The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-05-14
COTTON cRoP ALONE DON'T PAY.
Mr.. Woods of EIIaviiIe Tells Ho"
He Gets Good Prices.

Mr.. ]. F. Woods Of EIaviile. Confed-
reate veteran. who has been attending
the reunion at Charleston, passed through
Savannah yesterday on his way home. lie
is one of the farmers who enjoys the d's-
dnction of giving his land to the cul.lFa-
ton OF other things than cotton ana as
a result he got a much better price Tor MS
cotton last season than the average
farmer
1.-The way 1 did It is simple enough
said Mr.. Woods. "The farmers who put
all their lands in cotton are compelled at
the end of the season 10 sell out az the
market rate, no matter how low II may
be. They have not raised anything csc
the corn crib, the smoke house ana the
barn are empty, interest on the mortgage
Is due, and there is no alternative nut 10
sell at once. The ways things nave peen
going in Georgia for several years past
puts its cotton farmers at the mercy OF
those who NAV want to close in upon
them. 1t is plain that where farmer mas
a little corn, some wheat, few acres or
potatoes, beans, peaches and live STOCK
such az cattle and hogs, he can ran pacK
on them until cotton commands oetter
prices. This is the way l did, and It IS
why ] got more than any of my neigh
bors fer the amount I sold.
This practice Of raising dlvers'iieo
crops is a most important matter Tot the
consideration of farmers in Georgia so
few of whom have awakened to the ad-
vantsges II offers them over the old
method of raising all cotton and nothing
else" Mr. Woods said. II started in with
fifty acres of land, and by managing my
crops in this way. 7 have not only raised
a large family, but have increased my
lands to about $50 acres. This is enough
for me and my children to live on COM
fortably, and it enables me to give each
son a home as they become Old enough
to care for land Had I followed the one
crop theory, however, l am confident
would not have been this successful, as
the poor prices which cotton has COM
manded at times, and the continued drop
in price is enough to convince any one
of the disastrous results to those who
persist In raising one crop. Every year
have wheat to supply my own house
hold and a good supply to sell. The
same may be said Of all the other staple
crops
During the war Mr.. Woods was a mem
Der of the Fifth Georgia Regiment, which
was mustered into the Confederate service
at Macon in 1862 under command of Col
John K. jackson. Two of the
Fifth were from Augusta, one from War
renton, one from Columbia, one from
Cuthbert, one from Schley county, one
from Dawson, one from cambridge and
one from Griffin. During the war the
regiment figured In several important
fights, among them being at Murfrees-
boro and a Missionary Ridge.
At reunion of the Fifth held in Macon
Aug. q, 1884, the flag that was captured
from 1t by the Fifty-sixth New York Reg.
iment during the war was returned by Mr.
L. C. Young of New York, who was spe.
cially appoined by a committee of New
York veterans to present il to their former
foes. The old banner is highly priced by
the Fifth, and will be held forever by
them as one of the regiments dearest
possessions.
Another reunion of this regiment will BIZ
held at Columbus in July, and by tina
time Mr.. Woods hopes to arrange for th'
publication of a book containing a list o
it's battles, officers soldiers killed. an(
other information that will be of grea
| interest to veterans In the undertaking
he has the support of his comrades, any o
whom will gladly give him any additions
information he may desire TO complet,
the book