The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-05-05
NORTH CAROLINA
ITALIAN FARMERS
Continued from First Pageo

10 agricultural that no specific nj On ~
crop ia grown and the farmers have
~ Hepsnd upon selling tho surplus OF
any crops raised. and not needed for
home consumption.
The principal field crops are corn.
Wheat. oats and hay. Both Irish and
sweet potatoes and grapes for wine
making are grown for home v5nsun-
tion. AMI sometimes there Is surlus
which is sold. Fruit crops are appl IS,
pears. peaches. etc. nj all kinds of
vegetables suited to the climate. are
raised for home consumption only.
History of Settlement.
a WalIensian minister while travel
Ing drought the United states in 1925.
met an agent of the Morxantown
i-and Improvement Company. cor
I'ration controlling large tracts Of
mountain lands in the vicinity OF Val
desc. At this time all the land where
the colony now is located was unin-
iCoved and heavily timberad. The
minister thought this region was par
| ucuiarly adapted to colonization. es
| recially with people from his provinces.
! VINO were accustomed to farming on
the mountain lands OF Northern Italy
| Tentative arrangements We're mad:
| with the land company by the MINIS
| ter while he was in the country. ON
| returning to Italy he took the matter
! M In church conferences. and finally
! II was decided definitely TO undertake
! the venture. In MAY. 1893. the first
part of the cclony--l2 familics--came
over. and in October OF the same wear
about 80 more families arrived The
colonists paid their own passage to
New York City, and were Furnished
transportation from that point by the
Southern Railroad Company.
Definite arrangement for the p,ir-
Snase OF 10000 acres had been made
before they arrived. at a purchase
price of $3.50 and acre. with twenty
years in which to pay. The colony
was started as corporation. with
| members OF the land company already
mentioned ms officers
The Compnny Failed.
sawm!ll was installed by tbs cor
poration for the dual purpose OF ,,til-
l@ing all the marketable timber on the
tract and furnishing the colcnlsts with
employment while the land was b ,inE
improved At the end OF about two
years OF strenuous existence. during
which all the Colonists received for
thcir Labor was scant living, the cor.
poration became insolvent After this
venture and the dissolution of the col
ony, as corporate enterprise. IL was
decided to let each colonist set out on
MS own responsibility. About 1000
Scres OF tho best land was selected and
divided among the families that re-
NAMED.
This selection was made because of
the IA 4 that Il great deal OF the land
included in the original tract was total
!? Nalu"less for any purpose being
the tops and almost perpendicular sides
II high mountains Each family took
as much land as Its members thought
they We're able to pay for, usually 30
20 % acres or in few caSas more
me liabilities of the defunct corpor-
ation We're added to the original pur-
chase price Of the land. and thu balance
OF the 10000 acres reverted 10 tho
, company which had sold it, This al
ditlon increased the price TO an aver
age or about So per acre. The price
depended upon the location ana quail
" or land and rang i from 81 TO 81
per acre.
frcSio"s Training OF the Immigrants.
The oolonisJs, with but one or two
exceptions. came directly tvonl Italy.
ihcH were all mountain farmers from
The Province OF Torino. North I:aly.
ana understood the care and culture
81 soil Of the character found in the
'ioiiity OF Valdese. AS agric. itur-
lists they are superior u the native
! !nocntaineer farmer.
iiiterates ara unknown among the
colon.sts. Both French and Italian
are spoken, but practically all con-
versa lions are carried on in a Pied
I Inontese dialect. The languas, used
In Church services Is French, ana
great many OF the parents teach their
children this Language. at home Prec.
uc"iiy al ot the children in the colony
speak English. All the older peop!A
can read and writ their nativ. Ian.
guaKe Among tha older people
great many Of the men and few o,
the women can speak sufflcient Eng
lish TO carry on an ordinary CONVERSE
ueh' ana a. considerable number ~
the men can read and write English.
Prosress and AnsimiIntion.
The progress made by the coionlsts
mas been remarkable. Al! OF the old
settlers and all except one or two OF
me families who have come to the
colony within The past two years have
para 10Y their land They possess sub
stant!al buildings. good orchards. and
vineyards. and many OF them have
ADDED to their original purchases Tnev
have also made considerable improve
ments IN the methods OF agriculture
employed by the farmers In this gee
ZION who work on tn same qual!ty
OF land.
The immigrant farmers arc very sue
ccssful, considering their opportunl-
ties, often realizing from two 20 thr,t
times thu WELD OF tho native American,
farmer or the came quality ~ coli.
me farms OF majority Of tho Amer!-
can farmers haVe bccom. iirpoye--
ishe1 from constant cultivation and
failure to protect the soil rom -
atmospheric forccs by adequate eqye.
crops through tho winter months
The native farmers arc all on. nj
tWo-horse farmers. and practically 81.
land is prepared and muIt!vat-d y.!ts
small one-horse pl9ws The trar-,-
grant farmers cultivate few ac:es
. Pl more deeply. prepare their ss!.
more thoroughly. ana Glverslty ,rs.-
y crops TO greater extent
The Crops Raised
The crops occupying tho graf:
urea os each farm are wheat and cl,r-
oats have been grown 70! only r.,
years by the c,lon!sts and III. y!e.:
: !s fair. The whole OF this --op I,
l used OF the farm a greater par, ne q