Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1919-11-26
Report of Trip Made to Boil Weevil
Stricken Section of Georgia
Editor Edgeield Advertiser:

We shall endeavor to give you a
brief report of our trip through
Southern Georgia several days ago
that will include the most striking
things of interest to the people in
our county. We travelled for four
days, about eight hundred miles, and
passed through the towns and cities
of Augusta, Waynesboro, Midwife,
Swainsboro, Vidalia, Hazelhurst,
Douglas, Ocilla, Nashville and Val
dosta on the way down and returned
by way of Adel, Tifton, Fitzgerald,
Abbeville, Eastman, Dublin SWANS
boro and then home on the same
road that we went down on.
Between the cities of .Waynesboro
and Vidalia we passed through Sec
tion of country that has been hurt
for the first time. These people re-
port that they had very few weevils
last fall, but were hurt quite bit
this year, on account of weevils and
rain both. We saw gins running in
Waynesboro, but below this place the
ginning season was over. This is a
territory that was hurt the second
year of the weevil, this condition be-
ing brought about because of the
mild winter of last year and the very
wet summer that has just passed.
On questioning the farmers of this
section they said that we may expect
damage here next year if the seasons
hit us as they hit them.
Below Vidalia to the Douglas Sec
tion we found that the weevils had
been in the country for three years,
and for four years in the extreme
lower part. We shall report on the
condition as found around the little
town of Aston, below Vidalia: Usu-
ally the Aston gin turns out 3,006
bales in the season. This season it Civ
ned about 600 bales. The farmers Of
this section usually maze ten bafes
to the plow; this year they made only
three. These farmers are shipping
corn, getting S1.10 per bushel FOR it,
shipping hogs, growing peanuts and
tobacco to an extent. The latter prov
ed a failure this year on account of
the wet weather, but they believe it
will be a great crop in the future. AL
so these farmers are shipping sweet
potatoes, getting so cents per bushel
in lump and 70 cents Grated. The
chief draw back here is the lack of
knowledge in grading properly and
proper Storage facilities. These peo-
pie say that negro labor is much bet
ter here now than before the weevil
hit them. 1t is much easier to get day
/ laborers. The negroes are doing saw
mill work during odd times to make
little money on the side. Public
work has not yet crippled the farm
ing operations as some so often fear.
This section of the country is only
partly adjusted to weevil conditions.
From Douglas, by Ocilla, through
Nashville and to Valdosta, we passed
through the weevil section proper.
Here it has been for four or five
years. We obtained information in
Nashville that proved of more value
than gotten elsewhere. We met Mr..
A. w. Gaskin here, a merchant who
has been a real benefactor to the
farmers of his community. When the
boil weevil hit Alabama heavily, Mr..
Gaskin made a visit to that state to
study conditions. He foresaw what
was facing his people and began at
once to prepare for it. owe need
nothing but A. w. Gaskins in this
town and county.) He began encour-
aging the growing of peanuts, more
hogs, and started the tobacco busi-
ness. Mr.. Gaskin bought eight Bent
hall peanut pickers and put among
his customers to gather their peanuts
on the share basis, one-eighth being
taken as toll. These machines paid
for themselves in the first season. In
addition to this Mr.. Gaskin erected a
$4,000 warehouse, which would
easily cost $4,000 today, for the
purpose of handling the peanut and
tobacco business for the community
Mr.. Gaskin recommends the flat run,
ming North Carolina, No. peanut
for hog grazing and the little white
Spanish for confections and oil. The
latter is bringing the best price on
the markets today. We asked this