The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-07-24


Darlington is one Of the South Carolina
counties that has made a success of to-
bacco culture. \ few years ago it was an
Affection county. Practically nothing
else was planted for market. and the farms
were pretty generally plestered over with
mortgages and liens. Finally tobacco was
taken up. and after hardly more than half
a dozen crops it has become the chief
money crop Of the county. Cotton has
been RELOCATED to second place, and nobody
in Darlington regrets the dethronemont Of
the Old king and the accession of the new.
It is estimated that 500 acres Of land in
Darlington have been planted in tobacco
this year and that the crop viii amount
to not less than 100000 pounds. The av-
erage price, taking Tugs and fine leaf to-
gether is placed by experts at cents
pound. 1t viii be seen. therefore. that the
yield of the present season will bring the
farmers approximately $4,000 All to-
bacco sales are for spot cash. The selling
season opens during the latter part of July.
The farmers Of this single county, there
fore win soon be jingling half a million
Of dollars in their pockets; and they will
have, besides, their cotton to dispose OF. It
must not he understood of course. that
cotton has been entirely abandoned in Oar
lington. A good deal of IL is still cultiva-
ted. but not nearly so much as in former
years. The farmers are now planting both
tobacco and cotton. with a yearly increase
i'm the acreage Of the former and CORE
spending decrease in the acrease of the lat
ter.
The Darlington county tobacco farmer
usually calculates that the net money
value of his crop is from SOS to S75 per
acre. though in many instances carefully
cultivated crops of ordinary varieties on
good land have brought as much as SOC per
acre. Where special varieties have been
planted and given close personal attention.
even much better returns have been secur-
ed. Mr.. Abbott planted six acres. and re-
ceived a net profit of 1915 Mr. Moody cul-
tivated four acres and got $500 net Mr..
Flowers planted five acres and his tobacco
brought net 500 The size of the tobacco
plantations in Darlington runs from one
acre 10 $50, though it can be seen from the
foregoing that the small farmer is not by
any means shut out from profit in the bus
| mess. Indeed in so far as high prices go,
it would seem that the advantage IS with
the small farmer, VINO can give his person
al attention to the crop
There is food for thought for South
| Georgia farmers in this brief and incom-
plete statement of what tobacco has done
for Darlington county. They should ask
| themselves why. if the weed is such a good
thing for the Carolinians, it is not sood
thing for them also. We do not believe
they would be able to find a negative an
swer. Competent judges VINO nave exam
| ined the soil of the two states say that the
soil of South Georgia is as well suited 10
| tobacco growing as that of South Caro-
I lima. The Georgian might say, 1--WE have
no handy market" That would speedily
come Five or six years ago Darlington
| had no handy market but now there are
half dozen or more warehouses and fac
tories at Darlington Court House, and sew
cral more warehouses scattered through
the county The warehouses are visited
| by buyers from all over the United States
all amply supplied with cash to pay for
| their purchases. If the Georgians would
make beginning in small way-one, two
or three acres each as a starter-it would
not take the warehouse builders and the
! buyers long to provide all of the handy
market that could be desired