Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-11-21
Atlanta Correspordence Ne.o York TIn.es.

AtlGnta Correspondence Neso York Times.
Hardly any part of the South has been more
highly favored by nature than Southeastern
and Southwestern Georgia. These two divis-
ions together include the coast counties and
the Southern tier to the Alabama line. The
products of this fertile section are exhibited
here by the Savannah, Florida and western
Railway, whose lines traverse lower Georgia,
bringing to the coast the vast quantities of
cotton, lumber. naval stores. fruits and
wool which are annually shipped to the
North .and across the Atlantic from
The region is an interesting one. for, rich as it
has already made some of its settlers, its his
tory is still in the future. In this respect it is
typical of the whole South. 1t is thinly popu-
dense population, and still poor, though
abounding in undeveloped sources OF wealth
The great rice-producing section OF the State
is included in the territory Represented by the
Savannah, Florida and Western exhibit On
the wide and fertile bottoms of the Savannah,
the Ogeechee. the Altamaha, and the Satila,
rice is almost the sole crop, and,
with fair cultivation, forty bushels to
the acre is an average yield. The ia
nous sea island cotton, highly priced for its
silky texture and length of staple, is also one
of the chief products OF the sea counties. But
the cotton fields and the forests OF South Geor-
gia furnish the bulk of the merchandise for
the export trade, coastwise or foreign. The
Savannah Florida and Western alone carries
10000 bales of cotton into Savannah every
year mostly picked up from the small farmers
along the line of its road. There is more in
dependence among the farmers of Southern
Georgia than among those of the northern part
of the State. There are more men who own
their farms, and what is quite as well worthy
Of note, who own their cotton when it is
grown and are not forced to dispose of it to
the factor in payment for supplies bought on
credit.
OF lumber, the supply is most frequently
spoken of as boundless, which means that it
has at present no visible limits. The yellow pine
shipments alone are sufficient to form very re-
spectacle basis for the commerce of Georgia s
ports. OF this valuable building lumber South
ern Georgia is the home and the principal
source whence the millions of feet annually
used in the North are drawn. These pine lands
are too extensive to be reckoned in acres
The possessions of single owners even are
often counted in square miles, But the steam
saw-mill is at work reducing the area of the
forests wherever by rail or stream the lumber
can be got to the coast. Some OF the mills
begin by building from five to fifteen miles of
railroad to carry the sawed timber TO the near,
est railway station. This makes the saw-mill
plant somewhat costly. but the lands are
cheap, the timber plentiful and the market
always calling for more at rates which soon
repay for all the outlay. Georgia pine timber,
worth from S8 to $40 per thousand here, when
sawed into 21f-inch flooring and sent to New
York, is worth S35 per thousand. There are
several large mills saving out hundred thou
ones constantly at work in the pine forests.
The amount sawed out in the year 1880 is esti-
mated at 300,000,000 feet, worth at market
prices S. 900 000 The average is about 800 or
900 feet to the tree. Nine large mills, saving
33 600 feet per day and 65 000 600 feet per year,
exhausts in one year 900 acres. AT this rate,
the history of the forests Of Wisconsin will
soon be repeated in Georgia The easily ac
cessibIe timber will be cut off, and increasing
prices will mark the diminishing supply.
The grown children of the present
generation will blame the greed and short
sightedness of their ancestors probably,
hut the Telling of the forests is. after
all, not vandalism, nor is it process that can
long be stayed. South Georgia is too fertile an
agricultural region to remain wilderness,
and as population increases the land which,
with the timber on it, has been rated at from
81 so to SO per acre, WILL when cleared and
under cultivation, come to be worth IS and
$40. The lumbermeR cut only the largest
trees, leaving those not profitable for saving
to the coming settler. The Savannah, Florida
and Western Railroad passes through the
heart of Pierce county. In 1870 only 10 per
cent. of the tiIlable land of the county was
cleared. During the years while the lumber
was being cut off the roads freights from
Pierce county were naturally large But, con-
trary to the expectation OF the managers aad
agents, their freight business increased instead
of falling off after the saw mills had done
their work. The conversion of the county into
a farming region and the coming of settlers
upon the cleared lands have made it one of the
most productive counties in Southeast Georgia.
One of the most curious exhibits on the
grounds is the turpentihe still OF the Savannah,
Florida and Western Railway. To Mr.. @. D.
Owens, the General Agent of this road, was in
trusted the task of collecting and arranging its
exhibit He Stirred fever of competition in
the blood of the South GeoFgians by cleVerly
worded circular and the offer to bring to At
lanta and return free of cost all articles which
they were willing to send to the Exposition. The
acceptances of the offer all along the line. from
Savannah to the terminus of the line in the
southwestern corner of the State, we're nume-
rous enough to give f1rst-rate representation
of the products of that part of Georgia The
turpentine still was the last touch, and leaves
scarcely anything to be desired. Except that
the little square building is made of sawed
timbers and boards instead of pine poles, this
still is the image of those that are to be seen
scattered through the pine woods OF all Lower
Georgia and North Carolina. The whole pro-
cess is shown. from the boxing" Of the trees
to the making of the turpentine. To box" a
tree 'tar heel, " or "cracker" woodsman cuts
a deep notch in one of the sides, and fashions
the notch into a sort of cup, large enough to
hold a quart. Above this he hews away the
bark and a little of the wood of the tree for ten
feet, exposing a surface, from which the pitch
oOzes and trickles in its deliberate fashion into
the box, whence it is dipped out to be carried
in buckets to the still, there to be converted in
to turpentine and rosin. Boxing" is a destruc-
tive practice as regards the trees, but pitch,
turpentiDe and roSin must be had to supply the
worlds demand. The annual product Of Geor-
tine and 100000 barrels of rosin worth
together S3,00O.0O0. The production of naval
stores is diminishing in North Carolina, Will
mingtons shipments having fallen off ID per
cent from 1879 to 1880, while Georgias trade
is on the increase, Savannah shipping i8 per
cent more spirits of turpentine and % per
cent more of rosin in 1880 than in 1879, and
Brunswick's shipments showing an increase Of
55 per cent. in turpentine and IS per cent in
rosin. Beside the still, splendid pine, 100
feet long, and straight as an arrow, brought
from the South Georgia forests, has been
erected, serving both as an exhibit and as q
flag pole Inside the wing of the main build
ing. the Savannah, Florida and Western ex-
hibit is both extensive and interesting. About
100 varieties OF building and cabinet woods are
shown, some OF them exceedingly beautiful.
like the curled pine, holly, magnolia, etc. OF
fine fruits in the form Of preserves, grape
wines and brandies, cereals vegetables, etc.
there are varieties enough to well illustrate the
varied culture OF the highly productive region
attract the attention OF men from the North or
elsewhere looking for good place to settle IN
the South. BY way of counterhla@- satti,c,
tae IN leruilty oA 10. DuundIess West against that
=, OIe new South, the Atchison, Topeka and
Santa Fe Road make an elaborate exhibit Of
Kansas productions. arranged in a picturesque
fashion, and giving one a good idea of what
can be done with cereal crops in Kansas Fine
as this exhibit is, however it will not be likely
to draw many immigrants to Kansas from the
South
Sheep husbandry at the South is a business
about which great deal has been said, and in
which very little has been DONE There NAV
be some truth in the theory that Southern
people are inclined to look with displeasure
upon the encroachment Of the sheep with its
fleece upon the exclusive domain Of their King
Cotton. This has been held to account for John
Randolph's dislike of the eminently respect
able animal, which was so violent that he
declared himself willing to go out of his way
mile at any time ito kick a sheep" There can
be no doubt that the South is the true home of
sheep husbandry in this country. There are
10 600 900 acres Of land in Georgia which would
afford excellent pasturage for sheep. The
native wire-grass affords excellent feed in
summer, aud there is green underground in
winter upon which flock would thrive, with
occasional extra feeding. Bermuda grass,
also fine hearty feed, whether in the pasture
Or as hay, grows luxuriantly in ali Southern
Georgia. The difference in the expense of
sheep keeping North and South is sufficient
10 give the Southern wool grower an advantage
as great as that enjoyed by the Southern cot
curing grass, building barns for storing
the hay, and sheds to shelter the sheen Ia saved
Ia country where the fioclgs get a good LIVING
In the pasture all winter. where the range OF
temperature is from 80 degrees to 81 degrees,
with mean annual temperaotIre of 81 degrees,
and where snow does not fall ia quantities
sufficient to cover the ground oftener than
once in twenty years. The sheep IS hardy
animal. flock will survive the rigors or
even the New England winter, unhoused and
lncared for, if they can get among the spruces
Of thiekly wooded ridge. In South Georgia
winter has no terrors for the herdsman. It is
n the wear ia Maine, New Hampshire and
With partial feeding month and
baIf more. In Ohio and Pennsylvania the
feeding time is about a month shorter In
Southern Georgia partial feeding is required
Duiy during December and January, and full
.eedino only in case of severe storms Fed