Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 20.djvu/526

WEST VIRGINIA. beds of coal from 1 to 9 feet thick. The coal is chiefly bituminous, though in some places it is partly metamorphosed. In the northern and central parts of the State there are immense deposits of petroleum and, associated with them, equally rich reservoirs of natural gas. Iron ore is found, chiefly as limonite, in many parts of the State, and among non-metallic minerals the most important are salt, sandstone, limestone, and clay. West Virginia has a large number of valuable mineral springs, especially sulphur.

. West Virginia rivals western Pennsylvania as a mining region. Its large mineral wealth consists mainly of the mineral fuels—coal, petroleum, and natural gas. Coal-mining has developed chiefly since 1880, since which year the production has steadily increased. The average annual gain for that period was over 1,000,000 tons. The output in 1901 amounted to 24,068,402 short tons, valued at $20,848,184. Coal underlies a large part of the State and was mined in 1901 in 21 counties. The output was divided among the four districts of the State as follows: New and Kanawha River district, 8,036,292 short tons; Pocahontas or Flat Top district, 6,736,107 short tons; Fairmont or Upper Monongahela district, 5,174,160 short tons; and the Upper Potomac or Elk Garden district, 1,856,677 short tons. The development of coal-mining has been closely related with the improvement of transportation facilities, and especially with the improvements on the Great Kanawha River. West Virginia coal has a high value for coking purposes. (See Manufactures, below.) The rapid increase in the production of petroleum did not begin until after 1890. The yield was then only 492,578 barrels. In 1900 it surpassed the output of Pennsylvania, and ranked second only to that of Ohio. In 1901 there was a decrease in the yield, which was estimated at 14,177,126 barrels. The greater part of the oil is forced through pipe lines to Philadelphia and Baltimore. Very little natural gas was utilized prior to 1892. The value of the yield in 1901 was estimated at $3,954,472. The principal centre of production is Wetzel County. The largest part of the product is piped into the neighboring manufacturing districts of Pennsylvania. Clays are utilized and some stone is quarried.

. In 1900 10,654,513 acres, or 67.5 per cent. of the State's area, were included in farms. The area of improved land (5,498,981 acres) is more than twice that of the corresponding area in 1870. The average size of farms has decreased nearly one-half since 1870, being 114.7 acres in 1900. In the latter year 78.2 per cent. of the farms were worked by their owners. The soil in the western part of the State consists of rich clay and sand loams, well suited to general farming. The flat hills to the eastward are better adapted to grazing. The system of agriculture practiced is typical of the Northern rather than of the Southern States. Between 1870 and 1880 there was a heavy increase in the production of corn and wheat. During the next decade these crops only about held their own, yet enjoyed a considerable increase again in the decade 1890-1900. In but few States does buckwheat have so great a relative importance. Oats and rye are the other cereals worthy of note. Hay and forage rank second in acreage. Potatoes and other vegetables are commonly grown. Tobacco and

sorghum cane are worthy of mention. Probably the most noteworthy development between 1890 and 1900 was in the raising of orchard fruits. The total number of trees much more than doubled during the period. In 1900 there were 5,441,112 apple trees, constituting 70.2 per cent. of the total number of orchard trees. The following table of acreages is self-explaining:

. Stock-raising holds a prominent place and the industry has made enormous gains since 1870. The most marked development has been in cattle-raising. Much progress is being made in dairying. In 1899 there was 41 per cent. more milk produced than in 1889. The development of mining has created a large demand for horses, so that rapidly increasing numbers are raised. The number of sheep have decreased since 1890. The following table gives the number of domestic animals on farms:

. West Virginia has a great wealth of timber. The wooded area in 1900 was estimated at 18,400 square miles, or 73 per cent. of the total area. Considerable areas have been cleared in the Ohio River and lower valley counties, and on the higher levels much valuable timber has been culled, but merchantable timber still covers extensive areas. The highest regions are clothed with white pine, which, owing to its inaccessibility, generally remains in its primeval state. The low levels are covered with hard woods—largely white oak and poplar, which have supplied the largest part of the timber cut. Hemlock and spruce are abundant on the higher levels. The railroad construction since 1896 has opened up new regions, with a resulting heavy increase in the lumbering operations,

. West Virginia has a good basis for the development of the manufacturing industry. The value of the State's manufactured products increased 91.7 per cent. between 1890 and 1900, being estimated in the latter year at $74,177,681. There were 33,085 persons engaged in the industry, or 3.5 per cent. of the population. The iron and steel industry ranks first and represented the largest absolute gain of any industry between 1890 and 1900. The iron and steel manufacture is confined to Wheeling and its vicinity, where it has the advantage of natural gas as a fuel and is conveniently near the Pittsburg manufacturing district. The State claims to have had the first rolling mill set up west of