The Dillon herald. [volume] (Dillon, S.C.) 1894-????, 1919-07-24
Georgia Crops Good.

The editor of The Herald spent sew
eral days last week at Monroe, Ca,
where he attended the annual meet
ing of the Georgia State Press Asso-
citation. Nearly every section of Geor-
gia was represented at the Association
meeting and the editors talked very
encouragingly of crop conditions in
their respective sections. The crops
around Monroe are fine and the peo-
pie are enthusiastic over the pros
poets of an abundant harvest and
high prices. If all the Georgia crops
measure up to those around Monroe,
Georgia will make record-breaking
crop.
Monroe is one of Georgia's most
progressive towns. 1t is located about
so miles this side of Atlanta on a
branch line of the Georgia Railroad,
and to reach there one changes cars
at Social Circle. II is an old town and
there are evidences Of wealth. 1t has
many pretty homes, substantial stores
and two large cotton mills owned by
local capitalists. While in the city
the editor was the guest of DR.. ]. A.
Fiekle, one of the towns leading and
most progressive citizens. DR.. Fiekle
is also a large farmer. He has been
watching the progress of the boil
weevil and says if the weevil's ad-
vance is not checked it will reach
Monroe in the next year or two. DR..
Fiekle is turning his attention to the
culture of tobacco. Tobacco is an un-
known crop in the Monroe section,
except here and there where small
patch is planted for home consump-
tion. The lands around Monroe will
grow a fine grade of dark tobacco.
They have the red clay with a peebly
top soil. In making cotton they use
from 400 to 600 pounds of meal mix
ture. The use of soda is practically
unknown.
One thing which interests the visi-
tor is the development of the bottom
lands around Monroe. Two or three
years ago these lands stood under
water and in dry seasons would bog
an OK. Drainage projects were start
ed under laws similar to those in
this state-that is by levying a tax
upon the lands it was proposed to
,drain-and the results have been
highly gratifying. The first year after
the canals were dug the lands were
planted in corn and the net profits
were more than enough to pay the
cost of the drainage. Second year
crops bid fair to produce from 60 to
IS bushels of corn to the acre and
the lands are held at from $50 to
$3.50 per acre. Before they were
drained the lands had no value, The
owners did not consider them worth
the taxes they paid on them. Thous-
ands of acres Of these bottom lands
have been reclaimed, adding to the
taxable of value of the county's re-
sources and greatly increasing the per
capita wealth of the county.
There are low lands in Dillon, now
considered almost worthless, that can
be reclaimed by a similar process.
Drainage projects were started in
Robson county several years ago and
thousands Of acres of worthless lands
in the Elrod and Pembroke sections
were reclaimed and made profitable
We have here in Dillon county thous-
,ands of acres of the same character
of lands which could be quadrupled
in value by system of drainage in
telligently directed.
Dillon county farmers should not
pin much faith to the reports that
Georgia crops are bad. The editor was
in one of Georgia's favored spots, but
the newspaper men from other parts
of the state said their crops were
good. The only exception was in the
lower part of the state where they
have had excessive rains.