Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1903-07-31
Auqusta vs. Rockingham.

huAuStd sbVONt"HuAur
The following article appeared re-
Gently in the Harrisonburg Daily NAWs
and we print it in full so far as it I'M
dertakes to draw line of comparison
between Augusta and Rockingham. It
purports TO have been sent as a special
from Washington. See our reply to
these figures in another column:
There has been a popular idea in Vir-
ginia that Augusta county is the
wealthiest county in the State, but the
result of the last census show the idea
to have been a fallacy, and accords the
honor of first place to her nearest neigh
Dor on the north-Rockingham.
There is a good deal of interest in
the comparative statistics of the man
ufacturing and agricultural wealth of
the two counties. The data prepared
ny the census office shows, in the first
place. that the farms of Rockingham
are worth more in bulk, as we'll as to
the acre, than the farms of Augusta.
The farms of Rockingham are worth,
exclusive of buildings, $S,747 $3.50.
Those of Augusta are worth SO, 900, 40.
The buildings on the farms of Rock
inghain are finer than those of Angus
ta They are valued at S,237, ITO.
while those on the farms of Augusta
are estimated at So ,173, 500. Therefore,
the total value of the farms of Rock
ingham is 81 1884 .440 as compared with
81 AGA, 1870, the value of the farms Of
Augusta. The average value per acre
of the farms of Augusta county is a
shade less than $29. On the other
hand. the value per acre Of the farms
of Rockingham is within few cents
of $335, thus giving Rockingham farms
Sc advantage per acre over the farms
of Augusta county. The county of
Augusta has 40, 79S acres of ground in
Der farms, while Rockingham has only
R45 S55 acres, or over IS, 900 acres less,
and yet the farms of Rockingham are
worth sac, 800 more than those of
Augusta.
There are 2,714 farms in Augusta
county which have buildings on them.
The average value of the buildings on
each farm is, therefore, less than 81 40.
On the other hand the averge value
of the buildings to be found on the
farms of Rockingham, which has 8, 244
farms with buildings on them, is a
shade less than 81 900.
The farmers of Augusta county have
larger farms than their neighbOrs in
Rockingham. There are 1928 farms
in all in Rockingham. This makes
the average number of acres in Rock
ingham farms close to 105 acres On
the other hand, the average number
of acres for Augusta farms is over 148.
The average value of Rockingham
farms is therefore about So 1915, while
the average value of those in Augusta
is 81 ,292. Rockingham has 1886. $40
invested in farming implements, while
Augusta has over $439, 900 invested in
like manner. The live stock in Rock
lngham is shade more than in Au-
gusta, the former having stock whose
cash value is 81 ,377, 900, while the val
lie of livestock in the latter county is
81, 1915, 900.
But when 1t goes to income the Rock
ingham farmer has decidedly the ad
vantage of his Augusta neighbor. The
gross income of the farms of Augusta
county, shows, in the year the census
was taken. 1902, 1859, as compared
with $2,273, 800, the gross income of
Rockingham farms. Thus it will be
oOOu oAese tAO oSCi o5C lhi LII VI lVc dCI CS
in Rockingham, representing money
value OF 80 ,675. has an income of over
$S2l, while the 14S acre farm in Au-
gusta, representing an investment of
81 200 yields but little more.
To sum up the agricultural wealth
of the two counties; The value of
Rockingham farms is 81 ], D64,44 Its
implements for farming are valued at
$436 $40, and its live stock at 81 SIT 426
This makes grand total of $la, 792. 208.
Augusta real estate aggregates SILL
,l20, her live stock is valued at
81 ,972, l40, and her machinery at $780,
900; making total agricultural wealth
OF 81, 27S, $50. This makes Rocking
ham the wealthiest county in the State
by over $500. 900 In the matter of agri-
culture. Relatively the same ratio of
wealth exists between the two counties
in respect to manufactures. Other
counties, of course. eclipse them both
In the matter of manufacturing wealth.
But as the manufacturing wealth in
creases, the agricultural wealth de-
creaseS in about the same ratio, SO
that relatively, Rockingham is the
richest county in the Stat e by some
$500, 900.
There are some other interesting
facts brought out by the agricultural
bulletin. For instance, there are more
farms in Pittslyvania county than in
any other county IN the State. Then
comes Halifax, Washington and Rock
iDgbam. Loudoun raises more live
stock than any other county, then
Fauquier, Rockingham and Augusta.
Pittsy lvania shows a greater gross in
come from her farms than any other
county. then Rockingham, Augusta
and N orfOlk in the order named. Nor
folk county uses more fertilizer than
any other county by nearly so per
cent. Followed by NansemOnd, Pit tsyl-
vania and Augusta.