
land. The Board of Agriculture will
send to the Exposition at Charles
ton the finest collection of timbers it
has ever made, to represent the mer'
chantable or commercial forests Of
the State. This collection will con-
sist of sections four inches thick, cut
from the heart Of the timber and pol
ished; also disks cut across the tree,
in this way showing both grains Of
the wood. By this method of prepar.
ing the wood exhibit the possibilities
of the dressed timber for fine interior
work will be shown, while the untin
ished lower half ''of the several ex'
hibits will show the natural wood
Accompanying this exhibit there will
be a large collection of officinal OF
medicinal plants, barks, berries, etc.
of which tons are annually marketed
in the State. To each of the speci
mems will be attached a label with ;
small map of the State, colored tc
show the distribution of the species
to which it belongs.
The annual product of the mines O.
gold, silver and copper is valued n
about $4,000, 900. The silver pro.
duction is small. The value Of ths
gold output is great, the productive
gold region of the State embracing
from eight to ten thousand square
miles in the middle and Western
counties. In this part of the exhibit
made at the Exposition in Charleston
the Department Of Agriculture viii
present an immense array of golc
ores. comprising all the classes found
in the State, from the free gold to ths
most complex ores, such as pyrite
auriferous pyrite and chalcopyrite
arsenopyrite, shales, quartzes' etc.
and also silver in many forms.
A magnificent collection will b'
made of highly colored copper ores
including bornits, cuprite, copper
glance. corbonates. peacock ore, etc
There will also be a large collection
of the North Carolina iron ores and O
the economic minerals such IS tale
zircou, monazite, kaolin. mica, etc
In addition to these splendid exhibits
there will also be large collection
of several hundred native gems, golt
nuggets. silver nuggets, copper mug
gets, etc.
The fishing industry of North Caro-
lima ranks as one of the most impor
tant business enterprises Of the State
and in the coast country is OF create
value than any other branch Of trade
The commercial fisheries displa.
made by North Carolina at other ex
positions has been one of the most in
teresting features OF the States ex
hibit, and the exhibit to be made a
the Exposition in Charleston will b.
even better than the exhibits made q
previous great espositions. Ih.
marine fauna of the State is very ricl
and varied, including rs it does man.
of the species more associated Will
Florida in name, such as the red snap
per, pompano and tarpon. while tn
ocean life North OF Hatteras include
n