Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, Ga.) 1921-1964, 1924-09-11

TOBACCO WELL
DEMONSTRATED
As MONEY CROP
Farmers and Business Men Meet,
Arranging Plans for Enlarged
Acreage in County


Responding to invitations sent out
by the Chamber of Commerce and
thru the press of the city. about sew
enty farmers and business men met
Tuesday afternoon to make plans for
an enlarged tobacco acreage in the
county and surrounding territory.
Mr. w. R. Bowen, president of the
Chamber of Commerce, presided at
the meeting and presented the object
of the meeting, discussing the value
of tobacco as an additional money
crop, well demonstrated in the sever
al counties Surrounding us, and the
several successful growers of Our own
county and territory. -Four thousand
acres, in the opinion of Mr.. Bowen,
should be planted here to make this
the leading market of the tobacco sec
ton of Georgia.
A number of growers spoke OF the
success they have had with the weed
this season and the comparative cost
of producing it as related to cotton
and its comparative value. L. B. Knott
grower and warehouse man, briefly
spoke of the advantages of this sec
l1OII SlOWlHS DllShl LA SOboN~O
and the value to the community, both
as business getter and as an induce
ment to bring trained farmers from
the Carolinas into the territory, each
OF whom would become a valuable
asset to the city and county.
J. w. Skies, manager for the At
1anta Trust Companys tobacco farms
and co-operator of the local ware
house, gave some interesting hgureaI
of actual results of several of his own
tenant farmers, who reached Georgia
in January and began planting their
crops. E. S. Lilies, on thirty acres net
ted $8,O25.71, on $1,000 pounds, W.D.
Turner, another of the North Caro-
1inians. sold 1858 pounds off 10 acres
at an average price of $38 a hundred
and Melted $3,878.40. Mr.. Rigsby, with
only eleven acres in tobacco received
for his share $2,61450. A. L. Cash on
10 acres reaped the handsome amount
of $2,8O7.72. J. F. Lovett, with only
four acres of tobacco earned $oOU on
his investment. S. H. Wilson, OF the
GRAY Brthers farm, reported net re-
turn of ST ,O44 on four acres and a halt.
of tobacco. Mr. Cavanaugh, OF Irwin
vile. on FIVE acres, received the sum
of $1,000 net for his tobacco crop:
A number of others reported SINH
lar proportionate results on their to-
bacco venture this season and in each
case complete satisfaction with the
local market and its management was
expressed.
Mr.. l. E., Turner spoke interesting
Wv on the. value of tobacco as flX-
tt1re for this section and quoted start
ling figures from the U. S. Census de-
nartrnent. of the gross value OF the
tobacco crops in North Carolina and
Georgia in past years and the rapid
Growth of the industry in our own
state.
III. Dorminy, president of the First
National Bank, who planted fifteen
acres of tobacco this season as an mi
t;al experiment, told of his complete
satisfaction with the results and stated
that he will largely increase his acre.
age the coming season. Especially II
he can get experienced growers as
tenants on his plantations.
Mr. Sidney Clare, who had tobacco
grown on his farms for several years
Stated he will finance his tenants to
larger extent the coming season, as
he ;s fully convinced that tobacco
brings certain and satisfactory re-
turns to the landowner as well as the
tenant. t.sad
for the coming season by the. several
farmers present, and on motion MT,
RowenI was authorized to appoint com
nn;ttees in the several militia districts
nf the county to- thoroly canvass the
far,,,ere and secure four thousand
90, for tobacco for the coming sea-
son. T,-,,;,,
The following members OF the
Chamber of Commerce were appoint
sd &C general committee to meet
With the Citizens of Ocilla, Abbevliie
and Rochelle in the interest o. the
industry in their counties: Lon Dick
nn Is,bn D. Dorminy, ]. J. Dorminy,
II Knott, J. w. Skies. c. T. owens
L. McCarty. W. K, Bowen anu "a
H. Denmark. .,a1,,es
20 liant tobacco next season were:
T,,dpe Hardin, T J Byrd, c L Pres
cott ! 7 Dorminy, ] B D Paulk a
# Denmark, Lon Dickey,. Goodman,
n Wilcox. Horace Paulk, Geo w
Williams, R P Brown, J D Dormlny'
s G Pryor, Sr., H c Troupe, Mr.. CAV Nv
snauoh. M Dixon, w D Turner, w
r Turner. C H Wilson, 1 3 Knott
w Skies, J E Turner, w K Bowen
Gnu Committees Named
The following list of gentlemen
have been named to canvass their res
nective districts for additional tobac,,
60 growers for the coming season and
are urged to organize an effective cam
naien to secure every land owner and
tenant for this great development OF
o1,r county's resources.
Bowen's Mill District: w II Rob
erts. Quincy Carroll, F. R. Peoples,
Geo A Drex1er, R L Stone. R V
Stone A ] Hart, ] A Bond.
Oak Ridge School District: J Hor-
ton TAYLOR. Abba; John Hagerman
and E Reeves, Abba; A H Green,
Abba. and S Y Gibbs. Rochelle
Emory school or Williams Mill dis,
trict: G w Young, Martin Young and
Sam Minchew, Rebecca; K
Young and Louis White, Rochelle.
lContinued on page 81