Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-03-20
AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION
~ DR.. ANDREW NJ. SOULE

various railroads operating in south
Georgia, of farmers and business
mon, and a tobacco wacehouseman
from South Carolina. This was the
beginning of the permanent ware
ouse development in the state. AS
a result of this meeting, the Georgia
Tobacco company was organized at
Douglas, and warehouse built.
Through the aid of agricultural
agents of several Of the railroads,
especially the Georgia and Florida,
warehousemen as well as buyers were
secured from the leading tobacco
companies. The second tobacco
warehouse in Georgia was opened at
Douglas, July, 1917. The sales that
year were very satisfactory and
compared favorably with those Of
the Carolinas. About 1884, pounds
Of tobacco were sold.
In the fall of 1917 the Southern
railroad began to encourage the
growth of tobacco along their lines
in south Georgia and in 1918 the A
G. L. railroad began to encourage to-
bacco along their lines and to rem
der assistance to the farmers willing
to try tobacco.
In 1918 the agricultural and in
dustrial agents of practically every
railroad operating Tin the southern
half of Georgia made a special eff
fort to induce the farmers in that
section to plant more tobacco. Elk
perienced tobacco growers were pro-
cured from North Carolina and South
Carolina to supervise tobacco for
new growers. Tobacco seed was dis
tributed free to the farmers by rail-
roads agents and tobacco warehouse
men. AS a result of this effort be-
tween 5000 and 5000 acres of to-
bacco were planted In Is counties
which produced between 100000 and
4,000,0 900 pounds. The average price
was about "a IL cents, which was
much above the normal price. The
average yield per acre was about
rs pounds, although yields as high
as 1000 pounds were reported. The
same year, in addition to the ware
house at Douglas, tobacco ware
houses were built at Nichols and
Abbeville and markets established at
those places.
In 1919 the Georgia State College
of Agriculture found it possible to
employ a field agent to devote his
entire time to this crop. The high
prices obtained for tobacco and the
damage done to cotton in 1918 by
the boil weevil caused a wide inter-
est in tobacco, so much in fact that
it was necessary to discourage the
planting of a large acreage on in
dividua1 farms. About $4,000 acres
of tobacco were planted in 1919. in
As counties which yielded 1O,327, $50
pounds of tobacco, which was sold
at an average of $17,73 per hundred
pounds. Fifteen warehouses were
operated at Douglas, Abbeviile,
Nichols, Fitzgerald, Blackshear,
Nashville, Ashburn, Triton, Vidalia,
Hazlehurst and, Lumpkin. The coun-
ties that grew the largest acreage
were Coffee, Wilcox, I Berrien, Ben
Hill. Tiff, Irwin, Turner, Jeff Davis
and Pierce.
There were almost dSi1y rains
throughout the tobacco season and
this, together with inexperfence, re-
suited in a large amount, of In
ferior tobacco. Despite the fact that
some farmers LOST money on, their
1919 crop of tobacco the indications
are now that the tobacco acreage, Will
be as large or even larger in 1920
than in 1919. This is due to- in
creased damage to cotton by the boil
weevil and to the high prices paid
for tobacco. The farmers also real
ize that south Georgia soils and
climate are we'll adapted to the
growth of bright tobacco.
Approximately IL billion pounds
of tobacco is produced annually; of
which yield the United States pro-
duces about 1 IA billion. OF this
11-4 billion pounds more than 3OO,-
100000 pounds is bright or flue
cured tobacco. During the war the
use of our types of smoking tobac-
COS and cigarettes has grown and
been popularized among all the ma
lions of the world. At this time.
there is a shortage and good demand
for our tobacco.
The consumption of ftne-cured
tobacco has probably increased more
fer the last three years than any
other type Of tobacco. 1t is impos-
sible, however, to foretell whether
this increase will con tinue nor is 1T
possible to forete1l what the limit
of the increase will be. Bright to-
'bacco is used almost exclusively in
the manufacture of smoking and
cigarette tobacco. There is no doubt
that the consumption of this type of
tobacco was greatly increased by the
recent war and therefore resulted in
a great increase in price.
OVer-production of tobacco has al
ways been a menace in the estab-
lished tobacco sections of the United
States. While conditions now seem
to indicate fair prices for several
years it will be we'll for Georgia
growers to watch carefully the de-
mand for the bright type of tobacco
and govern themselves accordingly.
Under boil weevil conditions We
believe it would be a good plan to
well adapted to it. Tobacco can be
plant small crops of tobacco ON land
made to fit in very nicely on the
average farm on which cotton has
been the principal crop. The market
price of tobacco is determined large
ly by it's quality. 1t offers a good
profit where care and intelligence in
its production and sale are used
Men who have the best grade Of to-
bacco are able to realize a profit
when prices are low. Men who grow
inferior grades Of tobacco for which
there is little or no demand are the
ones who lose when tobacco prices
are low.
1t is the purpose of this article
to give instruction in a general way
that will assist the new tobacco
suits. 1t would be impossible to
growers in obtaining the desired re-
| give specific instructions in every
detail, because conditions on each in
dlv1dual farm are different. The
grower will have to rely on his own
Judgment in applying these instruc-
lions to his conditions.
Tobacco is influenced very much
| by the soil on which it is grown.
! probably more so than any other
crop. While tobacco will grow on
any type of well-drained soil, to pro-
duce the best grades certain soil
! types are essential