Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-10-04
SOUTHERN GEORGIA.
ITS CLIMATE. SOIL. PEOPLE
AND PRODUCTIONS.

Timber - Splendid Water Power
Fruitfulness of the COuntry-Iruck
ng-TransPOrtatiOn Facilities
Lumber and Naval Stores
No hastv sketch can do justice to the
varied industries and capabilities of this
section. but brief outline of its leading
features may prove interesting to those
not possessed Of more accurate infOrma-
ton. About fifty OF the southernmOst
counties Of the State are generally in
cluded in the section known as Southern
Georgia. and they cover an area of about
5000 squaFe miles. or a little more than
one-half the territory Of the State. The
population apprOXimates 100000, near
IL equally divided between the
whites and blacks, giving about thir-
teen 70 the square mile. But large
majority Of the counties are still more
sparsely populated than these figures in
dictate. from the fact that instead Of being
dispersed over the whole terri
tory. The blacks are mostly con-
fined 70 sections or localities along the
seacoast. and in a few of the counties of
the southwest. This small population
indicates that settlement of the country
has only fairly begun, and upon eXami-
nation Of its resources, it will be seen that
instead Of 10000. Southern Georgia is
capable Of supporting a population Of g.
100000.
CLIMATE.
Extending from line westward from
the city Of Savannah, on the Allan
tic ocean, to Columbus, on the Chat
tahOochee river, and southwark to the
3lst parallel, Southern Georgia is located
in 4 most delightful climate, where the
temperature seldom rises above 80, or
falls below - degrees. Contributing to
this equable temperature should be con-
sidered the slight elevation above the
level Of the sea, the average being frac-
ton less than 800 feet. while the tier OF
counties bordering on the Florida line are
a little more than 200 feet. To this may be
added another fact, that the temperature
Is largely Influenced by the position of the
section between the Atlantic and the Gulf
of Mexico. While it borders on the At
lantic in the east, it stretches far to
the west Of the peninsula of Florida, and
for nearly one hundred miles runs paral-
lei 20 the Gulf coast, about sixty miles
distant from it. Hence, it has been OBJ
served that "a wind from either of these
points Of the compass comes laden with
the balmy Influence Of these semi-tropical
waters and the Gulf stream, and greatly
mDdi1ies the winter temperature"
The Commissioner of Agriculture in his
recent August report says: 'NOtwith-
standing our longer summers, the longest
summer day in Savannah is nearly one
hour shorter than the corresponding day
in New York or Chicago, and the rights
are cOrresp Ondingly longer, thus giving
shorter time tor the accumulation of heat
from the direct RAYS of the sun, and lon
ger time for the heat to radiate at night.
The same law results to our advantage in
winter; the nights are shorter and the
days longer than in the Northern States"
The ground is seldom frozen to a great
er depth than two inches. nor remains
frozen throughout the day, while farm
work continues almost without inter-
ruptiOn throughout the winter. Snow is
a rare occurrence in Southern Georgia
and Is never hindrance to labor or
travel.
RAINFALL.
The annual rainfall in this portion Of
the state ranges from - to so inches. is
seldom excessive. but bOuntiful and well
distributed through the year, leaving
room for but incOnsiderable drOughts, as
annually proved bv average fair crops
and perennial streams throughout this
immense area. A trdter famine has never
been experienced in any section of the
state.
FACE OF THE COUNTRY.
The face of the country is genei ally
rolling in the northern part and gently
Undulating in the southern. and only in
its southeastern extreme along
the coast, in the counties on
the lower Atamaha and border
Ing the great OkefnOkee swamp does
any portion of it spread oHt into level
plains. The change from rolling to undu-
Iatin- and from the latter to the level is
very gradual from all points on the north
ern border, descending toward the south,
and in no section is the surface 80 broken
"a III
are no lakes of importance in the terri
tory, OF any considerable bodies of waste
{and. save in the OkefnOkee swamp, on
the extreme southeastern border of the
state, and the Chickasawhatcie, much
less extensive low mud swamp in the
southwest.
The principal rivers are the Savannah,
Ogeechee, Altamaha, OcOnee. Ocmulgee,
Satilla, It. Mary's, Alapaha, WithlacOO-
chez. OckOlOckOnee. Flint and ChattahOO-
chez. The last is naviSable TO Columbus,
the Savannah from the Atlantic. to Au-
gusta, the Altamaha and Ocmulgee to
Macon, the OcOnee to Milledgeville, the
Flint to Albany. and the st. Mary's to
Traders Hill. The country abOunds with
smaller streams, supplying water power
for milling purposes in every section.
The hills and valleys are covered
with forests, along the streams, often
with oak. hickory. ash. dOgwOOd, beech,
cherry, irOnwOod, sassafras, wahOO, mag
uOlia, white and red bay, spruce pine, cy-
press, birch, cedar, poplar, sweet gum,
black gum. and many other varieties OF
plants, indicating rich alluvial soil, while
the principal large areas are almost uni
formly covered with pitch and yellow pine,
beneath which grow the rich masses of
wire and other nutritious grasses, forming
natural pasturage for numerous herds
al d tlOcks the year round.
THE PINE FORESTS
The yellow pine forests present the
most distinguishing feature of the face of
the country. In many sections they inn
press one with the bOundlessnesS of the
ocean ITSELF and the solemn requiem of
the winds passing through their needle
tufted bOughs, is not unlike the distant
moan of the sea. Their area may be said
to extend throughout the region of South
ern Georgia west of the Altamaha river,
and crossing over into several counties on
the east. Passing west out of Georgia,
through Alabama and on to the Missis-
sippi valley, il is by far the most extern
siYe and valuable pine lumber region now
remaining in the United states. 1t is
from these forests that GeOrgia's great
and growing trade in lumber and naval
stores, elsewhere alluded to, springs.
DRAINAGE.
The territory. as already stated, is adj
mirably provided with rivers, creeks and
smaller streams, and the surface generally
in every section is sufficiently slOping to
permit thorough draining for agricultural
purposes. Though the rainfall is liberal
and water everywhere abundantly OBJ
tanned at a depth of from 20 to 40 feet
below the surface, the rapid descent of
the streams to the sea, the light, porous
character Of the soil, and the raDidity of
evaporation, readily dispose of all sur
plus water, and leave the soil in adj
mirable condition for the farmer.
SOIL.
Ii may well be said of Southern Georgia
that it possesses soils of every variety
suitable to the various products of the
farm and garden. 1t is generally of a
light texture and color, largely mixed
with sand, and wholly free from stones.
a very small proportion of the area is
without a substantial subsOil of yellow.
red or blue clay, the latter characterizing
the rich sandy loans Of the sea coast, and
the former all the high lands of the north
ern and western regions. leaving but in
considerable districts in the southern eX-
tremes without available sub-sOils. Such
features indicate soils easy to cultivate.
one horse doing the work of two in the
stiff soils Of the more elevated plateaus.
and stimulated with the rich marls found