Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-10-07
COUNTY or CO0CHLAND,
ON UPPER JAMES RIVER
Where Much OF tho Famous Sun.
Cured Chewing Tobacco Grows.
Rich Bottom Lands Cheap.
LONG AND NARROW BOUNDARIES
All the Grains and Vegetables, With
Fruits and Tobacco, Good Farmers
Make Money-Ricllmond Is Conve-
Mont Market for All Products.

Waho MOucy-NlSllmOnu is COnVe:
Mont Market for All Products.
Ono Of the Ions, drawn.out counties
Of Virginia is Gooohland. stretching
along the James River for n distance
OF thirty-odd miles and being only
ten miles wide ut its broadcast point
It contains 296 square miles OF land
goodly portion OF which Is as fno
producing land as Ia to be found any
where in the central or eastern section
OF the State. The surface is uhdulnt-
ing. and tho soil n gray or chocolate
loan. with O stiff, red clay subsoil
Along tho James Rivor and tho many
small streams that empty into it in
the county tho land Is very rich and
productive.
Tho farm products are corn. wheat
oats. hay. potatoes and all OF the veg
etables and tobacco. Wheat Is q money
crop. ns is tobacco. The dark chew.
ing tobacco known "a the suh-cured
weed is the great money Getter, al
dark and red shipping tubaecos arc
grown. Tho sun-oured leaf grown IN
Goochiand is tavorito on the Rich
mona market. whore all or It ir sold,
and. fer the past Two years. the Goooh.
land County growers have been max.
ing fine proilts on its production. They
will wallo~ IN clover this year if
the present high prices for the weed
continue 10 prevail for they never
had larger or finer drops OF Il. and
never in tho history OF the famous
chewing material has It s.arted or
on tho maritet with such nigh fgurea
It Wan a load from aoochland County
which. week ago. brought fran $40
TO SPA par LOG In ono OF tho Richmond
warehouses.
CATTLE RAISING IN COUNTY
IS BECOMING BIG INDUSTRY
In recent years the farmers OF this
county havo boon giving increased at
tention to tho grasses. and Goochland
Is becoming one OF tho crack hay-mak-
ing districts. Tho farmers arc rapidly
catching on 70 alfalfa. AND those wno
have seeded this remarkable grass tor
hay haVo succeeded splendldly. This
grass growing naturally leads to cat
tia raising. and there are. probably
more cows on the farms Of Goochland
1T this time than ever before known
in the 100 years OF tho county's life.
Being close to tho Richmond market.
the ralSers OF cattle and sheep nre
fnding the industry to pay handsome
ly, and, of course, 1t is on the in
crense--growinG very rapidly.
All Of the fruits and vegetables are
grown to largo extent, md those, too.
because OF tho convenience Of the
Richmond market. add largely to the
cash receipts of the farmers. The
raising Of poultry and dairying have
also become woll-payins industries for
GooShland people, and they are en-
aaginS in them more largely overy
year.
The tiir.bers have been cut out to
n great extent. but what is left is OF
the finest quality. being oak, pine
hickory. walnut poplar. chestnut. oedar.
locust and ash. Enough Of these
varieties are left to keep numerous
sawmills throughout the county busy
all :he year around.
RICHMOND'S COAL SUPPLY
MIGHT DE NEARER ny
The county Is bountifully watered
by the James River and its numerous
tributaries IN the south side and by
branches CT the South Anna River on
tho north side. Along these rivers nu-
mcrons wnter powers arc utilized. and
many small industries flourish, indus.
count to large extent. There Is
water power enough for n great many
mcrc.
The minerals OF tho county arn gold
iron, coal. Mica and plumbago. In
olden times the gold mines wero
worked extensively, and some are yet
being made to produce profitably, but
In limited way. Tho coal mines
have been largely worked. and some
of them are still being operated.
There Ia much coal In Goochland, and
II would seem that in these days, when
coal famines are threatened ever,
wash day. some big company might find
1t very profitable to work Goochland
coal on n very extensive scale. The
cost Of short railway lines from the
mines to tap the Chesapeake and Ohio
or go on to Richmond would be in
significant, and there would be no
trouble about getting the product OF
the mines to market. and thot without
the delays that so much worry the
cca, dealers and the large consumers
In these days OF rush Of new trans
portation business. car shortage and
all tho lika of that Richmond custom
alone would make big coal mines that
close to homo gold mines" as we'll.
ihc JtincS river division OF tho
Chesapeake and Ohio Railway, follow
ing the river along tho southern Dor
der. furnish the quick transportation
facilities the county requires. but the
truckers and sheep raisGrs and poultry
mon do not ask any odds of railways
for they have good teams. some OF
them automobiles. and the highways
leading to Richmond are fairly good
Many OF the products Of the county
are brought to Richmond by this means
OF transportation.
The county has no town Of any size
1t does not need one. being In 81
close touch with Richmond. Gooch.
land. or. as all Of the people still
insist upon calling 1t. Gooohiand Court
house. the county seat. is n mere WI
lage, situated a little over a milo from
the railway ana about thirty milef
west OF Richmond. The county court.
house. the Jail and the court clerks
Office. arc located in this village, and
good school. some small stores. n
church and the necessary residences