The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1894-10-11
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.
ATLANTA, Oct. 1, 1894

ATLANTA, Oct. 1, 1894.
The meeting at Griffin, for the puff
pose OF organizing the dairymen's asso-
citation, has set on foot movement
which is attracting good deal of at
tent1on among farmers and stock breed
ers, and will, it is hoped, result not
only In the permanent improvement of
Doth our lands and our stock, but will
open new source Of revenue and slim
u1ate that diversity of crops necessary
70 all successful farmers A good part
OF our last months talk was devoted to
the discussion Of commercial fertilizers,
and while their judicious use is In their
present condition essential to our farms,
because the elements taken off in the
different crops must be returned, unless
we would see our lands become entirely
anpyoduetive and Improbable, yet the
exclusive use OF the commercial goods
q TO be deprecated. They are expen-
sve, and the history of agriculture
SHOWS that where the farmer persists In
e9Nng OF the first or raw products of
nus farm, and depends entirely ON buy
irR the elements of fertility removed by
these crops, his business becomes un-
pfodtable, and II the raw product Is
COTTON or tobacco, whose clean cultiva-
lon leaves little hutnus In the soil, his
lands will at last refuse to respond sat-
laActorly, even under the stimulus of
hiHh priced commercial fertilizers. To
fpaEs odf business pay, 1t is important
thAt we plant at least a portion of our
1aSSns 10 crops which we ourselves can
NhEhfaEt1re into higher and better
paying t0ftns. In an article in the our
ssht humber Of The Southern Cultiya-
Tor have called attention to carefully
prepared table which shows that at the
satne value hay, that Is 81 900 worth of
each, Will remove from the soil $50
Tunes as much fertility as butter, and
tnAt while fat cattle remove more than
cheese and butter, they do not take off
as much as wheat and the other grains.
a chFeful review Of this subject fur
nishes additional evidence Of what has
been 90 often asserted, namely that the
NPNm Which will pay best is that by
which we taks of the smallest amount
Ct the klements of fertility and at the
saRoe time grow profitable crops. In
Qshef Words, judiciods system Of dairy
faftntng will gradually restore even the
most worn soils, because by feeding our
hogs peas, cotton seed meal, etc, we
can sell meat and milk and at the same
Nma fetaih In the manure plant pro-
9ucipg elements to the value of two
thirds OF the food given, which being
returned to the soil In the very best
form for future crops, continues the
manufacturing PROCESS. But the work
mist be practically carried on, and not
the manure alone, but every product of
ne faFIhGtflilk, meat butter, cheese
rnpst be utilized If, Ia conjunction
With this process of manufacturing the
raw materials, we also plant lugumi-
nous crops, peas and clover, we can by
that intelligent use of commercial fer
tih2bfs not only increase these crops
that feed the land and gre of high val
de for feeding cattle, but we come to
the point where we have grasped the So
c1St Of successful and profitable farm
lag We 1na4b not only saleable pro-
d6ee In meat and milk, but we get ma
tefiAls to build up Dur lands and make
oShef and more productive money crops,
~ Of which is accomplished By meth
DDS less deplsting to both land and
pocket, than the too prevalent plan of
drilling Lii b little fertilizer to force a
0ob. from the soil, leaving it after each
Application more exhausted than before.
During the convention mentioned
abpve, there was elected much valuable
information relating to dairying, and as
the generality of farmers are practical
II hatred from participating In such
meetings. I PROPOSE To lay before them.
through the medium Of the department
publications, some Of the more IMPORT
ant points discussed and their relations
to the industry FROM which we hope SO
mitch fof Georgia.
FIRST, as to the market for dairy
products LII Atlanta, one firm alone
iInn6rts during the season about four
caFlbads Of cheese, and throughout
| the State the whole amount imported is
at least 100 times as much. The i1npor-
4atioh Of butter Is much greater, and all
Ibf this can be made within our own
Ibdqhdaxies. SECOND. CIR means for sup
Iblyine this market. We already know
What can be done with butter, and It
has been demonstrated at our expert
Emsnt station that cheesemaktn0 in
Georgia Is not only practicable, but can
ETe made profitable.
The stock business is one of the best
in which any people can engage, and
when Il goes hand In hand with profta.
BILE daifying, there can be no question
| Of the prosperity Of the section which Is
so fortunate as to combine the two.
In order to realize our advantages for
dairy farming. let Us contrast Georgia
with Wisconsin, for instance, whose
weekly income from dairy products
during the shipping season is $500, 900,
and her annual export to England OF the
one item of cheese is worth 81, 600, 900.
Wisconsin is smaller in area and also in
population than Georgia. her billiards
are severe and disastrous, and for at least
six months in the year all nature is
locked in snow and ice. In Georgia we
have an equable climate, and there is
not month in the year in which II
would be necessary to keep the cattle
housed. We can have green food all
the year round, and as summer past
ure the value of our native Bermuda is
beyond computation.
! In Ohio and New York-two states
carving on a profitable dairy business