Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-09-01

! tons.
What a Creamery May Accomplish
For n Community
!. j.. T., Fitzgerald, Ga,
writes I wish your advice in re-
gard to establishing n creamery.
Negro labor is passing out and
the weevil intelferes with the
growing of cotton, and we are
thinking Of undertaking the
creamery business. Any sug-
gestions you may offer will be
appreciated.
The creamery business, if prop
erly organized and handled. offers
our people way out of their pres
ent dilemma. The boil weeVil has
come to take up a permanent resi-
dence in our midst, and the cultiVa-
ton of cotton in the future must
be predicated on a new basis: To
depend upon it as our primary crop
Is a suicidal policy as we now cleara
ly see OF course we are not going
to abandon the cultivation of coil
ton because we are learning more all
the time about how TO control the
weeVil. and | am one of those who
firmly believe that cotton VIII al
WAYS remain our chief money crop.
Also, that we will learn how to
control the weevil with Il greater
degree of success than has been eV-
idenced up to the present time. Ger
tainlv however, we must IND sup
Elemental crops and something that
will bring in a reasonable revenue
to our farmers in a comparatively
short time.
The procedure for us to follow un
der the circumstances is undoubted-
ly that of encouraging the poultry,
hog and cattle industries. If you
are making the cattle industry furc.
ton satisfactorily, it can be more
quickly and satisfactorily accom-
plished by emphasizing dairy produc-
ton. AS soon as a cow freShens, she
is a producer, provided she is prop
erly fed and handled There are
plenty of farmers in Georgia who
are no wreceiVing a weekly check
from the sale of milk or cream to
replace a part of the losses which
the advent of the boil weevil has
caused.
| believe that we are now only
producing 6 per cent of our dairy
products. l know l will be absolute
ly safe in saying 10 per cent. Our
neighbOring state of Alabama was
much in the same condition we are
in when the weevil struck it. They
are now producing something like
S75 900 900 90 worth of dairy prod
ucts a year. They have replaced
their cotton losses with dairy prod
uCts. We can do the same thing ir
Georgia.
We now have some sixteen cream
cries in successful operation, and
been increased 81 800, 100000 within
a year. There is a home market for
our dairy products. The rational
thing is to encourage the develop
ment of this industry on a firm
foundation.
We need to learn to produce feed
in large quantities because We can
not maintain dairy cows without an
abundance Of cheap feed. We must
also have A better class of cattle.
We can secure these, if we proceed
along the right line. The solution
of this problem is largely in the
hands of the business man. and |
am delighted to see you taking hold
of this proposition with zeal and in
terest 1t bespeaks much for the
growth and development of the dairy
industry along substantial lines in
your section.
While [ would be glad to see peo-
pie Of the character you indicate
brought into Georgia in considerable
numbers, | believe our white farm
ers can handle the situation salts
factorily and in the long run we Sre
going to have people in our own
flock put over the new program OF
agricultural Improvement which it
is essential to institute in order to
get back on a basis of safe and sane
farming.