This county is the center of the peanut belt and the soil is admirably adapted to the cultivation of this crop, producing large white nuts which commands the highest price on the markets. The peanut was introduced into this county at quite an early date, but the exact time and by whom will never be known, but the indications are that they were brought to Virginia from Africa during the time of the importation of slaves, as there are some records extant stating that they were used for food for the slaves while being brought over. Prior to the Civil War, 1861-1865, they were little known except in a few of the Southern States and were called "goober peas" or "ground peas." Since 1866 their production has increased most wonderfully. The method of cultivating them has also been much improved, and by the aid of especially prepared implements their production has been much cheapened. The production, per acre, varies at from twenty-five to one hundred bushels, and in a great measure, this is the money crop of the county, especially for those farmers whose distance from transportation lines forbid their cultivation of truck, which have to be handled hastily owing to their perishable nature. There are several varieties of peanuts, but the Virginia and the Spanish are the most distinctive types, the latter of which but very few are raised in this county, being small in size and of little demand except for confectionery purposes. A modern estimate would place the value of the crop of peanuts at not less than three million dollars in cash money for the nuts alone, and to this should be added the indirect profit to be obtained from the vines as a forage crop, on which horses and cattle eagerly feed when properly cured, and for their fertilizing qualities, and on the nuts which are left on or in the ground when digging on which the hogs quickly fatten.

     The other farm products are oats, potatoes (Irish and sweet), of which large quantities are raised in the eastern portion of the county, and by easy and cheap means of transportation shipped to the northern cities. All fruits, large and small; all kinds of melons and vegetables find here a soil and climate admirably adapted to their growth and perfection. In addition to the agricultural industries many saw-mills are annually sending millions of feet of timber for sale in the busy marts of the of the country, of which the Camp Manufacturing Company is the largest. This plant turns out about fifty million feet rough lumber, and about thirty million feet of dressed lumber each year.

     Large quantities of eggs and poultry are annually shipped to the nearby cities whose money value, when reduced to dollars, would be astonishing.

     The telephone service throughout the county is most excellent, nearly all of the post offices having connection with local and long distance telephones, and a great many of the residences, thus enabling the farmers to keep in constant touch with the markets.

     The mail facilities are very good, there being post offices within easy reach of all the people, permitting the most isolated communities to enjoy the daily papers.

     The financial condition of the county are very good, and the last ten years have been marked with great improvement.

     The population, in 1900, was 13,102, an increase of over 1,780 over that of 1890. There are 3,200 males over the age of twenty-one years. In James River, opposite to the shores of Isle of Wight, there are about twenty-five hundred acres of natural oyster rocks which are included in the survey made by order of the General Assembly and in government domain, open to all. The nearness of these rocks to the shore enables the oystermen of this county to obtain their full share of salable and seed oysters, the latter with which they seed their oyster planting grounds of about two thousand acres, scattered over the eighteen miles of river front as well as many creeks and estuaries leading from the river. The oyster business is immense, and for eight months of the year affords regular and exceedingly profitable employment to about five hundred men and boys. It is an exhilarating sight to see the oyster fleet on the 15th day of September (the first day of the fall season), repair to the rocks for their annual "catch." The employment of gasoline engines in the oystering boats within the last few years have rendered this business much safer, easy and reliable.