Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-07-16
IRRIGATION BEING
TRIED IN GEORGIA
John P. Fort and a Government
Expert Are Experimenting
With Artesian Wells in Dough-
erty County.

An experiment is being carried on in
Dougherty county, Ga, under the super
vision of Mr.. Milo b. Williams, of the
department of agriculture, Washington,
d. c., in illustrating the value and profit
that will arise from the use of artesian
water 70 irrigation purposes by the use
of commercial fertilizers.
This experiment is being conducted upon
! a plantation of John P. Fort. known as
Hickory Level" near QUICKER station.
The experiment is being conducted by
the department at the solicitation and
| suggestion of Mr.. Fort, who has just re-
turned from the irrigation of a plat of
land. The inspection was made by Mr..
/ Williams, and the result of the expert
ment up to this time is most favorable.
The fertilizers for this experiment of
one acre planted half in corn and half
in cotton, have been donated by Mr.. c.
]. Osborne, superintendent of the Armour
Fertilizer works.
1t appears at this time that this exper-
inent will result in such financial profit
as to cause large plant in the same
section for another year, under the same
supervision the government controll-
ing the kind of crops to be planted and
the details by Mr.. Fort and Mr.. Williams.
Food crops are expected to be planted.
The main illustration is TO be the crops
that can be grown by the free use Of
commercial fertilizers, together with a
full supply of water. The profit aris-
ing from such enormous crops to be of
such great value as will cause capital to
flow into southern Georgia to reap the
enormous profit that can arise from the
proper use of the great flow of artesian
weter under said section. The practi-
cal carrying on of these illustrative ex-
periments are to be under the supervision
OF Mr.. W. II. Kingsy, the efficient SUI
perintendent of Mr.. Fort
1t will be in the fall before the crops
now under such irrigation, corn and
cotton" will be gathered so that a
report can be made showing the net re-
suits from the crops grown, these
net results being the factor by which
the United States department of agricul-
ture will be governed. The appearance
at present of the crops grown are very
favorable.
While the expense of these experiments
are mainly to be borne by Mr.. Fort, the
department is aiding both in money and
supervision under the hun1ia irrigation
appropriation.
The theory upon which Mr.. Fort has
the attention of the government and one
that he has put forth, is that rivers of
wide area flow under this section of Geor-
gia as we'll as under a large area In
the southern parts of adjoining gulf
states that only need to be tapped by
artesian wells and their flow over the
surface will form a source of wealth for
said section, causing the land to increase
in value and make this favored section
one of the garden spots of the world.
1t is a combination of commercial fer
tilizers with water.
This theory is illustrated by an exam
ple of one single river-the Wakulla.
This remarkable river rises in large
spring, eight miles from the gulf coast,
and has a flow greater than the Chat
tahoochee. steamboat of twenty feet
draught can come from the ocean, go III
the spring and return.
To tap this water supply that spreads
out at great width over southwest Geor-
gia, is the purpose of the irrigation ex-
periments now being conducted.
The same may be said of the st. Marks
and Aclochney rivers that flow under
this section of Georgia rising to the sur
face and flowing into the gulf.
The experiment is being conducted with
view to it's Importance with fun
belief in the fact as 1t is hlustra-
ted by the rise of the short Folrida
rivers that flow into the gulf east OF
the Apalachicola, the source OF eacn
river being a great artesian well, the
water supply of which is to be USED on
its flow through south Georgia