Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-05-25
Stop the Leaks


of food products into Georgia each
year. These are the figures present
ed by various individuals who have
made some statistical inquiries into
what we are doing along this line
If We can not help ourselves in re-
spect to this situation. then we must
face the issues involved as best we
may. If, however, this flood of
money represents a tide of fortune
which we should undertake to con-
troll, then action of a constructive
character becomes imperative. The
amount of money indicated above
shows that we are importing into
each of our l54 counties an average
of between one million and one and
one-half million dollars worth of
food products each year.
OF what do these food products
consist? Meat appears to head the
list. Our county imports average
around $37,000,00 worth of beef, pork
and lard annually. We still have ten
million acres of unoccupied land in
Georgia, fourteen million acres of
land that are IN farms but unimprov-
ed and twelve million acres of inn
. proved land. Thus we have twice
as much land which plainly could be
used for grazing as is included in
agricultural production at this time.
There are less than 100000 head of
beef cattle in the state. 1t would
thus appear that there is no reason
why we should not raise all the beef
we need. In fact, there is no sound
reason save that we are overlooking
Il God-given opportunity to. make
ourselves more prosperous and indie
pendent than we are at present.
What we need to do is to study and
encourage grain production on a
basis that will enable us to main
tain beef cattle the year round, grow
the animals out to desirable proper
tion and so develop an industry that
will add millions Of dollars to our
revenue and thus cause the food we
are now producing to circulate at
home rather than go to the advance
ment of states lying north of the
Ohio river.
What has been said of beef applies
with equal force to pork. is true
that we have developed our swine
industry very materially in the last
five years, but we yet have long
way to go because we are still mn
porting large quantities of pork. We
must also improve the grade ana
character of the. animals we are
maintaining on our farms and ranges.
We must increase the acreage devot-
ed to grazing crops. We must study
and consider means for increasing
the acreage devoted to cereals anc
the means of insurins the. finishing
of a large percentage OF animals
which viii kill out and yield inner
or what is termed hard meat.
We should eliminate in very short
time and to our advantage the meat
bill we are now paying to the west
This is but form of tribute being
exacted from us, for the furnishing
of supplies which We can provide
at home in a thoroughly satisfac-
tory manner
The next item on the list appears
to be feeds including hay, oats, corn,
amounts to S125,OOO to s15O,O00 per
county Again we are committing
the error of purchasing food stuffS
from foreign sources which we can
provide at home. We can make the
iaost excellent alfalfa hay on the
red lands of Georgia. 1t can be pro-
duced at profit in competition with
the west. There is no section of the
country where winter oats can be
grown more advanta geously than IN
Georgia and in the southeastern
states in general. If we will in
crease the yield of corn but five
bushels per acre there will be an
abundance of this cereal aVallaple
for all local uses. We can replace
bran by. peanut meal, velvet nean
meal and soy bean meal. Let US get
out from under the obligations we
are now paying to the west for feed
stuffs of this character.
In the matter of canned goods the
imports per county amount 10 Sos,s
coo a year. This represents canned
vegetables, milk, meat, and fruit;
Can it be true that the home state OF
the famous peach still imports
thousands of dollars worth or canned
peaches year? Can it be true that
or maintained on silage for twelve.
months is importing milk? Is 1t pos
sible that the state which ships out
thousands of car loads OF water
melons and muskmelons and where
every known type of vegetable can
be produced effectively and in grea..
diversity is still buying car load
after car load of canned beans, corn:
potatoes and other staple vegetables:
The records appear to Indicate thaI
these are the facts in the case and
force us regretfully to the conclu-
sion that cotton after all, when han
Gled on the basis followed in Geor-
gia. may be the means OF making US
a great deal OF money but aiso
amount of it through our failure to
diversity on a basis adequate to our
needs.
We are even importing poultry
and eggs to the extent of S15,000 per
county. We are evidently not giving
the attention to this industry which
it deserves. We are evidently acting
on the theory that the hen can take
care of herself. 1t is possible that
she can exist when left to look after
herseIf, but she will not likely be
a profitable investment. There is no
condition that pertains in Tennessee
which does not exist m Georgia, and
that state has become great poul-
try state probably because cotton
cannot be grown to the exclusion or
other crops for the promotion OF es-
santial industries,
In the matter of Irish potatoes
and fresh vegetables Georgia I'M
ports S125,000,000 worth annually
per county. One hundred and fifty
be produced per acre in Georgia
Lettuce will grow out of doors for
a considerable part of the year, ana
onions the year-round. Beets' car
rots, radishes, cucumbefs' corn,
beans, peas and almost every other
desirable vegetable may be grown
in abundance to perfection why
should We be paying tribute to any
section for potatoes or any other
fresh vegetable under such condl-
lions as exist in this state:
We are importing $15O,O0O worth
of flour annually per county. Evil
IDENTIFY, only very small percentage
of our farmers raise the wheat
which provides the bread so essen
tial for their families. 1t would
take a comparatively Sinai dllouI
of our landed area to make US in,
dependent in the matter of bread
supplies. We cannot be prosperous
to the degree which is both desira bic
and essential, until we become indie
pendent of Minnesota and the Ia
kotas for our bread.
In the matter of butter and cheese
there Isl imported at least $4,000
annually per county. Four cheese
factories have been established IN
Georgia, and they manufacture
product equal to that made in any
other section of the United States.
We have great unoccupied ranges
as previously pointed out. We can
grow a great variety of grasses and
forage crops and still we are not
raising the live stock so essential
1sSAa nrnar The racnrds show that