The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1908-01-08
SOUTH GROWING RICHER.
Its Fruit and Truck Products $780,
OOo, 900 . Year, and Cotton In.
dustry Increasing.

of the Chattanooga Tradesman an
elaborate. review OF the Southern
progress during 1907. which includes
some interesting figures.
The principal crops were as fol-
lows:
Hay Of all kinds. tons... -. 1880, 900
Wheat. bushels. >. ...... 91,433,OOO
corn, buSheh.. -. ..959, 9,743, 900
Oats. bushels. :. 80. :. 67,339,O 600
Tobacco, pounds. -. ..451,139,O 900
Hice. bushels. -. :. 21,412,000
Two notable increases over the pre-
vious year are shown by these figures.
Despite the fact that 1907 was dn-
favorable to agriculture over the
country. the Southern hay crop was
Is per cent. greater than In 1905 and
the rice crop increased nearly the
same percentage.
During the last Ave years, how
ever. agriculture has made such prog
ress In the Southern States that the
corn crop has Increased nearly so
per cent. The, rice crop is five times
greater. while as already stated, the
fodder crop has enlarged Is per cent.
In single year. In 1900 the value of
products Of vegetable gardens Of the
South was $4,000. 900. at present the
annual yield Of orchards and vine-
yards In this section Is over Ss0,000,-
900. making the sum total of annual
fruit and truck product Of the South
fully s1b0.000.o00.
The Cotton Industry.
During the last cotton year we
sent out Of the country about $780,
900 bales of raw cotton. fully two
thirds OF the crop; but such is the
growth Of the cotton industry In the
United States that the South now con-
tains TOO mills operating nearly TO-
100000 spindles. and 1908 will add
fully 20 more plants. The States of
North and South Carolina are Ameri-
can Lancashires. the two having no
less than 400 plants with $4,000
rpindles-and more to come.
The metal industry, including the
mining Of ore. shows notable In
crease compared with previous years
The total tonnage OF iron produced
by the Alabama furnaces during
1907 will aggregate about 1,710.00o
tons. including the month Of Decem-
Der with a value Of s3.000,000. This
ID 100000 tons more than the record
for 1895 and about 100000 more
tons than the record for 1895, while
The value has increased within the
last two years nearly 80 per cent.
This remarkable gain Is. Of course,
due largely to 1.-The rapidly rising
price OF iron, but tho expansion in
The smelting industry is also nota-
bic.
Such is the activity In this indus
try in the State Of Kentucky that
while the total tonnage Of pig iron
produced in 1905 was about $4,000
Tor 1907, It aggregates over $4,000
tons. a gain of fully 100 per cent. in
.wo years. while the value Of the out
put Of the smelters has actually more
than doubled in two years.
Tennessee also shows remarkable
progress for the tonnage Of pig iron
made in this state In 1905 war but
a72,oo0. while for the present year It
will be about $4,000 tons. repre-
senting value Of about $3.50. 900
with s6.2sO.Oo0 in 1905.
Large Capital Invested.
The review contains statement Of
The capital invested In general indus
Try in each Southern State in 1905 as
with 1900. also the value
of the Industrial output Of each State
'or the same years.
These figures offer perhaps the
most convincing proof Of the total in
sestment Of capital In miscellaneous
Industries increased no less than SO
per cent. in the brief period vf five
'ears, while the value OF the manufac-
lures has increased Is per cent. md
n 1905 exceed the total investment in
Southern industria, plants by the
sum OF nearly 5000, 200 .000."
The review contains an introduction
by Edwin A. Alderman, president Of
the University of Virginia, in which
he states that the greatest factor in
the future progress of the South is
IN an educational system which will
reach all OF It's people. DR.. Alderman
outlines the system as follows:
''The system Of education have
In mind Is a complete unity enteni-
Ing from the primary school to- the