Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-05-25
county or BUCKINGHAM
WONDERFUL RESOURCES
Home of Dark Shipping Tobacco.
Big Money in 1t Last Year.
Moro This Year.
SLATE MINING A BIG INDUSTRY
Quarrics That Have Been Worked
Moro Than n Ccntury-Othcr
/ Mineral Dcposits-Land of Corn
- kfngs-Orcharding Growing.

Buckingham County grew its larc-
est crop OF dark shipping tobacco las,
year. and the indications are that IL
Will try this year 10 surpass the re-
cord of last. The farmers have all
sold their 1918 crops OF the leaf and
they never received more satisfactory
prices. The shortage OF labor is the
only thing that worries the tobacco
grower just now. and even that Is not
altoseiher as bad as it has been.
But. buckingham does not pin all of
It's faith on tobacco. 1t is a pretty
large county, containing 552 square
miles. and its gray and black loan
soils. with their red clay subsoil pro-
sinia agricultural effort. 1t is pre-
eminenily an AGRICULTURAL county. In
the clay lands the finest wheat and
the largest production to the acre of
any eastern county form one Of the
boasts OF the people of the county
oats are also regarded as one OF the
paving products and the yield per acre
OF this grain is also something 10 braC
about. Rye and buckwheat are also
grown to considerable extent in some
parts of the county and in late wears
the farmers of Buck!ns ham have been
very successful in making hay a
money crop.
County of Many Corn Kings"
All over the county corn is grown
abundantly and down on the James
River there arc corn kings" innumcr-
6pie buchinRNhm corn crop OF last
year was something immense and
Judging from the amount of land that
has been prepared for the seeding OF
that grain for this year all previous
Ttcods are likely TO be broken in
this good year 1919.
Fruits are getting TO be money
crop in buckingham also. There have
always been apple and peach orchards
OH NEARLY every farm in the county
but in the old days these farmers
only tried TO make enough fruit for
home consumption In late years COM
mercial orchards, especially of APP
are some as fine in Buckingham as are
10 be found in the Valley. This in
custry is on the increase, and as the
lands are we'll adapted TO apples,
peaches. pears, plums and cherries and
. the business of growing these fruits
!, is proving more and more profitable.
It is expected that the commercial
orchards will multiply very rapidly.
I. Lands especially adapted for these
fruits are in demand and sell higher
; than any other acres in the county.
sheep Raising a Coming Industry.
Another industry that is on the in
cattle raising. The grazing facilities
are fairly good, especially for cattle
, and sheep, and other conditions being
favorable more attention is being CIV
en- TO cattle raising. and now that
the law affords some protection for
sheep against the cur dog the prob
bility IS that the fiocks will be large
" Increased in all parts OF the county.
In the past quarter of century vast
quantities Of valuable timber have
been cut from the forests of this
county and sawed UP for the nearby
! markets, but il is still a we'll timber
Cd county. and the lumber business is
yet a large and commanding industry.
/ RuckinGham's mineral wealth. has
! There are deposits OF gold. copper
I! SILVER, iron, barytes, mica limestone,
I coapstonc and asbestos. all of which
4. in former years have been prottably
!, AS is we'll known large fortunes
/ .yere made in this county in the days
I previous 10 the War Between the
1 States from the buckingham gold
: mines. In those days silver and iron
); were also probably mined The COP
per mines also brought forth much
( wealth. and some of these are still
\ worked. Others are being inNestiEat
! ed and will doubtless ere Ions he IN
: operation.
: The Grent Slate Industry,
{ But, at present Buck in sham's hjc
I industry In the mining line is in Stat 2.
!: The finest roofing slate in the wori,i
(. S found in the county. a vein half
: a mile wide crossing the county. This
!, source Of wealth has been worked 10
. some extent for more than century
( and for the past quarter OF century
: state auarrying and roof manuiactmr
= ing has been an enormous Industry In
z ihe northerny part OF the county, and
z the hourishihg town of Arvonia has
: grown up around these extensive slate
!! quarries. 80
{; The famous Buck'h CHAM slate has :
Z national reputation for it's hardness
= and durability and it's unchanged Die
z ness as to color and beauty. Arvonia
! the seat Of these vast quarries. is or
:, the Buckingham branch of the Jane
Z, River Division of the Chesapeake ant
. Ohio Railroad. q line of road which
-, ,f ha
= Dlllwyn wide awake town OF
= this branch line has become quite a!
Il important tobacco market, and is other
& wise a fine business town. havinS
j bank a splendid newspaper, ample
4 school facilities. churches and a mum
= Der OF good stores. some Of them he
= ing large establishments
q Buckingham Courthouse, o. simply
4 buckingham, as tho post othce DC
= partment has dccreed II sail he called
3. Is the county seat and very az
I; trac,ive village il is with numhc
q IF business houses, school facilities
~ Ard churches.