The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-06-30

Maj. Ryals, before entering upon the in
terview, said that he did so with some en-
barrassment, as he had learned that there
were those who had not readily accepted
some statements given in a former utter
view as to the products of his farm and the
profit he has realized from it Especially,
he said, he is not at all DESTROYS Of being put
in a position of appearing to seek a news
paper notoriety. He said, however, that
his interest in the agricultural development
of Chatham county and of the state is such
he was willing TO give any Information that
would advance the interests Of agriculture.
BEGINNING UNDER DIFFICULTIES.
In answer to inquiries as to the product
iveness of his farm and his general expe-
rience in truck farming, Maj. Ryals gave
| an interesting review of his farm life, which
will be read with interest, and cannot fail
TO attract theattention of those who desire
| to locate where the soil is capable of such
productiveness.
Maj. Ryals says that nine years ago he
| was engaged in the dray business, and had
| quite number Of drays employed, and was
| planting cotton, and, finding that he was
not getting financially well off very fast,
he concluded to turn his attention to truck
| farming. He disposed Of his drays, and
| after winding up his business he was dis
! appointed to find that the balance was be-
tween SO, 500 and $1,000 on the wrong side
of the ledger To quote his language he
said: ~ found that instead of being worth
little something, l was nearly $1,000
| worse off than nothing at all"
AFTER NINE YEARS.
Here COL ]. L. Warren, who was present,
broke in with. well, you are worth all of
| $50, 900 now"
"Well, 1 am better off than was nine
years ago." the major laughingly replied.
II own my farm, the house l live in, farm
in South Carolina, and a sheep ranch ia
| Virginia with 5000 sheep on it, and could
| get along suppose awhile without working
SO hard II l took a notion to do So"
"How much land do you cultivatep the
| major was asked.
II have farm of 125 acres, as you know,
| about two miles from the Central railroad
wherves, nearly all in cultivation, and, with
| twenty-five acres leased, l cultivate about
| 140 acres"
"What have been the average gross and
net receipts of your farm during the nine
! years you have been engaged in truck
| farmingW
NET PROFIT OF $1,000 IN A YEAR.
1.-THE average gross receipts it would be
| safe to put down at SIT 900 annually.
| About half of that sum would fairly repre-
sent the net receipts. The highest sales
from the farm in any one year amounted
to about $25, 900, and after deducting
farm an family expenses it left me about
81 900 clear. When l say sold $25, 900
worth Of farm product, l include the hay
sold from the place."
As showing what the land will do Mai.
Ryals says that he sold this season 263 bar
| rels of potatoes from two acres of ground
The crop was only two-thrds matured, and
he estimates that if the crop on this ground
had been allowed to mature and not hur-
ried to the market it would have produced
-. Il -
| toes. This ground, he explained, was highly
fortified, well worked and, being near
his artesan well, was irrigated.
and having plenty Of sun, moisture, manure
and work showed what the soil, properly
prepared and lntelligently attended to-
| will do.
1000 BARRELS OF POTATOES.
There were 1900 barrels of potatoes
shipped from the place this season, and Mai
| Ryals says they were grown on about sixty
acres of ground, and that ne marketed
twenty barrels OF potatoes for every barrel
planted, besides reserving potatoes for fall
| planting for spring seed, and he says he has
hit upon an ingenious plan for keeping the
potatoes. He has packed them in the ordi-
nary cucumber crate, in tiers, SO that at any
| time he can have the crate overhauled to
examine the potatoes.
The principal truck grown on the farm
for the northern and local markets are peas,
| beans, potatoes, cabbage, cucumbsrs
squash and asparagus. Strawberries are
| grown for the home market, and the sur
plus of hay is sold readily in this market at
| prices ranging from $12 to SIS per ton. All
| Surplus vegetables are sold to grocers and
local truck sellers who have stalls in the mar
ket, and the local sales very nearly defray
the farm and family expenses, leaving as
! the net profit the larger part of the pro-
ceeds derived from shipments north.
OUR NATIVE GRASSES.
Maj. Ryals. in discussing the hay crop,
says the farm would pay If it were cult
waited in hay alone. He says he cut last
year as high as five tons to the acre. He
says he will get two cuttings this year from
the farm, and he is cutting the first crop
| now from tract where he raised cabbage
this year, which latter CROP by irrigation,
came out after the March freezesy when
cabbage did not do so we'll on other farms
where irrigation could not be had.
The native crowfoot and crab grass be-
gins to come after the vegetable crop Is well
| advanced for the harvest and grows
rapidly. As many as three hay harvests
have been taken from the farm ia single
year, Maj. Ryals says.
CRowFooT AND CRAB.
OF the crowfoot and crab grass, Mai.
Ryals saws benign providence has In some
way provided that it shall spring from the
soil and grow with great luxuriance. He said
that if one would clear a patch
of ground in the heart of Georgia
forest and cultivate it the first year
the grasses would begin to grow and the
second year there would lie agreen meadow.
There is this popularity about the crowfoot
and crab grass, that the seeds lie dormant
until in May, and no cultivation will de-
stroy its terminating powers, but it follows
the vegetable crop, and is soon ready for
the mower. After the first rain it soon
comes on again. 1t makes excellent hay,
and Maj. Ryals has found 1t one of the prin-
cipal revenues of his farm, besides furnish
ing him all the hay needed for his own
stock.
INTELLIGENT DIRECTION PRE-REQUIsITE.
Farming will pay, Maj Ryals argues,
only when one devotes his own personal at
tention to all its details. Labor must be
carefully employed aud intelligently ap-
piled, and small things must have attention.
Maj. Ryals neglects none Of these things,
He has immediate supervision of the prep
aration of the land, the employment Of
labor, the seeding, the harvest, the oulling