CHARITY — FINANCE, DEFENCE— PRODUCTION, ETC. 443

two normal schools, agricultural and mechanical colleges, and at Newark, Delaware College, founded in 1834, having in 1909, 23 professors and 184 students. A college for coloured students at Dover has 6 i^rofessors and 136 students.

Charity.— The state has an hospital and an industrial school for girls. It Grants assistance to indigent soldiers and sailors, and contributes to instttutions for the support and training of the deaf, dumb, and blind outside

the State. ^ , , ■, . . . i , ^

In 1904 tnere were in the State five private and 11 ecclesiastical benevol- ent institutions to which 1,198 inmates were admitted, the number remain- ing at the end of the year being 590. . . ^i

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 versa. There is a penalty for bringing paupers into a county. On January 1, 1905, the almshouses had 292 pauper inmates (229 white and 63 coloured^.

Finance, Defence— For the year 1912 the aggregate receipts and

disbursements of the State General Fund were :—

1912 Dollars.

Balance in January, 1912 . . . . 49,986

Receipts in 1912 843,571

Total 893,557

Disbursements in 1912 .... 801,210

Balance January, 1913 .... 92,347

On January 14, 1913, the outstanding debt amounted to 826,785 dollars. The assessed valuation of property in the State (1903) was 76,000,000 dollars. The value of all property in the State in 1904 was estimated at :—

Dollars

Real property 134,431,240

Personal 95,829.736

Total .... 230,260,976

In 1909 the militia or National Guard, with its headquarters at Wilming- ton, consisted of one regiment of infantry of 40 officers and 361 men.

Production and Industry.— Delaware is mainly an agricultural state, 85 percent, of the land being in farms, which in 1910 had a total area of 1,038,866 acres, 713,538 acres being improved land. The chief crops are maize and wheat, but fruit and tomato-growing are important. About 16,000 acres are devoted to tomatoes. Stock raising is of minor importance.

The State has oyster and other fisheries which are receiving increasing

attention. . . xi ^ i. i ■ i

The mineral resources of Delaware are not extensive ; the total mineral

output in 1911 was valued at 491,657 dollars. o 4. •

The capital invested in manufacturing industries m the State in 1910