Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-11-21
AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION
BY DIR. ANDREW NJ. SOULE

last year came into a very small sec
ton of the thirty counties which we
are studying. Undoubtedly the
area in peaches and fruit in general
can be increased. .
! At best, successful orcharding is a
! highly specialized industry, and one
on that account in which every land
owner should not expect to engage.
Only those who have ample capital
at their command and who are will
ing to give the fruit business their
close personal attention and study
are likely to make good. In spite
of the favorable local conditions, the
high measure of success attained in
this industry has been Sue to the
capacity, business. intelligence and
skill evidenced in the handling Of the
fruit business. The record achieved
stands as a monument to the pur-
poseful energy of the men behind
this enterprise and the wonderful
organization perfected for the dis
tribution and marketing Of these
highly perishable crops.
1t seems to me the acreage in
nut trees could be largely increased.
The production is still less than
pound per capita. According to
dietitians several pounds Of nuts
should be eaten by. each individual
during the year. 1t would appear,
therefore, as if there would be an
excellent market for a much larger
poundage of nuts than we now grow.
The pecan, for instance, is making
IAN ever widening circle of friends
for itself. 1t will take a lot of them
to supply the needs of 40, 100000
people when they become properly
educated and fully cognizant of its
virtues. Our soil and climatic con-
!ditions are such as to make the ex-
Itensive cultivation of the pecan a
profitable industry under proper
management.
We come now 10 a consideration
of the animal husbandry needs of
this particular section Of Georgia.
It appears there are Al, 474 animals
to- the best figures available for the
United States we consume 80
pounds of beef per capita. Presum-
ing that these animals weigh an
average, Of 500 pounds apiece and we
ate them up, hide, horns, tallow and
all, they would supply us with but
20,737 900 pounds of meat, whereas
43,349,840 pounds would actually be
needed. According to these figures
we are providing from local sources
less than one-half the beef we con-
sumo. This statement should not
surprise us. because am advised
by those presumed to know that
more than one million pounds Of
-resh meat comes into Atlanta alone
each week. We could we'll afford
to double and treble the number of
beef cattle we, now maintain. The
theory that beef cannot be made
economically in Georgia does not
hold water. Think of the idle acres
Of land in the trade territory under
discussion They will grow desir-
able grass and forage crops fegiven
a chance, and the cattle will do their
own harvesting of the same. If we
have enough grain and silage to FEED
during the winter and spring months
they will keep right on growing and
Tattening. Under such a system we
could supply the abattoirs in this
part of the state with all the beef
animals they need to- kill, and we
could furnish our own folks at a
profitable price to the growers with
the choicest of beef ...-
What has been said with reference
to beef cattle applied with equal
force to the dairy industry as well.
L lind, from a careful examination
OF the record, that our average
dairy COW is yielding about 2,100
pounds Of milk year. or making
approximately 1875 pounds Of but
ter. Cows of this class have never
proven profitable in, any = Of tho
standardized dairy sections Of the
world. We need COWS that make
$50 pounds of butter and give 5000
pounds of milk. We can grow them
just as well here as they can any,
where else. The standard dairy
breeds are admirably adapted to
our soil and climatic conditions.
There are thousands of cows in our
state which have made great rec
ords as milk and. butter producers.
There is small percentage of herds
in the state already where the aver
age yield Of butter and milk equals
or surpasses the standards set up
for dairy cows: With the scales
and the Babcock tests we can weed
out the improbable animals. If we
build a silo and improve our pas
lures and use our surplus concen-
trates as food for our dairy COWS we
can develop a dairy industry in
Georgia that will make the state
self-sustaintng in this respect. In
Alabama the dairy industry amount
ed to very little before the advent of
The boil weevil. I am told the out
put Of that state now approx.mates
S7O,OOO,O00 a, year. We could easily
ill our Golfers in Georgia with q
stream of gold from the dairy BUSH
ness which would more than make
up for the losses which the bel.
weevil has wrought. We cannot ex.
pect to do this with the present
grade of dairy animals, nor the
policy Of half feeding them which
has been followed IN the past. ;.
The establishment of few we'll.
located creameries and cheese fac
tories m the state is movement
in the right direction. We have
done much pioneer work along this
particular line, and we are encour-
aging and supporting efforts put
| forth to establish dairy enterprisCs