The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-07-05
FarmIne in chatham county.

In the MORNING News day or two ago
there was an interesting interview with
Maj. G. II. Ryals. a successful farmer,
in which 1t was shown what can be done
in this county in the way of farming.
1t is a matter Of surprise TO many people
why more of the lands Of this county are
not in cultivation, and the statements which
Maj. Ryals makes are calculated to increase
the surprise. That the lands of the county
are good and capable of being made exceed
ingly productive by cultivation and fertil-
ization there is no doubt
OF course, every one who may engage in
farming in Chatham county cannot expect
to do as well as Maj. Ryals, because there
are few men, comparatively, who have the
qualities necessary to make successful farm
ers, but 1t is quite certain that Chatham
county lands can be cultivated with great
profit. II is doubtful if in any other part
Of the world are there better opportunities
for making a competence in few years in
farming than right here in Chatham
county.
MAJ. RIVALS has adopted what is known as
the intensive system Of farming. He uses
fertilizers freely, and he cultivates only
those crops which promise the best returns
In his interview he says that his farm con
tains about 40 acres; that his average gross
receipts are about $4,000 a year, and his
net receipts about g., 500. One year his net
receipts reached 81, O00-that is, after he
had paid all expenses and supported his
family he had to his credit 81, 900. Is there
any farmer in any other county in this
state, or in the United States, who ca make
as good a showings
Maj. Ryals is not the only farmer in Chat
ham county who is doing well. There are
others who are accommodating money. The
question of mortgages is not one which
troubles them. They find a ready market
for their products, and, as rule, they get
good prices. Every year they find them
selves in better financial condition. Their
farms are steadily increasing in value. and
they feel certain of being In very comfort
able circumstance long before old age units
them for the active affairs of life.
Why should farmers of Kansas, Ne
braska and other western states waste their
time in raising corn at ten or fifteen cents
bushel, and wheat at forty or fifty cents
DuSnel-pTlCes WHICH are not SuIQclenU TO
enable them 10 pay the interest on their
farm mortgages-when such opportunities
for getting ahead in the world are presented
In Chatham and other counties in Georgia.
They can hardly hope to do more than make
a bare living where they are. Here they
could very reasonably expect to make
handsome little fortunes in a comparatively
short time, provided they were Industrious
and possessed the necessary business quail
fications.
There are thousands of acres of unculti-
waited lands in Chatham county-lands tn at
could be made to produce abundantly. The
county commissioners are having a map of
the county made, so that the location of the
best lands can be easily ascertained. They
are also having the county drained-indeed,
they have already done a good deal of
drainage work-and in the course of a few
years the swamps will have disappeared,
and the conditions necessary for rapid agri-
cultural development will have been Sc
cured.