The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1892-02-24
FARMING THAT PAYS.
,,owXDEs COUNTY PLANTER ON THE
RIGHT LINE.

An Extensive Farmer VINO Makes money
a" ca1Iino the Products of His Farm to
Cotton Planters.
From the Albany Herald.
T. * refreshing, these days, to meet
GEORGIA farmer who is making farming
nav. and says so.
The Herald met such man in Alba
nv Yesterday in the person of Mr. Ed
1rcCree. son Of George R. McCree, of
1ovpdes county, and had long talk
with him. Although Mr.. McCree knew
10 was talking to a newspaper man, we
5onb+ if it occurred to him that his talk
would be made the basis of newspaper
orfc1e. but we cannot lose such an OPP
nor+unitv to say something of the meth
dds that are being employed by sue
cessful farmer.
Although one of the most extensive
farmers in Georgia, Mr.. McCree does
not plant any cotton. He farmer-not
= cotton planter. He. works convict Ia
hor and free labor both. From the cOun-
ties in this part of the State he manages
TO keep an average of about one hun
3red short-term or Changing con-
victs, and, in addition to these, he
hires from fifteen to twenty-five free la
b0rers.
s'Howsdoes your father manage to farm
and make money without planting any
cotton?' asked the scribe.
"Well sir, he just quit planting cotton
and went to raising crops to sell to those
who do plant it. He makes his money out
of the cotton planters
"How much of plantation have
you?"
"Our entire estate comprises about
10000 acres, but we have only about
1000 acres in cultivation"
and what do you plant?''
I'VE plant corn, oats, peas, pinders
and a few vegetables and melons,"
And no cotton at all?'
Not an acre; we abandoned that en-
tirely several years ago, and went to
raising grain and meat to sell to cotton
N planters"
Then you raise your own meat?'
Yes, and more besides. We sell meat
every year. Besides hogs, we fatten
great many beeves on the farm and sell
~ tham off d,1riDo +Lo win +ar cooeo,, v,,l,o,,
there is good demand for them"
Do you find ready market for all your
provision crops?"
'Oh, yes"
"Where?"
Principally, right there at home. We
sell good deal to farmers who plant
cotton; but the principal part of cur
crops are sold to merchants who pay us
the money for it and then sell it to the
farmers on time, We sell seed oats and
pnders direct to farmers, but most every
'hln8 else goes through dealers. We
usually have orders ahead for all the
crops we make. There is merchant
ll9ht here in Albany who handles some
VI our stuff. There is no trouble about
SeiIm9 something to feed either man or
oeast on in this country, | assure YOU.
we plant a large oat crop every year,
ana sell the entire CT ,p for seed oats at
good prices. And it is the same way
WIN plnders. Lots of farmers will buv
'llaerS every year rather than scratch
ana save enough for seed. And then
gefy few OF them ever save any seed oats.
gu see we have all of our fields clear of
Jumps We can use abor-saving ma
N'heS ara cultivate and harvest large
'"' crops every year. We never plant
lole Cilan We can cultivate and take care
properly in anything. In oats our
t@ilOS brings us an average of from $40 TO
fl2 net per acre"
now about guano? Do you buy
euano?H
very little. We buy some cotton
,0u meal; but we make our own com
V''' You see we keep stock enough to
lGVCy well fertilize the land we cultivate.
ny using homemade fertilizers wa
Improving our lands all the time.n
anu you are actually making money
Rrming?" 'N'
49, SIT my father makes money
Jung and any of your farmers here in
ss"0r'y county can make money by
Ing cotton alone and planting grain
provision crops and attending to
VII business like he does. That's all
pere is in it,"