Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-06-24


appreciab1y lessen before the end OF
! another year. There has been gen.
eral tendency for us to let down on
food production and conservation
work ever since the. signing of the
armistice. This probably was nat
ural, but 1t is not a wholesome thing
and I am writing this article solely
| for the purpose of directing public
attention to the condition by which
we are confronted and for the pur-
pose of advising aud urging our peo-
| pie to raise every pound of food It
| is possible to induce the soil to yield
| up. and to conserve and save every
| edible product which nature out of
her bounty affords us.
Ny observation may be faulty. but
I am unable to see where we have
planted proper proportion of corn
| in Georgia as yet. | think there ha S
been a falling Off in gardening. This
| certainly seems to be true in our
towns and cities. The avera ge indi-
vidual. because feedstuffs are high,
says he will not keep a COW or fat
ten hog this year. He is somehow
! under the impression that if he does
| this he will be able to buy such
foodstuffs as he needs for his fam
| lily from some other source and on
a falling market. 1 have no ability
to interpret or forecast the future,
and it may be that we shall have a
| superintendent harvest of everything
and that food prices will fall appre-
ciably within the year. In spite OF
| such q catastrophe as this might
appear to be to some, ! believe that
such a condition would be the lesser
| of two evils as compared with the
possibility of a food shortage abroad
| which we were unable to supply out
| of reserves not needed by our own
people. On the other hand. seasonal
conditions up to the present time
have not, been particularly favorable
| for corn planting in the north. The
| harvest of several of our main food
| crops is in many respects still prop
| lematical throughout the country.
The large surplus of wheat we are
expected to have will apparently dis
appear almost as quickly. as the wild
rushing mountain torrent which ult1-
mately debouches on the desert
Here in Georgia, blessed with the
most wonderful climate in the world
it is not too late to plant almost
any kind of food or truck crop needed
| by man or beast 1t is true that
| labor is very high and that it is hard
| to obtain, and there are many cir
cumstances with which the farmer
| has to contend of very trying char
acter, but on the other hand there
| is a duty and responsibility resting
upon every citizen of the state to
aid and encourage production ana
conservation to the. utmost degree;
We have reaped the fruits OF valor
through the agency of some 10000
devoted men who wore the khaki and
gave their lives on the fields OF
France for the idealism which our
country represents. something over
| 100000 crushed and broken men have
come back to us as a permanent me-
mortal and reminder of the duties
and responsibilities which rest upon
as us a nation. Let us now not
falter in the great work which hes
| Immediately ahead for the civilian.
| In 1917, when we were preparing Tor
| war we grew approximately $548,-
| $4,000 worth of crops. In 1918,
| when preparing for victory, we rails
ed S590,292.000 worth of crops. The
goal for 1919 was set last spring
sdered if attained would represent
Ceorgia's share in meeting the re-
uuirements of her own people, of
the nation and the world: We have
gone over the top 1000 per cent
strong in every proposition which
we have been asked to face or meet
in the history of the present war,
and we can go over the top this last
time in the matter of food produc-
ton if the necessity and urgency of
the situation is only appreciated and
understood by all our people.
1t is the great privilege of every
| one to aid in promoting from now to
the very end of the season produc-
| ton and conservation 10 the limit
of their ability. In doing so we will
be offering a tribute worth while to
the boys who can never come back,
to the bruised, broken and MANNED
men who also offered their lives for
us, and to the men who were spared
from the dangers of the conflict by
! the goodness of God and are either
back in our midst or are on their
way. Let us therefore emphasize
and encourage food production and
conservation as an evidence of
thanksgiving and appreciation for
the victory which we have won over
| the most despotic government ever
organized in the history of the world.
The college of agriculture, with
| it's corps of experts and it's trained
and experienced county agents,
stands ready to offer aid and adj
vice relative to what crops can now
| be planted, how they should be fer
| tilted, cultivated, handled or pre-
served. This service is free to the
citizens of Georgia. The motto of
the college is to serve. We wish the
people to know and understand this
fact. If anyone feels, therefore,
! that we can aid in the promotion of
the essential undertaking have
| outlined above 1 hope they will feel
free to command us.