Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-09-01
s,vannab,s Trade and Prospects.

indulge in a few remarks relative 10 tue
uture. The season was prosperous one
n the South-particularly in this section
# the South. The largest cotton crop /
ever produced was successfully harvested
and marketed. At the same time 'he
farmers and planters in many localltles 4
raised enough corn and bacon to supply /
-t.eir immediate wants. In fact, there +
vas a surplus of corn. and quite I
a large amount was shipped |
North. shipping grain North Is /
something new in the south, and IS there |
fore worthy Of especial notice. 1t proves
that the South i no longer entirely de-
pendent upon the North and West for her
food supplies. It shows. also, that our
farmers and planters are beginning TO ap-
Dreciate the advantages of diversified
farming. The "all cotton policy has
lost favor in their ewes. Nothing has
done 50 much 10 lift them out Of debt, as
the plan Of planting a part Of their land in
corn and other crops that furnish food
supplies. If their cotton crop fails they
are not forced to borrow of their mer-
chants. while they raise another
crop. They are comparatively
INDEPENDENT having meat and
bread of their own raising. There is no
occasion for hoping that this policy of
diversified planting will be continued.
II recommends IJseH 100 strongly 10 ne
abandoned. 1t i not improbable that the
time IS not far distant when the South
will not be a customer for the food
products of the West. In this section
of Georgia. and IN Florida. cotton
Is not the only agricultural product that
commands attention. Truck and fruits Of
various kinds are raised in such quanti-
ties as to suggest the inquiry whether
truck farming and fruit culture viii not
eventually contest with cotton for the
supRemacy. Florida vegetables ana
Georgia melons are as well
known in the great markets Of
the North as Georgia and Florida cotton.
1t is remarkable with what rapidity this
truck and fruit industry has grown. It is
not very many years since such thing
as sending cargo of melons or ve@eta-
bles from this section to New York was
uuheard Of Vow great steamers in the
season are engaged in transporting these
products. The truck farmers are fully as
prosperous as the cotton planters. In
deed. il is not certain that they are not
more prosperous. Land that was thought
to be worth little or nothing. on account
of its sandy nature. has been found TO he
exceedingly productive under proper
cultivation. This truck and fruit bust
:. cg,7v fra inf. 4
the great cities of the North.
and West eroW, it will
grow. The truck season is
destined to become rs fully recognized
here in Savannah as the naval stores, rice
and cotton seasons. The products Of the
truck farms and orchards are certain to
occupy a larger place in our eX-
ports. and add to our CONNER
cial Importance every year. Cotton,
however. still continues to he the chief
source Of our commercial activity. We
cannot view the results Of last years
business with entire satisfaction. because
we did not handle As much Of the great
crop as we ought. We do not view
the situation. however. with the same
feelings which we would if we thought
our cotton business was slipping away
from us. We know why we did not get
our fun share of the crop. and the belief
that we can remove the distractions
which Ungnr 10 have rUIf1e mere. leads us
to expect that the figures viii be far
more favorable to us at the close
of the present season. The crop now be-
ing harvested promises to be as large as
that of last season. 1t is true that very
unfavOrable reports have been received.
Drought. worms. caterpillars and rust
have done great damage. We
must. however. remember that the
acreage is much greater than
any previous year, and that the
increased area may offset whatever loss
there may be from the causes mentioned.
If this proves to be the case planters
need hardly expect that prices will rule
much higher than at present. However.
they need not be alarmed on that ac-
count. Corn and bacon are cheap.
and are likely to remain SO. The
home production of food crops is
more abundant than ever and. besides,
prices of cotton goods will be low if
cotton is low. TIE outlook for the
farmers, therefore, is not depressing.
even if the yield of cotton is not up to the
average and the price of it does not 90
above what it is at present.
Turning from cotton to naval stores,
very attractive exhibit is presented. The
progress of Savannah in this branch Of
her trade is highly satisfactory. a dozen
years ago no one would have been so rash
as to predict that this city would,
in comparatively short time, take
the first place in the world
in this trade. During the season of
1s74-75 she received only 800 barrels Of
turpentine and 41.707- barrels of rOsin.
For the season just closed her receipts
were I16,121 barrels of turpentine and
43O.J43 barrels of rOsin. The increase in
nine years is remarkable. The increase
last year was 80 per cent. in turpen-
tine and 20 per cent. in rOSin.
Only Mobile showed an increase worth
noticing. Wilmington and Brunswick /
suffered quite a decrease. When it is taken
into consideration that there are hundreds (
Of thousands of acres OF untouched pine
forests in the territory tributary to this
city, and that the naval stores indus Z
try in our territory is yearly be- I
more systematized. Savan-
nah's PROJECTS with respect to this .
trade are indeed promising. The trade
mas one great advantage for the city that .
ought not to be overlooked. 1t is at its
height in the summer when the busy cot
ION season is over. With cotton and naval
stores, therefore, our labOrlng people .
and our capital are employed all .
the wear round. No doubt .
all lines of business are more prosperous /
because we DOW have no dull season.
Last wear our wholesale grocery houses +
sold $40, O00000 worth of goods. This .
branch of business never did so well be- 2
fore in the history of the city. What the .
other branches of business did we are not .
fully informed further than that they had 4
prosperous year. We used to place all .
our dependence on cotton and rice. We .
lepend on them yet, but they are no .
longer our sole dependence. Lumber and
naval stores, which now play so impOr-
-ant part in our trade, have
brought new classes Of workers into the
contiguous to US, which draw
largely upon Us Tor supplies. These new
l.