INDUSTRIAL AND AGRICULTURAL
DEVELOPMENT OF
SCOTLAND COUNTY
Part of the down-town business section of Laurinburg.
fit/ O. L. MOO
И К
IN an article such as this there is
some danger of over statement,
and for that reason the informa¬
tion upon which it is based has
been checked carefully, and where
accurate information could not be
had. estimates are on the conserva¬
tive side. Necessarily much of it
is generalization, but it is fairly
representative of the facts as they
are.
It could not be otherwise, as
Scotland County in its origins was
Sredominantly Scotch, and the
cotch are not given to bragging
and over statement. There is a
legend to the effect that when the
Scotch immigrants were nosing into
thr Cape Fear River at Wilming¬
ton and pushing their way up
country, some one posted a sign
which read, "the best land lies
100 miles west of here." The story
goes on to say that most of those
who could read came on to what is
now Scotland County.
But it was a long time after
before actually there was a Scot¬
land County. It was in 1899 that
by act of the Legislature the new
county of Scotland was carved
out of the eastern half of old Rich¬
mond. and after a long and hard
fight. The name "Scotland" was a
natural. The new county has more
than justified the faith of its
makers and builders. In the 45
years of its history it has forged
to the front as one of the leading
counties of the State, agricul¬
turally, industrially and in the
character and leadership of its
citizens.
The Scotch settlers who first
came here sent their roots deep into
the good soil and upon the land
they built a new community and
a new world. And to that land their
descendants have held tenaciously
through succeeding generations.
A Balanced Structure
Upon the land they reared an
Sricultural economy, and later
ded an industrial structure that
gives balance and stability to the
community. And above it all and
undergirding it with sure and last¬
ing loyalties was a deep interest
in and support of schools and
churches.
Scotland County is situated in
the south central portion of the
State, neither east nor west. It is
bounded on the west by Richmond
and on the east by Robeson. On
the south it touches elbows with
Marlboro County, South Carolina,
noted for a long time as one of the
leading agricultural counties of
the country. The upper part of the
county extends into the sandhills
and is sparsely settled. However,
there are about 78.000 acres of
arable lands in the county and for
the most part it is good land, pro¬
ductive and in a high state of culti¬
vation, Until early 1942 it was
81,000 acres, but some 3,000 ucres
was displaced by the Laurinburg
Maxton Army Air Base, which in¬
cidentally lies wholly within Scot¬
land County.
For a long time cotton was the
principal crop, and is yet, but for
the last quarter century farmers
have been turning more and more
to other crops. At present there is
a variety and diversity in the farm
picture here which would warm
the heart of the most ardent cham¬
pion of live-at-home farming.
Crop Acreage
From the office of County Agent
E. O. McMahan we gathered some
interesting figures on crop acreages.
The total acreage planted to cot¬
ton in recent years is about 25,000
acres. This year it is 24,900 acres.
On this acreage in 1942 the county
produced 24.176 bales of cotton,
and in 1943 the total production
was 21,724 bales.
Other crops and acreages are
given as follows: Corn. 1.900 acres,
and the average yield is above 20
bushels an acre; tobacco, 1,000
acres, and the cash returns from
this crop in 1943 were above $400,-
000. Wheat, 2,300 acres, and oats.
7.000 acres. And peanuts. 2,000
acres.
Besides the staple crops the
county produces large crops of
vegetables, including the famous
Scotland County watermelons and
cantaloupes. Vegetable crops that
are grown commercially arc listed
as follows: Sweet potatoes, 1,000
acres, and the 1944 crop is going to
market now at good prices. The
County Agent says it is a better
crop than tobacco. Tomatoes. 500
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