The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1914-07-10


churches, schools and lodges, and he
also has them affiliate with societies
that provide sick and funeral bene-
fits for their members. For more
than ten years he has not found 1t
necessary to contribute to the inter-
ment of any tenant. Not only has
this been unnecessary, but in many
instances these tenants carry healthy
bank accounts.
Semi-Annual Lectures on Health.
Semi-annually, viz on the first
Saturday in January and July of each
wear. all the tenants and their fami-
lies are assembled and given a lect-
ure upon the proper modes OF living,
with especial reference to diet, vent1-
lation and sanitation. They are also
provided with literature and bulle-
tins sent out by the United States
government as to the preJud1clal ef-
fects of dope, narcotics, etc, on the
human system.
Each tenant is required to care for
no less than six to twelve pecan trees,
two scuppernongs, two fig trees and
two pomegranates and cultivate not
fewer than two acres to the pillow in
wheat. two in oats, seven in corn,
one-half acre in sorghum, one-half
acre in ribbon cane, one-half acre in
sweet potatoes and twenty acres in
cotton. This is the minimum obl1ga-
ton assumed by each tenant per
plow.
Every row cultivated in this broad,
undulating expanse is scientifically
terraced and put to level. Each
year the terraces are thrown up with
big two-horse pillow, and the fur
rows are put to them juts the same
and Just as frequently as to the rows
of corn and cotton. Regularly each
year every foot of the twenty foot
wide roadway is worked scientifically
with a new standard road machine.
Among the model and modern i'm
provements on the place are wheat
mill. having a capacity of two barrels
per hour, a ginnery that will handle
thirty bales of cotton per day and
corn mill. all of which are operated
by electric power. A syrup mill, the
threshing machine and hay presses
as well as the pumps are run by gas
oline engines. All these betterments
are snow white in their coats Of paint
and on the interior are almost as
clean as a Iady's parlor. A commits
sary and complete machine shop are
also maintained.
Thirty-Acre Pecan Grove and Apiary'
On one of the broad, beautiful lev
els there is a grove of thirty acres OF
fourteen year old pecan trees, now
bearing most luxuriantly, while near
by is the apiary, with its more than
100 stands Of bees from which are
annually shipped 1000 to 3,OOo
pounds of comb honey, much OF it go
ing to New York, which it reaches in
perfect order.
1t is the practice Of Mr.. Mercer to
ha IN this estate at 4 o'clock each
morning. and he spends an average
of eight hours daily in its general
supervision and direction. However,
the immediate operation of affairs
is in charge of a general manager
while each department is under the
direction of a superintendent. Every
makes weekly re-
port in tripIfcate, retaining one copy
sending a second to the general man
ager and the third to Mr.. Mercer
The general manager prepares a
monthly report, which goes to the
owner.
In all it's divisions and operations
this vast estate reminds one OF the
modern department store, sclentlnc-
ally. Systematically and successfully
Tn addition to the object lesson
which Mr.. Mercer has given the peo-
pie by his demonstration OF the great
possibilities of agriculture when m
terFigentTy managed he has taken
great interest in stimulating the Ell
forts of others. In 1900 he onereu
four prizes for the first, second, thlro
and fourth largest yields OF corn per
acre in Terrell county. The first year
this amounted to forty-odd bushels
uer acre. He continued to offer these
prizes for eight consecutive years.
and the party capturing first prize
the last year showed a production OF
161 bushels, or over four times that
of the first year. II it be true, as
Dean Swift says, that he who makes
two blades of grass grow where only
one grew before is greater than ne
who makes a city, then by Increasing
the weld of corn four-fo1d Mr.. Mer-