Hand-Book of North Carolina, with Map of the State; Printed by Order of the Board of Agriculture

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1886 Excerpt: ... a large aggregate surface of bottom lands in the county, those on the French Broad being very extensive and fertile. Of the county area 17.18 per cent, is tilled land, of which 0.03 per ce.nt. is cultivated in cotton. Transportation is southward by rail. Population 10,281--White 8,893, colored 1,388. Area 351 square miles, woodland 106,441 acres. Tilled lands 38,595 acres, area planted in cotton 10 acres, in tobacco 29 acres, in corn 16,407 acres, in wheat 2,598 acres, in rye 3,734 acres, in oats 2,903 acres, in buckwheat 107 acres. Cotton production 4 bales, average cotton product per acre 0.40 bale, 570 pounds seed cotton, or 190 pounds cotton lint. Real property, aggregate value $991,049, personal property $402.938. total $1,393,987. State taxes $448.58, county taxes $15,680.85. school taxes $3,520.28. Livestock--Horses 1,070, mules 478, cattle 5,672, hogs 7,070, sheep 7,175. Public schools 53, white 42, colored 11. Churches 24. TRANSYLVANIA. Transylvania county occupies the upper portion of the valley of the French Broad, and lies along the flanks of the Blue Ridge and on the southern border of the State. It is bounded westward by a heavy cross-chain from the Blue Ridge to the Smoky mountains, the Balsam mountains, which rises throughout a considerable part of its course above 6,000 feet. This county is therefore the most elevated portion of the plateau of the French Broad. It is mostly mountainous and rugged, with spurs and knobs of mountains thrust out from the crosschains which bound it. There are very extensive tracts of bottom lands along the tortuous course of the French Broad, reaching often a breadth of 1 or 2 miles, which are very fertile and produce immense crops of corn. The larger portion of the county, however, is only adapted to grazing. ...