Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-08-09
TOBACCO BIDS FAIR TO RIVAL
COTTON AS MONEY CROP In
RICH SOUTH GEORGIA SOILS
Missionary Work Of Au B. &
A, R, H. Atlanta Trust
Company and Georgia As
soCiation Bearing Fruit
BY BRYAN COLLIER
(Staff Correspondent of The Journal

BY Biz AN GOLLlEfb
(Staf Correspondent of The Journal
FITZGERALD, Ga, Aug. 7.-Sev-
eral thousands of Georgia farmers
and plain citizens-the latter lay
men in the tobacco distinguished
the suspicious opening here Wed
nesday of the Fitzgerald tobacco
warehouse and saw for themselves
that in tobacco southern Georgia
has developed a permanent cash
crop that bids fair in the very near
future to rank second only to cotton
in ready money value.
They saw $4,000 pounds of the
cleaning yellow leaf-in color su9-
gestive of the gold it brings-spread
in glistening heaps until it filled the
great floor of the warehouse, and,
before the day was over, they saw
every pound of it sold, to buyers
from far and near.
Practically all of the tobacco
spread on the floor Wednesday was
of the quality known as sand
Jugs" the technical name for that
part OF the plant that is closest to
the ground, the first part cut and
cured and, therefore, the cheapest
portion of the plant.
an average price Of II cents, with
some of it, exceptionally low grade
of sunburnt sand Tugs, bringing as
low as cents, and other lots, of
better variety but still not the best
that the plant produces, selling Tor
40 cents.
Average Price 25 Cents
Tt was most suspicious and sue
hn
conservative business men, Vouch-
safed after final tabulations OF the
days sales had been made, was that
the excellent price brought by the
lower grades indicated that the aver
age price brought by the whole Geor-
gia bright tobacco crop would be
not less than % cents per pound.
The day was suspicious not only
because Of the ready money that
the sales brought to the tobacco
growers of Wilcox, Irwin, CoItee.
Ben Hill, Jeff Davis and other
counties, who brought their product
to this particular warehouse, put
also because it foretold in terms OF
cold figures that tobacco as a money
crop is successful in Georgia, and
has come to this state to stay
onlv for the individual planters who
coura geously planted tobacco over
the objections of those whD said they
could not do it, but also for The raj
roads, the banks, civic organ cations
and business men who backed the
growers to the limit, believing conf
IDENTIFY in Georgia's future as to-
bacco raising state.
A.
birmingham and Atlantic has taken
a leading part in the developments
of the industry in the state, its agrl-
81 tnraI agents having 0een engaged
FOR se1n= years in Il "cl'ssiArary
nroc,fn among Georgia farmers IN
HE hight tobacco te Org along
is Les tor
Colonel B. i. Bugg, receiver Tor
this road. was on hand at the open
ING here. and was introduced by j.
Y Turner. director Of tie Georgia
association for Ben Hill. county ana
director of the Exchange National
bank of Fitzgerald, who acted as
master of ceremonies, as "one of the
first. if not the first, who ever saw
the future of Georgia as tobacco
growing state.
Colonel Bugg made a short talk IN
which Re painted a glowing picture
Of Georgia's future in this line. He
was the only speaker at the open
ing besides Mr.. Turner.
Other A., B. & A, officials present
at the opening were A. d. Daniel,
passenger traffic manager; j. j.. Ed
wards, vice president, and c.. B. Eu-
nice, agricultural development agent.
Trust COmpany's Work
The Atlanta Trust company, one
of the south's leading financial instr
tutions. possessed of great faitf in
the tobacco growing possibilities or
Georgia, has not only equipped and
brought thoroughly up-todate numer-
Gus farms throughout the state, but
also has gone further in sending its
representatives to the Carolinas and
other tobacco growing states to bring
experts in the industry to the GeOr-
gia bright tobacco belt, offering them
modern farms for purchase at terms
of unprecedented liberality.
r. O. Croker, general manager of
all the Atlanta Trust company farms;
j. w. Skies, who manages the tObac-
co end of the company's activities;
G. A Skies, wto manages other
CiOpS pIONSICSu Oh lHS COMPANY =
farms, and +. l.. Allison, farm sales
manager, were the Atlanta Trust
company's representative at the
Fitzgerald opening.
The giant Lon Dickey warehouse
in Fitzgerald, where the sales this
year were conducted, is managed by
l.. B. Knott & Co., Mr.. Knott, the
head of iris concern. being one of
the tobacco experts which the Allan,
ia Trust company brought from
North Carolina and being in charge
of that company's 210 acre tobacco
plantation at Ambrose, Ga.
The Atlanta Trust company lad
more than 0,000 pounds on the floor
at the opening, and this tobacco was
sold for a price above the average.
The reason for this, according. to ex-
perts, was that Mr.. Knott and other
experienced tobacco workers that the
company brought from the CaroIinas
were more experienced in raising. cur
ing and grading tobacco than were
the comparatively inexperienced
farmers who are natives of the Geor-
gia tobacco belt.
Another organization that has en-.
Enthusiastically backed the tobacco in
dustry from the start is the Geor-
eia association. T. H. Abbott, of
Waycross, secretary of this associa.
ton. was in attendance at the Fitz.
gerald opening