From 1909 to 1924 West Virginia held first place among the States in the production of natural gas, but in 1924 dropped to third place, being passed by Oklahoma and California. The gradual decrease in production is revealed by contrasting the 244,004,000,00o cu.ft. produced in 1915 with 100,653,000,00o cu.ft. produced in 1933. In 1934, cu.ft. were con sumed in West Virginia and the remainder in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Kentucky and Maryland to which it was transported by under ground pipe lines. A large share was used in the production of gasolene. In 1934 there were 90 plants which produced 41,854,000 gal. valued at $1,598,000. There were also 3 plants producing carbon black from natural gas, the output of which was 578,00o pounds in 1929.
Between 188o and 1910 West Virginia was one of the leading petroleum producing States of the Union. The peak of production was reached in the year 1900 when the State ranked second in output. Production then began to decline. From 1926 to 1930 the annual average was 5,655,000bbl. ; in 1935 it amounted to 3,903,000 barrels. The rank in 1935 was 23rd; activity continued, nevertheless.
In 1934 there were III stone quarrying plants producing 2,106,130 short tons of stone valued at $1,912,766. Of this 1,731,330 tons were limestone and 374,800 tons were sandstone. Much limestone was also used for burning lime. West Virginia is also the centre of the sand supply for its own 42 glass plants (in 1935), as well as those in eastern Ohio and western Pennsyl vania. Sand used for this purpose in 1934 amounted to 424,651 short tons, valued at $784,308. Other sand and gravel valued at $362,956 was used for building and road-paving purposes. Salt fields on the Gauley river, on the Kanawha from Kanawha falls to Pt. Pleasant and up the Ohio river to Pomeroy Bend are still active and use the evaporative process. Iron deposits in Hampshire, Hardy and Grant counties may be valuable.
For a long period after settlement agriculture was backward in West Virginia. Pioneer conditions lasted longer in the mountains, transportation was poor, and the hills and streams discouraged all but a limited and patchy cultivation of crops. Farmers passed the State by for the more level fields of the prairie west. After 1880 development was constant until about 1910. The World War and the prosperous years of the late 1920's were responsible for temporary increases in activity and production, but subsequent periods of low prices caused hardship. Between 1930 and 1935 there was an increase of 112,805 in farm population; an increase in area of farm land amounting to 622,000ac., a decrease of $104, 332,000 in farm property value; a decrease of $24,960,000 in value of farm live stock. Counties with the greatest farm property value in 1935 were : Harrison, Greenbrier, Kanawha, Berkeley, Mason, Jefferson, Preston, Mercer, Wood, Jackson, Roane, Randolph.
The acreage of important crops in 1935 was as follows: tame hay, 632,000; Indian corn, 572,000; oats, 69,00o; wheat, 149,00o; potatoes, 37,000; wild hay, rye, 1I,000; tobacco, 2,400. The total value of important crops was in 1935 as follows : tame hay, Indian corn, $11,451,000; potatoes, $2,202,000; oats, $679,00o; wheat, $2,146,000; tobacco, $273,000; wild hay, $90,000; sweet potatoes, $205,156 and rye, $95,000. Besides field crops there are orchard crops valued annually from $4,000. 000 to $7,000,000. Fruit is raised chiefly in the eastern and northern Panhandles. The leading apple counties in 1935 were Berkeley, Hampshire, Jefferson and Morgan. Tobacco is cul tivated mainly in the south-west near the Kentucky border. The other crops are well distributed.
A large share of the crop of the State is fed to the live stock. An incentive to live stock raising is the large amount of excellent pasture land on the hillsides or in the stream bottoms. Water for the animals is everywhere abundant. In 1935 there was a total of 1,513,000 animals, valued at $29,584,000, a decrease in valua tion of $24,960,000 since 1935. There were 618,00o cattle (299, 000 of them milch cows), 98,000 horses, 588,000 sheep, 197,000 swine and 12,000 mules. Chickens in 1935 were valued at 435. About 5,000,000 are raised annually.