The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-01-05
MONEY IN AGRICULTURE.
MR II. VI. CONFER BELIEVES INTEL
LIGENT FARMING PAYS.

He Is Prepared 10 Give Practical
Demonstration to His views, HaN-
ing Invested in Large Farm ON
the Central OF Georgia Railway.
Farming InteIIi=cntIy Conducted
on business Basis VIII surely
Pay. lie Says-Hc VIII Not BE
Fancy Farmer. hut Will Engage
in General Farming Operations.
Farming in Georsia. ntelgently con-
Quoted on a business basis. VIII pay. ms
is the statement made Boy Mr II. VI. Conner
yesterday Mr.. Conner has already ar
ranged to back zip his assertion hy ensag-
ing extensively in farming As he Is rec
ognized as one OF the most astule ana
most successful business men in the state
his opinion that farming can be made a
paying business is worth considering IN
view of the present depressed state Of as-
riculture in this state.
When il was announced recently that
Mr. Conner had purchased the Dckey
plantation about 100 miles above savannah
on the Central. il was stated that 1T was
his intention to engage extensively }"
cattle raising as a business that cohld DC
proftably conducted IN this state,
1.-THE report is an error" sand Mr.. Conner
when spoken to about the matter by
Morning News reporter. 1T proodply
originated from the fact that Mr. Dlckty
from whom ] purchased the place uhuer-
took TO convert it into a stock farm.
do not intend engaging in eattle raising
as a business. l shall simply farm. Ihat
includes cattle raising to some extent, /
think. and the raising of stock also. our
principal business will be the raising OF
bread and meat. but that does not mean
that we shall not plant any cotton MY
object simply is 10 engage IN making
whatever can be produced upon a georgia
farm"
and one who has been so eminently sue
cessful as Mr.. Conner. to turn farmer, and
he was asked if he considered farming in
Georgia a paying business under present
conditions.
IT is undeniatle," said Mr.. Conner, that
q general depression exists in this state
I'm all lines Of business. As agriculture is
the foundation Of all prosperity, we could
hardly expect conditions to be otherwise
so long as It remains Improbable. The
trouble with the farming business in this
state is that IL has been chiefly conducted
by the negro who is lazy, ignorant and
thriftless. Under the conditions which
have existed agriculture could hardly be
expected to thrive. II is only remarkable
that the industry has survived so long as
81 has. Under more intelligent directions,
! believe that farming can be made
euccess. My immediate reasons for en-
barking In the business are that myself
and my brother have sold out our stock
growing interests in the West. All lines
Of business is overcrowded, we have ell
the money invested in manufacturing in
forests which we feel we can afford to risk
there and there are no attractive invest
ments Offering which at the same time
offer a pleasant occupation. Having this
idea in view, we decided to enter upon
farming TO some extent. ! was raised
upon a farm, and have some knowledge of
the business, and / believe that farming
upon better than the average lands intel
lisenuy conducted upon business princi-
pes win pay. This is the idea upon
which we shall conduct our farming oper-
a'ioRs. We viii pay cash for everything
we buy so long as the cash lasts, and
when the cash gives out We viii stop buy
ing. We shah cndcavoT TO raise what
ever can be raised upon Georgia soil. We
may make some experiments. but we shall
chiefly devote ourselves to general farm
ing operations"
Il is a rare thing for a capitalist to en-
bark in the farming business on a large
scale in this state, ana Mr.. Corners ex-
pertinent will be awaited with interest.
In justice 10 Mr.. Conner, it should be said
that he cid not care to be quoted in the
matter but as his ideas may be of inter
est and Of value as well, to many persons
now Interested in farming operations. thew
are given for the benefit of the farming
public generally