Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1901-12-23
The sugar Cane Industry.

with the price OF corn. meat. lard. oats
and other provisions needed on the farm
higher than for the past quarter OF a
century. and the cotton crop selling AZ
cents per pound or the cost Of production.
the question naturally arises: How IL the
producer OF cotton 20 successfully meet
this condition Of afiairsg The answer can
be quickly given II cannot be done un-
der the present system Of farming.
II takes no expert mathemarcian 70
svitably occupy from a business or imam
cial standpoint when the necessaries OF
life that must Be purchased are high IN
price and the money products 20 be SOLD
with which 70 pay for al necessaries are
selling az or below the cost OF produe-
tion-
The conditions which confront our peo-
pie on the farms at the present time are
narfoua and are devoid OF al theoreucal
ufwnincance. They must be met, as All
serious aTairs which confront as must De
faced. with courage and frmness cnAL-
actsristIc u the s0utherner's wen earned
reputation OF an indOu1itabie determine
ton 10 overcome obstacles wnlcn llAbeAi'
the future OF his home and country.
II Ne today stand on the brink OF rum
nv adherine 70 existing systems. u Is
TINA that we should seriously CONSIDER
the parting Of the ways.
Revolutions IN political OF fndustrial ne
must be evolved slowly II the generaCons
N which they occur expect 20 reap wnat-
ever rewards follow In the wake OF cnahs-
e. such as are Imperative.
No sane man advocating the best meth
as 81 developing successful agriculture
IN the south BY any quickening prOcess
would suggest the general aDanoonLlene
OF growing cotton on any southern farm
,--hsra the stanle IS at present being lex-
tensivelv produced. Neither can any sane
nan looking to the ultimate and genera
urosnerffv OF the farmer continue 70 ao-
vocate q policy which at present exists.
and which IS alone responsible TOT al
the ills and the evils which confront u;
that OF raising cotton 10 the eNciusiS IL "a -
an other crops. The well balanced ofaln
which must solve the present problems
win be found earnestly endeaVorlns 20
lift the happy mealum. which can only
- found IN diversified agriculture. We
must grow other crops which Wlh snow
3 profit and which can be converted ine0
cash as readily as cotton
a Good Money Crop.
A crop which ranks second 70 none II.
Importance and demand In the south ana no
enc which ranks prominently above All
others in profit on output per acre Is thar
Of SUGAR cane. Incontrovertible Iacts 2n1
figures can be gathered BY the thousand
70 sustain the assertion made Nhile the
culture OF sugar cane cannot cover sc
wide and extended a territory as that OF
clifton. owing 20 climate conditions, y
can. nevertheless, be successfully pIs ..leel
over a large proportion Of territory
throughout the middle and southern por-
tons or the present cotton belt Hun
dreds OF thousands OF acres OF land az
nresent PLANTED each year In cotton 70
fhe defrfment OF landlord and tenant
alike could be made 20 yield an immense
net revenue II converted into sugar cane
plantations
Note the striking illustration OF an incl
dent which recently occurred in Muscogee
county. over IN the western part OF the
state and on the banks 81 the Chattahoo-
chez river A farmer living few miles
out from Columbus. engaged I'm the busi-
ness OF diversified agriculture, had plant
ed this year nine acres In sugar cane a
representative from one OF the syrup re-
auerIes IN thar section OF the state, after
personal inspection Of this particular nine
acre field. offered its owner SO for the
cane as IL stood. spot cash-that Is. sloo
per acre before IL was gathered Inc
owner, knowing the value OF his cane and
the demand for syrup. refused TO accept
less than $50 per acre This field OF cane,
IL was asserted. had been plOwed but three
times since II was planted. placing the
cost OF production at a minimum figure
On the same farm and under the same
management cotton was also grown which
produced one bale per acre this season
and sold In the open markets for SIS. Now,
figure out the comparative net value OF
each crop, based upon the relative sellirg
price OF the product per acre The cane,
with three pIowings. worth standing In
tine field $50 per acre. and cotton, after
all the expense OF cultivation. harvesting,
ginning and hauling 70 market, bringing
IN gross only SIS. and It Is doubtful
whether this cotton. although averaging
q bale per acre. turned out 20 the ovncr
any net profit Certainly not, unless pro-
duced as a money crop, and not being
forced 70 bear the burdens OF the usual
expenses Of the farm who could Ques-
fion or doubt the advantage which the
cane crop in this instance had over that
OF the heecy staple 10 the producer.
The Cultivation Of Cane.
Since 1874 sugar cane has been cult
waited In south Georgia. and nearly every
farmer in that section OF the state is IA
rniliar with the methods employed IN its
planting. fertilization. culture and har-
vesting. Just why the farmers. who must
know the high value OF this crop 10 the
grower. do not annually extend its acre
age Is a question which has not yet been
fully answered unless IL be from indiffer-
ence. There can be presented no other
good reason. But the money value OF our
cotton crop Is getting down so close to the
cost OF production that necessity viii
force the rightful recognition OF the high
value OF sugar cane and an interest In its
growth viii be forced upon the attention
OF middle and south Georgia farmers. as
indifference cannot longer control their
wishes IN the matter. one subject, as
food for thought may be found in the