The Bulletin 9 



Railway from Washington to xVtlanta and the Seaboard Air Line from 

 Wilmington to Rutherfordton pass through the county. The jSTorfolk 

 Southern enters the county from the east and the Piedmont Northern, 

 a traction line, enters from the west. 



In 1884 the building of macadam roads was begun, and now there are 

 more than 225 miles of Avell-graded and macadamized roads within its 

 borders. It has been one of the foremost counties in the good roads 

 movement in the South. Most of these roads radiate from Charlotte 

 and traverse all sections of the county. In some instances, cross links 

 have been constructed. 



TOWNS 



Charlotte, the county-seat of Mecklenburg County, had a population 

 of 34,104, according to the 1910 census, but the growth of this city has 

 been rapid in the last five years and it now probably has a population 

 around 50,000. Davidson, Huntersville, Cornelius, Pineville, and Mat- 

 thews are towns having a population from 500 to 1,500. 



The county is well supplied with good schoolhouses and many fine 

 churches. A large number of beautiful country homes are seen. Rural 

 free delivery covers all parts of the county thoroughly and telephone 

 lines connect nearly every home with the city of Charlotte and the out- 

 side world. 



Charlotte is the general market for the products of the farm. Cotton 

 finds a ready sale here and at the various cotton mills throughout the 

 county. There is a great demand by the residents of Charlotte and 

 those living in the smaller towns for butter, milk, eggs, chickens, fruits, 

 and the general market garden products. The demand for these products 

 far exceeds the supply, and excellent opportunities are offered to those 

 who would engage in truck farming, dairying, or poultry raising. 



CLIMATE 



The Weather Bureau has a station located in Charlotte, from the 

 records of which the data given in the appended table have been com- 

 piled. An examination of these records Avill reveal the fact that the 

 rainfall, ranging from 35 to 68 inches annually, is ample and is well 

 distributed throughout the year. There need never be a crop failure on 

 account of inadequate rainfall if conditions continue as favorable in the 

 future as they have in the past. The range in temperature is from 

 102° F. on the hottest day to — 5° F. for the coldest winter day, with 

 an annual mean temperature of 60° F. The spring and fall months are 

 ahnost ideal for farm work, while the summers are not excessively hot 

 nor the winters extremely cold. 



The average date of the last killing fi'ost in the spring is April 1, and 

 of the first in the fall is November 4. This gives a growing season of 

 about 215 days — a sufficiently long time for the production of a ^x\de 

 range of crops. 



