The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1873-01-03
THE COBB COUNTY DISPLAY AT
THE LATE STATE FAIR.

monthly puuiisheu III hIaH." WIZ
of the most liberal support from the
farming interest generally, but es
pecialIy of North Georgia, has, for
its leading article in the January
Number the following on the BAN
ner County:
TO the Editor Of the Plantation:
The State Agricultural Society,
at its recent Fair, offered premi-
um Of $500 in gold, to the County
making an exhibition Of the greatest
variety of the products Of the farm,
garden, Of manufactures, minerals
and household industry.
The object of the Society in offer.
ing this premium, was to encourage
and stimulate diversifcation Of in
dustry. While cotton in its varied
uses is, perhaps, the most useful
product of the soil 10 any country
or climate, its ex elusive cultivation
has made it, to us, rather an injury
than blessing. This devotion TO
a single agricultural product has
been an hereditary error with the
people Of Georgia. 1t began with
our Colonial History. The Georgia
Trustees, by large premiums, Undue
ed the colonists to make and ex-
port silk, while they imported meat
and breadstuff from the mother coun-
try. A Filature was built in Savan-
nah before there was decent barn
in the colony. As necessary re-
suit, silk raising was a failure
This failure was attributed to the
climate, whereas it should have oeen
attributed to the scarcity and high
price Of provisions. The publica-
ton Of the correspondence on this
subject, of Mr. tIabersham and other
colonists with the Trustees, brought
over from London by the writer in
1888, under appointment Of the
Legislature, would make pieco of
curious agricultural history. The
Trustees thought of making Eng
land independent on Italian silk,
but did not think wisely Of the pros
pcrity of the colony.
After the failure Of the silk, indi-
20 was selected as substitute. No
country can DO permanently prospe-
roas which imports provisions
The remains of the indigo plaLta-
lions and the original mulberry trees
can still lie found in the vicinity Of
Savannah.
To certain extent, the same ru
nous process has been repeated in
regard to cotton. Where it has
been exclusively cultivated, it has
been a scourge Of the State. Witt
ness tho excoriated surface of large
portions Of the cotton belt. 1t seems
almost incredible that, fifty years
ago, the foot of man sunk over his
shoes in the deep loan and his pro-
grecs was impedcd by the tangled
pea>vines and rich weeds, where
now gullies and broom sedgc and
briers offend the eye of the observ-
er.
The large premium offered by the
Society had two fold purpose. =
First, and chiefly, to direct attention
to the Importance of pursuing di-
versiied agriculture, as being essen
tial to the permanent prosperity of
farmer, or a county, or State
Secondly, to exhibit to the world
the, extraordinary capacity Of
the soil and climate Of Georgia to
produce whatever is of agricultural
or mineral importance to mankind.
This capacity is, perhaps, else
where unequaled. There is not a
metal of material Importance, which
is moi found in workable quantities
in her mountains, except platinum
and tin. There is not plant of
agricultural or commercial value,
which cannot be raised within the
limits of the State, except coffee
Her agricultural products range
from the olive, orange and banana,
to the grasses of the higher la,i-
tudes.
Most nobly has Cobb county met
the views Of the Society by her dis
play at the late Fair This afilu
ence Of product was the more unex~
pected because it was so little in
accordance with the estimate origin
ally placed upon the capacity of
that county.
The writer, as old age is garru
lous, may be INDUCED in little
good-humored "Reminiscences. He
has been familiar with Cobb county
since January 1910, three months
after the Cherokees wero removed
from it. At that time there was
a spirited contest between Cass and
Cobb counties, as to which should
secure the greatest number of val
liable settlers from the lower coun-
try. Cobb had somewhat the adj
vantage, as the movers had to pass
through it to reach Cass. The cit
liens of Cobb confessed that the
lands of Cass were very rich, but
they said TO the movers, What Is
the use Of rich land, if you shake
with the ague upon it 7 This slur
upon their county nettled the Cass
people. The more especially as the