Small Farms In Florida.
It seems strange that farmers of the North will purchase land for
farming purposes at $100 or more per acre when in the South there is an
abundance of land at from $5 to $25 an acre, from which, acre for acre,
a larger revenue can be derived. Because of the variety of products
raised in the North no farm of less than forty acres is regarded as
sufficiently large to maintain a family.
The tendency in the North is towards larger farms, and many farmers are
not satisfied with a farm of less than 160 acres. Make the acreage only
forty, and the farm is worth $4000. On twenty acres of land in Florida
that can be bought at $25 per acre, one can get a larger annual return
in dollars than he can from the $4000 farm in the North.
This statement needs no proof. It is being demonstrated year by year
all over the State, and only needs to be understood by the great army
of home-seekers of the country to bring such an influx of them as
will make Florida one of the most populous portions of the country.
Thousands of people in the North want just such homes as are within
their reach here. They have not money enough to pay for a satisfactory
home at the high prices of the North, but they possess enough property
to be able to secure a good home in Florida. If they could only be
enlightened as to what awaits them here, they would come in force.--The
Citizen, Jacksonville, Fla.
Improved Methods of the Southern Farmer.
The Savannah Morning News sees cause for favorable comment in the
improved methods of the Southern farmer. It says: “Contrasted with
the average Southern farm of fifteen years ago, the average Southern
farm of today presents a striking object lesson of the New South’s
progress. Plows, hoes and other agricultural implements are no longer
left in the fields, or without shelter in the barnyards, overnight,
or for weeks at a time, according to the whim of the user. Wagons and
carts are not left standing, covered with mud, at the most convenient
place to drop them. Harnesses are not thrown on a fence, or a peg, or
a hitching post, exposed to the weather, until wanted. These things
now have their orderly places under shelter and are properly looked
after. Rainy days are no longer spent in loafing about the kitchen, but
employer and hired man put in the time of the rainy day in the barn
mending harness, oiling machinery, tightening wagon bolts, etc.”
All of this goes to show thrift and economy, and partly explains why
many a Georgia farmer has surplus funds to loan at interest.
Condition of Georgia Farmers.
At a meeting of the Georgia State Agricultural Society, held at
Brunswick, Ga., February 14, Col. Waddell, the president of the
society, said, in an address:
“The condition of the farmers of Georgia is not really understood. The
view entertained by the optimist being too rosy, that of the pessimist
too depressing. They are nearer out of debt than they have ever been,
they have more home-raised supplies than for many years, and they
are managing their affairs with more judgment and prudence than ever
before. But they experienced the pinching scarcity of money, and some
of them are burdened with debts which would have been cancelled but
for the shrinkage in the value of their lands and the products of
their farms. You who are practical farmers know there is no money in
raising cotton at seven or eight cents a pound, and that our only hope
of success is in producing every possible article of necessity at home.
Fortunately, we are not dependent on the cotton crop, for in variety
and diversity of products, and in soil and climate, Georgia produces
unequalled advantages, and these advantages are being recognized and
utilized more and more every year.”
Texas Tobacco Growers Organize.
The tobacco growers have formed an association for mutual benefit
and for the promotion of this branch of crop cultivation. It is to
be called the Cigar Leaf Tobacco Growers’ Association, and intends
publishing a paper in the interests of Texas tobacco.
O. A. Smith, of Willis, is president; H. F. Malone, of Willis,
vice-president, and J. F. Irvine, secretary and treasurer. The
executive committee is composed of the following: Clark Arnold, of
Galveston; J. M. Buckley, of Willis; T. G. Wools, of Hondo; J. H.
Bruning, of Galveston; J. J. Strozier, of Willis; C. F. Rhode, of
Galveston; O. A. Smith, of Willis, and H. S. Elders, of Willis.
The by-laws of the National Tobacco Growers’ Association, as adopted at
Washington, are adopted by this association.
Profitable Rice Culture.
The New York Journal of Commerce, in an article on rice growing in
Southwestern Louisiana, says: A couple of years ago the crop was
excessive, but the last crop is well sold up, and there is little doubt
that the consumption of rice will vastly increase in this country.
Scientifically and practically it is one of the best of foods, and the
taste for it is growing. Portions of this section of Louisiana are
sufficiently watered by natural overflow, but a good deal of it is
artificially irrigated. Some of the farmers say that it is a little
more work to cultivate rice than wheat or corn, but most of them think
it is less; there is no great difference in the cost. The general
testimony is that it costs $5 or $6 an acre to cultivate it, exclusive
of irrigation, which, as already said, is not always necessary. A
dollar for seed, two for cultivation and two for harvesting is the
estimate of many farmers, though a few put the cost at a dollar or
two more, and some go as high as $10 or $12. Ten barrels in the rough
is regarded by many cultivators as a fair average crop, but yields of
twelve and fifteen barrels are common. The farmers generally get from
$2 to $3 a barrel, and sometimes a little more. A rice cultivator at
Lake Author, La., writes: “I can say honestly and positively that a man
can make a big fortune in four or five years raising rice.... I know a
number of farmers that have for the past three years averaged fifteen
barrels per acre, and their net average price per barrel for the three
years was $2.85.” These figures give gross receipts of $42.75 per acre.
Fruit Growing in Louisiana.
At the recent annual meeting of the Louisiana State Agricultural
Society, F. H. Burnette, the horticulturist of the State Experiment
Station at Baton Rouge, read an interesting paper upon Southern fruits.
Prof. Burnette has given much time to the development of the fruit
industry of Louisiana, experimenting upon the different varieties of
fruit indigenous to the climate, utilizing his knowledge of foreign
horticulturing and experimenting at the station. He gave a full report
of these experiments. The paper was of especial interest to small fruit
growers, dwelling upon the varieties of peach, pear and orange which
can be grown with success in Louisiana, and of the new variety of
Japanese and Chinese plums and persimmons which he has grown at Baton
Rouge with success.
At the same meeting Judge Lewis, of Opelousas, spoke of the cultivation
of figs as a marketable crop and one which has never failed of
producing remunerative results by close attention to the cultivation
of the trees. He also spoke of the preserves made in Opelousas of the
rind of the sour orange and also of figs, which are sold in the stores
of Opelousas. The fig tree is self-supporting, and as an orchard which
produces and supplies itself, being free from climatic influences.
He spoke at length upon the possibilities of canning the fruits of
Louisiana and shipping them to Northern markets.
* * * * *
The farmers of Sumter county, Georgia, the county in which Americus
is located, are more and more abandoning the all cotton business and
turning to the growing of fruits.
* * * * *
Mr. J. B. Dubose of Ridge Spring, Edgefield county, S. C., has
experimented with great success in the growing of celery. It is
claimed that the product of his farm is equal in every way to the best
Kalamazoo celery.
* * * * *
The business of truck gardening around Weldon, N. C., has undergone
great development in the last year or two. To accommodate this growing
industry the Wilmington & Weldon railroad is putting in additional side
track facilities.
* * * * *
The State of Georgia has one of the agricultural experiment stations
established by the United States Government, which has been in
existence about four years. Its purpose is to aid the farmers of the
State by experiments in the preparation, fertilization and cultivation
of the soil, etc. It is maintained by an annual appropriation of
$15,000 by the United States government. The property used for the
purposes of the station belongs to the State. This property consists of
130 acres of land with buildings, including dairy, ginnery, greenhouse,
tobacco barn, laboratory, etc.
A bulletin of results is published once a quarter and is sent free to
any citizen of Georgia engaged in any branch of farming. The station is
located at Experiment, near Griffin. Its organization is as follows: R.
J. Redding, director; H. C. White, Ph. D., vice-director and chemist;
H. N. Starnes, horticulturist; James M. Kimbrough, Agriculturist; H. J.
Wing, dairyman.
* * * * *
A number of Germans living near Axtell, Texas, have recently engaged
in the apiary business with much success. Mr. L. J. Miller who lives
in that neighborhood produced 1187 pounds of honey last year, and 165
pounds of beeswax. The honey brought twelve and a half cents and the
wax seventeen and a half cents.
* * * * *
A recent bulletin issued from the Texas Experimental Station gives some
interesting comparisons of the four leading crops in the State. The
cotton crop of Texas covers 4,520,310 acres, and is worth $69,439,476;
the corn crop covers 3,166,353 acres and is worth $28,429,125; the
wheat crop covers 442,337 acres and is worth $5,244,303; the sweet
potato crop covers 29,928 acres and is worth $1,503,764. According
to the above statistics the value of each crop per acre is: Cotton,
$15.36; corn, $8.94; wheat, $11.88; sweet potatoes, $50.24. The cost of
growing an acre of either is not materially different. Here is a big
difference in favor of sweet potatoes.
* * * * *
Mr. Jere Mabry, of Belton, Texas, reports as the result of his work
for 1893, on a rented farm of eighty acres, cash receipts aggregating
$1,974.91. Besides what he sold he raised, for the most part his food
supplies. His total cash expenses were $506.85, leaving $964.06 as the
net cash profit of the year’s work.
* * * * *
An intelligent farmer of Rowan county, N. C., said the other day: “The
farmers in my county were never better off. They have plenty of corn,
wheat, meat and other produce, and many of them have a bale or so of
cotton stored away. There is no necessity for the cry of hard times
among the farmers of Rowan. True, they have little money, but they do
not need it, they have all at home that they can consume. Why, many of
the farmers are raising everything they need on the farm. I know of men
who now have plenty of meat who a few years ago did not raise a hog, so
you see they are growing wiser and are prospering as all good farmers
should. True, a few of Rowan’s farms are mortgaged and badly in debt,
but they are generally of that sort that lounge around town in idleness
the greater portion of the time and let their crops go, trusting to a
mortgage for the next year.”
* * * * *
The “Southern Pines Orchard Co.” purchased in 1890 1200 acres of wooded
land near Southern Pines, and 360 acres of this has been cleared and
planted as follows: 51,000 peach trees, 5000 pears, 1000 plums, 16,000
blackberry. In that section the peach crop never fails. Last year
the new trees bore a few peaches and this year they are expected to
bear freely. The president of the company is Mr. J. Van Lindley, of
Greensboro, N. C., who is also proprietor of the Pomona Nurseries at
Greensboro.
* * * * *
During the last few weeks there has been much activity among the
farmers in the vicinity of Oglethorpe, Ga., and from all parts of the
county as well. The time has again rolled round when they must plant
their crops, and right energetically are they going at this duty. Not
near so much fertilizer is being used as in previous years, and the
farmers of Macon county, Ga., are reported by the Macon News to be
in better condition than in a long time. Nearly all have more than a
sufficiency of home-raised meat to supply them during the year. Few
complaints are heard of hard times.
* * * * *
Some advanced tobacco growers in Texas have been experimenting with the
object of growing a fine quality of Cuban cigar leaf, and the results,
it is said, have been entirely satisfactory. The reports from Brazos,
Paris, Calhoun, Nueces, Liberty, Grimes, Walker, Montgomery and other
counties show that a very fine quality of Cuban tobacco can be grown in
Southern and Southeastern Texas.
* * * * *
The rice acreage in Orange county, Texas, will be materially increased
this year, and there will be almost a corresponding increase in fruit
farming, for which that section is eminently adapted.
* * * * *
Mr. G. W. Duncan, of Greenville, Ala., has fattened thirty-nine hogs
this season on twenty acres of ground peas, and says there are enough
peas in the ground now to fatten as many more hogs and to keep them fat
for a month yet.