Evening star., 1927-05-01
FINE HIGHWAYS
+. ASSIST TRADE
Urban In Auence n c e
Rapidly Spreading
Northward.
Villages Growing
Population Is Now
$4,000 and Is Re-
ported to Be
Increasing.
BY THOMAS X. HENRY.

miles unfolds an intensively cultivated
countrvside-a land OF green Whea
fields. red clay soil, neat farmhouses
old battlefields and idylic villages,
This is Montgomery County, one oi
the most beautiful and prosperous
agricultural sections in the Unltet
States. 1t is TO Washington a gran
ary, orchard and dairy. Its SUI hllles
Of highly improved roads have made II
one of the recreation GROUNDS OF Dls
7rict of Columbia motorists. Its
southern section rapidly is becoming
VVashington's bedroom. More ano
more farming land is being invaded
each wear bv real estate Subdivisions
and substantial villages are springlne
nm almost faster than the county ON
cials can keep track of them.
The economic life of the county
dsnends upon Washington. Here most
of the farm products are marketed
Hare the rural storekeepers come fol
their supplies. Here the farmers
their wives and their daughters come
for many of their more suostantla
r,urnhases. The telephones which
serve the towns and hamlets are un
der the Washington Office. WashinS
ton power lines rapidly are being e&
tended to supply light and power tC
the remotest farms.
Rural Charm Disappears.
Rut as the urban influence spreads
through the southern end OF the
r county some of the old rural charm
disannears. az is inevitable with prog
ross History. that charming old lady
in her natural environment, is an
awkward granddam in brick punga
low with tile bath and heated by an
oil burner Steam shovels make her
nervous and cranky. One must 90
hevond the suburbs to find her IN neI
full charm and with her collar OF tadeo
old lace.
Rllt on the Laytonsville road or the
Poolesville pike we can meet her al
every turn in the road, putterlng
about in every old-fashioned garden.
Montgomery County has a popula
ton of about $4,000, but more tnau
half Of them are concentrated IN the
lower end They are Washingtonilans
with Washington mannerisms and so
cial contacts. One must 80 Noi III ~
find the old inhabitant.
Community of Farmers.
Montgomery County fundamentally
&c community of farmers. Blue
overalls are it's flag. 1t wakes 70
EsSc rosters hugle.
fs- farmers, true enough, are q
diversified lot. The men VINO lVe
from the clay loan, those INTO WiloSe
s[aces the dust of fields has been
burned bv many Summers and VINO
noillr their cows before dayoreak
slowly are retreating northMard
before the suburban invasion iney
are beyond Rockville now. belilLlI l'i
them have come the GoVernment ll clelh n
with his ffivVer, his back yard Nese,
table garden and his hennouse, any
the country gentleman-the retlrea
ta,,;,.aI broker or statesman--wltn n
his hrick mansion set in landscaped
s-rova Of expensive blue spruce.
Rut they all are farmers, regardless
of economic status. The bullu,its es
stones of the county's economic ne
ore uloughed fields, black ana Witt
Tolsfeins grazing placidly IN lusll
PASTURES. Rhode Island Keos pechilIs
n harnyards and April trousseaueo
,n,.c,,ords The late ambassador IN
his +weeds who tramps over ms ia"n
1ixe pastures il a farmer at NEAR
&c we'll q ( the file clerk in the Pensloll
Office TO whom the odor OF polAliI?
cabbage in an apartment mouse c@Ula @
dor is poison and who mas neo - IN. J.,,
Al to the digestible life in which cocAS
crow at sunrise.
Real Farms Abound.
0aerfta the suburban invasion, the
,Iv7t1, remains one of the foremost
eoric,,1t1,raI districts in the East: II
rs total of 1854 real farms Whose
+lt,,,ers obtain all or the greater par |
- +be;r- sustenance from the iahu
srbe farm population is II 1,l99 OF Wlolli
8 sSO are white and 1853 colored.
E,tret in economic importance IS lhe
,a,irI, "a rrner. The milk farms, snip
. rai,,o their product by truck TO WASH.
5nar1on are concentrated largely In the
,r.aitb ersh,1rg. Damascus and Laytols,
. vile districts and the northefH en- s',
M the Olney district, around SditIs ~
Snring. which lies just peyoIlu cta- erae
advancing line OF SUBURBAN 30.
lows. All the milk goes 10 'lie -r'r Il
Yional Capitol except that from d siitIol, ~
49, q, tba northeast end or the
Da,,,aecus district which is sent 70
13altinore. The dairy industry IS eA
Ending Those who have Watcneu
{te erowth within the past rev year.
S.,.adic+ that eventually 1t VIII super
ade all other kinds Of farming ~. ~
Montgomery County. 1t Will grow W..
~ Wa shington market. tt will expaho
Nth the continued building OF ma
radam and concrete ROADS
Milk For Washington.
. ,rto latest census taken by the Mont
i,a,,aer,, County Farm Bureau snow
10 600 COWS, the majority OF thelii .,,,l Du9S
nroducing milk for Washington. .i,ts lt,eo'
lows are valued at close 10 d IilliaI1l ~,
5ollars-S96S,5 $40 to be exact I'
greater percentage Of these mllch co%
are Holsteins, but nearly All the ,.I, ne" "
have an appropriate NUMBER ol pee.e' ~
,rearn producers such GuernseyS an,
1arsevs. The gospel of pure-bred stocf
&c snreading among the dairy farmers
During the past few years, some OF tn'
finest nnilk-making establishments II
the United States have been lnauSu
rated. ...
The marketing and social center
If the dairy farmers are Rockville
the county seat, and GalthersouTg
Most OF their supplies, Of course
come originally from Washington AM
there is an increasing direct trad
with the stores Of the National capital
Some Of the Washington department
stores and other local merchants haV
extended their truck delivery serVIc
beyond Rockville.
Between washington ana RochNIIi
the poultry farmer is supreme. 1
most cases his flock is a sideline wit
which the Washington clerk earn
extra money TO pay for his house Q
send his daughter to college. tn
importance of the poultry industry
due to the fact that there are S
many individuals engaged in it. NeA
10 dairying alone it is tho most In
poltant agricultural pursuit in Mon
gomery County The ccrn r $ poultr
is valued at S257,947.
North Of the milk belt comes th
beef area, whose capital is Poolesvill
and which includes the greater par
Of the Poolesville, Darnstown, Barn!
-%l1le and Clarksyille districts. Ono