The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1915-02-18
BROOKS COUNTY PLANTER
MADE $4,000 TRUCKING

/ Bower, OF BROOKS county, staFIeC
20 years ago with no capital bu'
health and intelligence. Today b
| is worth at least $4,000.
He began BY ruck-farming. Hi
he had 100 acres, a debt Of $1,000
and two mules, one Of which h
himself. He lived 6 miles from
luitman and brought his truck tC
he local market, where lie sold il
from house to house. His methods
are worth studying.
Heswould wash isvegctables and
arrange them neatly. Following a
schedule lie would reach each Gus
toner at fixed time every day.
Neither weather nor accident was
allowed to interfere with this sohe-
dule.
When he made deliveries he took
pains to dress neatly. When an
employe made the deliveries, Mr..
Bower required that the man use
the same care in dressing.
AS his farm grew larger and lar
ger, he discontinued sales to.the lo-
cal market, but never abandoned
Embarrassing. Georgia he believes
is a better truck section than Flori
da.
Truck growing he says affords la
Dor in off-seasons. It is q profitable
extra crop, 1t is a preparation Of
land for staple crops
Following 4 truck crop he makes,
on the same land, a bale Of cotton
to the acre. III addition, he makes
this staple crop with one-half the
labor required whore no truck had
been grown.
In diversified farming he puts
everything to use. Parings and
culls from 5 acres Of cabbage viii
keep in good condition 50 head Of
hogs and 5 head Of cattle. Mr..
Bower, last year from March until
June, fed 80 head of hogs on par
ings and culls from 2 acres Of cab
bage. These hogs were in better
condition and made better pork
than hogs fed in the usual way.
He bad Is acres last year il
truck. Two we're in cabbage, 2 in
beans. 2 in peas, 70 in Irish pota-
toes, 5 in sweet potatoes. The rest
we're in onions, squashe, beats and
cantaloupes. He has sold as much
as $1,000 worth Of truck from 81
acres, and the same year on this
land has planted hay, corn andcot-
ton, making one bale Of cotton to
the acre and 80 bushels Of corn.
He cultivate. his truck crops en-
tirely with farm hands employed
on most farms simply for the cul-
tivation Of staple crops
Where he leases land, be teaches
his way Of farming to his tenants.
He visits each tenant once week.
Hr gives each minute directions for
the cultivation Of crops. He plans
for all to use spare time clearing
land or keeping up the system OF
roads through his farms.
He has stumped in the last three
years over 100 acres of land, and
has cleared much new ground One
Of his activities is retaining worm
out lands. He bought ) years ago
one place Of 1875 acres that had been
turned out to blackberries and va
grant stock. He then paid 50, 100
for it. In IL months he sold the
timber on this land for 5000, the
for s400, rented the
cleared part for $40, and reserved
Is acres for melons He sold the
melons for 800, and Is tons Of hay
for s18 a ton. At the end Of the
year the place was worth $500 more
because of terracing and other i'm
proyements.
In divorsifying his crops, he last
year tried oat hay. He planted 5
acres. and got / IL tons an acre.
This hay he sold for s25 a ton, and
in April followed it with a staple
crop.
His advice in farming is, use
a.; Keon fba tenants an hands