here and there, particularly in Surry and Sussex Counties, and a few scattering families of Lithuanians and Slovenians. All of these people are engaged in agriculture.
The Slavs in this colony have taken up land in many instances long neglected and regarded as “worn-out land” and have turned the places into valuable producing farms. They follow practically the same crop scheme as practiced by the native farmers, their principal crops being peanuts, corn, and tobacco. Over 90 per cent are proprietors and operate their own farms. Although they compose less than 3 per cent of the total rural population of the south-side counties, and not more than 15 per cent of that of Prince George County, their presence is easily noticed.
SLAVS IN PRINCE GEORGE COUNTY.
In Prince George County, which alone has about 1,200 Slavs, of which possibly 40 per cent are Bohemians and the rest Slovaks, the largest foreign population of any of the counties in the group, is found the highest percentage of improved land. This is true in face of the fact that no more than 69 per cent of the total land area of the county is in farm lands. For instance, the improved farm lands compose just a little over 48 per cent of the county’s total farm area, while in none of the other south-side counties does the proportion exceed 38 per cent. It is also interesting to note in this connection that the population per square mile is only 27, the total population in 1910 being less than 8,000, of which 58 per cent were negroes.
In this same county more than half of the Slavish males of voting age are fully naturalized, while a large percentage of the other half hold first papers. No record of a criminal prosecution having been brought against a Slav exists in Prince George County, and only one or two minor judgments have been docketed against members of the colony.
Illiteracy among males of voting age in the county was reported by the Thirteenth Census of the United States to be higher among the native-born whites than among the Slavish foreign born, the percentage being 7.1 for the former and only 5 for the foreign-born Slavs. This is significant in view of the predominancy of Slovaks in the county. Illiteracy among the negroes was reported at higher than 46 per cent.
This same report shows that of the total number of children in the county 6 to 14 years old, inclusive, only about 65 per cent attend school. Of the Slavish children, however, 74 per cent attend the public schools as compared with 73 per cent of the native white children of native parentage. Only 60 per cent of the negro children are in school. In addition to this, the public-school teachers in the county report that the Slavish children exhibit a more marked tendency to advance than any other group of children in the schools.
Another unusual feature found among the Slavs in Prince George County is the predominancy of protestantism. Considering the large number of Slovaks this is extremely interesting. There are three Protestant congregations in the county and only one Roman Catholic. The latter has possibly no more than 250 adherents, while the combined Protestant congregations include about 800 persons. Among
