Eastern North Carolina Encyclopedia/Jones County
JONES COUNTY
Jones County is located in Eastern North Carolina. The Atlantic is only 35 miles away and the Gulf Stream only 75 miles. Think what this means to our climate! The average annual mean temperature for 33 years has been 62 degrees. January, the coldest month, has had an annual mean temperature of 46 degrees and July, the hottest month, an average of 79 degrees. The annual precipitation for the county averages 50 inches. The largest monthly amount, 7.5 inches, occurs in July and the least, 2.62 inches comes in November. The rainfall is heaviest in summer when crops need it most, with 21 inches from June to August, and the least in autumn, with 11.5 inches from September to November.
The annual average number of days with 0.01 inches or more precipitation is 109. The average annual snowfall is four inches. Some winters pass without snow, and the heaviest amounts received seldom remain on the ground more than one or two days.
The growing seasons are long. The average date of the first killing frost is November 6th, and the earliest date on record is October 10th. Some years there is very little frost before Christmas. The average date of the latest killing frost in the spring is April 3rd, and the latest date of killing frost has been April 26th.
The chief industry of the county is farming, although there are several cotton gins and lumber mills. In the forests of the county there are millions of feet of virgin hard and soft wood timber. Another natural resource is marl. It is estimated that there is 100 million tons in one body that analyzes from 90 to 95 per cent calcium carbonate and some of this has a trace of phosphate. There is another 100 million tons that is suitable for making concrete and suitable clay can be found nearby for mixing with it. Practically every farmer has his marl bed and uses this marl for liming the soil.
The two banks of the county do a good business and lend their assistance to the development of the county. Good schools are maintained. The tax rate is low, being only a 1.15 rate for the county. The public roads are well maintained and a concrete road runs through the county affording easy access to the markets for farm produce.
The land is fertile. It will produce more corn and better corn than the high priced lands of Iowa. It is well suited to the production of high quality tobacco, cotton, peanuts and hay. It will produce truck of all kinds in abundance. It is within 600 miles of 60 per cent of the entire population of the United States. Its products can be marketed in New York, Philadelphia or Baltimore.
Jones County is peculiarly fitted for the breeding and raising of live stock of all kinds. Grazing can be had practically the year round. No expensive housing is needed for the stock. Its natural pasturage and its excellent climate make of it the ideal dairying, sheep, hog and cattle raising section of America.
The fields, forests and streams abound in game and game fish. Deer, wild turkey, geese and duck are plentiful. In the spring our streams are full of shad and good fishing can be had the entire year.
Farm where there is a 12-month growing season and where you don't have to "put all of your eggs in one basket." Farmers in North Carolina, especially in Jones County where crops grow twelve months in the year do not have to depend entirely upon the proceeds of one crop or one season, to make money. Should one crop be short, or through over production fail to bring a good return on the market, there are always crops of the other seasons to fall back on.
Spring, summer, autumn, winter, the farmers of Jones County can grow something as a money crop. Orchard fruits, fall, winter and spring vegetables, summer staple crops, live stock, dairying, poultry, bees, etc., form a year-'round agricultural program