The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-10-21
THE MORNING NEWS: WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER q. 1891.
DECArUR's ToB Geo DROP.
Some Interesting ard SugEe stive
Facts With Regard to It.

fects with Regard to II.
BAINBRIDGE, GA Oct. 19-Editor Morn,
ing NelcS: A letter which appeared in
your columns few days ago, and an edIto-
rial which followed in your sundays issue,
lead the average reader to believe that
the writer of the letter aforesaid
ager of the Savannah, Florida and
Western railway system, and these alone,
are entitled TO ali the credit for the re-estab-
hshment of the tobacco industry in this
section OF the state. While l would accord
these gentlemen due credit for what they
might have done, | would say that there
has been, and there still is factor more
potential and effective than either and both
OF these gentlemen-although they are the
representatives of that great and good cor
poration. the Savannah, Florida aud West
ern railway system. | allude to
THE BAINBRIDGE DEMOCRAT,
a newspaper, published in this city, that
has labored zeelously in and out of season
for five years past, demonstrating to the
farmers the feasibility of tobacco culture
and the futiliGy of cotton as a money crop.
And the people here and throughout this
section recognize this to be true
Before the war there were scores and
scores OF fortunes made in this county in
tobacco culture, and there still remain q
few OF these old planters who remember
the golden profits they fingered and IN
vested III sla es and more lands with which
to make more tobacco. The publication Of
this ante-bellum history and the distribu-
tion of seeds fr m the department at Wash
lngton, through the Democrat, awoke the
Interest of the old and the younger plant-
ers; and these are what have made our
county Co arise and take new hope.
But the bulk of seed planted this year
was obtained through Mr.. Fenton,
tobacco agent of the Florida Central
and Peninsular road, who owns and plants
Tobacco lands in this county as we'll as in
Gadsden county, Florida, and who says
that Decatur county tobacco is better to-
bacco and that Decatur county soil is better
tobacco land than that of Gadsden county,
Florida, the lands being more fertile and
the tobacco of finer flavor and texture
Again. like to see honor accorded to whom
honor is due, and hence would remark, in
the third place, that our leaf house was
established here this winter through the
personal efforts OF r. A. Lytle of this city,
who, being in New York, caused samples
of the crop to be sent him, which he per-
sonally exhibited to leaf dealers, and
these SO interested them that they
sent a man here to look over the
field and see what the prospect was. They
found it so propitious that they opened a
leaf packing house, and have already
bought over l00,0 pounds of the crop and
are still buying. They have also cabled to
Cuba for number Of expert tobacco men,
who will class, select and pack the crop lust
as it is done in Cuba; and Decatur's tobacco
crop will be introduced in the New York
markets on its merits as a Decatur county,
Georgia, tobacco.
fhn IT.
Growers Association, working in coniunc-
ton with the other influences named, has
been actively at work, and the result is that
at cambridge there is the best tobacco
market in the United States, I reckon
de etofore ell the tobacco of Gadsden and
Leon counties in Florida, and Decatur and
Thomas in Georgia, have besn hauled to
Quincy, Fla, but this year much of that
produced in Gadsden and Leon is being sold
and delivered in cambridge at better prices
than have been obtainable elsewhere. I
saw twelve wagonlosds Of tobacco raised
ten miles below Quincy in Gadsden county,
delivered here one day last week-all in OF q
train-and this is of almost daily occur
renee.
Decatur county's acreage this year is but
500 acres-with an average yield of 500
pounds per acre. The price obtained has
averaged IS cents, all round, although most
OF the planters h6O little or no experience
in producing or curing this new crop Next
year, instead of there being 500 acres. there
will probably be as many thousands planted
and with the increased experience, facili-
ties, etc., in the way of barns aad intelli-
gent handling. the crop will bring more
money per pound.
w. l.. Taylor of Bingen, this county, sold
his crop bere on Saturday last from six
acres, and received 81 ,S57 80 therefor. Mr..
Taylor hired one hand and ran two plows,
working himself as farm hand. He also
has little brother who worked on the farm
He informed me that his crops Yielded as fol-
lows: Six hundred bushels corn, ten bales of
cotton and 81, S57 80 worth Of tobacco. This
is his first years crop Of tobacco but it will
not be his last, not if he livesl Such in~
stances are common. Our tobacco boom is
doubling, trebling and quadruDIing the
value of tobacco lands all through this sec
tiou, and tie peopb are taking brighter
views Of future prospects. From 81 900 to
81, GOO is being daily paid out here for to-
bacco alone, and see farmers hero who
have not been trading here in years before.
On LOCKER.