Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-06-18
BROOKS AND HER YIELDS
A FERTILE COUNTY WHERE
TOLL REAPS ITS REWARD.

No Bonanzas Lying Around Loose, But
Plenty of Money to Be Gained-The
County Seat-Truck Farming i'm the
County = Some Statistical Figures
About WatermelOns.
QUITMAN, June 14.-No county has
been brought more prominently before the
public eye during the past tweve months
than Brooks. No section has received
more attention from the outside world
than the lower tier of counties of South
Georgia, of which this one is among the
more conspicuous. And it may be said
of a truth, no section has been more mis-
understood in consequence of the eXtrava-
giant representations of its new-made
friends. The roseate colOrings given by
recent writers have done damage to
the realm. Having been a resident
for over two years | know some
what of the people and the soil,
and confidently state that there are no
bOnanZas, in the common Interpretation
OF that term, in Brooks county. There is
wealth and there is success to men who
work. To secure these there must be
earnest application and discretion. They
do not spring up out of the ground at the
command of every seeker. / am free to
tucIe Is UO place Ill NJeOfgIa
| where honest, Intelligent labor, will pay
larger dividends than in this Southern
section. Brooks county has given many
striking examples of this fact. But it is
no country for the dreamer or the laggard.
With soil varied and fertile, this
county presents one of the most inviting
fields to those seeking new homes. With
| a people above the average in intelligence
! she has school and church privileges
equal, if not in advance, of many older
and more densely populated sections of
| the State.
Quitman, the county site, is one of the
most important towns on the Savannah,
! Florida and Western Railroad. Its pres
ent population is about 1000. In COM
mercial character its merchants and
! business men are rated second to none in
! the State. No one does colossal bust
| ness, but all do an honest, safe business.
! live newspaper, the Free Press,
| splendid academy, and the most beauti-
! ful court yard, are among the many at
fractions of Quitman. Ample hotel ac-
cOmmOdatiOns have been provided during
the past year, and no town of its size can
present two more attractive buildings, or
better kept hotels than the Commercial
and Allen House. Hundreds of Northern
| people are seeking winter quarters here
every year, and they go away delighted
with the climate and the manner of their
entertainment
This county was among the first in the
State to abandon the perilOus custom of
locating their smoke houses in the far
West. Instead of buying they now more
frequently sell meat to the merchant.
COrncribs on large number of planta-
tions are rarely ever empty, and, while
not rich, the majority of the people are
well-to-dO.
This county was among the first of this
section fO pnfpr infn what hos hooOma
pOpularly known as ''truck farming" and
she has kept pace with the advancement
made in this new departure. 1t is true
many failures have marked the progress
of this enterprise, but the people have
learned much by experience, and trans
pOrtatiOn has improved in methods
hundred fold, so that last year
handsome profits were realized, and
this species of farming took
magnificent proportions. AS l have hon
estly sought facts, and desired nothing
but the advancement of this system OF
farming, the figures given me of last years
profits range from $50 to 800 per acre,
and this covers the whole line of vegeta-
bles, to wits cabbage, Okra, potatoes, Gu
cumbers, beans and melons. Some few
patches of very small dimensions, which
had been made very rich by fertiliZlng,
have yielded much larger returns, and it
is from these small squares that all the
fancy figuring and marvellous profits have
been made, which we see paraded in
newspapers. Such reports do injustice to
the people and community, for they bear
the Munchausen superscriptiOn on their
very face.
A large quantity of potatoes, beans, GU
cumbers and Okra have been sent forward.
and while, for various reasons assigned,
but little profit has been realized, yet
have not found any one so badly demOral-
iZQH fO fhrnqfnn ahnndOnruant of fho
business. Experience has taught many
useful lessons, and the truck growers will
plant with better understanding what the
market demands. This has been a most
unfav0rable season. The spring has been
cold apd backward in this section and
other points have reached the markets in
advance. AT this time last year most all
of the watermelons had been shipped from
this point. This season is about three
weeks behind that of last year. The first
car load of watermelons from the county
left ON last Thursdays train for the West,
shipped by the Scott Brothers. Regular
shipping will commence about the 25th
inst, when whole train loads will move
each day. There have been shipped
already from this depot 352 barrels of cab
bage, 352 barrels of potatoes, 10 barrels of
turnips and radishcs, and 1,1S6 crates of
other vegetables. 1t was said that the
greatest profit was realized on cabbage.
More of this vegetable will be planted
| next season. These shipments were made
by the Southern Express Company.
There are planted in the entire county
2,100 acres in watermelonS by actual
count. Generally the crop is looking
fine, although much of the fruit has been
beaten off by the hard rains of the last
week. The usual estimate is that it will
require three acres of melons to make one
car load, and hence it will require 700
cars to carry off the present crop. This
number the Savannah, Florida and
/ Western Railway will have promptly on
hand, as the authorities are doing every
thing that they can to encourage the
farmers in this comparatively new busi-
ness.
was. permitted to visit some of the
patches Immediately around Quitman.
They are among the finest specimens l
have ever seen, that of Messrs. S. w. &
j. p. Brooks consisting of twenty-five
acres. These gentlemen were among the
first to embark in this enterprise, and
have the advantage of those who have
more recently embarked. Their method
of planting was to remove every stump
from the field, then break up and pulver-
ize the soil perfectly, fertilizing freely,
and then planting their hills sixteen feet
apart. They use the buggy cultivator in
its cultivation, and ON yesterday. as /
passed through the field, the whole ground
was covered with vines filled with fruit
and blooms. The rains had somewhat
damaged the looks of the vines and beat
OFF much of the fruit, but there were
sufficient left to warrant the calcu-
latiOn of from three to five melons to
the hill. They have 40 hills to the acre,
which would make about $50 melons to
the acre. Mr.. Brooks, however, contends
that he has several acres that will make
over 1000 to the acre. We counted a
row as we passed out of the field, and
these averaged two marketable melons to
the hill, which will be ready to ship in a
few days. His first shipment will consist
of five car loads. This system of planting
claims to furnish more and better melons
than planting them closer together. Mr..
Brooks claims that home raised seed is
better than imported seed for melon
raising, and is prepared to demonstrate
the fact this year. The whole cost of
preparation and cultivation, including
seed, is covered by 500 per acre. There are
many other things of which | would like
to write of this gOodly land, but must de-
sist. JACK PLANE.
Only One Chance.
Wall Street Neaos.
A passenger on a small steamer rum