DELAWARE, a State in the South Atlantic Division of the North American Union; bounded by Pennsylvania, Dela ware river and bay, the Atlantic Ocean, and Maryland; area, 2,050 square miles; one of the original 13 States; number of counties, 3; pop. (1890) 168,493; (1900) 184,735; (1910) 202,322; (1920) 223,003; capital, Dover.
Topography.—Delaware lies on a level plain, the highest elevation being less than 300 feet above the sea. The N. part is hilly, with a rolling surface, but below Newcastle the ground is flat and sandy and in some parts swampy. A ridge about 70 feet in altitude extends along the W. boundary of the State and is the watershed for the affluents of the Dela ware in the E. and of several streams falling into Chesapeake Bay. The prin cipal streams are the Christiana and the Brandywine rivers. The Christiana is navigable for large steamers as far as Wilmington. The coast of Delaware Bay is marshy; the Atlantic coast has many sand beaches, inclosing shallow lagoons. The largest of these are Rehoboth Bay, Indian River Bay, and a portion of St. Martin's Bay. The only harbors of 'con sequence are Wilmington, Lewes, and Newcastle.
Mineralogy and Geology.—Geologically, the State is divided into three divisions, the cretaceous in the N.; tertiary in the Central, and post-tertiary or alluvial in the S. Bog iron ore, found in all the swamps, shell marl in the greensand region, and kaolin or porcelain clay, are abundant.
Soil.—For eight or ten miles inland from Delaware Bay the soil is for the most part a rich clayey loom; but W. of this it is light and sandy, and productive when well fertilized. The swamps where reclaimed are also very productive. In them are extensive forests of cypresses and other evergreen trees, and shrubs of a semi-tropical character, as well as bog oak, hackmatack, etc. The remainder of the State has been cleared of its forests and is under cultivation.
Agriculture.—The State is highly agri cultural, ten-thirteenths of its entire area being under cultivation. It is pre-emi nently a fruit-growing region, peaches, apples, pears, quinces and other small fruits are extensively raised, and the an nual peach crop alone averages 4,000,000 baskets. The acreage, production, and
value of the principal crops in 1919 was as follows: corn, 230,000 acres, produc tion 6,900,000 bushels, valued at $10,005, 000; wheat, 145,000 acres, production 1,740,000 bushels, valued at $3,706,000; potatoes, 11,000 acres, production 915,000 bushels, valued at $1,141,000; sweet po tatoes, 7,000 acres, production 966,000 bushels, valued at $1,063,000; hay, 82,000 acres, production 105,000 tons, valued at $2,730,000.
Manufactures. — Delaware has exten sive manufactures. In 1914 there were 808 manufacturing establishments in the State. The average number of wage earners was 22,105, and the capital in vested amounted to $69,320,000. There was paid in wages $11,382,000. The value of the materials used was $31,649, 000, with the finished product valued at $56,035,000.
Banking.—In 1919 there were 19 Na tional banks in operation, having $1,429, 000 capital, $885,256 in outstanding cir culation, and $1,327,750 in reserve. There were also 5 State banks, with $620,000 capital, $8,833,000 in deposits and $10,847,000 in resources.
Education.—The total enrolment in the public schools in 1919 was 37,440, with an average enrolment of 30,024, and an average attendance of 28,216. There were about 1,120 teachers employed, re ceiving an average annual salary of $662.10. The educational conditions in the State have for many years been un satisfactory, but in 1919 there was passed and approved an elaborate school code providing for county and district ad ministrative machinery, and making rad ical reforms and changes in the conduct of the schools. This code resulted from a study of a school survey commission appointed in 1917.
Churches.—The strongest denomina tions numerically in the State are the Methodist Episcopal, Roman Catholic, Protestant Episcopal, Lutheran, Baptist, and Presbyterian.