The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-02-03

About the most unpromising region a
northern farmer can be shown is the plney
land of Southern Alabama, Georgia and
Western Florida, says the editor of the
Indiana Farmer. For 40 or nioao miles bach
from the Gulf it extends, nearly level. GOV.
cred with yellow pine timber almost ex.
clusiVely, the soil seemingly too poor tC
grow anything else. The grass, what little
there IS, is wiry and hardly fit for any
kind OF stock. To one accustomed to ouI
loamy bluegrass land II would seem
sheer waste of time and labor to try &c
grow any paying crop on such soil as this
ana yet 1t is proven, beyond dispute, to be
capable OF making fine crops of many oil
the cereals, nearly all of the vegetables
or rice. cotton and sugar cane, and os-
peclally OF the small fruits and peaches
plumS and pears.
We copy from our note book some items
taken at the West Florida exhibit at the
Atlanta exposition. This exhibit is in
charge OF A. g. Chandler formerly of this
county, but for several years past resi-
dent OF Washington county, W. Florida,
near Chipley. We copy promiscuously:
Sorgum Is paying crop Eighteen bar
rels, 40 gallons each or syrupfhaVe been
made from an acre in this piney land soil
At the usual price which is 50 cents pei
gallon, and allowing one-haif for making
$ SIS 'he net value OF sucn crop would be
Peaches are grown every year. of large
size and finest quality, and can be put
INTO northern markets several weeks ear
lier than from other localities. Pums
are grown successfully and are mark ted
In May and June. They bear the second
year from planting and peaches the third
year. carload of Elbertas sent to De
troit on the LIST of last June brought the
handsome amount of 1880. They were
from young trees bearing their first crop.
Keiffer and LeConte pears produce pro
digious crops OF the latter we saw one
cluster of $50 pears on one limb. grown
on Mr.. Chambers place. OF the Keiffer
we counted 50 large pears on q small
branch, preserved in a large glass jar.
Grapes at three years old bear bushels
to the vine, one of which is photographed
In the exhibit. Some remarkably large
lunches are preserved In tall glass jars.
Persimmons of many varieties and of
large size were among the most inter
esting. objects of this exhibit
Sea. island cotton, the most valuable va
riety, is grown abundantly and with en-
tire success in that section of the state,
as well as. sugar cane and rice,
Among the nuts Shown, as products of
this region, grown by northern settlers,
are chestnuts, pecans and almonds.
Figs, though a neglected crop do re-
markedly well there with very Slight at
tention. They bear fun crops at five
years, and thenceforward for scores of
years. They seem TO be longlived, and
bear more and more the older they are.
In this West Florida collection we saw
cornstalks eighteen feet HIGH and We're
told that forty bushels per acre can
easily be grown. one vine Of the COW
ped WAS SnOWn US lHdl tONtIGU twenty
five feet of ground and weighed when
green 800 pounds
Crowfoot or crabgrass that covers the
cultivated ground everywhere, as rag
weed does with us, makes excellent hay,
when cut and cured.
Honey of fine quality is shown in this
exhibit, and Bookkeeping is said to be a
profitable business. Jrt
Fine Irish and sweet potatoes are
shown. and the gentleman in charge told
US of crops of the former of 300 bushels
Sweets W. CO.. 1aVsaT "
sell at less price per bushel as they are
so commonly grown. They form the Iiv-
ing almost of the colored people. The
first crop of Irish potatoes is harvested
in April or first of May, and three crops
may be grown on the same ground the
same season, il properly fertilized This
may be made a very profitable business,
as the April crop always brings high
prices at the north. and the latter crops
sell at 40 to 80 cents in southern mar
kets- The cost Of fertilizers is from so
to $25 per acre.
Such statements and figures as these
might be made regarding favored sec
tons throughout this piney woods region.
and yet the price Of the land remains
quite low, as compared with that in the
north. They show what can be done
there. but do not prove that all northern
farmers would duplicate such profits as
they show to be possible More depends
upon the man than upon the soil and eli
succeed there, while the rest can only be
assured Of good living, with much less
effort than is required here. We hope, If
a colony is made to locate somewhere
south, il will be composed mainly at
least of the former class.