The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1891-02-19
COMMISSIONER NESBITT
MAKES AN INTERESTING REPORT
Upon the Condition of Agriculture in
Georgia.

Hon. Robert I. Nesbitt, Commissioner
of Agriculture, made tie following report
before the State Agricultural Society, in
Savannah last week. which we take from
the Savannah Morning News:
Mr. President AND FELLOW FARMERS
1t is source of qualification to me to ap-
pear before you to-day, and while do not
intend to weary you with former address
do wish to submit for you patient hear
ing and careful consideration some OF the
grave questions which confront us as farm
ers.
The first and most formidable is the
gradual deterioration of our lands. Many
: of you who are here to-day were Just bud,
ding into young manhood when the war
between the states began, and can remem>
Der the magnificent growth and splendid
yield Of our standard crops on our best
lands, then comparatively fresh These
crops we're made on large areas, without
the application of fertilizers except such
material as was gathered about the lots
and the excess OF cotton seed which was
applied to the corn crops. During the war
when the confederate government passed
a restrictive law permitting only a small
: part Of our tillable lands to be planted in
cotton, the energies our farming popula>
ton were devoted to raising food crops,
and, until our lands were devasted, we
succeeded not only in supporting our home
population, but in sending large food sup>
plies to our men at the front" After
hostilties ceased, the high price of cotton
tempted many to put every available acre
il this crop, and look to the overhowing
barns and packing houses of the west for
their corn and meat. Our lands were filled
with humus, the result of our. agricultural
methods for the four preceding years. and
were in the most favorable condition to
receive and utilize for plautfood the highly
ammoniated Peruvian guanos, then so
largely invested in. Doubtless many of
you remember how the young plants would
respond to the quickening influences of
this splendid fertilizer, and even at 800
and 500 ton we cheerfully made the in>
vestment, never doubling its remuneratiye
returns, At that period many of US doubt
ed the efficiency of the freedman as la.
borer, and feared that he would cease to
be an important factor in the production
of cotton. But time, that settler. of many
Vexed questions, has proven our mistake,
and though some have left the cotton fields
their places have been more than filled by
white labor, chiefly on small farms, and by
the use Of commercial fertilizers.
TOO MUCH COTTON.
In 1866 the crop in Georgia was 286 600
bales with scarcely a pound of fertilizer.
In 1890 by largely increased average and
the use of nearly 100000 tons of CONNER
cha! fertilizers, we prod uce nearly 100000
bales. We have gone on blindly adding
acre after acre to our cotton fields, apply
ing fertilizers, often with little regard to
the soil or adaptibility of the manure to
the plant food required And while our
cotton crop has been trebled, what good
results have the farmers derived from the
increase and in what condition do we find
our lands2 With few individual excep,
tons, the large number, fully IS per cent,
of our farmers have either retreated and
given up the fight, or are only by the most
strenuous effort holding on to their birth
right. And our lands-what of them?
They are at last revenging themselves for
the ruthless butchery practiced on them
for so many years, and are gradually dete
riorating and losing each year much of
their productive power.
When we add to this the fact that cot
ton, the crop produced at such tremenA
dous outlay of time, money and labor and
on which we depend to meet Cur oblga>
tons, scarcely pay the cost of production
have we not the key to the anomalous
condition of affairs which places the tarm>
ing interest nexeto the last in the list Of
profitable industries. All other industries
are prospecting and building up, towns liz
per cent, railroads 299 per cent, iron
works and foundries 1877 per cent, bank
ing capital 1873 per cent, cotton mills 445
per cent, farming 80 per cent. Why
should all other industries be quickened
into renewed life, while their very mudsill
and sustaining power, the power which
has made their success possible, languish-
es and grows less profitable each year
Why this disposition on the part of our
people to abandon the farms and seek en-
ployment in the towns and cities If not
checked will it not eventuate in relinquish-
ing our farms into the hands of tenants
who cannot feel the interest and in many
cases do not appreciate the necessity for
that thorough preparation and fertiiiza.
ton, skillful cultivation and carefully
marketing which are so essential to suc>
cess? Does the history of anyf country
show that favorable results have followed
such system?
TIME TO CALL HALT.
When we know that this course, persists
ed in, will result in poverty to the indiviGs
ual and ruin to the farms, can we not call
halt and consider better methods? |
have called your attention to the increase
of town property, railroads, factories, etc.
We have built cities, extended our rails
roads, building last year more miles than
any othe southern state, factories and
smaller industries are springing up all ov>
er the state, but the farmers are simply
holding on at the bottom of the list. When
we inquire into the causes which have
brought about this condition of things |
believe a majority of this body will sustain
me when say that it is from a system of
farm management which puts every avail
able acre in cotton, and only enough in
food crops to supply, under favorable cir,
cumstances, our barest necessities. The
cotton takes from our land far more than
We put back. The price scarce pays for
the production. The average of good grain
crops is about one in three. Thus it takes