Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1910-01-06
GEORGIA ONE OF UNCLE SANS
GREAT CORN GROWING STATES.

We are all prone to think of Geor-
gia as only a cotton growing state,
with the other crops merely as Incl
dentals, minor side issues in the
states great scheme of agriculture.
Yet, as a matter of fact, the acreage
devoted to corn alone in Georgia is
nearly double the acreage devoted to
that grain in al the New England
states, with New York, New Jersey
and Pennsylvania thrown in. Georgia
is great state and even in growing
corn it does it on a great scale.
w. L. Glessner, we'll known in Amer
lea, has been making some investiga-
tions along this line and gives the
public the benefit of them in an arti-
Gle in the Manufacturers Record.
From what he has compiled Georgia
can take on an extra strut and declare
itself one of the great corn states of
the land, as well as second only to
Texas as cotton growing state And
corn production in this state is jump
ing at a great rate. The crop of 1909
was unquestionably the largest ever
produced and if the farmers are wise
that of 1910, with its probabilities of
great increase in the cotton crop
generally, will also see an increase in
the crop of corn as an offset to pos
sible lower values for cotton.
But here are some of the facts that
Mr.. Glessner presents as to what we
are doing in the corn line in this and
other Southern states:
In 1907 the five cotton states of
North Carolina, South Carolina, Geor-
gia, Alabama and Mississippi planted
over 14,500,000 acres in corn, which
produced over 220,000,000 bushels, val
ued at over $166, 100000 ($166 ,633, 000) :.
The acreage in corn in the above five
cottongrowing states was nearly one
half of that of the five grain-growing
states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Ne
braska and Kansas.
The average yield of corn per acre
in the five cotton-growin@ states was
l5.4 bushels, as against 30.5 in the
five grain states, or abOat one-half;
but the average farm value per acre
was 1885, in the cotton states, as
against 1882 in the grain states, both
Nebraska and Kansas showing lower
average value per acre than any of the
cotton states.
These figures would show that corn
growing was equally profitable in the
cotton and grain growing states, but
little investigation will show that it
is considerably more profitable in the
South than in the North. In the South
the rows in the cornfieId are very
wide apart, and between the rows of
corn are planted rows of cowpeas,
which are cultivated at the same time
and with the same labor as the corn
These cowpeas make an average yield
of ten bushels per acre and bring an
average price of ST. per bushel Now
add $40 to S13.65 and we have $23.65-
Is per cent more than the average
value of an acre in the North. While
the average yield of corn per acre in
the South is low, it is not because the
soil and climate are not adapted to it's
growth. Some years ago the American
Agriculturist offered a prize of 81 900
for the best acre of corn in the United
States and $500 for the second best.
Tho first prize was won by a South
Carolina farmer and the second prize
by Georgia farmer The average
yield is low, because corn is really a
side crop in the cotton states, and a
large proportion of the crop is raised
by negro choppers, who, poorly equip
ped with implements, give it lick
and a promise, and then go fishing.
Yet | have compared results with
states where corn is a staple crop and
where the highest skill and latest i'm
proved implements are used.