Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-10-21
GREAT IS ACCOMAC;
SWEET POTATO COUNTY
North End of Eastern Shore OF Vir.
ginia Is Most Delightful
Region to Live In.
SUPERB NATURAL ADVANTAGES
Gulf Stream Guards III Winter and
Sea BreeZes OH Two Sides in Sum-
mef-Paradisc Of Trlckers-Oys-
ter anu Fish Industry.

I'm almost everything that goes to
make up great and thriving rural
community Accomac Is one OF the
best, II not the very best of the Vir-
ginia counties" Thus spoke an
thusiastic citizen Of that county tho
other day when no was asked for some
pointers" about tho northern end Of
the famous Eastern Shore of Virginia.
| After noticing that the man of news
had taken down his romark with the
words III not the very best" under
| scored he added: Yes. l said the very
best. and stick to that. not except
! ing even our next-door nciEhbor, the
grand old county OF Northampton. that
| is so much like us"
. II Is true that the natural advan-
tages OF the county are eQualed by few
localities in The whole country and
surpassed by mono. The entire Eastern
Shore has n delightful climate. neither
| extreme of heat nor cold. The Their
mumetcr rarely ever gets above 90
I in summer and is never known to
: so nearer zero than 10 above III winter.
and. when it gets that low the mer-
curry stays there very short while.
never as much as ty-eight hours at
n time. Delightful sea breezes sweep
over the land almost every day III the
sweet summer time. and. with the At
/ lantic Ocean on one side and Chesa-
pcake Bay on the other, the air is cool
| ed in summer and warmed up In win
ter by these bodies of water. the Gulf
! Stream preventing any extreme cold
during the winter season. Heavy SHOWS
arc very rare. and severe freezes are
unknown. Navigation is open all win
ter and nobody ever heard of n snow
blockade on the railroad that runs
through the center Of the county.
GREATEST SWEET POTATO
GROWER N THE WORLD
.lccomac is bounded on the north by
NO Maryland counties. on IL. est by
me Atlantic Ocean, on the south By
'rthampton County. and OH the west
Ivy Chesapeake Bay and Pocomoke
sound. The county is forty miles long
! and the average width is about ten
miles. the area being AS square miles
The surface is smooth. even and almost |
level and is we'll drained Ivy Pocomoke !
River. The soil is Il light loan with a
red clay Sub-soil. is easily titled, is |
warm and very productive.
The farm products are sweet and I;
Irish potatoes, corn. wheat. oats and |
all kinds of vegetables. \ very long |
chapter could be written on the po-
tato growing industry OF this county !
and its ncighbor Northampton. Several .
have been written in the past few years
some of which have appeared in these !
columns. and there is need to re-
peat any one Of them here. Every read |
or of this paper knows full we'll that /;
no county in the United States pro- |
duccs near rs many sweet potatoes, nor !
liz line ones as Acco,nac. 1t is claim
cd that /, grows fully per cent OF the |
sweet potatoes produced in the entire !
country, and the potato industry has !
made many men of Accomac rich.
&nllT GROWERS AND EXTENSIVE !,
| CATTLE-HAISING INDUSTRY !
However. in the trucking line Ac-
! comac does not stop at potatoes. Be
sides millions Of bushels she sells every |
year OF her potato crop all manner Of .
truck goes from her fields TO the North |
ern markets, such as onions. peas. cab ,
h2ge, kale. beans. melons and heaven !
what else. Then, too, the fruits grow !
to perfection In Accomac, and some !
handsome fortunes have been made and |
are being made from the orchards /
Apples. peaches, Strawberries and |
blnckberries are grown ana shipped in |
immense quantities. The fruit Industry /.
has been growing in volume year by !
Year for the last decade or more. and |
is destined 70 vie with the potato bust !
ness rs a leading industry.
on the ocean side OF the county ,
sraaing is very fine and the people !
indulge In stock raising TO q very large /
extent. They grow for the markets I
| dairy cattle. sheep, horses and hogs T.
Fully 10 per cent Of the land Is in cult
walton. and the balance in timber. con
sisting OF oak. pine. chestnut beech. .
gum and holly. The timber is being
rapdly cut out and is used pretty much |
altogether for barrels, boxes and crates /
FOR shipping the truck farm; products .
and fruits TO the markets. Numbers
OF sawnills, box and barrel factories
are kept busy converting this timber
| into the articles named
OYSTERS AND FISH
! HIRING IN MUCH CASH
Another great industry that brings
much wealth to Accomac is that OF fish
and oyster catching. This Industry is .
I probably more valuable and extensive .
than in amy ono other county In tho |
state.
! oysters Of unequaled favor. and fish
/ in great variety and finest kinds /
! abound; also clans, mandanose and
crabs arc not only source of great
! revenue, hut an important article OF
/ food to inhabitants. The oyster in
dusiry is one OF the chief pursuits Of
! many Of the inhabitants. Thousands
/ OF people make their money and their
! living out Of the waters that surround
! the peninsula. The planting OF oysters
haa developed into the most profitable
branch OF this industry. Thousands OF
acres Of planting bottoms are now
seeded with millions of bushels OF
! oysters, ana Yet this branch OF the
/ business is Just in it's infancy: oppor-
tunitcs for profitable investment in
p, ms business are on every hand. Good
! planting grounds are being RAPIDLY
taken UP. but there are still thousands
OF acres OF good land left Recent laws
nave made investments in this business
safe and secure, and local investors are
eagerly taking advantage OF the oppor-
tunity.
TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES
uSENCCILED ANYWHERE:
Transportation facilities are unex-
celled. The New York, PHILADELPHIA
and Norfolk Railway runs through the
whole length of the county. right
along the dead center, and no farm
In the county is more than six miles
from railway depot In addition
TO this water transportation cannot
no surpassed. for steamers and sail
vessels touch on all sides.
The county Is indented OH east and
west by numerous sounds inleta and
smaller water courses. navigable near
~ Their entire length, and furnish
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