The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1921-05-03
REPORT ON GEORGIA
FARM CONDITIONS
DECREASE OF 80 PER CENT IN
COTTON ACREAGE CLAIMED.
INCREASE IN FOOD CROPS.

Nearly 100000 of Georgia's fertile
acres will not be brought under the
p1ow this year, according to John ,.
Dennee, agricultural statistician TOR
the Georgia Cooperative Crop Re
porting Service a combination OF the
forces of the United States Bureau OF
Crop Estimates and the Georgia De
partment of Agriculture. Although the
outlook is somewhat improved over
month ago, says the statiSt, the farm
ers are still on the raw edge-cannot
get rid of their products at living
prices" or negotiate the customary
loans to prosecute farm activities. Dis
cussing the situation Saturday Mr.,
Dennee had the following to say:
'JJnemployment in the rural dis
tricts is still very large, due to the
monetary pinch OF the farmers:
THE average condition OF import
ant crops, as OF April IS, as reported
to this Office by our farmer CORE
spondents, is as follows 100 represent
ing full or normal crop: wheat IS,
oats 81, rye 81, tobacco 81, apples 81,
peaches &C. pears 70, pastures 81
Shocked and stunned by the evils
wrought by the one-crop system. the
farmers of Georgia are diversifying
this wear more than ever. Substantial
increases are reported in the areas OF
food and feed stuffs. Unofficially the
increase in the area to be planted to
corn this year is placed at Is per cent
over last year; oats II, sweet potatoes
q. Irish potatoes II, sugar cane Is,
watermelons 7, cantaloupes 4 and vel
vet beans l6 per cent Tobacco will in
all likelihood show the same or less
acreage, transplanting is still proceed
ing slowly
"Of paramount importance is the
reported slash in the cotton acreage.
Farmers realized some time ago that
they could not go it alone and obeyed
the law OF the pack" 1t looks now
as if they have succeeded in putting
over a decrease of 80 per cent, which
would make the planted area in 1921
about 3.331,240 acres, against 4,9/Z,-
900 acres in 1920.
For those who find statistics i'm
pressive it may be said that the theo-
retical area to be planted to all Geor-
gia crops this year, based on farmers
returns to us at this time, is 11,75l, 400
acres, a decrease of 687 900 acres (5.5
per cent?, as compared with the esti-
mated theoretical area last year OF
12,439,000 acres. The theoretical area
Of all Georgia crops in the pre-war
year 1918 was 10,955,000 acres, so the
1921 area seems likely to be some
100, 400 acres (7.3 per cent? more than
the pre-war acreage Of all crops. These
figures, while somewhat disquieting
when compared with 1920, show con-
clusively nevertheless that Georgia's
farmers are functioning, their present
tragic condition Notwithstanding 1t is,
of course, too early to say whether
this program of intended paintings
will be carried out There is ample
time for variation.
Tentative estimates (subject to re-
vision later in the year when the Off
cial pronouncement will be made) OF
acreages of some important crops for
1921 and the final estimates for 1920
are shown below:
Corn, 100000 acres in 1920; 6273,
900 in 1921 Oats, $4,000 acres in
1920; 100000 in 1921. Wheat, $4,000
acres in 1920; $4,000 in 1921. Rye,
$1,000 acres in 1920; 10000 in 1921.
Cotton, 4,972,0O0 acres in 1920; 1881
240 in 1921. Sweet potatoes, $4,000
acres in 1920; 10000 in 1921. Irish
potatoes, $4,000 acres in 1920; 24,42O
in 1921. Tobacco, 26,700 acres in 1920;
25,365 in 1921. Sugar cane, 1900 acres
in 1920; 1880 in 1921. Watermelons,
40,333 acres in 1920; $50 in 1921.
"Dominent features from a statistl-