Fitzgerald leader. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1921-1921, 1921-03-10
SEES GLOOM FOR
GEORGIA FARMERS
Lack of Proper Distribution Sys
tenn Causes Trouble
NEED ORGANIZATION
While Barns Overflow in Some
Section; Others in Want

hILANIA, March l0.-Georgia S
farmers are in the doldrums Pessi-
mism is the outstanding feature. And
it is hanging like a gloom f'aud over
practically every farm housa in the
State. declares John S, Dennee, crop
statistician for the Georgia Cooper
alive Crop Reporting Service, com
bination Of the forces of the United
States Bureau of Crop Estimates and
the Georgia Department of griculture,
in statement handed to the press to-
day. The statistician predicts his opin-
ions upon hundreds ofreports received
by him recently from farmers in every
part of the State, The text Of his re-
marks follows
Money for farm operations is hard
to obtain Many farmers cannot get
il at ali Seed and labor are high.
Commercial fertilizers are offering at
prices practically the same as prevailed
during the World War. The farmers
declare they cannot pay these prices.
Retailers of articles used on the farm
arc, in general, unreasonable in their
demands. Farm products are selling
at pre-war prices. 1t must be plain
enough from all this that the farmer
cannot farm on the present basis of
things and make ends meet. Not a
few Of the farmers say that financially
they are down and out,
Must Turn For Better.
There must be turn for the better
and soon. from the farmers point of
view. Unless there is there is going
to be thousands and thousands of
Georgia's best acres lying idle this
year The farmers need and must have
substantial help.
Considerable cotton has been sold
since the first of the year and at low
prices. The producer has been a very
heavy looser. The time is fast APP
preaching when preparations must be
made to plant the next crop. Most
farmers are without funds. And they
cannot secure credit from the mer-
chant or bank that made them advan-
ces last year. Result, they are, selling
Tor II cents or thereabouts cotton
which cost them approximately 80
cents to make.
Need Organization.
Year after year hundreds of Geor-
gia farmers have demonstrated a
unique capacity for working for the
cotton Spectator. In measure lack
OF farm organization and effective mar
keting methods rendered this fatality
inevitable. But If the farmers are to
pc believed. this year things are going
to be different. Most farmers say
they are going to slash the acreage
anywhere from rs to so per cent and
plant food stuffs instead Some de-
clare they will buy contract cotton
from the. Spectator rather than sell
cotton to him, and in that way make
money u is amazing how many cot
ton farmers have awakened to. the re-
alization that if they want to work for
nothing and get deeper into debt, the
sure way to do it is to plant this year
a normal acreage to cotton.
Many farmers reports say that the
boil weevil has survived the mild win
ter and is already mobilizing to com
mcnce activities.
Thousands and thousands of bushels
OF peanuts, velvet beans and sweet po-
tatoes are reported on the farms and
cannot be disposed Of at any price.
A market for this surplusage, incIud-
ing cotton, is the crying need.
Distribution System Bad.
More wheat, corn and oats from the
old crop reamined on Georgia farms
March lst this year than on the same
date year ago. There is woeful
shortage reported nevertheless, in To-
and many counties are ship
ping in considerable quantities Of these
grains to tide the farmers over the
winter.
The area planted TO wheat is about
ben per cent over that planted last win
lcr. and the condition Of the crop is
good. There Is Z slight decrease ia
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