Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-05-04
sURRY COUNTY LEADS
AMONG PEANUT GROWERS
\ Few Facts About Ono OF tho
Richest Counties bordering on
tho james River.
IMMENSE LUMBER INTERESTS
County That Is Proud OF It's Many
Prosperous Negro FarmcrS-COrn
Average Is Very Iligh--SupcriOr
Wheat Lants-Railway Facilities.

Measured by tho richness of it's lands
and the variety of its products, Surry
is one OF tho richest OF the James
River counties. and il has about as
large frontage on that stream as any
other county washed by its waters.
II is not Il large county, having only
29o square miles Of soil. but il Is all
rich soil drained by James River on
the north and east. the Black water on
the south and Cypress Swamp Creek
and other small streams in the center.
Tie surface is generally level and
the soil light and sandy. easily titled
and prolific TO II degree. The people
OF Surry can grow anything they try
TO, but tho principal products may
toes, peas aud peanuts. No county in
the state has better corn record, that
is. no county makes better average
per acre This may be due in Il large
measure to the fact that the negro
farmers of Surry arc above the aver
age co!orcd tillcrs OF the soil IN tho
State.
County That is Proud OF us Negro
Farmers.
1T is Il we'll known fact that In many
counties in This state. probably III all
OF them that have many colorcd farm
ers. that they arc net as careful or
rs diliscnt as the white farmers, and
as rule they arc not users OF fcr,i-
l!zers and their Indifferent farming re-
duceS the acre average OF all crops
grown. especially corn which the col
ored man seems to think Mas way
OF growing ami maturing without fer
tilizers and with but little attention
on his part.
In Surry County but little fertilizer
cept That which the county's own mart
beds abundantly furnish. and then. too
Surry has an unusually fnc class OF
colorcd farmers. Some OF the most sue
ccsSful corn and wheat and peanut
growers in the county arc negroes who
own the farms they cultivate and keep
them in the best OF order and work
them for all they arc worth. 1T Is
one Of tho Virginia counties that is
proud of its colorcdN agriculturists and
the white folks down that way arc in
the habit of Dragging about them.
boss Peanut County of Virginia is
the Boast.
While corn growing and wheat grow
ing are big things in tho county Surry
Is prouder of its reputation as a pea
nut grower than Of any other one
thing. 1t is claimed. and the figures
seem To prove ii, th.t this county is
decidedly In the lead in the produc-
ton Of peanuts, making more TO the
acre than any OF its nclghbors. The
people also lain tina: the Surry grown
nut Is superior 10 that OF any other
county or state or country. This is
saying great deal but the people
believe ii TO he true. Anyhow the
county Is big nut grower. and from
time To time many land deals have been
made purely on the merits of the soil
for producing superior peanuts and
the nut is regarded as the principa /
money crop OF the county.
The mari. which exists in abundance
In the county aud is easily accessible
il used TO great extent as q fertilizer.
and but little other is used. This mari
IS now being mined and converted into
fertilizers for shipment to other coun-
ties and other states and at Glare
mont. In the northwest corner of the
county, It has become quite an indus
try.
Tmbcrs HIVE brought BI,- Money a.,
Surry.
| The timbers Of Surry. which in the
past decade ana half have been ire
incndously cut into. are pine. oak
hickory, poplar. beech walnut, cypress
holly. cedar and the gums. For several
years past vast quantities of lumber
nave been cut in Surry and made into
timhers for shipment TO northern mar
kets. principally Baltimore. Philndel-
phta and Ncw York. The Surry I.um-
her Company one of the biggest con
Germs of it's kind in the State. has for
years employed large forces in cutting
and saving the valuable timbers OF
tho county.
This coApany's extensive mills a,
Dendron give employment TO a very