Western Carolina Democrat and French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1913-1915, 1913-10-16
Total Increase.

roouct1on In excess of local need
creates tonnage for distant markets.
and the increase in the tonnage of the
PRODUCTS of the soil, forest and factory
Illustrates a remarkable ~expension in
the distribution of the products of the
section the Company serves.
The production of grain in the
Southeast has Increased largely in re-
n years, but in the section as a
Wnole the production is not vet in.
excess OF the local demand although
WIN the more general adoption of
olVerslhed farming the tendency is
strongly in that direction.
me volume of other agricultural
PRODUCTS is steadily increasing and
tne southeast is supplying other sec
lions OF the country in larger measure
each year with it's fruits and veyeta-
bles.
The expansion of industrial enter
prise keeps well abreast with the nro-
gress of the country at large and
there Is a steady increase in onnage
OF the products of mines and forest
and of manufactures.
Passenger Traffic:
The passenger traffic of the Company
mas SHOWN a gratifying increase dur-
ing the year, the increase in
therefrom being $1,2SO,678.O7. An i'm
portant factor in bringing this about
is the geographical location of the
system with reference to the currents
OF commercial travel and to the sum-
mel and winter resorts of the South
east. Reaching most of the principal
commercial centers of the section the
Company's lines are favorably located
for travel within the territory and be-
tween it and other sections OF the
United States. Increasing Gumbers
of conventions. reunions, religious
assemblies and similar gatherings arc
Icing held at points on the Company's
lines, and in connection with the re-
llgious assemblies there is in progress
a noteworthy development of COM
community life in the summerity life
in the summer resort regions in the
mountainous territory served by the
Company, resulting in a substantial
Increase in travel over it's lines.
Details of operations Of the Com
pany are set forth in the report of the
Vice-President and General Mana ger,
hereto annexed.
Relations of the Company to the Pro-
greSS Of the South.
During the year the Company has
continued and still further expanded
it's board work in aid of agricultural
an industrial development in the
territory traversed by it's lines.
Agriculture:
The rate at which agricultural de-
velcpment is adding to the wealth of
the nine Southern States traversed by
the. Company's lines is indicated by
United States census figures showing
that the value of farm property in
creased from So, 189,114,320 in 1900 to
ST 461 ,411,2 $50 in 1910, an increase of
5 2,272,2 96, $50, or 1898 per cent. d
much higher percentage of increase
than is shown for any other group of
older states. During the decade Gov
cred by the Census the total annual
| value of all farm crops produced in
those states increased from 1898 ,843,-
573 to $1,199,424,319, an increase of
$605 O,746. or 1O2 per cent, which is
also a more rapid rate of increase
than is shown by any other group of
older states.
Inc I1OSI u1dLh Cu JCLACANy VI o6AA
cultural progress in the Southeast is
in the direction of wider diversified
ton and increased attention to live
stock. At the same time the produc-
zion of ~distinctiVely Southern crops is
being maintained and increased. This
may be strikingly illustrated by sta
statistics of cotton and corn. Cotton
production in the States traversed by
the Company's lines increased from
1857, AGO bales in 1900 to 6,S76,O23
bales in 1912, an increase of 1,9OS, 5S3
0ales, or 1874 per cent. While cotton
production was thus being more than
maintained, the corn crop was increas-
ed from O,231, 843 bushels in 1900 to
EO4 1875, 900 bushels in 1912, an increase
of 213, 9O3, 157 bushels, or 1871 per cent.
The Company's Department of Farm
Improvement Work is continuing to
be an effective factor in bringing about
Increased agricultural production in
the territory along it's lines. On
farms where it's advice has been fol-
lowed crop yields per acre have been
substantially larger than on similar
lands in the same localities where this
advice has not been followed. This
may be illustrated by a case in which
a farmer followed the advice of the
Department on part of a field from
which he harvested 80 bushels of
wheat as compared with 10 IL bush
els on the remainder of the same field
which was farmed in accordance. with
his old methods. A preliminary re-
rort of the Manager of this Depart
nlent for the current. year shows thai
it's Field Agents were actively coop
Grating with 2,374 farmers an dthat
81, O90 acpes were being cultivated un-
Ger their personal instructions. The
scope of the Departments work is
r1uch broader than indicated by these
figures, as-many farmers not working
under personal instructions are fol-
lowing the advice Of the Department
and as the Managers and Field Agents
deliver addresses at meetings OF farm
ers. attend large numbers OF
meetings and hold neighborhood meet
;noe in the fields where practical de-