The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1895-02-21
NEW FARM INDUSTRIES
Scc.2c CT Georgia immigration
and Investment Bureau.
ALL GLASSES SHOULD COOPERATE


Bermuda Grass, Which Is Equal to tn,
Best Hay in the MISUNDERSTANDING o.
Grass and Glover Over Cotton.
We-have had discussion and argu
ment and appeal and entreaty abou
the reduction of the cotton acreage
without avail, until we have seen the
south grow more cotton in IL month:
than the world can consume in lS
while we furnish the crop to consum
ers below cost of production. What we
need now is not so much Theoretical
discussions, hut the record of what has
been done on the lines for an object
lesson. Through these efforts we ho
to bring nul-. bers of farmers into Geor
gla who will, for instance, grow grass
at profit, SO Georgia farmers may &C
tually see how it is done. We need to
grow upon these same farms wheat and
oats and other crops like them that de.
mand no other work than to seed and
save. Let us have less cotton and more
income. General Tombs once said and
said truly:
at takes 10 months in the year to
grow cotton"
1t only takes few days to SOW grass
and few days to save it. The money
invested Is at minimum If grasses
have as goo sale as cotton there Is an
immense an )unt saved In it's produ;-
ton. Why not? II grows SO vigt
ously in Georgia that It requires all IL
help in q hsighborhood to kill it in
June, July and August.
The demand upon our farms has
been the immense outlay Of money nee
essary to run them.
CLOVER.
Clover does fully as we'll in Georgia
as our native grasses. Colonel George
Scott, of this city, grew 10000 pounds
Of well cured clover hay upon one acre
in one season in the adjoining county,
DeKalb Our former commissioner of
agriculture, DR.. James, grew quite as
much upon his farm in Greene. Mr..
Baxter saved about half this amount
from an acre ON his farm in Hancock.
During my four years residence in
this city have seen much more hay
carted upo. the streets than cotton.
Grass seems to sell readily and for the
cash. There can be no difficulty about
the sale. T. } misfortune, however,
the money Tor the purchase goes
some other state and does not remain ii
Georgia.
BERMUDA.
Georgia has bonanza, so to speak,
in Bermuda grass 1t is equal to the
best hay in the markets. 1t is peren-
NAL and requires no care or labor ex-
cept to save and cure. 1t grows in
marvellous yield. Upon one acre in
Greene county there has been saved
IL, 800 pounCs of well cured Bermuda
hay. Suoh abundant and prof1tal ,
crops 1t will be we'll to encourage amo !;
our own farmers, and such others ,.s
we may induce to settle among us.
But we will be met promptly with
the inquiry:
Suppose everybody abandons cotton
and begins growing grasp
This is not at all necessary. 1t would
be folly. We do not need to abandon
cotton. Indeed, we must not abandon
cotton, but keep it as our standard
crop. Yet, as the grass grows by itself
we can at least afford to let it grow and
save it if it will pay.
1t will be further objected by those
who do not want to be convinced, that
there will, under this farm policy, soon
be more grass upon the market than the
state need. If so, we can sell to other
states, Or better turn the grass into
other products that will pay more
money than the grass itself. Herein
lies the diHerence between grass and
cotton. Grass can be readily converted
into many other marketable products.
Cotton must be always put upon the
market by farmers as cotton.
MaatinU thiC Eyiau, - -
Their plan of this bureau to ENCOURAGE
such industries as will utilize the posi-.
Bile surplus grass that cannot find mar.
ket in this state or elsewhere.
DAIRY FARMS.
Why not turn some Of our grass to
money through dairy farms? IRave no
means of knowing how much butter
and cheese are shipped into this state
from the outside. The figures giving
the amount i'll money estimate of sale
am quite sure would be simply enor.
nous.
The state of Wisconsin has over g.
600 creameries. This bureau is now In
Producing creameries into Georgia. I
am in correspondence with parties who
are building such industries in this
state at moderate cost. We now have
CredHeT1oS at AIpnareCta JUST started
up AID just beginning at Elberton-a
few already running at other places.
When we get them in operation all over
the state Georgia farmers will make
standard butter and standard cheese.
while they utilize many forces that are
now wasted on the fara. This will be
one profitable way to convert surplus
grass into money.
HORSES AND MULES.
There is still more to come from the
growth OF g-ass. Georgia now pays an
average of So, 600, 900 annually Tor hor.
ses and mules. 1t requires grass to
make horses and mules. Georgia grass
ought to raise all the horses and mules
the state needs, and raise them also for
other states that prefer to grow scent
cotton rather than grass. This is es-
pecially true, since the grass grows
without care, labor or concern.
MUTTON AND WOOL.
Again, our surplus grass will make
mutton and wool When our farmers
get their consent to grow grass abun
dainty we will become the meat market