Page:Eastern North Carolina Encyclopedia.djvu/27

 agriculture is the principal industry of the people. The principal crops are cotton, corn and tobacco as leaders, with sweet potatoes, peas, forage and grain as secondary crops.

Johnston ranks first in the production of cotton in the State. Last year (1923) 65,000 bales were produced on 72,011 acres, a yield of .90 bales to the acre, which is .15 more bales to the acre than the State average. Much of this is used by the factories in the county, but a greater part is shipped away.

We rank second in the State in the production of corn. The average yield per acre is 22.1 bushels, as compared with the State average of 17.7 bushels. Practically all of this goes to feed the stock, and into meal. The yield is increasing annually, due to advanced methods of production, and to the activities of corn clubs and county agents.

In tobacco, Johnston ranks fourth in the State in production, producing 9,357,193 pounds of the golden weed in 1921, and bettering the State average per acre yield of 610.3 pounds by 75.3 pounds. The production of tobacco in the county has greatly increased within the last decade.

Potatoes are raised in large quantities also, but in production they are far behind the average named products. The same may be said for peas, forage, and grain. Peas are mostly sown broadcast in corn fields. Grain is raised chiefly in the northern part of the county. The forage is used in feeding workstock during the winter months. Peanuts are raised in small quantities. The possibilities for this crop are very good and the industry will in all probability grow in the future.

In 1920 the land in farms totaled 212,552 acres, with a value of $40,747,814. There were 2,508 farmers who reported expenditures for labor in that year, their returns amounting to $380,428. The 6,431 farmers reporting expenditures for fertilizers spent $2,391,401 on this item. The 3,230 farmers reporting as buying farm feed for live stock spent for this feed $298,003. In total value of crops, Johnston stands third in the State, with $19,229,785 in 1919. In that year there were 2,366 farms free from mortgage, while 604 reported mortgages.

The central part of Johnston County, in a line running north and south, is traversed by the main line of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, which runs from New York to Jacksonville. There are two local freights that stop at every station on this road every day, one running north, and the other south. There are several through freights that stop only in Selma. In addition to this, there are six local passenger trains and four through trains on this road daily. The best transportation facilities in the county are furnished by this road.

The Southern Railway runs in an easterly-westerly direction from Goldsboro to Asheville. This road affords a good means for passenger and freight transportation, and stops at every town through which it runs in the county.

The principal highways in Johnston are the National and the Central. These roads are in excellent condition, being maintained by the State Highway Commission. Nearly all the main thoroughfares are also in good condition. Both the Central and the National Highways are soon to be paved.

Every town has a telephone system, and several telegraph offices.

As has been stated above, Johnston County is primarily an agricultural county. There are very few manufacturing concerns in comparison to the great amount of farming. The greatest individual industry other than farming in the county is that of lumber. There are 98 rough lumber mills, and 12 dressing and planing mills. There are 25 garages and repair shops, and 14 miscellaneous industries, such as chemical and oil industries.

Johnston County is the eighth largest county in the State, with a total area of over half a million acres, nearly three-fourths of which was in farms according to the last census. This area represents exactly 807 square miles. Robeson, the largest county in the State, has an area of 990 square miles.

The increase in population during the last ten years has been very noticeable, amounting to 7,597, with over three-fourths of the increase white.

During this ten-year period the negro ratio of population decreased exactly one per cent. The increase of negro farm operators was Twenty-one