Fitzgerald enterprise. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1895-1912, 1905-10-21
COMMISSIONERS TALK
Praises South IL Cot:oa Asso
cia :. tT its W1r1.
ccneRATuLATEo TIE FARMERS

Commissioner of Agriculture !. G.
Hudson, Gives Good Ads'~o 20 FRO
ducer,-Eaise Pl.nty to Ell and
Ptayt Cotton a sapIus Crop.
In this my first talk WITH the fal n
orc of Georgia [ take occasion TO con
graduate tLtm On the present F'os'
n,,rous condition of cur beloved state
According. to tie Comptroller u~A
erals report for 1865 tAe a5sCsse"
valuation of ali property il Georgia
shows an increase of $4,000 30 over
last wear. IN every lina, agriculture
manufactures and commerce, George
shows gratifying progress. But what
most interests us is on agricultural CON
dition Although the thirteen anu one
half mAlion bale cotton crop Oh last
wear was the largest in the worio
history and Georgia far outstripped
any previous records of production
the average price, IL cents a pound,
brought into the State more than $780,
600 900. At one time 1t seemed mat
the bumper crop was going 70 Dc
disposed OF at figures that would De
disastrous to the cotton producers
but through the blessings OF a BE-
nign Providence the Southern Cot
ton Association, which was organized
last January in the city OF New Or
leans win Hon. Harvey JORDAN as
President, and backed up by the BANK
ers and merchants and other business
men of the South, was able to stem tie
tide and turn threatened ruin into vic
tory.
Under the firm and judicious man
agement of the chosen officers of the
Southern Cotton Association, the slump
that sent tle price of our great sta
pie down to 612 cents pound Was
checked in mid career and the price
again went up to II cents a pound.
If our great crop of last season was
SO well and successfully handled in
spite of those who attempted TO
bear the market, the handling of this
seasons crop, so greatly reduced, will
be an easier matter. But eternal Wig
Hence is the price of safety. and the
farmers of Georgia must stand faith
fully by the Southern Cotton Associa-
ton, if they would continue to reap the
fruits of their victory. We therefore
urge the farmerSe in all the counties
who have not organized, to 90 so at
once in every militia district Of every
county and promptly pay the dues nee
essary for the proper maintenance OF
the Southern Cotton Association. This
is a Gay Of organization and it behooves
the farmers to band togather in a
strong union and i'll view Of what has
alleady been accomplished, we urge
that the Southern Cotton Association
offers them the strongest combination
taat they can enter. That the farm
ers may be better able to hold their
crop for a .emunerative price, we
would urge them to raise an abund-
ance of food crops, such as wheat,
oats. barley, rye and that they pay
special attention to pasturage. The
cotton crop will soon be about all har
vested and the preparation for the
sowing of the important food crops
just named, should commence at once
and continue during the early AMI late
fall. All waste lands should be put in
grasses this fall so as to increase
pasturage for all kinds OF stock which
should be carefully selected. Pc sure
to plant first OF all suGficiency of food
crops for NAH and beast, and then
raise as much cotton as possible, by
better fertilization. more thorough pre-
paration AMI better cultivation. To
do tie necessary WORK successfully,
we must use the very best improved
machinery Of every kind Primitive
implements aud old time methods will
not do in this day of progress The
farmer who daeS not keep abreast with
the times will soon find himself left
far behind by the more enterprising,
who will grow richer in the same pro
portion in Which he is growing poorer.
Modern machinery and better methods
in all farm work will go far toward
overcoming the disadvantages that
arise from scarcity of labor or the un,
reliability Of laborers.
L. G. HUDSON,
Commissioner CT Agriculture.
An Important and Timely Letter from