The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-06-21
PELHAM'S MELON FIELDS.
a NEWS CORRESPONDENT TALKS
WITH ONE OF THE KINGS.

Hon J. L. Hand to Gather over 400
Carloads From 500 Acres-How He
Made the Wilderness Blossom as a
Rose-The Country's Capacity for
Consumption Figured Out to a
Nicely.
TOWNSVILLE. GA, June 2O.-The News
correspondent had occasion TO run up to
Pelham yesterday. and was impressed with
the size Of the melon industry, which must,
too. be in its infancy. Pelham is one of the
melon centers. Hon. J. L. Hand told the
News correspondent that he would proba-
bly, make over 400 carloads this season.
He has so acres in melons, and
has sold to the melon syndicate in
advance. This will make his crop
bring over $4,000. Think Of it, $50, 900 or
$4,000 for one mans watermelon crop, all
harvested and the money pocketed before
the year is much over half gone and fodder
pullin' time has comet Verify this is an age
of progress. And all this accomplished, too,
on land which only a few years ago was
regarded as worthless except for the timber.
HANDS START.
Mr.. Hand located in the poor pine woods
at Pelham fourteen or fifteen years ago, a
poor man. The surrounding country was
an unsettled pine barren. He is now rap
idly approaching the quarter of a million
mark, and lives in one Of the handsOmest
and costliest houses in Georgia The whole
country around is poisoning as rose and
its prosperity is patent to him who runs.
Scores OF cars are on the tracks ready to be
loaded and others being loaded with
melons. There were long trains of teams
drawn by oxen, mules, horses and Texas
ponies, single and double, hauling Kolb
Gem melons to the cars. Every available
team in the country is pressed into service.
MIR. Hand, who is shipping at the rate of
twenty cars day, had hired a number OF
teams from Townsville.
FIELD UPON FIELD
Back in the country great fields of the
luscious, crimson-hearted fruit could be
seen on every farm. Everybody is talking
melons, from the troops of bright fellows
sent out as solicitors by the commission
houses and railroads, to the boys and girls
when they go counting. "How many
cars will you maker Ibid you sell to the
exchangeT "Have you heard from your
shipmentF "What did you get per carp
How much guano did you use to the acre"
Did you put it in the checks and along side
of themp These are the leading
questions asked. Where will all this end
There are millions of acres of pine lands in
InlS secUlOn adapted TO melon growing VI
course it is well understood that the land
must be near transportation, as the product
Is too heavy and bulky to haul over a few
miles proftably.
FIGURED ALL OUT,
Hon. J. L. Hand, who, by the way is not
only q man of wonderful energy, enterprise
and success, but withal 4 very clear
headed and comprehensive thinker,
has figured the problem down fine. He will
tell you how many melons New York,
Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and other con-
suming states are using and can use. From
data he has figured on the balance of the
country, and has come to the conclusion
that if the railroads will give rates to all
the markets of the country, the melon bust
ness would not be overdone if every acre of
land adapted to their growth was planted
in them.
There is very great and increasing COM
petition among the railroads for the bust
ness and, of course, the desired rates will be
given and new and more remote markets
constantly opened up. Great is the Geor-
gia 'watermillion:" mighty is the Kolb
Gem to inspire new life into the pine bar
rens of South Georgia.
Conclusion: If land will make $50 an
acre with small outlay of capital and labor,
and will rent for from SO to $40 per acre.
should it not command s25 to $50 per acre
and the respect of all those who hitherto
have been accustomed to sheer at the piney
woods section of glorious old Georgia.