The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-06-01
PUBLIC SCALES NEEDED.
Would he of Great Advantage to
Home Producers of Hay and Oats.

Would he of Great Advantage to
Home Producers of Hay and Oats.
The Morning News called attention re-
Gently to the need of public scales
Mayor Myers, when spoken to in regard
to the matter, agreed that such thing
is needed
A Wen known gentleman, who has
large agricultural interests, has called
the attention of the Morning News to the
need Of a public scales for the weighing
Of hay for the benefit Of the home pro-
ducers.
THE hay crop has become an impor-
tant one" he said, "to the farmers Of this
county. 1t is now a fail crop with ali
classes Of farmers. Ten years ago nearly
all the hay used in Savannah was brought
here from other states. To-day consider
ably more than half of the hay used
here is raised right in the county and
brought into the city by the producers.
There has not been any noticeable in
crease in the crop in the last three or
four years, owing to several reasons. one
of the main reasons is the Inconvenience
which the farmer meets with in disposing
Of his hay. The majority do not press the
hay into bundles, but bring it in loose,
sumers. Here is where the farmer meets
with his trouble. To weigh a load of loose
hay at a livery stable or at the stable of
private citizen is bad job. The only
thing the farmer can do is TO get permits
sion from the Central railroad agent to
weigh his load on the scales in the yard
of that company, and this means two trips
at considerable inconvenience. Chatham
county hay, which was once not regarded
with FAVOR by the livery stable men, is
now considered by them TO be equal to the
best western grown hay, and they buy
1t readily. They do not like to buy in
the dark, however, and neither does the
farmer like to sell in the dark; A load Of
like it might weigh a ton, and just like
half az ton; Consequently both
fed with their bargain. This is where a
public scales would prove of great ad-
vantage to the hay industry, as neither
buyer nor seller would then be In any
doubt as to the amount bought and sold. ?"
while there has been no increase in the
hay crop in the last three or four years, -
continued the gentleman, "a large in
crease may be looked for now on account
of the operation of the fence law, which,
by requiring cattle to be fenced in, ena-
bles the owner of unfenced land to put it
in cultivation. Again, the drainage of the
lands around the city is bringing under
cultivation large amount Of land which
has heretofore lain idle This means an
increase in the hay crop. Public scales
would help greatly to increase the native
production of hay and the scales should be
put in at once. Hay is a fan crop with
our farmers here, being raised after the
last crop of truck or other produce is
cleared away
In this connection it can be stated
that the cat crop in Chatham county
this year is very large, probably the
largest in many years. The acreage is
not only larger than usual, but the yield
is very fine. Mr.. J. +. Guilmartin has
several hundred acres in oats, DR.. J. d.
Read has a Hne crop of oats on rice
land, and The gentlemen who are farm
| ing the lands on Hutchinson island have
a very fne crop there. There are other
fine crops to be seen all over the county
The greater part Of the cat crop in the
county Will be sold in the city in the
/ straw Some viii be baled. but a great
deal will not. A public scales at which
the loads could be weighed would prove
of great convenience to the producers
Of oats. The city ordinances formerly
provided for public scales and public
weighers of hay and grain. 1t is not
known whether these ordinances have
ever been repealed, but they have fallen
into d!suse. 1t would be well 10 revive
them. The scales could be located near
the market or on the vacant space north
of Bay street. where they would be easy
of access to all buyers and sellers. The
money paid 10 the Chatham county
farmers for hay and oats remains at
home, while that paid for western hay
and grain is a drain for which there is no