520 UNITED STATES : — DELAWARE
The most numerous denominations of the State are, Methodist, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Episcopalian, and Baptist.
The State has free public schools and compulsory school attendance, separate schools being provided for white and coloured children. In 1919-20, the 44 6 public schools had 961 teachers and 37,135 enrolled pupils. The 26 hiftb schools had 173 teachers and 3, 045 pupils. Total expenditure for school purposes, 1,738,884 dollars. The State has two normal schools, agri- cultural and mechanical colleges and at Newark, Delaware College, founded in 1834, having, in 1919, 52 professors and 296 students. A college for coloured students at Dover has 6 professors and 136 students.
Charity. — The State has a hospital and an industrial school for girls. It grants, assistance to indigent soldiers and sailors, and to widows with children of school age, and contributes to institutions for the support and training of the deaf, dumb, and blind outside the State. An institution for the care of the feeble-minded is being erected in the State.
In each county the sole charge of the poor and of almshouses is in the hands of trustees of the poor. They appoint the overseer of their almshouse, who must provide employment for the inmates. County liability for support of paupers is determined by settlement, which is obtained in various ways (by the applicant having held public office for a year, having paid poor taxes for any two years, having paid a rent of at least 50 dollars for a year, &c. ). Parents and grand-parents are liable for support of pauper children, and vice versd. There is a penalty for bringing paupers into a county.
Finance. — For the year ending January 13, 1921, the receipts and
disbursements of the State General Fund were : —
Dollars Cash in hand, January 12, 1920 . . 207,616
Receipts 1920-21 .... 885,130
Total 1,092,746
Expenditure, 1920-21 . . . 992,890
Cash in hand January 13, 1921 . 99,856
On January 13, 1920, the outstanding debt amounted to 2,066,785 dollars.
Production and Industry. — Delaware is mainly an agricultural State, 85 per cent, of the land being in farms, which in 1920 numbered 10,140. and had a total area of 944,511 acres, 653,052 acres being improved land. The total value of all farm property was 80,137,614 dollars. The chief crops are maize and wheat, but fruit and tomato-growing are important. About 16,000 acres are devoted to tomatoes. Delaware stands second in the States of the Union in the quantity of tomatoes packed, On January 1, 1921, the State had 33,000 horses, 6,000 mules, 8,000 sheep, 68,000 pigs, 45,000 milch cows, and 22,000 other cattle. The wool clip in 1919 yielded 31,000 pounds.
The State has oyster and other fisheries which are receiving increasing attention.
The mineral resources of Delaware are not extensive.
The capital invested in manufacturing industries in the State in 1910 amounted to 60,906,000 dollars ; the persons employed (owners, firm members,
