THE FARMING AREAS 



North, west, and south of the coal fields lie the 

 farming areas. Here cropland and pasture are inter- 

 spersed with woodland. Along the ridges and steeper 

 slopes, where thin soils have discouraged agriculture, 

 are more extensive forest tracts (fig. 31). In contrast 

 to the sparsely stocked forest land of the coal fields, 

 much of the woodland in the farming area is in good 

 condition. Small amounts of virgin timber and much 

 well stocked second growth are to be found here. 



The flat country of Dauphin and Lebanon Counties 

 and many of the valleys in the central part of the 

 region contains high-grade farm land. Here general 

 farming predominates. The bulk of the farm income 

 is derived from grain, poultry, eggs, livestock, and in a 

 lesser degree from vegetables. In the northern coun- 

 ties, where the land is not so well suited to crops, the 

 emphasis is on dairy farming. Timber also is an 

 important source of income in these counties. 



Industrial towns in the north are few and small, and 



the population is almost entirely rural. Farther south, 

 industry is more important, and the greater propor- 

 tion of the population is urban. Metal and textile 

 manufacture predominate. Most of the industrial 

 population is located along the Susquehanna River, 

 with the heaviest concentration in the neighborhood 

 of Harrisburg. There are also industrial centers in 

 Lebanon County and in the Blue Mountain Valley. 

 Unemployment has at no time been a really serious 

 problem in the farming areas, and is not likely to 

 become so in the future. On the other hand, to how 

 great a degree the farming areas can help solve the 

 problem in the coal fields is not certain. Agriculture 

 is about as highly developed as the quality of the land 

 and the size of the available markets warrant. Further 

 industrial development, however, is possible. And 

 the large acreage in forest land indicates that develop- 

 ment of the forests in this area could contribute to the 

 economic stabilization of the resrion. 









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42 



Figure 31. — The farming area includes forested ridges adjacent to the agricultural valleys. 



Miscellaneous Publication 648, U. S. Department of Agriculture 



