RESOURCES, NATURAL AND OTHERWISE
Transportation facilities are unusually good in Caroline, both
by rail and water. The Richmond Fredericksburg and Potomac
Railroad passes through the entire length of the county, and
almost through the centre of it, from north to south. There are
five freight and passenger stations—namely, Guinea, Woodford,
Milford, Penola and Ruther Glen. Besides these there are
numerous sidings and flag stops. The Rappahannock river affords
direct steamer connection with Baltimore and Norfolk and the
entire Atlantic seaboard. The Southern portion of the county
has easy access to the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad, which
connects the Seaboard with the Mississippi and the West. No
station in Caroline is over two hours from the National Capitol
or over one hour from the State Capitol.
The Richmond Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad crosses
and runs along three rivers in passing through Caroline. The
soil on the second elevation from these rivers and on the intervening
ridges is of light loamy character, easily cultivated, more easily
drained, responds to improvement and, having a stratum of clay
lying not far from the surface, holds improvement. The rich
lowlands lying along the Mattaponi, Rappahannock and North
Anna rivers are highly productive and on these may be seen crops
of corn, wheat and oats, which compare favorably with the fields
of the West. The mild climate and the adaptibility of this land
to grass, makes good grazing nearly all the year, hence cattle
raising and dairying grow more popular every year.
The soil of Caroline is especially adapted to the growth of
fine tobacco. There is much land which may be made to produce
a large, heavy tobacco, suitable for export trade, and there is more
land adapted to the growth of sun-cured and flue-cured tobacco.
The county has long been famous for the quality of its sun-cured
tobacco and the remark has often been made on the Richmond
markets, under the old regime of marketing, that tobacco from
other sections having the same texture and appearance seldom
had the same quality. The tobacco lands cannot be said to
occupy the whole surface of the county, but is so interspersed that
on a farm of ordinary size in any section of the county sufficient
fine tobacco land may be found. All fruits and vegetables
common to Virginia and the Southeast may be found in Caroline.
Many carloads of strawberries are shipped from the county every
year. The value of the tobacco crop of the county is in excess
of one million dollars annually.
