The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-07-14
EGAN ON THE CROPS
PRESIDENT OF THE CENTRAL SAYS
THEY'RE NOT so BADLY OFF.
TAKES AN OPTIMISTIC VIEW.
AT VARIANCE WITH PEsSIMIsTs
WHO HAVE TALKED CROPS.

the Crop Has Responded beauti-
fulIy-He Thinks Well, Too, of
COrn-EIberta Peaches Show Ex-
ceIIent Pronise-Fruit Is Fine and
Large-Later This Year Than Last.
MIR. Egan Makes COmparisons-Has
a Word of Advice for Farmers.
Plant System Freight Official
Talks of Melons and Peaches.
President John NJ. Egan OF the Central
Railroad, returned yesterday from a trip
over his line In Southwest Georgia and
Alabama He took advantage of the OPP
portunity afforded him to view the crops.
From his personal observations, and from
the information that he received from
many gentlemen who are interested in
the crop conditions, he gained informa-
ton that he gave to the representative Of
the Morning News who saw him. Mr..
Egan does not take the pessimdstic view
of the crop conditions that some have
taken, and many who have been some
what depressed by reports. will be grail
fed to learn that Mr.. Egan does not think
things quite so black as they have been
painted.
Chief in Importance to the farmers and
to the South generally, is the cotton crop,
so Mr.. Egan was asked what he thought
about 1t. He replied:
While II is true that the cotton crop
zen days or two weeks ago was not prom
Using. ideal cotton weather has prevailed
during the past week, and the conse-
quence is that the cotton is very much
improved, indeed. Any person who has an
occasion to study the Thermometer, in diff
fent places, can see that not only during
the day has good cotton weather prevail
ed, but also during the night. 1 have seen
on this trip fields of cotton that have
looked as well as 1 have ever seen cotton
look at this time of the year. The crop
is of very healthy color, and while 1t
is true that there are poor fields of cot
ton in some sections, Il must be remem-
bered that the acreage has largely in
creased in Georgia, as well as in Alabama,
this year.
Mr.. Egan said that corn at the pres
ent time is higher and healthier looking
than during this time in former years.
The yield promises to be large and the
quality superior. About sugar cane, he
said: 1.-The cane crop has largely increas-
ed in certain sections of Southeast Geor-
gia and Alabama and will no doubt come
up to the expectations of the farmers who
have planted it,"
Next to cotton peaches, probably, rank
in the estimation of Mr.. Egan and other
Central Railroad officials, for the yield
of the luscious fruit along their line is
larger than in the territory of any other
IT, i A
Egan said:
II had an opportunity to go through the
large peach orchards that are adjacent to
Fort Valley and Marshalville on Satur-
day morning, June Is. All of the early
varieties of peaches have been shipped,
and on July 10, last year, about half the
crop had been forwarded. This year, up
to the present, we have not forwarded
over one quarter of last years shipments
Ideal weather for peaches has prevailed
during this past week. The Elbertas are
very large in size. While they are not
as numerous on the trees as last year.
they are so perfect this year that we now
expect that nearly as many Elbertas will
! be forwarded as last year.
Peaches are still growing and ship
| ments of Elbertas will not commence be-
7 fore the nth or 18th of this month, and
the busy shipping season for Elbertas will
H.. L
was informed by the producers that they
never had had such good prospects for an
Elberta crop as this year, and while they
| may not ship as many peaches this year
| as they did last year, they expect, owing
to the size and quality that they will re-
alize as much money as they did last
year. There has been absolutely no waste
this year.
'The plum orchards did not produce this
&c Ioc
cial returns received from those shipped
cannot be complained of
The melon crop, as well as the canta-
loupe crop, Is light, but as with the
peaches, the parties who have forwarded
them to market have realized on them
and no cause of complaint was told me
on account of prices from any of the
shippers.
las in the past where the farmer has
been industrious and taken care of his
crop, he is bound to realize on it. Others
who have a crop adjoining his, and who
have neglected Vt, cannot blame any but
themselves, If they do not do as we'll as
thelr neighbor. In many places there
are reports regarding scarcity of farm Ia
Dor, but 1t is earnestly hoped that the
farmers will, in the near future. realize
that one farm laborer can drive two
mules, as we'll as one mule, and IL they
I
use sulky plows and cultivators, the cost
of labor on a farm would be materially
reduced, and the saving would be a net
profit.
In the different towns along the line
1t Is noticeable that where new buildings
are being constructed, brick and stone
are being used, and while a great deal
has been done in the direction of i'm
proving the grade of horses, mules and
cattle. still a good deal of work can be
done in that direction, and when farmers
will realize that 1t costs as much to
keep and feed poor animal as a good
one, they will realize that the best thing
FOR them to do Is to raise nothing but
the best"
The Plant System hauls more water
melons from farms TO markets than any
other railway In Georgia. but even the
Plant System has not moved many this
year. BY the time the season for hand
ling melons is over. the total numbers of
cars will not have reached more than
100. That means the crop has been
small II II had been good the total
number of cars would easily have been
1000. The maximum number handled
during one season by the Plant System
was more than 5000 This season has
been the poorest the road has ever ex-
perienced.
A freight official OF the Plant system
discussed the situation yesterday. 'sThe
movement OF Watermelons" ne saId av,fu