Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press., 1924-12-18
=,
Tobacco the Money Crop for This
Section. Fresh Soil Produces
Large Yields and Higs
Quality
NES-YSxSxD


where crop diversihcation in practice
can be seen on any road side within
radius OF one hundred miles. Cotton (
of course, is grown, but the farm land
scape presents far different aspect |
from other sections of the South. |
Here are pecans, great forests OF
them; an industry which has been de-
veloped in this section as anywhere IN |
the world. Then there are peanuts,
vas acres of peanuts; then hay OF all |
vareties and legumes; crops which |
provide money, food for stock and cat |
tie and in addition build up the soil
by replacing naturally the nitrogen
extraced from the air.
/ And now tobacco!
"We have decided to add tobacco
after uniformly successful expert
ments," explained Mr. H. M. MeIn
tosh, editor of the Albany Herald and
"Fatlier of Diversiication." In the
lrst place, climatic conditions are not
as important in successful tobacco cul-
ture as are soil conditions. We have
found our soil as good for tobacco
culture as can be found on the Amer
lean continent 1t is virtually fresh for
tobacco culture Whereas the soil of
the Caro1inas, Virginia and Kentucky
has been used for many years in to-
bacco growing The freshness of our
soil means that we can grow double
the quality of tobacco here for the
same expenditure of effort as on those
other lands and consequently will
bring double the price"
Mr. McIntsh pointed out the high
prices paid for tobacco in Georgia last
year which caused the tobacc growers
in other states to raise their eyebrows
in surprise
"The soil being the main thing"
he went on "the next step know
I the complete operation OF planting to-
bacco, raising it. curing it and mar
/ keting it, Failure to possess this knowl
( edge discouraged the farmers here
years ago They did not know how
+ to handle the tobacco. They attrib-
/ uted the failure in their crops to the
climate or to the soil or to other
/, causes and so turned their attention
D to other crops.
"But in the last few years the neigh
d boring counties have been collecting
Il each fall lot of money out of to-
:; bacco and Investigation showed that,
q by using the proper methods, tobacco
y of the very highest grades could be
: produced in this section. Tobacco which
is used in the factories for the high
It est quality of products; tobacco which
: will bring the top notch price. Hence
+ the experiments made last year and
= the decision to plant large acreages
/ this year.
Tobacco grown in the Albany sec
Il ton we believe will be of that quail
: ity which brings high prices at all
times, regardless of the state of the
market on the lower grades of to-
bacco The same energy put forth
by farmer in a tobacco crop as in
growing cotton will bring twice or
more in cash results when crops are
harvested according to information OBJ
. tanned after the experiments were
made in the Albany district.
"It is no longer questionable that
} tobacco can be grown successfully in
= Georgia. The initial work began sew
era1 wears ago around Blackshear.
} Fortunately this movement brought
= men who knew the art of raising, cur
ing and marketing; hence, with ideal
soil and climate success was won.
About the same time the interest in
I obacco spread over to Baxley, Triton,
Nashville and Douglas and the coun-
! ties about them Again the movement
I was properly handled; the correct
z methods were used in culture and
! again success was met. Last year to-
q bacco was grwn on a large scale in
B South Georgia and the movement
} spread over to our secion and our
Z experiments were made 1t has been
demonstrated now past all doubt that
B obacco can b grown in Georgia and,
q what is more important, tobacco of
the very highest quality"
} M. Mcintosh explained tha tobac-
2 co culture, like the successful culture
of any other crop, requires the use
b Of inte11igently direced energy.
. ! 'If dollars could be raised on plants
and it required scn1e work to plant it
b many people still would be poor" he
! said "Work must be put forth to
produce any crop but fir ohe expendi-
ture of time and money invesed in a
tobacco cror in Georgia most excel
!. lent profit will be Forthcoming. The
4 tobacc crop is essentially money
/: crop and The addiicH of one money
/: crop to those of any farmer cannot
/. but mean better things for that farm
!: !: er, for his family a:sd fc; the COM
|. mrnity.
i 'We can raise several money crops
I: and if one of them happens to fail
I the others are certain to bring results.
!. That's he gospel of diversification." ."
]! The seed OF diversification planted
!; more than quarter century ago by
/. Editor Mcintosh in his newspaper has
/: brought abundant fruit During all