Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-12-19
Live Stock Industries
In the Southeast.

In his recent article In The Journal describing
the new packing plant at waycross, Mr.. Martin ".
Calvin. secretary OF that thriving citys chamber Of
commerce. presented a number of uncommonly in
teresting facts The waycrass plant, representing
an investment OF one hundred thousand dollars,
has been in operation less than a month. In that
time, however. it has bought eighteen hundred
swine from the surrounding country, has stored or
cured in a special compartment some fifteen thou
sand pounds OF hog meat for farmers, and has
found its field OF business encouraging that large
additions the plant probably will be made in the
near future. Mr.. Calvin noted further that in the
forty-four counties south Of line drawn from
Springfield In bingham county to Cuthbert In Ran
dolph county there are 475,570 head of cattle,
1426,61s swine. la, 945 sheep and 109.5S2 goats.
It appears moreover, that from fifty to sixty-odd
per cent OF the live stock in that region is in
fwenty-one counties within radius of sixty miles
OF waycross. In the light of these conditions, the
opportunities of the packing plant are strik-
1ngIy evident.
The meat-packing industry depends, OF course,
on the livestock industry; packing plant, to be
safe venture, must be assured of a fairly steady
and sufficient supply OF food animals But 1t is
equally that the production of beef cattle and
hogs derives its main stimulation and support from
the packing industry. BY providing a convenient
and dependable market for these products, the
packing house encourages farmers to throw of the
one-crop system, and thus opens the way to far
reaching agricultural reforms. The Moultrie pack
ing plant has freed its territory from the tyranny
OF cotton and is fast converting the farmers bust
ness from a credit to a cash basis. Those results
almosr invariably follow the establishments of
weII-conducted packing house. <.'
It is peculiarly gratifying. therefore, to note
the swift and steady growth of such enterprises in
Georgia and the Southeast In recent months ten
Industries of the kind. representing an aggregate
investment OF several million dollars have been
up definitely planned. At Statesboro, Ca, a two
hundred thousand dollar packing house has been
completed and is ready for operation. At Macon,
plans have been perfected for million dollar
Germ. Triton has subscribed one hundred and fifty
thousand dollars for plant which soon will be
under construction. company which purposes
10 build three hundred thousand dollar plant at
Augusta has been incorporated, and similar move
ment Is under way at Columbus. Western interests
are considering the establishment of plant at AL
bany. Packing house companies have been organ
fzed at GreenviIle and Orangeburg S. C. Andalu-
STA Ala is operating with marked success a pack
ing plant which completed last summer; it
has a weekly capacity for three thousand hogs and
eight hundred head OF cattle At Jacksonville,
Fla. plant having daily capacity for one thou
sand hogs, two hundred head of cattle and two
hundred sheep has been completed; and another
plant of kindred proportions It is announced, will
be built near the city. The packing house
established this year at Tampa is prospecting
Numerous industries of this kind for the Southeast
are in contemplation; but those here mentioned are
either established virtually assured. They make
up a years record of wonderfully vigorous enter
prise and open the way for new forces of produc-
ton and wealth.
By every natural circumstance the South is
ideally suited TO cattle raising. Its mild climate
OF tn
minimum the cost OF housing and feeding the
stock. Authorities on the subject say, indeed, that
this is the only part of the United States except
certain districts Of the far West, where beef can
be produced cheaply. There have been two obsta-
cIes, however to the extensive development of the
cattle raising in the South-the presence of ticks
and the absence of markets. Ten years ago more
than seven hundred and twenty-eight thousand
square miles we're under federal quarantine because
OF tick infection. Advancement could not be ex-
peced under such conditions. But joint efforts by
the State and federal departments of agriculture
have been efectual that approximately half of
the territory originally quarantined has been freed
entirely and the remainder doubtless will be freed
in the course of a few years. Commentirs on this
happy result the federal Department of Agriculture
remarks:
THE South has made greater progress in
developing the cattle industry in the last hve
years than in the preceding fifty years. and
there has been more progress in the industry
in the South during that period than in any
other section"
Interestingly enough. adequate markets for beef
cattle are appearing just when the tick menace is
vanishing. so tEat che SOuths natural resources
for cattle raising can soon come freely into play
Capitalists of foresight already are alert to the
wealth of opportunity in the souths millions of
acres OF undeveloped lands which be bought