Library of The University of North Carolina COLLECTION OF NORTH CAROLINIANA ENDOWED BY JOHN SPRUNT HILL of the Class of 1889 csiLiK- n^7u ^^m^ UNIVERSITY OF N.C. AT CHAPEL HILL 00015565023 This BOOK may be kept out TWO W EEKS ONLY, an d is subject to a fine V^oi 'E^m CENTS a day thereafter. It wag taken out on the daj' indicated below : % Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2011 with funding from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill http://www.archive.org/details/buncombecountyecOOuniv V Buncombe County: Economic and Social .4 Laboratory Study at the University of North Carolina, Department of Rural Social Economics, of the BUNCOMBE COUNTY CLUB A. :M. :\I0SER, Editor-in-Chief F. J. HERRON J. C. CHEESBOROUGH P.S.RANDOLPH I.E. MONK TUNE, 1923 Appreciating the splendid work of the Buncombe County students at the University of North Carolina, and because of their unselfish desire to promote the welfare of their home county the cost of publishing this book is gladly borne by THE CENTRAL BANK AND TRUST COMPANY Asheville, N. C. \ THE INLAND PRESS ASHEVILLE. N C # CONTENTS PAGE Foreword " The Western Gateway to the Highlands ._- S A. M. Dougherty 1. A Brief History of Buncombe County 9 F. J. Herron 2. Natural Resources 15 F. J. Herron 3. Industries of Buncombe County 25 I. E. Monk 4. Facts About the Folks of Buncombe County 35 John C. Cheesborough 5. Wealth and Taxation 41 P. S. Randolph 6. Farm Conditions and Practices in Buncombe County 45 P. S. Randolph 7. Rural Schools of Buncombe 55 A. M. Moser 8. Home-raised Food and the Local Market Problem 63 John C. Cheesborough 9. Livestock and Fruits 71 F. J. Herron 10. Cooperative ^Marketing 73 F. J. Herron 11. Things to Be Proud of in Buncombe SI A. M. Moser 12. Buncombe's Problems and Their Solution 87 A. I\I. ^.loser "T l-iz- r ■ •^ - ^^^^ ^ ■ ^^ i ^j^ , ^in . . . Tif i ■ ■ ^^?sa MT. PISGAH FOREWORD The series of studies here given to the public under the title Buncombe County: Economic and Social, is the work of five students from Buncombe county at the University of North Carolina. These students realize that in order to be the best possible citizens of a community it is necessary to know the foundations upon which the community rests. These Buncombe boys know in detail the actual facts about their home county. They are well prepared to assume positions of leadership in their county because they know in a competent way the resources, possibilities and needs of the county. These studies have been prepared in the headquarters of the Rural Social Economics department at the University, under the supervision of Professors E. C. Branson and S. H. Hobbs, Jr. This department possesses the best library of information about the home state to be found in any state in the Union. The Buncombe county boys have assembled from this library the facts about their county, and have interpreted these facts in a competent manner. The publication of this bulletin has been made possible by the generosity of the Central Bank and Trust Company of Asheville. This institution is anxious that the information gathered by the Buncombe county students be made available to all the people in the county. The thanks of the authors are extended to Messrs. L. E. Gill and George Stephens, to the Chamber of Commerce, and to all other individuals and agencies who have aided in pre- paring and in making possible the publication of this bulletin. It is the hope of the Buncombe student authors, and the bank which bears the expense of publication, that this bulletin will find its way into every home, school library, and business house in the county; into the hands of every teacher, banker, merchant, minister^ lawyer and farmer; and that everj'body may receive in full measure the service these boys desire to render their native county. S. H. HOBBS, JR., Associate Professor, Department Rural Social Economics. University of North Carolina. June 18, 1923. "■ "™? . \ THE WESTERN GATEWAY TO THE HIGHLANDS ''The Land of the Sky" Will you come to the mountains? "The Land of the Sky,' Where a banquet of glory is spread for the eye, Where scenes of enchantment enravish the soul, And reason to rapture surrenders control ; Where the mountains do rear their summits above The storm and the cloud, to the regions of love ; Where vi^aters go dashing down rocky declines. And the hills are covered with evergreen vines; Where boasting musicians are wont to retire When the bird of the mountain tunes his sweet lyre. And lends to his melody wings that can fly, To scatter his song through "The Land of the Sky"; Where fountains are gushing from every hill-side. All sparkling and cold as a health-giving tide; An elixir of life more tempting to sip Than the cup that presses the bacchanal's lip; Where the air is freighted with sweetest perfume Wafted from the flower when full in its bloom. And the breezes that float o'er mountain's tall peak Give back the invalid the rose to his cheek. Ye seekers of pleasure, oppressed by heat. Come to this region 'tis a pleasant retreat; Ye ones that are feeble, why linger and die, Come up to this beautiful "Land of the Sky." A. M. DOUGHERTY. A BRIEF HISTORY OF BUNCOMBE COUNTY F. J. HERRON, Biltmore Buncombe county is located in the heart of the Blue Ridge mountains, and before the Revolutionary War it was a vast uninhabited territory, a neutral hunting ground between the Cherokee and Catawba Indians. Our knowledge of Buncombe county before the white settlers came is just a glimpse here and there from the dark and gloomy past. There were signs of Indian camps along the Swannanoa and French Broad river valleys. For many years a powerful and savage tribe of Cherokee Indians had roamed this territory. The first white men to cross the Blue Ridge into this section of the county were hunters. As early as 1539 Hernando De Soto, a Spanish con- queror of Peru, made an attempt to discover another Peru in the eastern part of America. He made a journey from Tampa Bay, Florida, up through the mountains of Western North Carolina and thence to the Southwest, where in 1540 he discovered the Mississippi river; and it is very probable that he passed through Hickory Nut Gap to the French Broad river. From time to time hunters were known to cross the boundary line, then the Blue Ridge, and trespass upon the Cherokee territory. In 1776 Gen. Griffith Rutherford with a band of men came through this section to drive the Indians westward and take charge of their possessions. During these visits the white men explored the fertile valleys of Buncombe. Soon after the Revolutionary War in 1781 or 1782 the settlers from the Catawba river valleys and from the block house at Old Fort. ^McDowell county, as it was later named, began to emigrate across the Blue Ridge, which was at that time the boundary line between the whites and the Cherokee Indians, and build homes along the Swannanoa river. One of the first families to settle in Buncombe county was that of Samuel Davidson, who was accompanied by his wife, their small child, and one female negro slave. He chose a spot on the Swannanoa river a little distance east of Gudger's ford, and near the present Azalea, a railroad station. Not long afterwards he was killed by Indians, and his wife and slave fled with the small child back across the mountains to Old Fort. A party gathered to avenge the death of Davidson and overtook and subdued the Indians near the mouth of Rock House creek. One noted character in the party was Major Ben Burgin, who died at the age of 95, at Old Fort, in November, 1874. Meanwhile many other families settled all up and down the Swannanoa river. The homes first established were near the mouth of Bee Tree creek, and near there was the land first cleared in Buncombe county, known as the Edmondson field. Later another band of settlers crossed Bull Gap and located 10 Buncombe County: Economic and Social on the headwaters of Reem's creek, while another group came via what is now Yancey county and settled Flat creek and Lower Reem's creek. Some of the Watauga settlers who had been with Sevier settled on the French Broad river above the mouth of Swannanoa and some on Hominy creek, while still others from South Carolina settled further up the French Broad river. The Swannanoa was at this time known as the dividing line between Burke and Rutherford counties, the former on the north and the latter on the south. From parts of these two counties was formed the county of Buncombe and named in honor of Col. Edward Buncombe, a North Carolina soldier mortally wounded in the Revolutionary War. In 1791 the representatives from Burke and Rutherford counties, David Vance from the former, and William Davidson from the latter, decided upon the formation of a new county from parts of the above counties situated west of the Blue Ridge, with its western boundary extending to the Tennessee line. In April, 1792, at Col. William Davidson's home on the southern bank of the Swannanoa about half a mile above its mouth which was known as the Gum Spring Place, the county of Buncombe was organized, following the ratification of the act January 17, 1792. On December 31st of the following year an amendment to the aforesaid act was passed recording that "the commissioners appointed to fix the center and agree where the public buildings of the county of Bun- combe should be erected, have failed to comply with the above recited act and the inhabitants of said county much injured thereby." To remedy this a new set of commissioners was appointed, Joshua Inglish, Archibald Nill, James Wilson, Augustin Shote, George Baker, and John Dillard of Buncombe, and William Morrison of Burke. This committee differed greatly as to where the county seat should be located^ but finally decided upon the present site and gave it the name of ^Slorristown. Before the public buildings were completed the nearest Superior Court was held at Alorganton, and five men were required to serve as jurors from Buncombe county for the July term of 1792. The fol- lowing were selected: Wm. Davidson, David Vance, James -Br ittain, Mathew Patton, and Lambert Clayton. The first court house in Buncombe county was built of logs and stood on the public square, in the middle of the street which is now Patton Avenue. The first court started the third Monday in July, 1793. In January three years later a plan for public buildings was laid out by commissioners, and a tract of land was secured for the public square. The county town of Buncombe then contained forty-two lots, with only two streets crossing on the public square, and it was called Morristown. "Nobody seems to know why the name Morristown was bestowed upon the place. But there is a seemingly authentic tradition that it was named for Robert Morris, who successfully financed the American Revolution, yet himself died a bankrupt." Robert INIorris owned large boundaries of land in Western North Carolina and was a hero in the Revolution, therefore it is very probable that the town was named in his honor. In 1795 Samuel Ashe, a brother of John Ashe who played an important part in opposing the Stamp Act, was elected BuNco:^[BE County: Economic and Social 11 Governor of North Carolina from New Hanover county, and in his honor the name Morristown was changed to Asheville. Early Settlers Many of the early settlers came from Burke, Rowan, and Rutherford counties. They were largely descendants of the Scotch-Irish. There were also a number of English who came over from \'riginia, some Irish, some French-Huguenots, and representatives of other nationalities. During the 16th century Protestanism had been growing in France until about one-third of the nation had fallen away from the Catholic Church. These French Protestants belonged generally to the thrifty, intellectual middle class, and they became socially powerful. It was this class of French-Huguenots who fled from political and religious persecution and came to America and in particular to Buncombe county. Among the oldest family names are Alexander, Beard, Davidson, Edney, Lownie, Davis, Johnson, Patton, Smith, Swain, Vance, Weaver, Gudger, and Henry. James Smith was the first child born of white parents in Buncombe county. Robert Henry was the first schoolmaster to teach west of the Blue Ridge, and the first preachers were Humphrey Posey and Stephen INIorgan. Geography Buncombe county's boundary line, as it is today, borders on five other extreme western counties of the state including Henderson, Haywood, Yancey, Madison, and McDowell. The county has a bountiful water supply and is well drained by the French Broad river and its tributaries, flowing in a north- westerly direction through the county, Swannanoa river. Cane creek, Beaver- dam, Reem's creek. Big Ivy and Big and Little Flat creeks on the northeast side, and New Found, Sandymush, Hominy, Turkey and Dix creeks on the southwest. These are together capable of producing an almost unlimited amount of water power. The elevation varies from 2,000 feet in the French Broad valley to 6,000 feet on the Pisgah ridge on the south, while Black Mountain, Craggy, Lane's Pinnacle, A'ance Knob, and numerous other peaks rise up on the north. The French Broad river valley was first occupied by tlie French, whence its name. The Swannanoa derives its name from the Indian word meaning beautiful. Buncombe county is about 30 miles long with an average width of 24 miles, and has an area of 639 square miles or 408,960 acres. It has 266,134 acres of land in farms. Of the 3,701 farms in Buncombe county in 1920, 3,608 were operated by white farmers and 93 by negro farmers; and 2,801 farmers owned their farms while only 900 were tenants. The taxable property in Buncombe county is over $93,000,000. The value of farm land in 1920 was $16,797,977, an increase of 37 percent in value since 1910. The incorporated towns of Buncombe county are Asheville, Bihmore, Buncombe County: Economic and Social 13 Black ^Mountain, South Biltmore, Jupiter, Kenihvorth, and Weaverville. Asheville, the largest city, is located on the Asheville plateau in the Southern Appalachians, said to have been the scene of an Indian battle between the two hostile tribes of Catowboas and Cherokees. It is 2,250 feet above sea- level, and in the shadow of some of the highest peaks east of the Rocky Mountains. Within a radius of 50 miles there are 64 peaks that are 6,000 feet high, 23 of which are higher than Mt. Washington. And these majestic mountains are covered with magnificent hardwood forests. Silvery streams come dashing down their slopes and the beautiful river valleys afford un- rivaled scenery and inestimable wealth. Asheville's population in 1920 was 28,504 according to the census report, and immediately adjoining the cor- porate limits are Grace, Norwood, Woolsey, Edgemont, Grove Park Inn section, Kenihvorth, Biltmore, and South Biltmore, which brought the census figures to between 38,000 and 40,000. In October of 1921, Greater Asheville, within a circle of 3H miles from Pack Square, which is the business center of Asheville, had a population of 50,000. Asheville has five big hotels: Grove Park Inn, the finest and most unique resort hotel in the world ; the Battery Park Hotel, famous everywhere; the Manor, an English Inn in America ; the Langren, eight-story, fireproof, in the business district ; the Swannanoa-Berkeley, a high-class family and commercial hotel ; and Margo Terrace, a select family and tourist hotel. / Climate Buncombe county we believe can easily become the greatest health resort in the world. The mean average annual temperature in Asheville is 55 degrees. The climate is dry and there is never extreme heat nor cold ; there are no mosquitoes and no malaria here. There is an 18,000-acre watershed that furnishes the city with over 7,000,000 gallons of pure water daily. It flows through two 16-inch pipe lines, one 18 miles in length and the other 10 miles. Owing to the pure and healthful climate in Buncombe county, the Government has built two U.S.P.H.S. Hospitals. Kenihvorth, located two miles from Asheville, has 500 men, and Oteen, with over 1,000 men, 36 medical officers and 100 nurses on the Oteen Staff, is the largest hospital of its kind in the world. It is located on the Swannanoa river near Azalea, six miles from Asheville. The Government has authorized the construction of an additional modern brick hospital at Oteen, to cost $700,000, and this will be a permanent hospital for ex-service men. Good Roads and Schools Buncombe county prides herself on being the best paved county in the South. There are 164 miles of hard-surfaced highways in the county. Ashe- ville has 50 miles of paved streets and almost 75 miles of paved sidewalks. The Dixie Highway, famous throughout the South, goes through Asheville and Buncombe County and has been a great attraction to tourists from numerous towns all over the United States. 14 Buncombe County: Economic and Social The school system in Buncombe took its origin in the Swannanoa Settle- ment of 1782, when Robert Henry, the last survivor of the battle of King's Mountain, conducted an Old-Field school. This was the first school taught in North Carolina west of the Blue Ridge. In those days school-houses were very crudely built of logs, the floors and seats were made from split logs, and the windows were holes sawed in the wall. But a continual struggle has been going on to remove the curse of illiteracy, and today the county has 14 high schools and 68 grammar grade schools, with an enrollment of 10,000 pupils, and 11 city schools in Asheville with 7,000 pupils, making a total of 93 schools with 17,000 pupils enrolled. Asheville has one of the best educational systems in the South. The Asheville High School alone cost $400,000, and has the largest student body of any institution of learning in the state except the University. According to the report of the 1920 census. Buncombe has the smallest percentage of illiterates of any county in the state. The wonderful system of roads and schools in Buncombe county has been made possible through the untiring efforts of her wide-awake citizens. The Board of Education, the Asheville Chamber of Commerce, the Good Roads Association, Rotary Club, Civitan Club, Kiwanis Club, and other organi- zations have been very active in all movements looking toward progress, and today they are all strongly cooperating, striving for even greater progress in the future. Sources of Information : Arthur's History of Western North Carolina. The Asheville Citizen. The Asheville Chamber of Commerce. R. H. Hutchison's Historical Background of Buncombe County. ,11 NATURAL RESOURCES F. J. HERROX, Biltmore Soils The soils of Buncombe county are characteristic of practically all Westerq North Carolina. They have been formed from the decay of under- lying rocks, which are mostly of the Carolina and Rowan gneiss formation. Nearly all the uplands are of a clay loam or of a fine sandy loam fomiation, and have been classified as belonging to the porter's series. The soils of the valleys and bottom lands are of loam, varying from silt loam or fine sandy loam to clay. They belong to the Carolina and Toxaway series. The soils in Western North Carolina contain a much greater abundance of potential plant food than the soils of other sections of the state, and Buncombe county is fortunate in sharing in this distinction. The chief need of the soil in this section is phosphoric acid, a plant food element. Nitrogen is next in importance, but can be supplied by the many leguminous crops that are capable of being grown in this section, and with the proper rotation of crops this plant food element may be adequately supplied to produce the best crop returns without the use of commercial fertilizer. The nature of the rocks from which the soil is formed renders it practically unnecessary to add potash to the soils. But it is necessary that this natural supply of potash in the soil should be liberated so that it can be utilized by plants. By the aid of ordinary slaked lime and proper crop rotation the nitrogen content of the soil will be increased and the potash will be continually set free in such quantities as are needed for maximum crop production. Lime is found in many deposits in Western North Carolina, and should be used more extensively, since it is not only a vital force for liberating phosphoric acid, nitrogen, and potash in the soil but also a powerful aid in neutralizing the soil. While practically all the land in Buncombe county is either mountainous or rolling, erosion is much less than on the eastern slopes of the Blue Ridge, as the porous nature of the soil enables it to absorb rapidly the heavy rainfall. The soils of Buncombe county readily promote a cropping system that maintains and increases their productiveness. By a systematic crop rotation, the farmers in Buncombe county can avoid the cost of commercial fertilizer and yet have all necessary plant food elements except phosphoric acid, which can be bought at a comparatively small cost. This is an advantage to farmers in Western North Carolina over other farming sections of the state 16 Buncombe County: Economic and Social where crop rotation will not bring about the desired effect without the aid of a large amount of phosphoric acid and potash in the form of commercial fertilizer. Location and Topography- Buncombe county is bounded by the following counties: on the north by Madison, the northeast by Yancey, on the east by McDowell, on the west by Haywood, and on the south by Henderson. Buncombe is the largest county west of the Blue Ridge; it is approxi- mately 24 by 30 miles, with an area of about 639 square miles, or 409,000 acres. Its topography is in the main more open and rolling or level than that of any other county in the surrounding region, though several peaks rise to the height of over 6,000 feet in the northeast corner of the county, ai^d in the southwest also the mountains attain considerable height. All the central part, however, is a rolling plateau, known as the Asheville plateau, varying from 2,000 to 2,500 feet in elevation. This condition, with the favorable markets, makes Buncombe one of the best agricultural counties in Western North Carolina. Buncombe by reason of its southern latitude, 35° 37' north, avoids the rigor of severe winters; and by reason of its altitude of from 2,000 to 6,000 feet above sea-level there is always a moderate temperature in the summer. The annual mean temperature is 55°. The hottest month of the year, July, has an average temperature of 71.7°, while the coldest month, February, has an average mean temperature of 38.1°, and this average varies little during the winter months. The mean average rainfall is 39.63 inches. The greatest annual rainfall, 51.8 inches, was recorded in 1918, and the least, 30.17 inches, in 1904. The average rainfall is greatest in July and least in November. The annual average of snowfall is 11.2 inches, 6.2 of this occurring in the months of January and February. As a result of the excellent natural drainage, there are no traces of malaria to be found. With the wonderful climatic conditions, the county seat, Asheville, is known as one of the greatest health resorts in the world, and annually receives 300,000 visitors. Timber Probably 50 percent of Buncombe county has been cleared for cultivation but more than 20 percent of this has been abandoned. There is much forest land yet to be cleared, however. Two-thirds of the land is held in fanns and small areas under 1,000 acres in extent, so that about half of the forest land, 126,000 acres, should be considered as farm woodlands. Of the remaining one-third, 27,000 acres is included in the Pisgah National Forest, located in both the northeastern and the southwestern corners of the county. This Forest, which extends into several of the surrounding counties, has been purchased by the Government and is being managed as a playground of the people and for the protection of the streams and the production of timber. The office of the Forest Supervisor is in Asheville. Buncombe County: Economic and Social 17 The forests have been cut over frequently and closely, so that there is very little virgin timber left. Practically the only good timber is on the high and steep mountains in the northeast, and even there most of the large poplar and walnut have been crudely culled out years ago. There still remains some smaller poplar and a considerable supply of oaks, chiefly red and chestnut oaks. There is also a limited amount of chestnut timber, and some scattered maple here and there. The best timbered lands are variously estimated at from 2,000 to 7,000 board feet of marketable timber per acre, with 3,000 feet of saw timber as a fair average. Throughout the remaining forested portions of the county is left a very limited amount of saleable saw timber. A new growth, especially of the different species of pine, has come in abundance on the more severely cut over woods of the rolling uplands, also on the old fields that have been abandoned for several years. Pine does not flourish above an elevation of 2,500 feet. Reproduction of the hard- woods, such as the oaks, chestnut and poplar, is very abundant on tlie higher and steeper slopes, while locust is found mostly on the abandoned cleared land in the higher altitudes above the region where pines flourish. In the flat woods, found mainly in a gravelly area in the southeastern part of the county, young growth of chestnut is almost entirely absent; even the old trees which were once very thrifty in growth have nearly all died. The forests of Buncombe have their chief values to the people in supplying fuel, posts, poles, cross-ties, shingles, pulp, and acid wood. They also protect and preserve a luxuriant undergrowth of vegetation that retains the water supply and prevents erosion. While the mountainous regions in the outskirts of the county will continue to produce timber of the more valuable kinds, the forests of the central part will be required chiefly to supply the local necjds. There is a strong sentiment against burning the woods, and in some sections such burning has been successfully prevented. In spite of this there have been more than one hundred fires reported during the past four years covering an average area of about 100 acres each with an average damage of S3. 50 per acre. ^lany disastrous fires are caused by carelessness in spring clearing, and large areas have been swept over by fire whose traces cannot be outgrown for many, many years. Recently P>unconibe has cooperated with the state in forest fire prevention and eight state forest wardens have been appointed in different parts of the county to enforce the state laws against burning the woods, and to extinguish forest fires. The productiveness and value of Buncombe's forests can be continually increased by preventing forest fires entirely and by utilizing the inferior scrubby timber for fuel. IMuch v,-ould be gained by improving the land that is already cleared instead of rejecting the old fields as worn-out and clearing new grounds each year. Asheville is the headquarters for a large hardwood business, but dealers draw most of their supplies from adjoining counties. However, there are many portable mills which cut small amounts of timber here and there over the county, though very few large logging operations have been attempted. 18 Buncombe County: Economic and Social There arc several small wood-working plants in and around Asheville, and one large tanning extract plant. Draining- and Water Power Buncombe is exceptionally well watered. Nearly every farm has numerous springs and small streams, consequently there are very few wells and homes are supplied with pure running spring water. This gives a favorable con- dition for agriculture and pasturage. Yet considering the large quantity of running water and good rainfall, comparatively little underground drainage is necessary. Targe quantities of the water is carried off by natural soil drainage as the result of the soil's porosity. The French Broad river flows through the center of the county, with its tributaries, the Swannanoa river. Hominy creek, Cane, Sandy IMush. Big Ivy ; and many other smaller streams drain the entire county. The streams of Buncombe county are especially adapted to the develop- ment of cheap hydro-electric power. Hominy creek in southwest Buncombe has developed 400 horse-power, and .A.sheville receives 10,000 horse-power from a hydro-electric plant on the French Broad river. Some of the potential water-power sources of Buncombe are : French Broad with 200,000 horse-power. Ivy creek with 2,000 horse-power, Cane creek 2,000, and other branches of the French Broad amounting to over 6,000 horse-power. A total development of all the streams yet unharnessed would amount to more than 225,000 horse-power. Within a radius of 40 miles of Asheville, the water-power of the mountain streams will total approximately 550,000 horse-power, of which only a little over 42,000 horse-power has been developed. There is a wonderful opportunity for developing water-power in Buncombe and neighboring counties to an extent that would supply the inhabitants with electricity at a remarkably low cost. Minerals Although Buncombe does not claim so great a wealth in minerals as some of her western neighbors, yet there are numerous rich deposits of useful minerals, including brown iron ore (brown hemotite), chromite, semi- refractory and siliceous clays, granite, limestone, mica, serpentine, sand, and gravel. Deposits of chromite are now under development in the northern part of the county, 16 miles northwest of Asheville, near Stocksville and Democrat. Considerable sand chrome and rock ore has been found. Also a promising deposit has been found near Balsam Gap. From the clays found in certain localities, fine pottery is manufactured and several pottery eitablishments are in operation over the county. And for fire brick and common brick, clays are mined near Emma in the central part of the county and at Candler in the northwestern part. Along the lines of the Southern Railroad southwest of Asheville large deposits of sedimentary clays are found. In many of the lowlands along the river valleys are broad Buncombe County: Economic and Social 19 stretches of clay sub-soil of a good quality for making ordinary brick, pressed brick, drain tubes, and paving brick. At Emma and Hilderbrand large quantities of brick are manufactured yearly, usually to supply the local demands. Mica is a very important mineral in Buncombe and is found at Balsam Gap, Black Mountain, Montreat, and along the north fork of Swannanoa river. Most of the mica manufactured in Buncombe comes from neighboring counties. The Asheville Mica Company, located at Biltmore, is the largest mica manufacturing plant in the world. Limestone has been quarried very extensively in the southern part of the county, where limestone appears in a sufficient quantity to be of economic valuS as a source of lime. In 1906 a quarry was established in Buncombe that produced 700 bushels of lime per day. A number of rock quarries are in operation here and there, producing crushed stone and gravel which is used principally for building roads, concrete bridges, and other ballast. The rock ranges from pronounced gneiss granite com.position to mica schist and quartz schist. Serpentine is found in the western part of the county in disconnected outcrops extending northwest to Alexander and Stocksville. The stone has a very attractive color varying from a very dark green to deep, clear, yellowish- green. The finer varieties are used for interior decorations, wainscoting, bases of statues, and vases. There seems to be no reason why Buncombe county serpentine should not come on the market as a commercial product in this era of substantial building in the Southern States. Corrundum has been prospected in the northeast section, but the results have not been very successful up to the present day. Minute quantities of nickel ha,ve been observed in north Buncombe, and indications of gold along Cane creek. In north Buncombe five miles west of Alexander pits have been sunk for magnetic and chromic iron ore. Although ore has been dug from the mine the prospects are discouraging. Small beds of limonite have been noted in various parts of the county, but of insufficient value to prospect in. Buncombe ranks very high in the quaHty and value of her sand and gravel. In 1917 she produced 543,364 short tons valued at $23,813. In the same year she ranked twenty-sixth in the value and production of minerals which amounted to $47,821. The total value for the entire state was $5,411,452. Fish There is much agitation for a fish hatchery in Buncombe, as the con- ditions are very favorable to the establishment of such an institution with profit. In the year 1919-1920 there were 33,700 rainbow trout, 16,500 brook trout, 17,300 black bass, and 600 rock bass set free in the streams of the county. Among the commercial fish found in Buncombe waters are yellow cat- fish, white or sand suckers, red horse, horned dace, rainbow trout, Ohio Buncombe County: Economic and Social 21 muskellunge, commonly known as "Jack." These fish rank high as a food element and are found in the French Broad, Swannanoa, and several of the large tributaries. And with a large number of rock bass, or red eye, small- mouthed black bass, wall-eyed pike, and speckled or mountain trout as game and food fish, Buncombe offers a splendid opportunity for the development of this source of natural food supply of the state. The establishment of fish hatcheries would increase our food supply and at the same time the fishing sport would be an attractive feature to the tourists. Tourists, Railroads and Highways The county is served by the Southern railroad radiating from Asheville in four directions — north, south, east, and west. There are 28 passenger trains daily with through Pullman lines to principal cities of the country, and freight service of equal merit. The Asheville and East Tennessee railroad operates nine miles of interurban electric railroad between Asheville and Weaverville. The Asheville Power and Light Company has 22 miles of track within the city. The famous Dixie Highway, the Appalachian, the Central and others pass through Buncombe county, and these together with the 164 miles of hard-surfaced highways, with an average width of 18 feet, leading out from Asheville, and 50 miles of paved streets, give Buncombe claim as the best- paved county in the South. The paving is constructed of concrete, asphalt, or with a concrete base and asphalt macadam. Since the construction of hard-surfaced roads has proven an economical investment the people prefer them to any other kind; consequently more are being constructed each year. During the year 1921-22 contracts were let for 36 miles more of hard-surfaced road which when com- pleted will raise the total to 200 miles. Several miles of old macadam roads have been re-surfaced and crowned with asphalt. There are several hundred miles of country roads in the county that are constructed of sand, clay, and gravel. The county's transportation facilities are among the best in the state, yet there is much progress to be made and many of our citizens are engaged with the problem of meeting the future demands upon transportation. The average number of tourists for the last two or three years has ranged between 250,000 and 300,000. The city of Asheville accommodates a large number of these in her five big hotels and numerous smaller hotels and boarding houses. From a financial and advertising standpoint the tourists have greatly assisted in the development of Asheville and other towns in Buncombe county. It is to our economic interests to make the county and its towns even more attractive to the tourists. In the language of George H. Dacy in the Dearborn Independent for May 12, 1923, we read the following concerning the Land of the Sky: "In the heart of the Blue Ridge ^Mountains of Western North Carolina, where 22 BuNco:^IBE County: Economic and Social dignified peaks tosver to the clouds placed like natural sentries on guard, is 'Opportunity's Empire.' Such is the name given to the region where the sunrise and sunset are the most beautiful to be seen, where the climate is moderately warm in winter and deliciously cool in the summer. Here, too, is the city of Asheville, a health resort whose fame has been heralded across the seven seas. Health seekers, as a class, are critical and difficult to satisfy. One indication that Asheville is out of the ordinary as a health center is found in the fact that more and more newcomers and former visitors come each season. The latest records show that more than 300,000 visitors visit Asheville and leave $54,000,000 annually in the city. "Asheville is a community the majority of whose homes is open to the public. There is probably no city of the size in the United States that has less idle living accommodations than this southern center which, of necessity, has had to open all its homes to accommodate the thousands of tourists and health-seekers. "The transformation of this sleepy southern town into a bustling business headquarters and a vacationists' rendezvous is strikingly shown in figures. In 1910 the total assessed value of city property amounted to 810,000,000. At present it exceeds that figure by 600 percent. A decade or so ago there was not a single mile of paved rural highway in the sections adjoining Asheville. Today, there are more than 164 miles of excellent macadam and concrete highv\-ays leading from the center of the city. In addition, there are several hundred miles of well-maintained gravel and earth roads that link up with the network of permanent highways. Six years ago, the daily milk supply of the city aggregated 1,700 gallons and was about as poor and in- sanitary as could be found in any section of the South. Today, Asheville folk consume more than 6,000 gallons daily of nutritious and sanitary milk second to none. . . . "The city also owns the watershed of 18,000 acres — a primitive forest imtouched by the hands of man — covered with a virgin growth of laurel, azalea, rhododendron, balsam, oak, chestnut, poplar, gum, walnut, hickory and what not. No human being has ever lived — or ever will live^above the point where the water enters the pipe line at the intake. This insures a bountiful supply of pure, clear, sparkling water. "Although, it is a land of health — a veritable magnet that draws to its neighborhood invalids who are suffering from all forms of tuberculosis — physicians of nation-wide reputation report that Asheville is doing more than any other city in the entire country to control and prevent the insidious spread of tuberculosis. The city has the most rigid legislation and regula- tions for the protection of a pure milk supply of any town in the United States. All these ordinances are rigidly enforced. The city maintains a modern abattoir where all its meat supply is slaughtered under Federal inspection. . . . Asheville's 50 miles of paved streets are washed with water under high pressure. Xo street sweeping is permitted and thus the Buncombe County: Economic and Social 23 spread of dust through the air is minimized. A modern incinerator is used to destroy all the rubbish and trash. "Mount Mitchell, top of Eastern America and the highest point east of the Rockies, is a scenic curiosity. "In 1857, Dr. Elisha Mitchell, a professor of the University of North Carolina, accurately determined the exact altitude of this mountain — 6,711 feet — but in descending he lost his way, fell over a cliff and was killed. The mountain was named after him and today his body rests on the summit of this peak. "A novel motor roadway leads to the summit. It is a one-way route. The long line of cars go up every morning — the highway is 18 miles in length — and descend in the afternoon. "Practically every remote section of the great Pisgah National Forest of 86,000 acres, a few miles from Asheville, is now accessible by automobile. Uncle Sam keeps permanent highways through this splendid forest in a fine condition. This forest is developing into a great playground. Ideal sites for campers have been set aside and more than 10,000 automobile parties visited the forest last year. The forest has been stocked with 2,500 deer, 75 elks and five buffaloes, while every mountain stream within its borders has been plentifully stocked with rainbow and mountain trout. No hunting is allowed and no person with a firearm or a dog not under leash can enter. "The forest is not fenced and consequently large numbers of wild game and overplus from the deer and elk herds wander away. Their abundance has led to the formation of several extensive hunting clubs in the Asheville neighborhood. The Great Smoky Mountain Club with its 22,000 acres of prolific hunting lands is a sportsmen's paradise. This property is 35 miles square and, save for one gap, is circled by the Great Smoky Mountains. A hotel resembling a Swiss chalet is now under construction, as is a golf course." Sources of Information : Dearborn Independent ISIay 12, 1923. Files of the Department of Rural Social Economics, University of North Carolina, - ■ . ITT INDUSTRIES OF BUNCOMBE COUNTY I. E. MONK, Asheville Although Buncombe county's greatest business is in the resort field j'et in its fertile valleys and thickly forested mountain slopes are gathered the products that enter largely into the manufacture of articles that find their way into thousands of homes from M'kine to California. In Asheville, the center of this immensely favored region, are located many factories and mills that convert the vast natural resources into finished articles. Agriculture Farming in Buncombe county plays a most important part in our economic life. It has been amply demonstrated through boys' and men's club work that all parts of the county have soils on which it is possible to produce one hundred bushels of corn per acre, and over. It was shown through the pig clubs that pork can be produced at a cost of less than eight cents a pound. Buncombe is one of the nine largest beef-producing counties in the state. This is because of the mild winters that make grazing possible through- out the entire year. The protection afforded by the coves is sufficient shelter for the animals. Western- North Carolina apples have e.xcelled at national apple shows. The growing of apples in Buncombe is one industry that has been sadly neglected, but now that business men have seen the natural advantages of this region, the apple-growing industry is taking a new lease on life. Asheville is the largest consumer of dairy products in North Carolina. The larger part of this supply of milk and cream comes from within a radius of fifteen miles of Asheville. More than 600 head of Holstein cattle have been brought into this district within the last two years, largely increas- ing the milk supply and eliminating the small-producing scrub cows. There are fifty-four cheese factories in the South with thirty-five of them in the Asheville district, showing the adaptability of this section to the production of cheese of the highest quality. Sheep thrive in Buncombe county; the high well-drained elevations are well watered and produce abundant pastures, making ideal conditions for sheep production. The climate is especially adapted to the production of the finest wool and the common sheep diseases are practically unknown in this section. Poultry raising is profitable in Buncombe county on account of the excellent climate, gently sloping lands and a good market. Asheville, because 26 Buncombe County: Economic and Social of being a tourist resort and because there are several large hospitals nearby, is an especially good market for fresh eggs. This is another industry that has witnessed a great development during the last few years. Furniture There are two furniture factories in Buncombe : The Carolina Wood Products Company and C. H. Reeves Company. The Reeves Company manu- factures furniture from material furnished by others and is much smallei than the former company. The Caiolina Wood Products Company, situated at Woodfin near Ashevilie, has a capital stock of nearly $4,000,000 and an annual output of more than $1,800,000. Furniture of all kinds is made here and the company employs more than 500 people, forty of whom are women. Mr. D. B. Morgan is the president o^the company. The latest reports show that the annual payroll is approximately $350,000. We feel that there is plenty of room in Buncombe for more furniture factories. The wonderful forests in Buncombe county and vicinity together with the four hundred thousand hydro-electric horse-power in the mountain streams within a forty-mile radius of Ashevilie certainly are inducements for the establish- ment of furniture factories. Textiles There is only one knitting mill in Buncombe county, the Ashevilie Knitting ]MiIl. W. Y. Frazer is the president of the company. It is a very young concern, having been established in 1918, but has made rapid growth from the beginning. A full line of hosiery is manufactured and all processes are completed at the Ashevilie mills. Their product is knitted, dyed, bleached, and finished for the counter. Their business is growing rapidly, and their slogan is "A million-dollar mill in Ashevilie." The annual output for 1922 was $250,000 and their payroll for the same year approximated $30,000. The Ashevilie Cotton Mills is one of Asheville's oldest manufactories. It was established in 1887. There are 11,640 spindles and 450 looms in this plant and colored cotton chambrays are made. There are approximately 1,600,000 pounds of raw material used annually by this factory. The yearly output is estimated at one million dollars. There are 250 persons employed at this plant and the lowest-paid man receives $3.45 per day. F. W. Cone is the president of the company. The French Broad Manufacturing Company, established in 1911, is also situated in Ashevilie. The capital stock of this company is $428,500. Bed- spreads, yarns, and kindred commodities are manufactured here. The factory has 8,232 spindles and 132 looms, and employs about 300 persons. G. E. Huggins is the president of the company. Miscellaneous Industries Buncombe has many different kinds of factories, in fact too varied for classification. There are four bottling plants in the city of Ashevilie, the Coca-Cola Company, the Chero-Cola Bottling Company, the Nugrape Buncombe County: Economic and Social 27 Bottling Company, and the Orange Crush Bottling Company. The two latter are comparatively new concerns and authentic statistics are at present not available. The Coca-Cola Bottling Company is the oldest bottling company in the county. The 1920 statistics of the Department of Labor and Printing show the company as having a capital stock of $78,396 and the plant valued at $82,674. The annual output for the same year was $170,416. The Chero-Cola Bottling Company has a capital stock of $75,000 accord- ing to the latest statistics compiled by the Asheville Chamber of Commerce for the year 1922. The annual output for the same year was approximately $120,000 and the annual payroll $20,000. The Georgia Talc Company is the largest manufacturer of cut talc pencils and crayons in the United States. This concern has a capacity at its mills of two cars of powdered talc daily and an average payroll of $2,000 per month. A flourishing business is done by this company in asbestos, fuller's earth, and ingot. The products manufactured at the talc company's mills are put to seventy-five different uses. The Asheville IMica Company situated at Biltmore manufactures mica products. The capital stock of the plant in 1920 was $235,000 and the value of the plant was $206,246. There are about 125 persons employed at present at this plant and the annual output for 1920 was $365,717. One of the largest-selling cereals on the market in America is Wheat- Hearts. The Biltmore Wheat-Hearts Company at Biltmore manufactures this famous cereal. Famco Auto Body Polish is manufactured by the Frank A. >Mears Com- pany. This is one of the few polishes protected by a guarantee on the market today. It is sold in every state in the Union and in Canada. The Williams-Brownell Planing Mill Company has been organized only twelve years. It specializes in dressing and kiln drying in transit and also manufactures hardwood trim mostly for the New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania trade. The capital stock in 1920 was $120,362 and the value of the output was $129,663. According to the latest statistics compiled by the Asheville Chamber of Commerce, the company has an annual output valued at $300,000. When their new mill is completed they will handle about a million feet of lumber monthly and will employ from fifty to sixty people, paying them more than $4,000 monthly. The Southern Steel and Cement Company, Inc., manufactures building materials. D. S. Elias is the president of the corporation. The capital stock of the company is $35,000 with an annual output of $400,000 and a payroll of $16,550 according to the latest statistics. Prominent among Buncombe's industries is the National Casket Factory. This factory has a capital stock of $350,000. It is, however, a branch of the main company, the entire concern having a capital stock of around $6,000,000. The company manufactures dimensions for caskets and has an annual output of about 8,000,000 feet of lumber. The annual payroll is about S100,000. 28 Buncombe County : Economic and Social The Fletcher Brick Works, of which J. P. Fletcher is president, has a capital stock of $50,000 and an annual payroll of about $25,000. One of the oldest and best-established industries in Buncombe county is the Hans Rees Sons Tannery. At this plant hides of all kinds are tanned. The bark used in producing the tannic acid is obtained largely from trees in the vicinity of Asheville. The capital stock of this company is about $1,000,000 and the annual output is $3,200,000. Harold B. Rees is the president of the company. The Biltmore Industries is one of Asheville's best-known industries be- cause its homespun suits are worn in all the large cities in the United States. This industry was started by the late George W. Vanderbilt, who established it to afford profitable employment to the mountain folk. After the death of Mr. Vanderbilt the Industries were purchased by Fred L. Seely, manager of the world-famous Grove Park Inn, and the annual output has been greatly increased. Opportunities Almost any kind of manufacturing plant could find a suitable location in Buncombe county. The 400,000 horse-power of undeveloped hydro-electric power within a forty-mile radius from Asheville (10,000 undeveloped hydro- electric pov/er in Pisgah National Forest itself), the excellent paved roads and Southern Railway service are inducements to almost any kind of manu- facturers. Western North Carolina furnishes an especially ideal location for furni- ture factories. Because of the above-mentioned resources and the fact that there are thousands of acres of fine timber land in this section, furniture manufacturing is profitable. Among the things necessary for cheap manu- facturing are efficient transportation, the presence of raw materials and an abundance of good, cheap labor. Buncombe furnishes these things, and in addition she offers ideal climatic conditions. The poultry-raising industry is one of the most profitable industries in Buncombe and at the present time the supply of chickens and eggs is not equal to the demand. This industry has abundant room for development in this county. The apple-growing business is comparatively small considering our wonderful natural resources. When we apply scientific methods in producing and in marketing this fruit there is no limit to the possibilities of this busi- ness. Buncombe needs more manufacturing plants of every kind, but particu- larly we advocate more cotton mills and furniture plants, because we possess all the requirements for economical production, labor of the most desirable type, power, raw products nearby, transportation, all amid an unexcelled physical setting affording health, comfort, and cheap living conditions. Following is a list of miscellaneous industries in Buncombe county, showing the name of the industry, the capital, value of the plant, annual BuNXOMBE County: Economic and Socl^l 29 output, and the number of persons employed. These statistics were compiled by the State Department of Labor and Printing for 1920. Many of the industries have made large gains since that year. Sources of Information : Report of State Commissioner of Labor and Printing for 1920. Letter Correspondence with ^^lanufacturers. Chamber of Commerce of Asheville. NATIVE HANDCRAFT INDUSTRIES Buncombe County: Economic and Social 31 uo CC o? '^C t-* O CNO^Or^^^c^i-Hw i-Hi— . ~ ^ — — ^■ in rv- — y, CT. — <3 l-^ m- — ^ cr — LC C c/3 ~ \-n , . "^ ^C . , <; '"O c; i^ o <^l O oi , Ol o ^ ^ "^ LT, ,„ (>J C^ r^ cva ■o CO o o rO uo T— ^ »— o cc rg CO ■^ C^ c^ .,—1 -r -r r^ 0 r'; — o Cv] ro O rO -* rC 00 C --H CO LO <^1 rOOO<^OTf-^fvi^ lO LO 1^ 00 rO LO •— ' LO c; LO oj u c o c: LO ■"■) c; LO c: — X '"O c: c: -^ -r LO c; c; ~ LO c: c c- oi o o CO c ~ 1"^ c; — CO — ~ s oo -1- O] ~ c: c: i-~ c: lo cj C^l C0_ C; C>_^ Ol ~ LO_^ ro Ol LO CO OJ CO ro O] a; C: LO C "O C: Tr t^ — " r-^ 'O (^r vO — «' roT ^^ fvf ^' -f" rrT Cvf ' " ' ' ^1 ^- -r — ro ro C; — Ol T-H 3s n LO ^ V o r "^ 1 13 ^ hfi C hi) C aj rt -C C ^ H I i ^ ^ -o OJ r" o -^ i2 ri ^ C ^H ~ .3 ^ s g ;? ^ D. O c o a JO o o ^ G J? E ^ u ^ K c^^ J ^ S O J •"■do ^ 1 " CJ u u ?^ P^ 5 n ^ W ^ w pq < W rs Ph K 1^ f^ < < < ^' "^ .3 CD "C aj 1) . o TD ■u IJh J C rt C U oa M W J rt a) •^ s s a a s ^ C rt hJ O u -1 PL, (M ly; C/3 nn V V 1) Tl P^ > > > > > 0) aj Q> aj «) OJ J^ •/I 71 r/l iri f« < < <^ < < ?5 ° A W ^ ^ r: 6 :a ^ CO Q o u ,9 6 '■LI '-U QJ (h) y^; iy tj^ QLJ ^' —J f-* . pq « ^^ ^ c^ "S ^ U O --• . : .^ ^ H pq i-H >. -^ J Buncombe County: Economic and Social CO T-H i-H ,— I CM '-' O^ IVO tT CO VO LO O lO CO o O (M O o r\] o O T-i 00 t^ M o ^ 00_ rO_ rO_ '-'__ Tj- ^^f lo" ro r^r ro' lO ,-1 .-( O] o o o r\] "^ lO ro CO t— (^J^ co' •^'~ o' CM l-O O O C C O U-) C^J to IT; U"J CM LO r-~ O^ 0_^ ro CNf oo" IJO" 2 S r^ < U o H H-i ^ 1-0 ~ LO '-^ 3 ^ = ^ - W ^ o -^ O c ^ C-i rS ^ o S K ^ ;^ H-: Pi ^' u 35 C C O O lio m lo tt 00 c^ O \o ^ vO' "O cm" E 6 s o o G u u "1 f? ID t3 ^ JJ (U (U y P «j oj ^ D 3 D O ^ ^ ^ O t- t^ pi U^ :=! TD M _c3 — JJ jj t« O pq Ph h O vth — "t: >> ^ >: S .22 1= "^ fn Ch > H^, u o g J M 0/ o EH il pq o pq u O u H p4 M W << fi R fM 34 Buncombe County: Economic and Social lO 1-1 'T LO CN <-! ft^ 2 * a -ft. ^ 6 VO^ ■*„ '-, rvf cm' xT lO 00 O o in ■^^^ oo oq_ o. oj' rvT 1-H •"t" — CM CNJ '— ' lO O O o ^ r>] rO o --^ 00 CM so ro O C O O O c U W o 1-3 00_^ li->_ Cn_ •^■' trT cm' 3j Ah =a m ~ ^ Q J w i pq O r^i 00 C' ^l r^^ "^_ O O lO § r^ vo" r^ r^ in' .-T ^ ^ — O O i3 Pii lii Ph -?. o TD 1—1 « CA -2 c — "-I ■ -^ — . 3 13 ui O ^ O 'l- a< fa p< o o o Id -^ -^ S i> V r, ^ P^ P^ h ^ IV FACTS ABOUT THE FOLKS OF BUNCOMBE COUNTY JOHN C. CHEESBOROUGH, Asheville This chapter is based upon the census reports of both 1910 and 1920, the reports found in the files of the University News Letter, and other sources of information. The chapter closes with a table of data and compares Buncombe county with the state average, with all the other counties, and in some cases with itself as compared with conditions of other years. Size In size Buncombe stands 21st among the counties of the state, having an area of 408,960 acres. Though Buncombe is a mountain county, many thousands of these acres are bottom lands which are very fertile. With the exception of cotton and tobacco, the fanners raise practically every crop that is raised in North Carolina. , • -, ^ Population Ranking 5th in a state of one hundred counties, Buncombe is easily one of our largest counties in population in spite of being a mountain county. This is to a great extent due to the fact that about one-half of the population is concentrated in the towns of the county. Statistics in this regard show that Buncombe, with a percentage of 53, ranks 9th in the state in the percent of the total population living in the open country. This makes for better public education through improved schools and better transportation facilities, all of which should increase the prosperity of the county. It is also interest- ing to note that Buncombe was 8th in the increase in population from 1910 to 1920, with a percentage increase of 28.8, as contrasted with the state average of 15.9 percent. In density of population, we stand 11th with 53.2 people to the square mile. With this comparatively large density, county schools should be large and well attended, roads should be good, and every- body should be in close communication with his neighbor. In all other respects concerning population Buncombe is well at the top, which should mean a great future for the county in a business way. Race Ratios In regard to race ratios Buncombe is well above the state average in the white majority over negroes, and also stands fairly high in the percentage increase of whites over blacks. This is probably due to the fact that it is a 36 ■ Buncombe County: Economic and Social mountain county and that there are no large farms or plantations which employ a great number of negro laborers. Did it not include a city like Asheville, with its negro population, Buncombe's percentage of blacks would be almost negligible. Illiteracy As regards illiteracy we should be truly proud of our position, for Buncombe leads the state with an illiteracy rate of only 6.4 percent. Illiteracy is one of the fundamental ills of the South. Disease, poverty, and crime always go hand in hand with illiteracy. That we are comparatively free from it is a blessing that we do not fully appreciate. We should endeavor not simply to keep our county in its present position, but constantly to improve its position. One of the greatest steps that Buncombe has ever taken against illiteracy was the establishment of the "moonlight schools" which today go by the name of community schools. With the aid of these schools and generous gifts and appropriations our adult male and female illiteracy is fast dis- appearing. These schools furnish a place where men, women and children are able to go after working hours to learn to read, write, and use elementary arithmetic. The other two factors which keep our illiteracy rate low are the low negro population and the comparatively large urban population. The latter is a natural and probably permanent asset of Buncombe, but in the case of the negroes we must be prepared for an increase and be ready to educate them one and all. Where illiteracy exists there can be no great prosperity. We mvist, therefore, watch this matter carefully and endeavor to stamp out entirely whatever conditions make for illiteracy within our borders. Birth Rate The birth rate of Buncombe is 32.3 per thousand inhabitants. This is very satisfactory when we consider that our county is 44th in a state which leads the entire Union in birth rate and in baby carriages. The rank of 44th does not sound very high, but there are many counties which lead Buncombe by only a very small fraction. The leading county, Yancey, has a rate of 45 births per thousand inhabitants, which is only thirteen more per thousand than Buncombe. Death Rate The death date is only fair since it is not quite one less than the state average of 13.2 deaths per thousand people. If at first this seems difficult to understand in a healthful climate like ours, we must realize that Asheville, as well as other towns in the county, is a health resort and many sick people come to our county, often not for a temporary stay but to make it their permanent home. Many of these are tubercular and never recover, though there is no better or healthier climate than that of Buncombe. Divorce Rate The divorce rate is high in Buncombe and it does not seem that there is any excuse for the present rate of 80.7 per hundred thousand inhabitants. Buncombe County: Economic and Social 37 However, the divorce laws are state laws and the county is not to blame for them. Our large resorts filled with transient people are mainly responsible for our high divorce rate. Homicides In the homicide rate, Buncombe is again above the state average. North Carolina leads the nation in homicides and yet Buncombe has a higher rate than the state average, which is a most deplorable condition. It is true that the size of the population and its high urban ratio is largely responsible, but certainly this state of affairs can be remedied somewhat, if not entirely wiped out. Our disputes should be settled by just courts and not by madness. Church Membership Buncombe county stands 33rd in church membership with 48 out of every hundred people enrolled in some church. The state average is only 45 and it is far too low. There is much room for improvement in this important matter, although conditions in Buncombe favor a high ratio of church mem- bership. We have few farm tenants and the lowest illiteracy rate in the state, while nearly our entire population is white. Being practically free from the three conditions that retard progress, one would expect Buncombe to lead the state in the ratio of people belonging to churches. Conclusion By way of summary it seems safe to say that Buncombe county, with its comparative freedom from social and economic evils, and with its ideal climate and situation, has a great and prosperous future. Though there will probably never be a great city in the county because of the absence of large- scale manufacturing, nevertheless, Asheville, the metropolis, and our many small towns offer every inducement to outsiders whether they come for business or pleasure, and it is certain that once a person settles in this part of North Carolina he rarely ever leaves it. Facts About the Folks in Buncombe County 21st in Size, acres 408,960 5th in Population, 1920 64,148 ^lecklenburg leads with 80,695 people. 8th in Increase in population, 1910-1920, percent 28.8 Forsyth led with a gain of 63.3 percent. State average was 15.9 percent. Sixteen counties, mainly in the Tide- water and [Mountain areas, lost population. 51st in Townships losing population, 1910-1920, percent 28.6 Four townships lost population. State average 32 per- cent of the townships lost population. 38 Buncombe County: Economic and Social 9th in Population living in the open country, percent ■ 53 In New Hanover only 16.8 percent live in the open country. In three counties, Yancey, Gates, and Curri- tuck, there are no incorporated towns. State average, 71.4 percent in country. 11th in Density of population, number of people per square mile 53.2 In Forsyth the rural population density is 73.5 per square mile. In Tyrrell the rural population density is only 10.6 per square mile. State average, 37.3 people per square mile. 34th in Race ratios — Percent white 83.7 Percent negro 15.6 In Mitchell county 99.5 percent are white. In Warren the percentage of whites is only 35.6. State average is 69.75 percent white. 64th in Increasing white ratios, 1910-1920, percent gain in favor of whites 0.7 Vance had a white ratio gain of 6.9 percent. Scotland had a white ratio decrease of 5.5 percent. State average ratio gain of whites over negroes, 1.7 percent. 1st in Illiteracy above ten years of age, percent 6.4 Buncombe ranks best in North Carolina. Edgecombe leads in illiteracy with 22.4 percent. State average in 1920, 13.1 percent. 7th in Native white illiterates, percent 4.8 New Hanover comes first with only 1.8 percent illiterate. Wilkes has 17.1 percent illiterate. State average, 8.2 percent. 2nd in Negro illiteracy, ten years of age and over, percent 15.5 Pamlico leads with only 11.3 percent illiterate. Xegro illiteracy highest in Mitchell with 42.2 percent illiterate. State average, 24.5 percent. 8th in Adult white male illiteracy, percent 6.6 In 1910, of all white males above 21 years of age 10.1 percent were illiterate. The ten-year decrease has been 3.7 percent. New Hanover has only 1.7 percent adult white male illiteracy. Wilkes has 20.8 percent. State average, 10.9 percent. 9th in Illiterate white women, 21 years of age and over, percent — 5.9 New Hanover ranks best, with 3.1 percent of such illiteracy. Wilkes comes last with 25.3 percent illiterate. State average, 10.4 percent. 40 • Buncombe County: Economic and Social 44th in Births, rate per 1,000 population 32.3 Yancey stands first with 45 per 1,000 population. Currituck stands lowest with 19.2 per 1,000 population. State average, 31.3. The state leads the Union in birth rate. 47th in Deaths, rate per 1,000 inhabitants 12.5 Cherokee stands first with only 6.7 per 1,000 population. Wayne stands lowest with 20.6 per 1,000. State average, 13.2 deaths per 1,000 people. 78th in Divorces, 1916, rate per 100,000 inhabitants 80.7 Alexander had no divorces. Transylvania had a rate of 119.2 per 100,000 people. State average rate, 31 per 100,000. 67th in Homicides, 1913-1914, rate per million inhabitants 115 Hyde stands best, with none. Robeson leads in homi- cides with rate of 408 per million inhabitants. State average, 95. 33rd in Church membership in 1916, percent of total population 48 Bertie leads with 74 percent. Edgecombe is lowest with only 23 percent. State average, 45 percent. Sources of Information: ji- U. S. Census Reports. , ' '■/ N. C. Health Reports. Department of Rural Social Economics Files, University of North Carolina. V WEALTH AND TAXATION p. S. RANDOLPH, Asheville Total Taxable Wealth in 1921 In 1921 the total taxable wealth of Buncombe county was $92,550,421. There was a gain of $6,250,000 in taxable wealth over the preceding year. There were only five other counties in the state that reported a gain. While the other counties were effecting large reductions from the Revaluation figures, Buncombe was adding to the values on her tax books. We were willing to subscribe to the principle that a low rate on true values is more equitable than a high rate on false values. Forty-three counties have lower tax rates, not because they have a larger percent of their true values on the tax books, but because they are not willing to convert their wealth into common weal. For instance. Buncombe leads the entire state in total school expenditures. Buncombe stood 21st in white per capita taxable wealth during 1921, with an average of $1,689. We were well over the state average of $1,009. Scot- land county led the entire state with $3,423, largely because Scotland is a land of few whites and many negroes, the whites owning the bulk of the land, the negroes largely tenants. The building of hard-surfaced roads over the entire county and the spread of cooperative movements will gradually force us up among the leaders of the state. Our present rank is due to the large percent of farms operated by owners. We are not now, nor will we ever be, a land of tenants. The most wholesome social and economic conditions can exist where the masses own the land they till. Other Tax Values The tax value of farm land in Buncombe is $45.00 per acre. This is not very high, but only 27 counties rank better and they are the counties with high-priced cotton and tobacco land in the coastal plain belt. Large areas of land in Buncombe are too rough for any sort of cultivation, and this helps to bring our land values down. In 1919 we paid into the State Treasury in income taxes S12,256, and only three counties paid more. It will be remembered that this report is for the year of inflated prices on cotton and tobacco, and when areas producing these crops were in the best financial condition in their history. Probably today Buncombe would rank even better, since she has not witnessed hard times and deflation to the extent of cash-crop counties. 42 BuxcoMBE County: Economic and Social School Expenditures Here is just cause for our feeling proud in a small degree. We ranked first in total school expenditures in 1919-20. We spent $623,041 on schools in that year, but a large proportion of this went to the Asheville schools and not to our county institutions. We had, in the same year, an average investment in school property of $22 per inhabitant, while Transylvania averaged $24 per inhabitant — only two dollars' difference, and both of them mountain counties leading the entire state. But this is not true of other mountain counties, for in school matters they trail the counties of North Carolina. Investment in Motor Cars There are only 21 counties ranking above us in investment in motor cars per inhabitant. Our average in 1923 is $64.50, which is very high for a mountain county, and our rank is due to our ability to buy cars and to our splendid hard-surfaced highways. This includes business vehicles as well as pleasure cars. Buncombe has one motor car for every 12.4 people and only 20 counties rank ahead of us in this particular. Wealth Farm property in 1919 was valued at $19,233,583, and only 16 counties ranked ahead of Buncombe. We led by far all other mountain counties. Of the total, $12,992,681 represented land values, $3,865,196 were invested in buildings, $530,592 invested in implements, and $1,905,114 in livestock. With this enormous amount of wealth we produced $4,492,214 worth of agricultural products. All crops, produced amounted to $2,825,739 and the remainder was produced by livestock and its products. We ranked 59th in the production of crop wealth with $2,825,739 worth of crops. Robeson, a great cotton-producing county, led the entire state with $23,000,000 worth of crop wealth. It is a decided disadvantage to produce such a large amount of cash-crop wealth, non-food crops, and pay little attention to food, feed, livestock, and livestock industries. About 98 percent of our crop wealth is produced by food and feed crops which makes our rank in this matter appear low. In Robeson the other extreme is approached. Another reason for our seemingly low rank is the fact that three out of every four of our farmers are home owners. Non-food crops are tenant crops and in areas of excessive crop production we may be sure to find excessive tenancy, excessive illiteracy, ill-balanced diet, and small accumulated wealth. Production of Farm Wealth An average per farm production of farm wealth of $1,217 and the low rank of 77th are facts which should occupy the minds of thoughtful persons for some time. An average family in North Carolina consists of five persons. The above shows an average production of 66^4 cents a day per person. Out of this must come all family food, feed, clothing, taxes, and other living Buncombe County: Economic and Social 43 expenses. Such conditions cannot help but be exceedingly hard on the average farmer in the county. Scotland, a cotton-producing county, produced $5,022 worth of farm wealth per farm, but her farmers are not relatively better off than Buncombe farmers because Scotland spends enormous amounts for fertilizers and for food supplies bought from time merchants at high prices and high interest rates. While our production totals are not so high, neither are our living expenses; for our farmers feed themselves first and foremost. If we would produce all the food supplies needed in x\sheville our production would be larger. Per capita country wealth in 1920 was $565 for Buncombe against the state average of $684, while Iowa's state average was $8,113. Such a comparison shows plainly enough the difference between agriculture as practiced in Buncombe and in Iowa. We produce and sell the raw product in an unorganized market. Iowa produces the raw product, manufactures it, and sells the finished article through cooperative enterprise. We might easily raise far more produce in Buncombe than we do at present. If the farmers had a market for their surplus produce they would grow more of it and would grow the best quality, but until the farmers and townspeople get together to solve the local market problem, our supplies will come from other states and both Asheville and Buncombe will suffer together. Our greatest problems are (1) the selection of a system of agriculture that is suited to Buncombe county, and (2) the perfection of cooperative enterprises in all lines of agriculture. When these problems are solved we shall take our place among the leading wealth-producing and wealth-retaining counties of the state. 4th in Total taxable wealth in 1921 $92,550,421 1920 taxable wealth was $86,246,280. Only six counties in the state reported more taxable wealth in 1921 than 1920. The taxable wealth for 1923 is reported to be $110,301,836. 21st in White per capita taxable wealth in 1921 $1,689 Scotland led with $3,423. State average was $1,009. 2nd in Investment in schools in 1920, per inhabitant $22 Transylvania led with $24 worth of school property per person. 4th in State income tax paid in 1920 $33,446 50th in Total production of agricultural wealth in 1919 $4,492,214 77th in Average production of agricultural wealth per farm $1,217 Scotland was first with $5,022. The state average was $2,104. 59th in Total production of crop wealth in 1919 82,825,739 Robeson led with $23,955,950. 17th in Census value of all farm property, 1919 $19,233,583 Land worth $12,992,681; buildings worth $3,805,- 196; implements, $530,592; livestock, $1,905,114. 44 Buncombe County: Economic and Social 60th in Per capita country wealth in 1920 $565 Wayne, $7,497; state average, $684; Iowa, $8,113. 1st in Total school expenditures, 1919-20 $623,041 44th in Tax rate per $100 worth of taxable property, 1921 $0,84 Alleghany lowest with $0.41 ; Caswell highest with $1.61. 21st in Motor cars, inhabitants per automobile, 1923 12.4 In January, 1922, Buncombe had 5,557 motor cars and only four counties had more. 21st in Investment in motor cars per inhabitant, 1923 $64.5 Guilford, $100.8. State average, $56.5. 20th in Bank savings per inhabitant, 1922 $33.70 Includes all savings deposits in state banks and time deposits in National banks. New Hanover, $152.9; state average, $31.3. Total savings deposits in Bun- combe, $2,161,971. 12th in Tax burden per inhabitant, 1920 1___ $10.15 Wilson first, $16.27. State average, $8.62. 25th in School tax per inhabitant, 1920-21 $4.67 Wilson, $12.89. State average, $4.32. 20th in Per capita tax for county purposes, 1920 $4.60 McDowell, $6.60. State average, $3.77. 9th in Value of personal property per person, 1921 $269 Durham, $1,480. State average, $252. Includes everything listed for taxation by individuals exclu- sive of real estate. 3rd in Surplus paid into the state treasury in excess of school and pension funds received from the state in 1918 $62,140 Thirty-three counties, mainly in the mountain area, received more than they paid into the state treasury. Sources of Information : U. S. Census Reports. N. C. State Department Official Reports. Department Rural Social Economics Files, University of North Carolina. VT FARM CONDITIONS AND PRACTICES IN BUNCOMBE COUNTY p. S. RANDOLPH, Asheville Explanation of Study- It is the purpose of this article to eive an accurate report of the farm conditions and practices in Buncombe county, and to offer suggestions that will help in bringing about better conditions, social and economic, in the country regions. It is not our purpose to go into a discussion of crop culti- vation, planting, etc., but rather to discuss what would constitute a profitable system well suited to the character of our land and climate and to the available capital, labor, and marketing opportunity. This paper is based on a study of the facts as given in the Fourteenth Census of the United States for 1920 and in other official reports in the Rural Social Economics Department of the University. The table at the close of this article ranks Buncombe with the one hundred counties of the state, and shows her standing against the state average, and whether or not we are making progress. Area The total area of Buncombe county is 408,960 acres. Of this total there are 266,134 acres, or 65 percent, in farms and 129,467 acres under cultivation. With less than one-third the area under cultivation there is great room for agricultural expansion. A large part of the county is too rough for crop production, and neces- sarily must be used for pasture if we are to receive any returns from it. Our rank in area is twentieth, and in the number of farms we are twenty- third with 3,701. The explanation of our rank here is that a large percent of the farmers in Buncombe are home owners and cultivate larger farms than prevail in tenant areas. In the cotton and tobacco sections one land owner may have several tenants, and each tract of land counts as a farm. As a cosequence of this method of census taking, all counties ranking high in home ownership are low in the number of farms. Decrease in Farms, 1910-1920 During the ten-year period, 1910-20, we decreased 5.8 percent in the number of farms in the county. In the same period, tenancy decreased 19.3 percent. This comparison would indicate that the loss was due to the moving 46 Buncombe County: Economic and Social away of tenants and not home owners. Many farm tenants moved into Asheville or down into the cotton mill towns farther east. The cause for our loss in farms, however, was the extreme hardship in the years immediately following the war. Farming was very unprofitable and also during the war industrial labor was at a premium and high wages were paid. Following the war the value of farm produce dropped about 60 percent and fertilizers, seeds, implements, and the necessities of life remained high. It was almost impossible for a farmer, and especially a farm tenant, to make a decent living. He worked and produced just the same as in the time of inflation but the crops were not returning enough money to buy the bare necessities for his family. Under such conditions a great many moved into towns and mill villages for industrial work. The poor educational advantages offered in some of our rural districts, also, have contributed to bring about a decrease in farms. Some families have deserted the farm in order that the children might receive the benefits of better schools. In some parts of the county the people are overcoming this handicap by providing consolidated schools. School problems, however, are being discussed in another chapter, so we shall not go into them further here. • Farm Ownership The fact that 74.7 percent of all farmers in Buncombe county are farm owners is one that we may well be proud of. There are twenty-two counties with a larger percent of owners but they are also in the mountain area. This condition is due to our type of agriculture. Our crops, food, feed, and live- stock, are not well suited to tenancy. The tenant is after a crop that has a ready cash value ; he does not go into food and feed production, and for this reason he tends to remain a tenant. In Buncombe, and the other mountain counties as well, the farmers generally produce enough food and feed for home consumption first, and then market the balance. As a result three out of every four farmers are home owners; while in Scotland county, where cash crops are produced and little food or feed, only one out of every five farmers owns the farm he cultivates. Decrease in Negro Farmers Between 1910 and 1920 negro farmers decreased 48.3 percent in Bun- combe. Thirty-six other hill and mountain counties lost negro farmers, while all those of the east, where cotton and tobacco are produced under a tenancy system, gained negro farmers. The decrease in Buncombe was largely due to the unsuitableness of our crops to farming by negroes. Negroes generally are not intelligent enough to compete with home owners operating their farms on a livestock basis. Also, during the period of high cotton and tobacco prices some negroes left the mountains for the cash-crop area. Buncombe County: Economic and Social 47 The entire mountain area is a white man's country and negroes as a rule are not very successful here. Farm Wealth Increase Our rank in farm wealth increase was ninetieth with a percent of 40.9. This low rank and also low percent are not as bad as they appear. Some counties in the cotton and tobacco areas had enormous increases; Pitt, Greene, and Nash were the three highest with increases of about 300 percent. How- ever, the unusually high prices paid for their crops were the cause for their high rate of increase, and when the prices broke on cotton and tobacco they were financially ruined. But in Buncombe the production of farm wealth is on a many-crop, live-at-home basis, and we were in far better shape just after the census was taken than they were. It is readily seen that our low percent of increase did us as much good as was done in the east by higher rates, because we bought so little food while the eastern counties bought practically all they used. Investment in Farm Implements In 1920 the per acre investment in farm implements in Buncombe was two dollars. Scotland county was first in rank and had an average invest- ment of seven dollars and seven cents per acre. Graham, another mountain county, had only forty-iive cents invested per acre in farm implements. We led the entire mountain area, and in this state no county uses farm machinery to a large extent as they use it in the west. The rough character of the land and the large acreage in pasture are the chief reasons for the small investment in farm machinery. In any number of cases there are practically no farm implements used except a plow, a hoe, and a wagon. Farming, under such a handicap, cannot be made a very profitable business. Our per farm investment was only $143.00. This small amount just about covers a plow and a wagon. In order to be a really profit- able business, farming should economize by using labor-saving machinery wherever this is practicable. Total Production of Agricultural Wealth in 1919 In Buncombe in 1919 we produced $4,492,214 worth of agricultural wealth and ranked fiftieth in the state. Nevertheless we led the mountain area and this means we are among the leaders in the retention of wealth. Only 2 percent of all the agricultural wealth produced in the county was from non-food crops. Robeson produced $24,000,000 worth of agricultural wealth but 78 percent of this was from non-food crops. We retain practically all we produce, but not so in cash-crop areas. Production of Agricultural Wealth per Rural Inhabitant in 1919 The average rural inhabitant in Buncombe county in 1919 produced $132 worth of agricultural wealth. Scotland county was first in rank in this particular with an average of $750 per rural inhabitant. The average family 48 Buncombe County: Economic and Social has five members, so we can see that the average family produced $660 worth of agricultural wealth that year. Included in this average are many people who live in the country and small unincorporated places, but who produce no crops. Necessarily, the standard of living with such a small amount of money is not at all what it should be. Production of Crop Wealth in 1919 In this discussion only the value of crops is considered, whereas, in the preceding paragraphs, livestock also was included. iBuncombe ranks fifty-ninth with $2,825,739 worth of crops alone. It should be remembered that we produce livestock along with crops, while in the eastern counties there is a lack of livestock and an excessive production of crops. We rank first among the food-and-feed counties in this respect also. Cultivated Acres per Farm in 1919 In 1919 the average cultivated acres oer farm were .IS. Here we rank twenty-third. The large amount of pasture land is one reason for our high rank. Also, tenant farms are generally very small. With the growth in importance of livestock farming we will see a considerable increase in the cultivated acres. Production of Corn, Hay, Wheat, Oats, and Potatoes The production of corn in Buncombe county is of great importance. We are the twelfth county in rank and produced 671,000 bushels in 1919. This means feed for a large number of work stock and cattle as well as food for the family. In wheat production per acre we rank forty-fifth and average 8.6 bushels per acre. This is extremely low; Chowan county averaged 23.1 bushels an acre. We produced 36,236 bushels of oats and ranked fifteenth in the state. Here also there is room for improvement. Anson county produced three times as much. In hay and forage production we rank third. The leading county produced only six thousand tons more than we. Our production was 20,000 tons. Value of Domestic Animals Under this head come all kinds of livestock. Our rank is eighteenth with a value of $1,778,063. Johnston county leads us by a million dollars, but this is due to her large number of horses and mules employed in the production of cotton and tobacco. In Buncombe the values are well divided between milk and meat cattle, chickens, hogs, work stock, and sheep. The value of all cattle in the county in 1919 was $942,885. Ashe county led the state with cattle valued at $1,169,721. In this particular line we have made great strides forward in the past few years and soon should lead the entire state; our rank was second at the time the last census was taken. Buncombe County: Economic and Social 49 About two-thirds of the cattle in the county are of the dairy type. With the steadily increasing demand for milk and dairy products in Western North Carolina there is no reason why we should not be one of the richest dairying counties in the state. No county has better markets or natural advantages than Buncombe. Already we sell 15.6 percent of all milk sold in the state. This amounted to 1,100,022 gallons in 1919. ■ ,: Fourteenth in Chickens and Eggs Produced This is one of the most important subjects considered in this article as it means better food and of higher nutritive value than any except milk. It is an established fact that in rural areas where poultry is not raised, very little is ever bought. The same is true of milk and butter. However, in Buncombe the production of these valuable foods is high and it means a well-fed and well-nourished area, in general. Summary In the interpretation of the census report we have dealt only with facts, in order that the reader might get an accurate and detailed report of Bun- combe as an agricultural county. In the production of livestock we rank high in the state but, so far, North Carolina is not important as a livestock state. We are really going forward at the present time and at the next census we should be well up among the leaders of the country. A large part of the acreage in Buncombe is unsuitable for crop pro- duction, but is ideal for pasture and fruit lands. It is necessary to utilize every acre on the farm in order that the maximum returns may be had. Farmers' Federation of Fairview In the Fairview community, greater progress has been made in farming than in any other section of the county. This is entirely due to the progressive attitude introduced by the Farmers' Federation. This corporation, owned and operated by the farmers along cooperative lines, assures a market for all produce raised. It buys pure-bred cattle, hogs, work-stock, etc., for its members. Also it buys fertilizers and seeds of the highest quality and at greatly reduced prices. In addition, everything that is raised on the farms is sold through their warehouses, provided the product comes up to the required standards. The Federation has attracted the attention of farmers all over Buncombe and has members in all sections. It is by cooperation alone that the farmer can get the maximum part of the consumer's dollar. The consolidation of Buncombe county farmers into this central federation will certainly mean the raising of farming to a higher and far more profitable level. Western North Carolina affords a good market for large quantities of high-grade farm produce. At present a large part of this is shipped in BUNCOMBE COUNTY COURT HCUGE Buncombe County: Economic and Social 51 because of the "cut-throat" methods of marketing that are generally practiced. For this reason the further development of this cooperative enterprise cannot fail to mean better and more profitable farming in Buncombe county. Facts About Farm Conditions and Practices in Buncombe County 20th in Area, acres 408,960 Robeson county first with 633,300 acres. 23rd in Farms, number 3,701 Johnston led with 7,026 farms. 77th in Farm decrease, 1910 to 1920, percent 5.8 Sixty-one counties increased in farms and thirty-nine lost farms. The state increase was 6.3 percent. The farms in Buncombe decreased from 3,938 to 3,701. 23rd in Farm ownership, percent 74.7 State average, 43.5 percent tenants. Scotland last with 79.6 percent tenants. Between 1910 and 1920 the tenant ratio decreased 2.6 percent in Buncombe. 92nd in Decrease in negro farmers, 1910 to 1920, percent 48.3 There were sixty-three counties that increased in negro farmers and thirty-seven, mainly in the mountains and hill country, that lost. Lenoir county increased 71.6 percent in negro farmers. The state increase was, negro farmers 16.2 percent, and white 2.8 percent. 17th in Decrease in farm tenants, 1910 to 1920, percent 19.3 There was a decrease in farm tenants in forty-six counties. New Hanover led with a decrease of 46.4 percent. Farm tenants increased in number in fifty- four counties, with Pamlico leading with a 94.1 percent gain. The increase for the state was 9.5 percent. 24th in ^'alue of land per farm, 1920 S3,510 90th in Increase in farm wealth, 1910 to 1920, percent 40.9 Greene County increased in farm wealth 310 percent, while Dare ranked lowest witli an increase of 13.8 percent. 63rd in Investment in farm implements per acre $2.00 Scotland led with an average of S7.07 per acre. Graham was lowest with only 45 cents per acre. The state average was $2.70. 73rd in Investment in farm implements per farm $143 Scotland led here also with an average of $441. Graham was again low, having a per farm average of $38.01. The state average was $202.50. 52 Buncombe County: Economic and Social 50th in Total production of agricultural wealth in 1919 $4,492,214 • Robeson county produced $24,045,294 worth of agri- cuhural wealth, while Dare produced only $53,234. 83rd in Production of agricultural wealth per rural inhabitant in 1919 $132 The state average was $313. Thirty-eight counties ranked above and sixty-two below the average. Scot- land was high, with an average of $750. 77th in Production of agricultural wealth per farm in 1919 $1,217 Scotland led with an average of $5,022. Dare county ranked last with an average of $698. The state average was $2,104. 59th in Total production of crop wealth in 1919, value $2,825,739 Robeson ranked first with a crop wealth of $22,955,950. 96th in Increase in farm wealth per rural inhabitant, 1910 to 1920, percent 28 Pitt led with an increase of 335 percent. Our farm wealth per rural inhabitant in 1910 was $439; in 1920 it was $565. 23rd in Average cultivated acres per farm in 1919, acres 35 Alleghany was first, having 65.1 cultivated acres per farm. The state average was 30.4 acres, the lowest of any state in the Union except Massachusetts. 13th in Agricultural wealth produced by non-food crops in 1919, percent 2.0 Alleghany led with only .6 percent, while in Scotland county 84 percent of all agricultural wealth is produced by non-food crops, cotton and tobacco. State average is 60 percent. 12th in Production of com in 1919, bushels 671,522 Robeson county produced 1,376,244 bushels and led the state. Dare county produced only 4,701 bushels. 45th in Per acre wheat production in 1919, bushels 8.6 Chowan led, producing an average of 23.1 bushels per acre. Carteret and Dare produced none at all. 3rd in Hay and forage production in 1919, tons 20,009 Mecklenburg led with a production of 26,208 tons. The entire state produced 688,843 tons. 15th in Production of oats in 1919, bushels 36,236 In oats production Anson led with 108,276 bushels. The state produced 1,671,308 bushels. 9th in Irish potato production in 1919, bu.shels 73,551 Duplin led with a production of 246,212 bushels. Dare produced only 1,715 bushels and was 100th in rank. The state production was 2,853,997 bushels. Buncombe County: Economic and Social 53 18th in Value of domestic animals, value $1,778,063 Johnston led with animals valued at $2,920,921. 2nd in Total value of all cattle in 1919, value $942,885 Ashe led with value of $1,169,721. 3rd in Total value of beef cattle in 1919, value $279,568 Alleghany and Ashe have beef stock valued higher than in Buncombe. 2nd in Total value of dairy cattle in 1919, value $663,317 Ashe leads here also with dairy cattle valued at $681,130. 1st in Milk sold in 1919, gallons 1,100,022 We sold 15.57 percent of all milk sold in the state in 1919. 1st in Value of dairy products in 1919, value $744,901 14th in Value of chickens and eggs produced in 1919, value $300,471 Wake led with a value of $477,563. Sources of Information : U. S. Census Reports on Agriculture. Department Rural Social Economics Files, University of North Carolina. Vli RURAL SCHOOLS OF BUNCOMBE SEVEN-YEAR GAINS, 1913-1914 TO 1920-1921 A. M. MOSER, Swannanoa Buncombe county now leacis the entire state in good schools, a fact in which we may rightly take great pride. We have made decided progress during the seven-year period which this chapter considers. In estimating our standard in school matters, Dr. E. C. Brooks, state superintendent of public instruction, recently said in an address at Asheville that Buncombe county does not draw from the equalization fund, yet it has better buildings, better teachers, better equipment, better supervision, better organization, and more children who pass through the seventh grade, than any other county in the state. "These, then," he said, "should be the standard by which to measure elementary schools. The serious aspect of the question is the per capita cost of instruction in such elementary schools as are found in Graham, Yancey, and many other counties where the rate is as high as and, in some instances, higher than in Buncombe county. The reason for this is poor buildings, small, uninteresting, one-room schools, poor teachers and poor equipment. Pupils will not attend such schools regularly, therefore the number of pupils per teachers in average daily attendance is low, thus increasing the per capita cost to a higher average than in Buncombe county." In most cases Buncombe county's schools are far above the state average. We now have nine standard high schools in the county, schools whose gradu- ates are eligible to enter college or university without condition or examina- tion. This should be a matter of great pride, especially when we consider that until very recently there were 28 counties in the state in which there was not to be found a single standard high school, not even in the towns. And there are yet 41 counties in the state which have no standard high schools in their rural communities. In Buncombe we now have 43 local tax districts and the amount raised from these districts alone in 1920-21 was 839,294, an increase during the last eight years of $20,000. The total value of white school property has increased from $100,053 in 1913-14 to $575,000 in 1920-21, or a gain of 475 percent. This shows that the wealth of the county has increased and also the willingness of the people to spend money for the building and support of schools. Witness the eleven new districts which have been consolidated 56 Buncombe County : Economic and Social within the last three years. School districts, consolidated and other, number ninety-six. The average length of the school term for the entire county is six and one-half months. The amount spent for teaching and supervision also makes an excellent showing. The increase was from $50,949 in 1913-14 to $247,208 in 1920-21, or a gain of 385.2 percent. This increase has resulted in three things: first, it has lengthened the average school term in number of days; second, the number of white teachers has been increased from 157 to 213 or 36 percent; and, third, the average monthly salary for white teachers has been increased from $46.81 to $81.91, and the average annual salary from $297.24 to $532.41. The average monthly salary for white principals is $212.05. The increased salary has resulted in the securing of better teachers for the schools and the retention of experienced teachers, as is evidenced by the increase in number of teachers having four years' experience, from 80 to 102, a gain of 28 percent. Longer terms, a larger teaching force, more experienced teachers, and a continued effort on the part of the people, must result in still better schools and greater effectiveness. The amount spent for buildings and supplies has kept pace with the other progress of the county. The increase for the county was from $22,949 to $74,376 or 224 percent. The state increase in this item was far below this. The number of white teachers shows an increase of 36 percent, and the number having four or more years of experience has increased from 80 to 102. Not only has the size of the schools increased but the schools have also gained in equipment. A large percent of the schools now have patent desks. Most of those that do not have patent desks are one- and two-teacher schools which will soon be replaced by large well-equipped buildings. There are now 79 rural libraries in the county, with a total of 5,158 volumes. A number of the high schools have been equipped to give vocational training. Some of these are Biltmore, Barnardsville, Black Mountain, and Grace. There are two schools in the county which have teacherages or teachers' homes, one at Biltmore and one at Black Mountain. In the seven years considered the rural school population decreased .3 percent. This is a small decrease but it is too much. There should have been a decided increase. But we find that the average daily attendance in- creased 15 percent. The school enrollment has increased, for whites 5 percent and for colored children 25 percent. In regard to illiteracy, in 1920 Buncombe county had the smallest per- centage of illiterates of any other county in the state according to the Bureau of the Census. The figures for the county show that the percentage of white illiterates was 4.8, and of colored 15.5. Since the Bureau classes all persons over 10 years of age who cannot write in any language as illiterate, this is an excellent showing. Room for Improvement Taking the county as a whole, we have made and are still making good progress, but there is much room for further improvement, especially in the Buncombe County: Econo^^iic and Social 57 matter of consolidation. There is still a large number of small one-teacher schools which must be consolidated. A number of the schools already consolidated must raise the standard of efficiency, secure more and better equipment, and employ still better prepared teachers. We find that out of the 213 white teachers who taught in the rural schools of Buncombe in 1920-21, only 102 had had four years' experience, and only 21 had college diplomas. There were 28 with college diplomas in 1913-14, so there seems to have been a decrease in teachers having higher preparation. In regard to the matter of consolidation of schools, it should be borne in mind that a number of districts in the past have not been able to consolidate because of the lack of good roads. This has been especially true of certain isolated communities. But conditions in this regard are changing. Buncombe now has more and better roads than any other county not only in the state, but in the entire South. It has now become pretty well recognized by school officials and leaders in education that consolidation can only come after good roads have been provided. Good transportation facilities must be available in order to trans- port the children to the schools from remote sections. In most sections of the county this condition now prevails; good roads have been and are still being built, and there is no longer, except in very rare instances, an excuse for not consolidating. Consolidation the Only Remedy We have come to realize that consolidation of schools and transportation of pupils offer practically the only means by which the school advantages now enjoyed by the children of the town and city can be put within reach of most of the rural communities of the county. The small one-teacher school no longer has a place in our educational system. It is too expensive and too inefficient. The poor type of building, poor equipment, and ineffective method of teaching characteristic of such schools, and the tendency toward idleness and other evils which appears when children are not properly supervised and directed, all unite to make consoli- dation the more necessary. The lack of professional contacts of the teacher, the lack of intellectual stimulus of numbers in the one-teacher school, and the lifeless existence of children so often observed in such schools — these and other harmful features can only be eliminated by the union of these small schools into larger ones. The purpose of rural school consolidation is to furnish the country boy and girl a greater opportunity for effective education and training for happy and useful lives, and to furnish a community center where all the people can come together for special occasions, as I shall point out later. What It Means Consolidation means comfortable, convenient, and attractive school build- ings. It means better salaries for teachers, therefore better teachers, and Buncombe County: Economic and Social 59 teachers who are willing to remain for longer terms in the same communities. It means a more complete course of study, including high-school subjects, agriculture, domestic science, industrial arts, music, drawing, etc. Con- solidation means larger enrollment and better attendance, with resulting stimulation; better grading and classification of pupils, and better organiza- tion of class instruction. It means a chance to secure a high-school education at home. It stimulates and develops a more wholesome and attractive com- munity spirit and interest. The consolidated school enriches and strengthens the lives of the boys and girls and men and women of the community. Teachers' Salaries The matter of securing efficient teachers resolves itself into the subject of teachers' salaries. I am glad to note that teachers' salaries have improved within the last few years, but teachers in many cases are still poorly paid. In every line of work on the face of the earth, the salary paid determines the type of men that are attracted into the work. If teachers are poor you cannot blame the teachers. The fault lies with the taxpayer alone. It is useless to conceal the facts. On the whole our teachers are not as well prepared as they should be. We have a number of good teachers who have experience and who have been trained to teach. But we still have too many teachers with second- and third-grade certificates. But back of poor quality of teachers lie poor salaries. The grade of teachers will never be improved until they are paid enough to justify a demand that they equip themselves properly. The average salary for ■ this state is about half the salary for the nation. It is lower in the mountain counties than elsewhere in the state. As a remedy many of our ablest teachers have abandoned the teaching profession, and their places have been taken by raw recruits,, mainly girls who have not finished high school. We must pay teachers salaries that will enable them to remain in the profession and in the community and become real community builders. "Better pay for better teachers is the best insurance for better schools." The High School as Community Center It has been recognized for some time that the rural people, and particu- larly the people of the mountains, do not have sufficient social contact with one another, and do not have the proper amount of amusement and recreation to enable them to appreciate and enjoy life as they should. The people need to come together more, so they may understand each other better and may have mutual sympathy and a community spirit. The high school of each community should offer this opportunity. In the mapping out of districts for the large high schools of the county, care should be taken to select the most natural boundaries for the districts, and the buildings should be located at the places most convenient both for the present population and for the future development of the community. 60 Buncombe County: Economic and Social Another important matter is to see that no district laid out will conflict with possible future districts or with future schools which other communities may desire to establish. Every high school should be built with a large auditorium and stage, where all the people in the district can meet together for high-school com- mencements, community and high-school plays, musicals, lectures, moving pictures, clubs, social gatherings, and so on and on. There ought to be special rooms for literary societies, where the young people and women's clubs and the farmers' organizations could meet and carry on their work. Every high school should be the center from which all community life and activity radiates. There should be something at the high school to interest not only the students but every member of the community all the year round. At least once a week there should be something special that would bring the people together at the high school, and that would be really worth while to them. We need principals of schools who have an interest in the welfare and upbuilding of the community ; who will think out ways and means of making the high school a more vital part of the community; men with personality, executive ability, and training, and who have understanding and vision. Then and not until then will our schools fill the place they should in the community and in the lives of the people. SEVEN-YEAR GAINS IN BUNCOMBE BTJRAL SCHOOLS 1913-14 to 1920-21 A. M. MOSER, Buncombe Co., Swannanoa, N. C. 1913-14 Raised by local tax $19,293 Spent for teachers and supervision $50,949 Spent for buildings and supplies $22,949 Spent for administration $6,417 Total school population : White 10,419 Colored 855 Total school enrollment: White 8,135 Colored 570 Percent white enrollment 78.1 Average daily attendance : White 5,393 Colored 493 Percent white attendance on enrolknent 65.1 Average annual salaries: White $297 $532.41 80 Percent 1920-21 Gains $39,294 103.6 $247,208 385.2 $74,376 224.0 $6,800 5.9 10,393 .i* 843 1.5* 8,500 4.9 715 25.4 81.7 Z.6 6,176 14.5 382 23* 72.6 7.5 $575,000 474.7 $3,000 37.3* 84 9.6* 43 5 49 22.5 58.3 15.3 213 35.8 102 27.5 21 25* 82 11.8* 64 12.3* 5 25 1 80* 259 254 304 223 9 125 Buncombe County: Economic and Social 61 Total value of school property : White $100,053 Colored $4,787 Nuniber rural white schools 93 Number local tax districts . — 41 Number rural white schools having two or more teachers 40 Percent having two or more white teachers 43 Total number white teachers 157 Number having four years' experience 80 Number having college diplomas 28 Number white school houses 93 Number having patent desks: White 73 Colored 4 Number new white schools 5 Number children in standard high schools : Boys 76 Girls 94 Number standard high schools 4 Note — * means decrease. How Buncombe Ranked in Public Education, 1921-1922 1st in total school funds, 1921-22 $1,746,788 2nd in total school expenditures, 1921-22 $1,056,331 Gaston first with $1,221,597. 2nd in total rural school fund $700,644 5th in total rural school expenditures $405,030 Gaston first with $898,446. 4th in average school expenditures per inhabitant $16.46 Durham, $24.08. State average, $10.59. 4th in average school expenditures per pupil enrolled $62.42 Durham, $87.41. State average, $35.96. 3rd in average cost for current expenses per pupil attending school $40.22 9th in average annual salary paid white teachers $946.86 New Hanover, $1,259.15. State average, $720.73. 27th in average annual salary paid rural white teachers $704.73 2nd in average annual salary paid colored teachers $739.35 State average, $412.78. 71st in percent of white school population enrolled 82.4 State average, 85.2 percent. 77th in percent of white school population in average daily attendance 59.7 State average, 63.8 percent. 62 Buncombe County: Economic and Social 93rd in percent of colored school population enrolled 66.0 71st in percent of colored school population in average daily attendance : 52.0 State average, 56.9 percent. 11th in average term of all schools, days 156 State average, 141.1 days. 9th in number of local tax districts 39 20th in rating of all school teachers (perfect score 800) 507.4 Durham leads with a score of 646 out of a possible 800. The training of the teacher determines the rating. High School graduate rates 400 ; college graduate 800. Sources of Information: Reports of the State Superintendent of Public Instruction. 1920 Census Reports. Report of Buncombe County Superintendent of Public Instruction. Rural Social Economics Files, University of North Carolina. Booklets of Asheville Chamber of Commerce. VIII HOME-RAISED FOOD AND THE LOCAL MARKET PROBLEM JOHN C. CHEESBOROUGH, Asheville J, A Six and Three Quarter Million Dollar Shortage In Buncombe county in 1920 there was a need for food and feed supplies amounting to $11,225,017, and there was produced by the people of Bun- combe only $4,535,437 worth of food and feed. This means that during that year the people and domestic animals in Buncombe county consumed, or needed to consume, more food to the amount of $6,689,580 than they produced. The figures given above are based on the last census and the average annual consumption figures given out by the federal Department of Agri- culture. It is also a significant fact that the above figures cover the food bill for only standard staple food and feedstuffs. The extra amount which is spent for luxuries is not taken into consideration although it would no doubt make considerable difference in the figures. The Shortage The shortage in part covers 2,096,096 pounds of meat, including fowls; 694,590 dozen eggs; 609,000 bushels of corn; 133,058 bushels of wheat; and 10,000 tons of hay. In comparison with the other counties in the state our status is not bad. The greatest part of the shortage seems to be in meat and eggs. This means that the raising of livestock and poultry in Buncombe county should be increased greatly, and also the other commodities to a lesser extent. Unless these shortages are made up by the farmers the people of Buncombe will either do without needed food, or be compelled to buy from outside markets. Why Our Farmers Fall Behind Buncombe county farmers failed to produce the shortage of six and three-quarter million dollars for three reasons mainly : ( 1 ) the unusually large city population of the county; (2) the absence of cooperation in marketing their products; (3) the general lack of modern methods of culti- vation and farming. These conditions, which exist today and have existed for years in the county, will be discussed in detail in another paragraph. Our Home-Raised Supplies In order to obtain what is considered the bare necessities of life. Bun- combe county has been compelled to buy over half the food required for 64 Buncombe County: Economic and Social yearly consumption. As long as this continues we cannot hope to become a rich county, since money cannot be accumulated by sending it away. Our rank with respect to the counties of North Carolina is given below. In the amount of com produced per person, Buncombe ranks 87th, producing 10.4 bushels per person whereas the amount needed is 31 bushels per person for man and beast. But it may also be noted that we rank 12th in total production of corn, with a production of 671,522 bushels. This wide difference in total and per capita production is due to our city population, which is included in the per capita figures but which does not produce any corn at all. In the per capita production of wheat we stand 37th, with a production of 1.9 bushels per person. Allowing 4 bushels a year per person, we needed 256,592 bushels and we produced only 123,534 bushels, thus leaving a deficit of 133,058 bushels. This deficit can be greatly decreased if more care is given to the cultivation of wheat. In the per acre production our rank is 45th with 8.6 bushels. This is very poor since there are 44 counties ahead of us. Chowan county leads the state with 23.1 bushels per acre. In per capita production of butter Buncombe ranks 43rd. The amount needed per person per year is a minimum of 48 pounds, but we produced only 12.2 pounds per person. We needed 3,078,804 pounds and yet we produced only 786,512 pounds. At the present time new dairy industries are thriving in the county and it is to be hoped that they will make a con- siderable progress by the next census report. Our egg production amounted to 6.6 dozens per person which is below the state average. We need 17.5 dozens a year per person and our rank of 75th in the production per person is but another evidence of our need for greater poultry production. However, our figures concerning poultry show that our city population is again to blame for our per capita rank, since in the total value of chickens and eggs produced Buncombe county stands 14th with a value of $300,471. Ninety-four counties produced more pork per person than Buncombe. We do not produce one-third as much as the state average of 99 pounds per person, and the state average is nothing to be proud of when we are ranked against the other states. Our low rank in the raising of hogs shows up only too plainly in our meat deficit of 2,096,096 pounds. In a county which is as naturally suited to hog raising as is Buncombe, we should actually raise more hogs than we need, not only -at very little cost but at a large profit. In the increase of value in livestock since 1910 we rank 58th, with an increase of 68 percent. The state average increase was 85 percent, but this increase was caused for the most part by the enormous gain in the number of mules and horses, which are used in the cotton belt of the state and also in the production of tobacco. In hay and forage production Buncombe county produced 20,009 tons, which i? but six thousand less than the leading county in the state produced. Buncombe County: Econo:mic and Socla.l 65 Our need for hay and forage amounts to 30,000 tons; thus it may be seen that we produce only two-thirds of what we need. Our standing in total production of oats was fair, our rank being 15th. Nevertheless, the 36,236 bushels that Buncombe produced goes but a little way toward feeding the livestock in the county. The value of the domestic animals of Buncombe county was $1,778,063 and in this we rank 18th in the state. However, there is one important thing to be considered. It should be noted that the county which ranks highest in value of domestic animals is Johnston, which is a cotton county with 10,568 mules but only 8,435 cattle, while Buncombe has 21,210 cattle which are a direct source of food. The significance of this is seen more clearly when we find that we rank third in the total value of beef cattle, with a value of $279,568. Since Buncombe does not raise either cotton or tobacco there is no need for the large number of mules which swell the livestock values of the eastern counties. As for milk and other dairy products, there is no need for much concern at the present time, since Buncombe ranks 1st in gallons of milk sold in 1919, with over one million gallons. As a matter of fact. Buncombe sold over 15.5 percent of all the milk sold in the state, besides leading every other county in the value of general dairy products. However, it would be well to remember that in the matter of dairying North Carolina is one of the most poorly developed states in the Union. .■ . Why We Are Not Self-Supporting As has been stated before, the main reasons why Buncombe county failed to support itself are, the unusually large city population, the absence of cooperation in the marketing of products, and the lack of modern methods of cultivation. Let us consider the first of these conditions. The city of Ashe- ville, which is the county seat of Buncombe, has a census popualtion of about 29,000 people ; but this does not include a number of suburban districts which bring the population up to practically 35,000. Now this means that almost half the population of Buncombe produces no food or very little, but looks to the other half of the population for food supplies. Of course this places a heavy burden upon the farmers of the county, who are called upon to raise not only enough to feed themselves but also enough for the people who produce no food. If it were not for the above facts Buncombe would probably lead the state in every particular as a self-feeding community. The next reason for our failure to be self-supporting is the lack of cooperation in marketing products. While this condition exists to a certain extent in all counties, it is particularly true in Buncombe. Many of our farmers, in spite of education and other advantages, still have a feeling of distrust and suspicion for all people whom they do not know intimately. Under such conditions cooperation will never thrive; for confidence is the basis of cooperation. We must get together and pull together for mutual benefit. The farmers should keep in touch with the city merchants and know Buncombe County: Economic and Social 67 when and where to carry their products in order to sell them at a fair price. A tragic and deplorable example of this lack of cooperation was seen in the mountains of Buncombe in 1920, when thousands of bushels of apples rotted on the ground while the wholesale dealers in Asheville were actually buying apples from other sections of the country. ]\Ierchants and farmers should organize to market Buncombe products, not only to Buncombe people but to outsiders as well. The third reason why we have not managed to be self-feeding, is the lack of modern methods in cultivation and farming in general. The river bottoms and valley lands of Buncombe are as fertile as any land in the state. Yet our per acre production of wheat v/as only 8.6 bushels, which gave us 45th place in comparison with other counties of the state. If Chowan county can produce 23.1 bushels per acre, Buncombe should be able at least to double her production by careful cultivation. Another example of poor farming is the almost complete absence of pure-bred livestock on the average Buncombe county farm. Given the most perfect climate in the world and the most fertile of lands, the farmer who plows his land three inches deep and who raises only scrub livestock, will not begin to make the money he should make. Summary Summarizing, it may be said that the conditions which exist in Bun- combe county are not peculiar to this section. As a whole, the problem of self-feeding in our county is in far better shape than it is in most North Carolina counties. The fact that we have in our county a city quite large for North Carolina is the main reason why we have failed to be self-feeding. As has been said before, cooperation between the farms and the townspeople of Buncombe is the goal toward which we must drive. With a recognition of our common interests, we will gradually become independent of other sections and our money will stay in Buncombe county. Without it we will not even hold our present position, for our population is daily increasing. No county in the state offers a greater opportunity for farmers and city people to work together for the common interests of both. Our farmers are admirably suited to produce food and feed supplies. Asheville offers a marvelous sales territory for home-grown products, and she should capitalize her advantage by aiding farmers to market home-grown products. The farmers should feed Asheville and her tourists and ship food to other counties in the state. It can be done only by both parties working together — the solution lies in collusion, not collision. Facts About Food and Feed Production Based on the 1920 Census, Covering' the Year 1919 87th in Corn production per person, bushels 10.4 State average, 16 bushels per person. Amount needed per person for human and animal consumption, 31 bushels per year. 68 . Buncombe County: Economic and Social 12th in Total production of corn, bushels 671,522 Robeson county led the state with 1,376,244 bushels. Dare produced only 4,701 bushels. 37th in Per capita production of wheat, bushels 1.9 State average, 1.8 bushels per capita. Amount needed per person, 4 bushels per year. Deficit, 2.1 bushels per person. 45th in Per acre production of wheat, bushels 8.6 Chowan county led with 23.1 bushels per acre. 43rd in Per capita production of butter, pounds 12.2 State average, 10 pounds per capita. Amount needed per person per year, 48 pounds. Deficit, 35.8 pounds per person. 75th in Egg production per capita, dozens 6.6 State average, 9.2 dozens per capita. Amount needed per person per year, 17.5 dozens. Deficit, 10.9 dozens per person per year. 14th in A'alue of chickens and eggs produced, value $300,471 Wake county led with production value of $477,568. 95th in Pork production per capita, pounds 31 State average, 99 pounds per capita. 58th in Increase in value of livestock, 1910-1920, percent 68 State average, 85 percent increase, largely mules and horses in the cotton and tobacco belts. Pitt county leads with an increase of 170 percent, almost entirely mules and horses. 3rd in Hay and forage production, tons 20,009 Mecklenburg led with a production of 26,208 tons. The entire state produced 688,843 tons. 15th in Oats production, bushels 36,236 Anson led with 108,276 bushels. The state produced only 1,671,308 bushels. 9th in Irish potato production, bushels 73,551 ' Duplin led with a production of 246,212 bushels. Dare produced only 1,715 bushels. Total state pro- duction was 2,853,997 bushels, or a little more than one bushel per person. 18th in A'alue of domestic animals $1,778,063 Johnston led with animals valued at $2,920,931. Johnston has 10,568 mules and horses and only 8,435 cattle. Buncombe has 5,875 mules and horses and 21,210 cattle. The domestic animals in Johnston are largely work stock. In Buncombe they are producers of food. Buncombe County: Economic and Social 69 2nd in Total value of cattle in 1919 $942,885 Ashe led with cattle valued at $1,169,721. 3rd in Total value of beef cattle $279,568 Two counties, Alleghany and Ashe, rank higher. 2nd in Total value of dairy cattle in 1919 $663,317 Ashe leads again with a value of $681,130, 1st in Milk sold in 1919, gallons 1,100,022 Buncombe sold 15.5 percent of all the milk sold in the state in 1919. 1st in Dairy products, value $744,901 96th in Bill for imported foodstuffs and feed supplies, 1919 $6,689,580 Only four counties, Mecklenburg, Forsyth, Guilford, and Wake, had larger deficits in home-produced supplies. FOOD AND FEED NEEDS AND DEFICITS (Based on 1920 Census) 1. Food and Feed: Needed— 64,148 people @ $155 a year $9,942,940 5,875 work animals @ $78 a year 456,250 12,381 dairy cattle @ $37 a year 458,097 8,829 other cattle @ $16 a year 141,264 1,333 sheep @ $3 a year 3,999 10,074 hogs @ $13 a year 130,967 122,000 poultry @ $0.75 a year 91,500 Total food and feed needed $11,225,017 2. Produced: Food and feed crops $2,731,534 Dairy products 744,901 Poultry products 300,471 - Honey and wax 8,531 Animals sold and slaughtered 75n, ()()() Total food and feed produced $ 4,535,437 Deficit $ 6,689,580 3. Distribution of Food and Feed Shortage and Surplus : (1) Meat needed for 64,148 people @ 152 lbs., lbs. 9,750,596 produced 3,000 calves @ 150 lbs 450,000 187,000 poultry @ 3.5 lbs 654,500 13,000 other cattle @ 350 lbs.— 4,550,000 10,000 hogs @ 200 lbs 2,000,000 Total meat produced, lbs 7,654,500 Deficit 2,096,096 70 Buncombe County: Economic and Social (2) Butter needed for 64,148 people @ 48 lbs 3,078,804 produced, lbs. 786,512 deficit, lbs. 2,292,292 (3) Fowls needed for 64,148 people (a 13 fowls 833,924 produced, fowls 187,000 deficit, fowls 646,924 (4) Eggs needed for 64,148 people @ 17^2 dozen 1,122,590 produced, dozen 428,000 deficit, dozen 694,590 (5) Corn needed for work stock and people, bushels 1,280,000 produced, bushels 671,000 deficit, bushels ^ 609,000 (6) Wheat needed for 64,148 people (o 4 bu., bus. 256,592 produced, bushels 123,534 deficit, bushels 133,058 (7) Hay needed for 5,875 work animals, 21,210 dairy cows and beef cattle, tons 30,000 produced, tons 20,000 deficit, tons 10,000 Sources of Inf ormatioai : U. S. Census of Agriculture. Special Files, Department of Rural Social Economics, University of North Carolina. IX LIVESTOCK AND FRUITS F. J. HERRON, Biltmore Livestock Buncombe is one of the best beef-producing counties in the state, yet there are large areas of mountain land not capable of cultivation which should be converted into pasture lands. Large boundaries of cut-over timber lands, if properly sowed in orchard grass, would accommodate more large herds, and would cut down the use of winter feeds to a minimum. Winter pasturage and silage feed for winter maintenance will solve the main difficulty of the cattle growers, and with the mild winters allowing almost year-around grazing, beef production and dairying will rapidly develop. The native cattle at present represent a mixed breed of Hereford, Devon, Jersey, Angus, and Shorthorn. However, much interest is being shown in developing pure- bred herds. Land for grazing can be bought very reasonably, and with our climatic and geographical advantages. Buncombe should become a leading beef-producing center. The next great question is cooperative marketing which must be developed to encourage this industry. Sheep raising is also a growing industry in Buncombe. The rough and steep pasture lands, that cannot be successfully used for beef and dairy cattle, are profitable for sheep raising. With the climatic conditions favoring the production of high-grade wool, and the ready market it finds in the woolen industries, and with the large demand for mutton, the sheep industry affords a broad field for future development. The common sheep diseases are scarcely known in the mountain counties. For many years dogs have been the greatest handicap to the sheep industry in Buncombe county, but with the enactment in 1919 by the legislature of the "Sheep and Dog Control Law," which gives the much-needed protection to the sheep growers, we may hope for a steady growth of this profitable industry. The number of sheep in this county in 1919 was about the same as in 1860. For the greatest profit, poultry raising in Buncombe county is unexcelled. Land, water, climate, natural food supply, and markets go to encourage the poultryman. Due to the large number of tourists and hospitals Asheville probably has the largest market for fresh eggs in the South, and an excellent foreign trade. The increasing demands for standard eggs on the market induce the farmers to supplant scrub flocks with pure-bred, and this means a vast improvement in the poultry business of the county. Pork production has been greatly discouraged because of poor marketing. In 1919 there were 13,847 hogs less than in 1860, yet through pig clubs and 72 . Buncombe County: Economic and Social with better marketing conditions, Buncombe should improve her opportunity in hog raising. In 1920 beef cattle in this county number 8,829 valued at $279,568. Sheep numbered 1,333, valued at $13,093. There were 3,967 pounds of wool pro- duced, valued at $2,130. Swine numbered 10,074, valued at $149,661, while there were 427,988 dozen eggs produced, and 186,926 chickens, with a total value of $200,471. Horses and mules numbered 5,875, valued at $669,905. Dairying- and Cheese Industry As the demand for dairy products steadily increases, so the dairying business in Buncombe increases. Asheville alone consumes more dairy products than any other place in North Carolina. Most of these products come from within a radius of 15 miles. The mixed scrub herds of dairy cattle are fast being replaced by thorough-bred, as Holstein and Jersey. By this means more milk is produced with less labor and feed. A splendid market is being created for Buncombe's dairy products. There are 76 wholesale and 27 retail dairies already in the Asheville district. In 1919 the sale of milk amounted to $840,000 in the county, and 50 additional dairy farms have increased the county's total value, with equipment and stock each worth from $5,000 to $10,000. A great deal depends on the creameries to take care of the surplus milk which amounts to 8,000 gallons per day. There are four creameries, two large and two small ones, which have been handling the output. The Carolina Creamery in Asheville and the Biltmore Dairy at Biltmore utilize a large part of the surplus in manufacturing creamery butter and cheese. Asheville uses from 8,000 to 10,000 pounds daily, while only 2,000 to 3,000 pounds are produced in Buncombe county. There is no reason why the local butter supply cannot be increased so as to cut down the imported supply. And with creamery butter selling for 50 cents per pound this will give some idea of the financial possibility in the manufacturing of butter and cheese. Not only does dairying pay in itself, but it builds up the farming lands. Buncombe by law requires her certified-milk producers to live up to certain standards of cleanliness, and a recent pure-milk law requires concrete floors for all dairy barns and a health test made of all the herd. There is also a great opportunity for the development of the cheese industry, which is being stimulated because of more and better dairy cattle. Cheese-making is also important in that it takes care of the surplus milk during the summer months. About 25 years ago cheese-making in this county was an important industry, but it died out and only recently has it revived with renewed interest. Today Buncombe county has 35 of the 54 cheese factories of the entire South. The climatic conditions in the mountains are favorable to cheese-making in that the cool mornings enable the farmers to deliver sweet milk direct to the factory and this makes possible the manu- facture of high-grade cheese. And with the attention that is given to dairy- ing and marketing, this is becoming a profitable business. Buncombe County: Economic and Social 73 Because of the good quality, our cheese finds a ready market, as there is a big demand among the packers and wholesale dealers, north and south. At the South-Eastern Fair in Atlanta in 1915 Buncombe cheese from the Democrat Cheese F'actory took first prize in competition with Wisconsin cheese. Cooperative cheese factories pay handsome prices for their milk and require tlie farmers to maintain better and more sanitary facilities. The main difficulty heretofore has been in securing trained cheese workers, but within the near future this industry will be a source of wealth, as well as a food supply, in Western North Carolina. Buncombe County's Dairy Products in 1919 Milk produced, gallons 3,204,452 Milk sold, gallons 1,100,022 Cream sold, gallons 813 Butter fat sold, pounds 8,773 Butter made on farms, pounds 786,512 Butter sold, pounds 358,614 Average production of milk per cow, gallons 404 Value of dairy products $744,901 Receipts from sale of products $540,936 Dairy Cattle in 1920 Calves under 1 year 2,639 Heifers between 1 and 2 years 1,589 Cows and heifers, 2 years and over 7,591 Bulls, 1 year and over 162 Total number 12,381 Total value $663,317 Horticulture Western North Carolina stands high in the Nation as a fruit-growing section, and Buncombe county represents all the natural conditions for this development. According to C. D. Mathews, acting State Horticulturist, Bun- combe county and Western North Carolina is a land of opportunity for apple growers, owing to the natural advantages of soil, climate, topography, alti- tude, and rainfall. The mountain soil belongs very largely to the Porter series, which is so famous for producing fruit of the finest quality. The cool climate and high altitude promote excellent growth and with the high altitude come clear air, long growing season, water and air drainage, and plenty of sunshine to give the fruit a rich color and excellent flavor. For many years Buncombe has been spoken of in terms of climate, scenery, health, and recreation, and if the people will awake to the opportunity of fruit-growing Buncombe will have a fruit industry of national reputation. There is no reason for North Carolina citizens to buy Pacific fruit when there is so great an opportunity for developing a fruit and marketing system in Western North Carolina that would equal any in the North and West. 74 Buncombe County: Econoaiic and Social Apples, peaches, grapes, berries, and other fruits find ideal growing conditions in the county. One of the many orchards already in progress contains 23,000 trees and is said to be the largest in the entire South. The fruit orchards in this county contain 305,200 trees and only Wilkes county has a larger number. Proof of our great possibilities for unexcelled apple growth has been shown in recent state and national apple shows. The greatest criticism of the present fruit growers in Western North Carolina lies in the neglect of proper care of orchards in pruning, spraying, and using a poor system, or no system, of marketing the finished product. It has been estimated that for every 20,000 trees well cared for 30,000 are neg- lected. The main commercial orchards have from 6,000 to 8,000 trees, pro- ducing 7,000 to 8,000 bushels per year at a rate of 90c per bushel. With scientific pruning, spraying, and a good system of grading and marketing, apples would sell up to $3.50 a bushel. There are large areas of good orchard land undeveloped that car^ be bought for from $15.00 to $50.00 per acre within a reasonable distance to a market or shipping point. When the orchards are kept in the proper condition the next thing of importance is the perfection of a cooperative marketing system for the apples by the standardized grade, packages, and selling methods so as to secure prices equal to those of the North-West fancy apples. Another important thing is to advertise through our tourists, shipping and packing houses. There should also be an increase of cold storage facilities organized by the fruit growers. Some good varieties that bear well in Buncombe and other western counties are Stayman Winesap, Stark's Delicious, Rome Beauty, Limber Twigs, Bonums, and York Imperials. With development in orchard capacity and selling methods, this powerful industry of fruit growing should become a solid commercial asset to Buncombe county. Sources of Information : Asheville Chamber of Commerce. Asheville Citizen. ' ■ , , Census Report of 1920. , CO-OPERATIVE MARKETING F. J. HERRON, Biltmore As has already been stated in a previous chapter in this bulletin, one of the greatest problems in developing Buncombe into a greater industrial county is the perfecting of a system of cooperative marketing among the farmers. It is a well-known fact that Buncombe county with all its natural con- ditions has the opportunity for developing as large a variety of industries as any other county in the United States. It is true that Buncombe already has the best local market in the state, but with almost unlimited possibilities for more and greater industries, both rural and urban, it is necessary to have a marketing system that would not only supply our local markets, but would enable us to ship a greater amount of produce to other markets in the South for prices that would compete with the markets of the North and the West. The cooperative organization that I have in mind is one for the benefit of all that belong to it, and especially the farmers and laboring classes who have been so long unorganized: an organization on a business and scientific basis for selling farm products and buying supplies for the country home and farm. In order to have such an organization it is necessary to have first, a sufficient business locality; second, confidence in a cooperative organization; third, competent leadership. A great many failures heretofore have been due to the lack of sufficient business to warrant a cooperative marketing organi- zation. When such an attempt is made with a limited amount of business development, the cost of operation usually exceeds the profit gained by private concerns, consequently the members lose faith in the organization and it fails. The approved plan to secure a sufficient business is to form contracts between farmers and their local associations as in the successful California cooperative organizations, and many others in the central states. A good example would be the organized potato growers of Michigan and Minnesota. Next to a sufficient business comes confidence in the organization. Unless the farmers have confidence in a cooperative movement and put their shoulders together in sharing the burden and profit alike, it will not be a success. The third prerequisite is leadership, which I shall speak of later on in the chapter. Let us consider some of the fundamental principles upon which a cooperative union is based. 1. Restrict membership to patrons only. 2. Limit o'wnership of capital. 3. Fixed rate of interest on capital. BuNco:srBE County: Economic and Social 77 4. Profits should go to members only. . ' ■ 5. Each member to have only one vote. 6. Cooperation on some special crop or industry. 7. Agree on a special and convenient locality. 8. The membership must be binding, and not merely voluntary. These principles are absolutely necessary in the foundation of a successful cooperative marketing system. We shall now consider, very briefly, each one separately. First, membership must be restricted to patrons only, who are willing to put their support into the organization and share the obligations as well as the profit. But every farmer should be a member. Second, the ownership of capital must be limited to a reasonable number of, shares in order to prevent a few members from monopolizing the business. The purpose of this organization must be to serve the masses of laboring humanity and not a few capitalists. Third, a fixed rate of interest, as six percent, should be paid on the invested capital to prevent the cooperation from becoming a corporation. Each member should receive dividends in proportion to the amount of busi- ness he does with the organization. This is called patronage dividend. Fourth, profits should go to members only. There is no argument for allowing non-members, who are unwilling to give their support to the organi- zation, to share the profits. When the operating expenses have been paid the profits should go in part to build up a reserve or sinking fund, partly for educational publicity, and the major portion distributed, in cash, directly to the members. Fifth, each member should have only one vote regardless of how many shares he owns or how much capital he has invested. This enables all mem- bers to have an equal voice in controlling the organization. Sixth, cooperation on some special crop or industry would be the simplest form of cooperation and could be successful in a community where a large variety of products handled could not. Seventh, agree on a special and convenient locality in order to centralize the organization and specialize on the conditions peculiar to that specific locality and develop the crop or industry that is most desirable. Eighth, membership must be binding and not merely voluntary; if mem- bers are allowed to join and withdraw when they please there would be no organization, or else it would be subject to a panic at any time. Nobody would be responsible, there would be no obligation on anyone to bear the burden during a slump in business. For example, if some members saw that they could market a commodity through *a local concern for a small profit more than the union was paying, they would simply withdraw for the time- being, regardless of how much depended on their portion in completing a large shipment. Then when the organization was paying higher prices they would join again. Such an irregular state of affairs would be disastrous to the organization in its very infancy. Therefore it is absolutely necessary. 78 Buncombe County: Economic and Social as a business policy, for a cooperative market to have cooperation in definite terms by all its members in order to be a successful enterprise. These principles constitute the foundation of a cooperative marketing organization. The success of an organization of this nature depends upon the loyal support of citizens who will thoroughly cooperate in buying and selling through the organization. To have loyalty and cooperative fellowship necessitates good leadership with operating efficiency as follows: 1. Qualified management. 2. Sufficient capital. 3. Adequate business. 4. Modern marketing methods. 5. Standardized produce. Qualified management is possiblv the greatest factor in operating effi- ciency. A good manager must have (1) administrative ability, (2) power to analyze difficult situations and handle the problems with sound judgment, (3) initiative and a fair knowledge of the business, (4) ability to deal with employees and customers. Very few managers meet these requirements, and those who are qualified must be paid high prices; but they are cheaper in the end. Next in importance is sufficient capital. No organization can develop without a certain amount of financial resource. An adequate business is necessary because it is cheaper to buy in large quantities. It is also more economical to sell in large quantities. Modern marketing methods are needed to secure the best prices available at the least expense of handling and transportation. Lastly, standardized produce is necessary to build up a sound and depend- able marketing system. The produce must be of a standard quality, carefully graded and carefully shipped. These are the fundamental principles and methods upon which successful cooperative marketing organizations are based and controlled. Where these principles and methods have been strictly adhered to the organizations have proven successful, but where part or all have been neglected they have in- variably failed. The Farmers' Federation • ' I think the nearest approach to an ideal farmers' cooperative organization, for the combined industries in Buncombe county, is the Farmers' Federation which is now in full operation on the Fairview siding near Biltmore. It is the first of its kind to be organized in Buncombe county. This organization has been under successful operation for about three years and is continually growing. The warehouse has been enlarged to twice its original capacity, and a large air-t'ght rotato house has been built to store up potatoes in the fall until thc\' find a rood market and prices go higher. Six men and three large Buncombe County: Economic and Social 79 delivery trucks are employed to handle the busmess. The capital stock has already run up into the thousands. This organization is operated on principles and methods similar to those above mentioned, only the Federation is incorporated under the state laws, in the form of a stock company, with a capital of fifty thousand dollars divided into one thousand shares of fifty dollars each. The company elects a board of five directors each year including a president, vice-president, and secretary-treasurer. The Federation is more complicated in that it deals with a large variety, of industries and crops, such as potatoes, cabbage, butter, eggs, fruit, beef cattle, wood and lumber. The Federation pays six percent interest on paid-up stock and five percent dividend on the business done by each stockholder, through the company. Also there is a great advantage in buying feed, fertilizer, and raw material in carload lots. The Federation has recently ordered a carload of certified Irish cobbler seed potatoes. They are easily raised and very productive in Buncombe county. There are hundreds of carloads of Northern potatoes sold in the South each year. Buncombe can get a large portion of that Northern trade, save the consumer money, and develop an industry of great wealth by growing potatoes and marketing them through the Federation. This farmers' organization is rapidly spreading to other parts of the country. There are already two other branch warehouses fully equipped and in operation. One is located at Craggy Station and the other at Stony Knob near Weaverville. The Federation is fortunate in having for its president Rev. James G. K. McClure, Jr., of Fairview, who is not only a good minister, but a scientific farmer, diligent in business and a leader of men. The founding of this organization was due very largely to the efficient leadership of President McClure. The 1921 annual report of the business accomplished through warehouse No. 1 on the Fairview siding, shows that $1,370.90 has been accredited to the stockholders, and $1,167.83 to surplus. The paid-up stock on April 15, 1922, totaled 816,371.56. The total capital now invested is 519,586.74 and the total liabilities and capital together are $41,338.50. The report from the other two warehouses is not available at this time. Sources of Information : Rural Social Economics Files, University of North Carolina. Farview Farmers' Federation News. XI ■ . > THINGS TO BE PROUD OF IN BUNCOMBE ARTUS M. MOSER, Swannanoa, N. C. The people of Buncombe county have a right to pride themselves in many things, especially in the abundance of natural resources, in transporta- tion facilities, in agricultural possibilities and opportunities, and in educa- tional development. Buncombe is rich in natural beauty, in climate, in fertility of soils, in water-power and forests. It is also rich in its history, in its heroic deeds and great men, and in its social and economic advantages. Natural Beauty and Scenery The natural beauty of this section is probably not surpassed and seldom equalled by any other in America. Throughout its boundary are many beauti- ful mountains, fertile valleys, and clear streams. Such valleys as those of the French Broad, the Swannanoa, Reems creek. Hominy, Gashes creek, and Fairview, are particularly noted for their picturesque scenery. Our mountains have always been a source of great pride. Because of them and the many other attractions associated with them, this section has become the Mecca of thousands of tourists and visitors each season from everywhere. Chief among the mountains of Buncombe is Mt. Pisgah, 5,749 feet above sea-level. From the top of this mountain one has a marvelous view of forest- covered mountains, rugged cliffs, and distant valleys. A fine motor road leads from Asheville to its top, some 26 miles, and is one of the chief delights of the tourist. The mountain and vicinity are included in the Pisgah National Forest, which comprises some 80,000 acres. This area was formerly a part of the great Vanderbilt estate, but was purchased by the Government some years ago, and has since been made into a national forest and game preserve. The scenic motor road to IMt. Mitchell, which, for the most part passes through Buncombe, is also a source of great pride. Mt. Mitchell, 6,711 feet above the sea, the highest mountain east of the Mississippi, is about 39 miles northeast of Asheville and just over the Buncombe line in Yancey county. Because of the motor road and the nearness and easy access of this wonderful mountain, the Buncombe people feel that much of its attrartion belongs to them. Proud of Climate The climate of Buncombe is also a source of great pride. Owing to the surrounding mountains the winters are temperate and the high altitude causes the summers to be cool and pleasant. The mean temperature is 55 degrees. 82 Buncombe County: Economic and Social The hieh altitude and abundance of pure water are very conducive to health. There is absolute freedom from malaria due to excellent drainage by the French Broad river and other smaller streams, which prevents mos- quitoes. In the country regions every farmer has either a well or a spring, and it is to these sources of pure water supply that much of the hardiness and good health of the people of this section can be attributed. Crops The soils of Buncombe are very fertile, making it an excellent potential farming area. It already ranks high as a farming section, especially in the production of corn, wheat, vegetables, and fruit. This county leads in the industries of trucking and gardening. It is especially adapted to trucking, and the people are taking greater advantage of the opportunities which this industry affords than ever before. While the farmers in the past have not attempted to raise a large surplus to supply distant markets, it is obvious that there is great opportunity for such a venture. We can produce on our farms practically all the staple supplies that our county needs, and much more. The field is a wide one for the growing of winter apples, for dairy products, for vegetable growing, and for canning establishments. It is to be regretted that large quantities of vegetables must be shipped into Buncombe from other sections each year, when the farmers of the county could supply this demand and reap a good profit. This lays the county open to severe criticism. It should not be the case. Our farms may be made just as productive as any and the market is at our doors. Fruit Growing- Of all the advantages of which Buncombe can boast probably there is none greater or more important than the opportunity for the production of fine apples and other fruits. The State and United States Boards of Agri- culture have said that this section is the home of the apple and destined to become the greatest apple-growing region in America when its capabilities are fully realized. The opportunities for this industry are as yet hardly touched, but there are many farmers who, realizing the possibilities, are using modern scientific methods in their orchards, and the apples from these orchards, when put in competition with those from any other section, always win. Apples from Buncombe county and Western North Carolina take the sweepstakes at national apple shows, and at the State Fairs in Raleigh. This region is so well adapted to apple growing that in a good fruit year thousands of bushels of fine apples are left lying on the ground to rot. This is evidence that a better marketing system should be worked out. The Western North Carolina apple show is doing much each year to en- courage and stimulate the production of more and better apples and to im- press the public with the possibilities of this industry in this section. It is hoped that this work will continue. Buncombe County: Economic and Social 83 Live Stock and Dairying Live stock and dairying are two industries that are well adapted to this county. The winters are comparatively mild, enabling the farmers to let their cattle stay out for a large part of the winter. Besides, in many of our rich coves and valleys, owing to the shelter of surrounding mountains, grazing is good throughout almost the entire year. Because of these advantages, Buncombe is one of the leading beef-producing counties of Western North Carolina. However, dairying stands out as probably the most important phase of our live stock industry. Throughout the county there are scattered many large dairies. This has enabled Asheville to become the largest consumer of milk and butter of any city in North Carolina. There are now more than 1,000 pure-bred Holsteins and many hundreds of pure-bred Jerseys in the county. It will be a matter of only a few years until all the dairymen will have pure-bred cattle. Cheese-making in Buncombe has not as yet taken on a great deal of importance, but there is a wonderful opportunity for this industry and it should become a leading one. This industry has opened another door to the farmer through which he may reap great profit. Climatic conditions are such that many of the difficulties found in New York and Wisconsin of producing cheese of high quality are unknown to the dairyman of Buncombe. With excellent pastures and near markets, this is one of the promising industries of the future. There are already about 35 cheese factories in the Asheville district of Western North Carolina, and, as there is a big demand for cheese, the farmers have a wonderful opportunity to form cooperative cheese factories. Sheep Industry- Sheep also thrive in Buncombe county. On the sides of the hills and mountains and in the fertile valleys are pastures amid conditions which make sheep raising profitable. At the present time this industry is not being developed as it should be ; but a new impetus has been given it by the North Carolina Animal Husbandry Division, and by the Asheville Chamber of Commerce, which have been instrumental in bringing several fine flocks into this section. A campaign for the establishing of this industry included the enactment by the 1919 Legislature of the sheep-and-dog-control law which gives protection to sheep owners and means a greater opportunity for the development of the sheep industry in Buncombe. Poultry Raising' This section is also well adapted to the raising of poultry. Many farmers have large flocks of thoroughbred chickens. Education As has been stated elsewhere in this bulletin, Buncombe county ranks high in educational matters. Our rural and city school systems are now 84 Buncombe County: Economic and Social among the best in the state. The rural schools are becoming better each year. Every year sees new high school buildings under construction, more districts consolidated, and new movements inaugurated for still better schools. Some of the preparatory schools and higher institutions in which Bun- combe takes pride are: Weaver College; St. Genevieves-of-the-Pines, a leading college for women in Western North Carolina ; the Asheville Normal, one of the leading institutions of its kind in North Carolina; Asheville School for Boys at Sulphur Springs, one of the best preparatory schools in the South; the Asheville School for Girls; and Bingham Military School, one of the oldest and best military schools in the country. Water Power The potential water power in Buncombe is abundant, and has as yet been only slightly utilized. Streams are bold, free, and numerous; the water is clear and pure. The French Broad, Swannanoa, and numerous smaller streams flow through the county and offer many advantages for the con- struction of dams for electrical power plants. The United States Geological Survey has estimated that within a radius of 40 miles of Asheville the mountain streams will total over 550,000 horse-power, of which only about 42,000 have been developed so far. There is power enough in Buncombe alone, if it were utilized, to give light and power to every community and home in the entire western part of the State. The Asheville Power and Light Company, a few miles below Asheville, on the French Broad river, furnishes 22 miles of street railway service, electric light and power service, and gas for more than 2,000 gas stoves in Asheville, besides furnishing electric current for a large number of private homes and for many other purposes. This is a good example of what may be done with our water power if we will put it to work. There is sufficient water power to furnish every community with adequate light and power if it were only utilized. Crood Roads Buncombe County not only leads the state in good roads, but it leads the entire South. There are 164 miles of paved highways besides hundreds of miles of very good unpaved roads. Good roads have been the main factors in making the county what it is. With Asheville as a center, they branch out in every direction, linking Buncombe with all the western counties. The organizations which have done much for Buncombe county in the encouragement of good roads are the Asheville Chamber of Commerce, the Rotary Club, the Civitan and Kiwanis Clubs, and the Good Roads Asso- ciation. Our citizens have come to realize that good roads mean better schools and greater community development. The enthusiasm for more good roads is still very active and it is predicted that the time will soon come when all the roads of Buncombe will be paved and not a community will be without a good highway. Buncombe County: Economic and Social 85 Railroads Buncombe county is well served with railway facilities, four lines coming into Asheville from as many directions. These connect the county with every part of the state and nation. Its freight and passenger service is probably unequalled by any city of its size in the South. Towns and Cities The people of Buncombe are proud of Asheville. They are also proud of Biltmore, Black IMountain, and many other smaller towns and villages scattered throughout the county. Asheville is not only the capital of Buncombe, but is also the business, social, and educational center of this entire mountain section. It is a modern, up-to-date city, with 52 miles of paved streets, 80 miles of paved sidewalks, and one of the best sources of pure- water supply in America. The gravity lines are laid deep in the ground for a distance of 18 miles to the North Fork of the Swannanoa river, and to Bee Tree creek, which have their sources in the Craggies and far up toward the top of Mt. Mitchell. Asheville is on a great plateau, surrounded by some of the most beautiful mountain scenery on the continent. It is a growing, energetic city of 40,000 population, including suburbs. It has all the essentials of any progressive city, daily newspapers, chamber of commerce, parks, an excellent system of city schools, public library, merchants' association, social clubs, fraternities, hospitals, charitable institutions, military companies, hotels, banks, city audi- torium, theaters, fire department, electric street car system, city hall and market, etc., etc. We have mentioned here a few of the things in which the people of the county take pride. There are many others. At the close of this chapter we are giving a list of items in which Buncombe leads the other counties. Some of these have not been mentioned in the foregoing discussion but they are none the less important. Where Buncombe Leads The figures at the left margin indicate the number of counties making a better showing. 1st in dairy products, value, 1919 $744,901 1st in milk sold in 1919, gallons 1,100,022 2nd in total value of dairy cattle in 1919 $633,317 2nd in total value of cattle in 1919 $942,885 3rd in total value of beef cattle, 1919 $279,568 18th in value of domestic animals, 1919 $1,778,063 3rd in hay and forage production, 1919, tons 20,009 Mecklenburg led with a production of 26,208 tons; state production, 688,843 tons. 86 Buncombe County: Economic and Social 1st in investment in white rural school property, 1918-1919 $449,950 2nd in per capita investment in school property, 1920 $22 2nd in total revenue from local rural district taxes, 1918-1919 $40,266 4th in per capita expenditures for schools in 1921-22 $16.46 4th in amount spent on rural buildings and supplies, 1918-1919 $29,884 6th in total taxable vi^ealth in 1920 $86,246,280 Total taxable w^ealth in 1923 $110,301,836 5th in population, 1920 64,148 Mecklenburg leads with 80,695 people. 8th in increase in population, 1910-1920, percent 28.8 9th in population living in towns, 1920, percent 47 11th in density of rural population, number of people per square mile, 1920 53.2 1st in literacy, white and black, above ten years of age, percent illiterate 6.4 Buncombe ranks best in North Carolina. Edgecombe leads in illiteracy with 22.4 percent. State average in 1920 was 13.1 percent. 7th in native white literacy, 1920, percent illiterate 4.8 2nd in negro male literacy, 10 years of age or over, 1920, percent illiterate 15.5 8th in adult white literacy, 1920, percent illiterate 6.6 9th in adult white female literacy, 1920, percent illiterate 5.9 Sources of Information : Foregoing chapters. XII BUNCOMBE'S PROBLEMS AND THEIR SOLUTION A. M. MOSER, Swannanoa We now come to the discussion of some of our problems and their solu- tion. I wish to mention only those whose solution seems most pressing at this time. Agriculture First, we must work out a better system of agriculture, a system adapted to our soil and climate. It must be a system of diversified farming. The farmer must become self-sustaining. In order to make a happy contented living, the farmer must produce on his own farm practically everything he needs. There is no reason why he cannot do this. We can produce on our farms practically everything needed for subsistence, such as corn, Irish potatoes, apples and other fruits, cabbage, oats, hay, rye, butter, cheese, milk, pork, honey, etc. The people of this section are just beginning to realize the opportunities and possibilities which this county offers in the vegetable and trucking industry. The field is unlimited for those who know how and who are willing to put forth the proper effort. In order for farming to be successful the farmer must produce some good standard money crop, so that he may have an income with which to purchase those necessities which cannot be produced on the farms, such as certain household necessities, farm tools, and so on. Since this section is especially adapted to the production of vegetables and fruits, probably the most promising money crops at present along this line would be Irish potatoes, cabbage, or apples. A good money crop must be of such character that it can be depended upon from year to year, and that it can be shipped without injury to other sections of the country. We have learned that it is a mistake to depend entirely on home markets. We have learned too that in order to produce a money crop there must be standardization. That is, if we expect to make a money crop of potatoes, cabbage, or apples, there must be uniformity in size and quality of the crop to be marketed. This would not be difficult in the producticn of these crops. This section is especially adapted to the growing of apples,, for which it is already famous. There is also a good opportunity for a money crop in the live stock industry, especially in the production of butter and cheese as we shall point out later. Also there is an opportunity in sheep raising. Buncombe County: Economic and Social 89 We are well situated for the raising of strawberries and other small fruits, and could operate canning establishments to great advantage. Agricultural Cooperation The second great need in Buncombe county and the mountain section generally is more cooperative enterprises and industries, such as farmers' cooperative marketing and buying associations; cooperative cheese factories, cooperative creameries, and so on. It is astonishing what people can accom- plish who work together as do the sweet potato growers of Catawba county, the California and Oregon fruit growers, and the people of Denmark and Sweden. Third is the development of our water power. We have such abundant water supply that every community could have its own power plant. Every home throughout this entire section could have electric lights in the home, and also power to run the machinery about the house and barn. But here again, in order to develop this great resource, cooperation and community spirit are needed, along with strong leadership. Fourth is the problem of securing more and better roads and transporta- tion facilities. While Buncombe leads in good roads, there is still much room and necessity for building more. Many communities are still behind in development and progress for lack of proper transportation facilities. Every community ought to have good roads leading into the main highways and to the railroads. The people in order to make any great progress must keep in touch with other sections and with the outside world. Education Fifth is the problem of education — of school consolidation, of relating our schools and education to the particular needs and problems of this section. In fact I believe that the solution of practically all our problems lies in the matter of education. So important is this question that I am dwelling on it at some length. As we have seen in a previous chapter, the schools of Buncombe have been making good progress in material matters. But the question arises, are the teachers instilling into the children a love for their native hills and valleys; are they teaching tliem to appreciate the great free life which they can lead here in the shadow of the lofty mountains; are they teaching them to solve the problems which they must face as the years come and go ? We need in the rural schools of this county country-minded teachers, teachers whose minds are in tune with country life, who are interested in rural life problems, and who have a definite understanding of how they may be solved. Are our country teachers interested in country life? Do they teach because they love the country and its folks? Do they love the balmy air of these heights so well, are they concerned for the progress of our com- munities so much, that they are willing to give real study to our problems? Or are they transitory, migratory creatures who teach for a season and dis- 90 Buncombe County: Economic and Social appear; who move from school to school and from county to county? The grasshopper teacher is a hindrance to rural school development. But his frequent moves are not always the teacher's fault — he usually moves for better pay. To get good teachers the schools must pay enough to hold them from year to year. We need teachers and leaders who will help to form cooperative market- ing associations, so that we can market our apples and any other surplus produce. Four million bushels of apples rotted in the mountains of North Carolina two years ago because we had no method of getting them to market. In Eastern North Carolina we paid ten cents each for apples from the states of Washington, Oregon, and elsewhere, when four million bushels were rotting in Western North Carolina. We need teachers who can help to develop cooperative creameries and cheese factories, — who will teach the children and the people that these things can be done ; that to do them leaders are wanted, and people with initiative. This section of the state can become a veritable paradise of fruits and vegetables, hay and forage, live stock and live stock products, and the farmers could become the most prosperous in the state and in the South if only they would organize and work together for productive purposes and marketing advantages. Teachers who can enable us to solve these problems will be worth their weight in gold. Home Comforts and Conveniences The country regions of this county are being depleted in population. The rural population in Buncombe county has not increased since the census year 1910. The rural school population for this county has decreased during the last eight years, as can be seen from the table elsewhere in this bulletin. This is because city life is more attractive, satisfying, and wholesome than our country life as now developed. City comforts and conveniences have lured the young people out of the country regions. Many of the boys and girls now living in the rural regions will more than likely become city dwellers because of the home comforts of city life. Here in the mountains, right here in Buncombe county, thousands of horse-power of electricity are going to waste, because we have not harnsesed the streams to do our work and to light our homes. There is enough water power here to do all our stationary farm work and to light our homes. We could light up literally this whole mountain area if we could harness our streams, little and big. Every farm in this county could have electric power, and every farm home could be brilliantly lighted with electric lights, with only a little effort on the part of the people working togeher. But one man can do little by himself — there must be concerted action by all the people of the community or section. If ad\'antage were taken of the mountain streams, better comforts and conveniences could be had, and at far less cost, than are to be found in the luxurious city homes which allure our country youth. Making country Buncombe County: Economic and Social 91 life attractive will result in retaining on the farms and in the great out-of- doors, boys and girls who otherwise will seek the city. At a recent state fair, there was exhibited a model of a cemetery that attracted a great deal of attention. On the tombstones, the thousands of visitors did not see the ordinary inscriptions such as "Too Pure for Earth." This cemetery was designed to show the inconveniences of country life. On the tombstones were inscribed such epitaphs as, "Mother — -walked herself to death in her kitchen." "Sacred to the memory of Jane — she scrubbed herself into eternity." "Grandma — she washed herself away." "Stisie — swept out of life with too heavy a broom." It is only too true that the country homes are not provided with the possible comforts and conveniences. Electric power and light would soon enable us to have the things to get which the country people now go to the cities. Community Virtues This county has possibilities of development so great that few of its citizens can fully appreciate them. We have abundant natural resources, in our soils, seasons, climate, water power, streams, beautiful mountain scenery, mineral resources; all that nature can provide has been heaped upon this section. But to a large extent these advantages have as yet remained largely undeveloped. A well-developed community life as we conceive it is based on six fundamental community or cooperative virtues; for a community is nothing but a group of human cooperatives, each working for all and all for each. These community virtues are: 1. Faith. Do you have faith in your fellow man? Does he have faith in you? Do you trust your leaders? Do you even have faith in yourself? No community can ever develop without this first essential — faith. The business of the world is done on faith. It is estimated that ninety-five percent of the world's business is done on credit. When this faith is broken or dis- turbed world markets collapse and financial panics bring on unspeakable hardships. Banks fail and business ceases. Community development is based on faith just as surely as is the world of business. Prices are affected now because we have little faith in Europe or her ability to pay for goods bought on credit. 2. Integrity. Integrity means wholesomeness, truthfulness, honesty. It means honesty beyond suspicion. It means honesty and truthfulness not only with others but with ourselves. No individual who lacks integrity can succeed; nor can a community which lacks integrity succeed, for a com- munity is only a group of individuals working for the common good. 3. Sagacity. Sagacity and sense are not at all identical with intelli- gence. The world has many intelligent people, people who have acquired great knowledge, who are storehouses of information, who have acquired knowledge for personal gratification; but the country is lacking in minds that are sagacious, minds that are overflowing with sense. We often call this Buncombe County: Economic and Social 93 sagacity horse sense, judgment, the ability to think straight and to arrive at wise, sensible conclusions. Education that is given or acquired for the purpose of personal adorn- ment, to enable one to strut about with a feeling of superiority over one's neighbors, has no place in any community. The kind of education we need is that which makes us sagacious, wise, sensible; the kind that links us up helpfully with our community, that makes us more capable of serving our fellow man. The Bible says, Get wisdom, but with all thy getting get understanding. 4. Obedience. By obedience I mean willing submission to righteous authority. A community must be made up of leaders and followers. All cannot be leaders. Some of us have to follow and good followers are as necessary as good leaders. Without good followers proper community develop- ment is impossible. In most communities everybody wants to have a hand in running things. Each one thinks he knows more about everything 4;han anybody else. This is sheer individualism, which always causes strife and discontent, and prevents community organization. A democracy is based on obedience to recognized authority, and so with a community. Every locality has its portion of good leaders. We have them in Buncombe and North Carolina. But do we have enough loyal followers? Each citizen must be willing to subordinate himself to able leadership and authority or there can never be developed a social organism, a powerful, progressive community life. 5. Loyalty. Loyalty means standing by your word, your folks, your friends, your community, your county, or anything to which you owe alle- giance or to which you have pledged your support. It is one of the greatest traits in the world. Family life is based on loyalty. The state is founded on loyal supporters. So it is with a community. Each must be loyal to its undertakings. Suppose you try to form a cooperative apple marketing asso- ciation and you pledge your support to it. Along comes an outsider whose purpose is to break up the organization. He offers you a few cents more per bushel for apples, and you break your contract and sell to him. You have then been disloyal to your word and to the association and its chance to solve your marketing problem has been destroyed. Loyalty through thick and thin is absolutely necessary for the development of a wholesome com- munity. 6. Courage. I am speaking now of moral courage. It is moral courage that we need most, the courage to stick by one's honest convictions. The most wonderful characters in all history have been those men and women who have had the courage to stick by their convictions when all the world seemed against them. A community whose citizens are courageous in this sense will win in the end. We should do all in our power to develop and preserve these community virtues. We must not let people divide our community spirit. Petty jealousies, malicious gossip, lack of vision, social and civic indifference, 94 Buncombe County: Economic and Social ignorance, and lack of initiative will destroy community spirit and impede county progress. We must develop social-mindedness in place of private- mindedness. The ills I have thus outlined are some of our ills, and the remedies I have suggested are all possible and practical. As citizens of this county we must set about solving our problems, so as to retain the men and women v/ho are constantly moving off the farms of Buncombe county. The boys and girls of this region have been brought up in one of choicest areas of the globe. These rich vallevs and fertile areas are lands whose marvelous opportunities and resources have as yet barely been touched. There is a man-sized job for each of us right here in our own county. It is not necessary for the boys and girls to move out of Buncombe to succeed. Those who move to the towns and cities or leave the county are in many cases those whom the county needs the most. It needs educated people, leaders. If those who are growing up into life will look about them, they will see their chance for success, for leadership, for public service right here in their own county and communities. Our boys and girls should seek higher education and return here to use it in working out their own destiny and the destinies of their kith and kin, their communities, their county and their state. This land of ours is richly endowed by nature and abounds in wonderful possibilities. It is rich in beauty and wealth. Let us drive our tent pegs down deep right here in Buncombe county and make it not only the leader in schools, good roads, and beauty, but in everything; let us establish a shining example for all the rest, here in "Opportunity's Empire, the Land of the Sky." Sources of Information: Foregoing chapters. ^! tfJljit'P