Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-12-20
PUTNAM COUNTY NOT
At ALL DISCOURAGED.
BY COTTON FAILURE.
BY RALPH SMITH

| in consequence or the all but COM
plete destruction of their cotton crop
by the boil weevil. On the contrary,
| it serves to emphasize the impor-
ance of diversified farm production,
| particularly as typified in dairying,
and to glorify the grit and courage
Of the people Of Putnam county.
No community in the United
| States, in the past, has ever been Wis.
| tied by a more destructive parasite
| to it's plant life than the boil weevil
infestation proved to be in Putnam
county in the year 1921. The cotton
crop was all but a total loss.
The normal production of cotton
in Putnam approximates 1900 bales
annually, but there have been occa-
sions when the yield ran as high
as $4,000 bales. This year the coun-
| ty produced only 200 bales Of lint
cotton.
The magnitude Of the calamity
| will be better appreciated when it is
| understood that few, if any farmers
in the county individually produced
bale of cotton. The two hundred
bales that were gathered represent
ed the production of ever so many
farmers community bales, they
were. Half dozen or more farmers
pooled their cotton in order to make
a single bale.
AS has been remarked heretofore,
the counties in middle Georgia, be-
tween Macon and Augusta, suffered
| more from the boil weevil than any
other section Of the state. The cot
ton yield in Baldwin, Jones, Greene,
Monroe, Jasper, Hancock and War
rem counties was materially reduced,
but none suffered so much as Put
nam county. This community seem
ed to be the hub Of the weevil in
festation.
Not since the pesky little parasite
| first appeared in the United States,
| crossing the Rio Grande from Mexi
CO, has any community in the Unit.
ed States suffered from it's depreda-
tons to an extent comparable with
Putnam county. The authorities and
| experts of the United States depart
ment Of agriculture are puzzled to
| understand the reason for the
| malignancy Of the weevil in Put
| nam county.
Federal Station
Indeed, the federal government has
been so much impressed with the
| destructiveness of the weevil in Put
man county that it has been deter
mined to establish there a station
for the further study and investiga-
ton of the parasite. The govern
ment is going to eXpend a vast sum
| of money trying to overcome the
weevil in Putnam and to demon
strate, if possible, that the lands
| that once lent themselves so ad-
mirably to the production of cotton
may yet again produce the staple.
The destructiveness Of the wee
| vii in Putnam was accomplished in
| the face of the hardest kind of a
| fight by the farmers. The men of
Putnam did not surrender to the
| weevil. The farmers fought his en-
croachment with every device and
means known either to them or to
| the scientists of the government.
They used all sorts of poisons-
sprays, powders and what not-and
they worked early and late in their
| fields, but the weevil ate up their
cotton just the same. He was too
much for them.
But, as remarked at the outset,
the reports in the state as to alleg-
ed conditions in Putnam county, are
not justified by the facts. It is too
much to say, Of course, that the de-
struction of it's chief money crop
hasn't worked a serious injury to the
prosperity and happiness Of the peo-
pie throughout the county, but their
morale hasn't been destroyed. They
are true to the traditions Of a hun
bred years and more. They take the
situation philosophically. and they
know they are going to come back
because they have the will to do and
the means for doing.
| An incident that marked my drive
| from Sparta to Eatonton helps to
| illustrate the spirit of the people
facetious remark, based in part
at least on truth.
After crossing the Oconee river,
l picked up gentleman whom I
had never seen before-a farmer,
who owns 200 acres of land few
miles out of Eatonton. He was Lee
w. Dance, learned later at Eaton
ton.
81. l.. D." Section
"Pretty hard hit in Putnam" l
suggested to my companion.
1--WE were and we weren't" replied
Mr.. Dance. "You see, this is the
l.. l.. D. section of the state, and
everything is coming along nicely.
Mr.. Dances remark went over my
head like a tent. The L. L. D. stuff
was too deep for me, so he was ask
ed to explain his meaning.
''L. L. d." he laughed, "why that
means lumber, liquor and diaries.
We have lots of 'em, and it, in Put
nam county, and they are saving the
situation occasioned by the visit of
the boil weevil."
AS to liquor I know nothing, but
from information gathered in Eaton
| ton subsequently I was convinced
/ that Mr.. Dances estimate as to the
/ value of lumber and diaries in the
emergency was not far wrong.
Captain E. B. Ezell, one of the
best known men in the county, a
citizen for over fifty years, suggest
ed that Mr.. Dances mysterious init
| ial letter analysis should be amend
ed by crediting the recovery to c.
c. and L.
"Cows, cotton mills and lumber
explained Captain Ezell. ''They are
the basis of such recovery as we
have made in the county"
AS a matter 70 fact, after fnves
tigating conditions, Haynes McFad
denis story of the two frogs appeals
as offering perhaps the underlying
reason for confidence in the future
of Putnam county.
A dairyman, so Haynes story
goes, went to the spring one night
with his cream jar, and in some un-
accountable way a couple of frogs
got mixed in with the cream. They
kicked about for a long time, but
the smooth sides of the cream jar
were too much for them. They
couldn't get out.
"It's no use," remarked the pes
simistic frog after a while. eve
are encircled by an insurmountable