Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1881-11-02

Methods OF a Successful Georgia
Planter.
Cor. New York Times.

Atlanta Cor. New York Times.l
There are a few farmers in the South
who have the same specific and pre-.
else acquaintance with the details Of
their business that the merchant has
with his. Major j. +. Jones, Of Troup
county, in Middle Georgia, is one Of
these. He cultivates a three-mule
farm. and by high farming, cnltivating
thoroughly a small area, he is able to
raise from one TO two bales Of cotton
to the acre. He began farming after
the war on q grand scale, hiring a
large number of negroes, and planting
all the land he owned. In a few
years he had lost all his property and
was $1,000 in debt. He borrowed
money to pay this and began anew, but
on q different principle. Froma twenty
FIVE mule farmer he became a two
mule farmer, made his land produce
all that thorough tillage and high fer
tilization enabled him to get out Of it,
and now, at the end of the fifth year
OF his experience as a small farmer,
he is entirely out Of debt, has improv-
ed his farm aud buildings, and has a
surplus on hand. Last year his cotton
crop yielded nearly a bale and A. half
to the acre, the average yield through-
out the State being, probably, one
bale to three acres. This year he gets
an equally good crop, and
from one plot Of three acres he
secured eight bales-two ard two
thirds bales to the acre. Maj. Jones
estimate Of the cost OF his last yesr's
crop, raised on twenty one acres, Is
made up as follows. The labor EN-
ployed was two boys. To n he paid
$75 a year and board, and to each OF
the other two $40 per year and board.
He hired other help to the amount OF
Sl7. He estimates the cost OF board,
outside of the value Of
services rendered by the boys in
milking and doing extra jobs about
the house at $50 each, or SOS for the
three. For fertilizers he used a ton
and a half Of dissolved bone, costing
$50, composted with cotton seed at the
rate of thirty bushels to the acre,
costing for the whole twenty one
acres $63, a total of Sl5S for manure
For extra labor in picking half the
crop be paid at the rate Of 81 per bale,
amounting to S9S. The Cost of the
crop was therefore sJtOlloWs; Wages,
SIP: board, Sos; manure, $3.50; pick
ing. SOS: total, 1851. He gathered
l4.4O4 pounds Of lint cotton, making
Is bales Of SIS pounds each, which it
had cost him 3 trihe over 3.OTc per
pound to produce. he sold his cotton
at 4 little over 10 cents per pound,
making $i,44S, and leaving a net profit
of S9l7, st the rate Of S43 60 TO the
acre. The hands employed in raising
this cotton aided also in raising 1870
bushels Of wheat, Of which 100
bushels we're sold at 81 25 per
bushel, 300 bushels of corn.
about $500 pounds Of fodder and 500
bushels Of cats. Major Jones says
nothing about the cost Of ginning,
which if done with his own gin at 4
time when the machine could not be
probably engaged in ginning bis
cotton at 81 a bale could
not be reckoned as a very expensive
operation. Three and seven tenths
cents e pound for raising cotton
is an exceptional low price, but Major
Jones is altogether an exceptional
farmer. There are, unfortunately.
very few who believe with him that
a few acres well titled will yield a
greater profit than a large farm half
titled. There are, to be sure, plenty
of two and three mule farms in
Georgia, but instead Of producing
nine bales to the mule, they produce
two or three. The number Of
bales produced BY each plow run on
the farms Of Georgia is estimated
at FIVE. On Major Jones farm it is a
dozen or more. The whole secret Of
successful farming does not lie, then.
in limiting the areas Of cultivation,
for the average farmer, small or large,
is poor. 1t does lie in high, or lnten-
sive farming. Whether one or 100
acres are planted, the rate of profit
depends upon the yield per acre. 1t
is the man who raises two bales Of
where Others raise one who
gets rich. Major Jones is doing an {
excellent missionary work among his I:
leighbors. His success and growing !
wealth are the best witnesses to the !
of his method of farming, and !
are adopting his ways. He is !
bile to refer to several farmers in his !
who now make bigger crops. =
for more money, on two or :
,hree mule farms THAI they formerly ,
made on eighteen or twenty mule |
Their surplus land they have y
or sold in small lots. .