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GEORGIA HOME JOURNAL.
W. ADDISON KNOWLES, Prop I ®.
VOLUME XI—NO. 4O.
MIDDLE GEORGIA,
THE ITALY OF THE
NEW WORLD.
THE LOCATION—EVENNESS OF
HER TEMPERATURE—SOIL,
AND ITS PRODUCTIVENESS i
—THE PEOPLE, ETC.
The exact locatiou of that
section of the state known
ns Middle Georgia may be
easily obtained by tracing
u direct line on the map
from a point on the Savan
nah river east of Elberton
west to Ckrroltdd; theDce
southeast to Macon; Cbence
northeast to the Savannah
river opt*site Appling:
thence southwest up ths
Savannah river tcatbe point
of commencement. The
territory embraced therein
covers an area of fifteen
thousand square, miles—
about one-fourth of the to
tal area of Georgia—and
comprises thirty-nine coun
ties.
In this article it will be
impossible to treat sepa
rately of the different coun
ties which constitute this
Italy of the new world, and
we shall only give (without
going imto unnecessary de
tail) the advantages of the
climate, soil and situation
of the,section as an entire
ty
THE CLIMATE.
From ]tw peculiar situa
tion the climate of Middle;
Georgia can truly be claim
ed to tie the moat inviting
on the new Hemisphere, if,
indeed, it may not well bear
the palm for all the world.
Just on the upper edge of
it, the Apalachian chain of
mountains breaks, and the
invigorating breezes from
the northern clime mingling
with the mildnness of the
south Atlantic, and tin 1 cur
rents from the valley of the
Mississippi, give a mean
temperature not to be found
elsewhere. This can he all,
tha precis ted In
iotereuce tot h.-f uiafr. —
Bounding it on the north
are the monntainona <e
gions ; to the east lie the
Carolinas with their war
mer sea boards ; while |
sooth, stretching to the At- j
laotic and the Gulf are the;
level lands of the seacoast,
with the heat-laden winds
from the tropics. These
Vfff<reiit atm wphcres meet
' Middle Georgia, as if
destined by nature as a
common ground, aod ming
ling with eacli other form a
climate that can scarcely
be excelled. In winter the
rigor of the north is tem
pered by the mild breezes
of the lower zone, and vet
they blend so well as to
give honyauce without bit
ter cold and mildness with
out debilitating beat. The
temperature, summer and
winter, is even, there sel
dom being a sudden or se
vere change from heat to
cold, but all the seasons
mil'llv going from one to
the other—the winter into
spring; spring into sum
mer, summer into autumn,
and autumn again iuto win
ter with such a gentle
cita ;ge as to be almost im
perceptible.
The mean annual temperature is
60 to 64 degrees, in summer the
thermometer seldom going over So,
and in winter rarely falling below
freezing point. Suow seldom tails,
and then only lightly to a depth of
two or three inches, and quickly
melting. Ice is occasionally -seen,
twit rarelv to a thickness of over
half an inch, aud then only in-small
places where water bits accumula
ted in sinks and vessels. The freez
ing of a running stream is. a thing
unknown in Middle Georgia. The
surface of the ground is sometimes
frozen in the morning, hut before
dav passes it has thawed, and
the temperatureremaius mild, eveu
and invigorating.
From its location the surface Oi
the whole of Middle Georgia gen
tly slopes to the coast thus giving
a most excellent drainage, and pre
venting the accumulation of water
into swamps, marshes or lakes. In
the entire section there is not a
single lake, and even the low lands
are free from the fever-generating
marsh. The nearest semblance to
a swamp—in this territory of 15,-
000 square miles—that can be
found are canebrakes, and these
readilv drain and form some of the
most productive of the lands.
It is Dot at all strange then that
•with sncb a climate and such an
altitude, fevers and malaria, And
chills are nncommoD diseases, and
MATERIAL DEVELOPMENT IN THE SOUTH. ->
H§ A -Trap of instruction presenting two leading-cotton ports of the South, at the inner and outer Villi' / '**
j Tatewiara Qfr -mmigration tD that section, wfth the business addresses of donors of premiums to 4— ~ tu> 'J
& CPU BIACKWELI 'S IVt
DURHAM TOBACCO COMPANY, VmrnratmM
unoonmu*. **.. *<*. 1 PMUI, SIOO.OO.
Uh amti tS&imt §&, Cincinnati. T°' dubham, n. c.
ITrankLioe ITHE1 THE CINCINNATI |l PREMIUM
/ SOUTHERN RAILWAY |t, SIOO.OO.
fflteiwltoA. j^^Vl:i. Blue Grass Route. |[j I SIOO.OO.
EOTEL, lift '^ r i‘ l;
t| B W
Jli # \ V?" Unlonvllie T \ M 1 , has special value to
/I’l'inTYfll I tpi A *jw3 jf ; p iKiumuift; , T c'' @ r—' jf o OEI 'J“ I ' f O S /e " B,a * rf \ \ \W. \MH : ll advertisers in every
l.lili I|\!\ fl 1 1 11 £1 t! mw 11 U 05 <*,{[.J*Ufayn/\ W Cail./urii'’’ nJasoer Dnhl u „esa . J AC c <> a c< Laurens \lfj ft line of business, iil
UmllliU'i a 111 'Hi V I uUjr )( 1/ ******** <**•< mm^T^#** l #*'** ** -*? °ctdl&o*om * *\ S \strotherAl ,1 H addition to its large
(J aMunitowi # %hH*vJk .. . „ *“B*”' 'O jof I* > t**Sßlrt wall < wSjuS** 'tj* rtln * |\ ' iu city circulation it is
■LS fib 1-; mi a /L s"*** \ <,nton ,, , L/V^ 1 *' 11 'yApbenwood \\; , taken at nearly
V 1 * it every post-office in
?/ M* 0 poißSlllfe b v - R t Southern Geo W ia
DDTCWinnmif W Jokaimwi " Oja*tr4*te ' v cS2* ,r /^L t CT !p b ret, ° Bu torrf I \ elberton* V-o columbiaX | and throughout the
rKhMIiUM, / { ( frfim*** jUMtl*, m o<w VWfer. on u °sk. 0 adjoining State of
! /T*lvUk,L, // O nMonro \X h , EdgefieM X Elorida.
*,y-v - r , W W fc Law re net V.J „Yte W WasKlngtorfe \
s x < x o '' ff m *iHn C U 5 ° kI L \ McmiNa \
oniy.competingvviLh each other, SIOO GO \ |
•• ln>tt>¥Tt(rUf: Itnausv 'jlUarr-nublloation., their “‘ 1,1 “ S.OO OO CL
the hetilih<rfftflteipeqflleu/f MSillille
Georgia always tgeeil. ffiy nteiwon
(if dteltittppy Slocdtion tiliis swtttiion
avoidstfhe midlrtriaiunll wvu+uingffi--
vers df farther-Hoitth; and ttlm ipdl
monarv coinplaidtsuffttlteminreniig
orous (dlimtites.
THE-fiOIT. VSSD TBROWtOTIOf®.
The -sutffaceolf UliltlUe (Geoigim
is gently undtllttiiug,.'someq*oittnins
(if iitlbeioglliilKy, anil (diliersllovtll
HwUbouutifui mte.itilmv Hands. TUbe
soil, ffm-rihe imnfttjpnrt, iis offattiff
red aniligmy-siitrsdihwiihiunuptpei-
I aver f dfiduiikteaitih. Hn womeitmr
tions, Ihowavor, iit(Hi ranges ttoaeaan
dyUoain/orgrrtsy swill, (exedllarttffor
the production-dfffvuit,igTqpas,midi
meltons. The ujharmtter off tide irell
■>■oll its-sudh ass vwHlKtiuqpOHl three tto
retain 1 1 riOHtture fforaalli ipgttittie ,:aull
'While tfhere iis -seldom m. .'year iin
wliidh raiuiisinrtt pHeiiiffdl.ttiteiTeH
lands dl ways {preserve tihegrrowing
crops iin cease off llmig (coitiiiundl
drought, andiprevarttramigretttllosK
from lladk off train. Tlie smutty strill
His -ver-v Hi ratted Uwiugoajtffirted nil
most erttirtttvttetihe Hong deaf (pirn
localities-ontilteHßmtihernlhoTrEar.
There areffew ‘sedtimis, iffatmj, iin
the "Graft h, wMiidh Gdfiar immee ast-
IhnnSilese iresourcesffor ssußesrffill
farming. (Corn, -oitte ;anH mllautt,
tthe main-srarillcgrain{pTnlkntt,iyWill
largelv. -*n average curqrp its 312
bushels c rff ccorn, TDHuWlWlsrtff owtts
US' rtf wheat, Ibrttiin 'niumi instances
DKV<tWhD TN> TTfrfiH GENERAL WELFARE OF THE PEOPLE
<greene>bi>k\x (l;m>kgia, Friday morning, October 12, iBB3.
W 1 Hire lli gib auitiMutiinn 11 as-been i us+
dl am iiuudb am one Hnntlmdl andl
ttwwentfcyHjye busllHlfe off oatn- Have
beam miulleflerracnrt;, aurll upwardfe;
-df si Ntfc\ H a all alls off wfl an tt. 11118 0111 !
imitej, OMUplbdl width tile soil), tendfe
ttDrmdt;ffurniigriin miillllb (Giongjii
[flleamttandl]piofitnblhi. Bmffdllnndlj
vwidhn-tile-gponnill rmtyy be sovwn in
aatfe.wdlaafi.mve, bajihyy. lie. JJune
tthftajnfplints ripened], lieemltnrvea
tfesd, andl tiled Imdl ife madly for a
omypaffsomething; ul km. (Gimoally,
iff ife sowniin oonm and! peas;;; tile
HttubbUn.bnwiiigbeeniplhwediundbn,
auirirllasttiffilhird], andl 11 asttm ss til e
growth loffthenuwvamjp Btvtiio time
thff ffdll afgumooimesmiradltlia-cortni
audlpeaila&vebeam gymneredl;; tile
wiines andlsttilll* amoutt and! used
ffmfbmaes.Qmpltovwbundbn.-.andlttia
Hard! ife agaiiti ma<% forr tile;plow
andl ffm tilfiß gmihi. Tins,, yean in
amll .wentmitt,aumrnen and] winter,
the lhwd ifeffmiiWlingr nourish ment
ttnaa, growing°ropJ. Hhw climates
wdllafffordtiiife;;ffew sections offer
sro omdii. Time; distinctly orops
cmnibe-rnadb-ibiona yean upamouo■
ipeate off llraill. @Jae acre offbradlj
\wlll,byv tiiifeswsdann.ini tilis-section
yieUllyesriJy ttnrmtfyy Husll elfeof oats,
fifteen i off onmi andl hvantv-five of
peats maiding aittitbll salbaUle crop
off 352!. Tbr- aastt afftiie prodho
ttinii wviuldl anttexasedi %8B) a dear
ipnffti tilam off 5521 per aam.
Tie? lkltdfe off Mfddlh Georgia,
properly cultivated, yield largely of
cotton. In the gray land, one-half
offa bale to the aero is considered
tile average, and there is none of
tile land which will not produce a
fourth bale to the acre. In some
instances where thoroughly culti
vated! as much as four and five
balds per acre have been made and
many have made as much as two
on three bales per acre.
Gorn grows wall on most of the
Hindi in the section, and will aver
age twelve bushels per acre. The
river and other bottom lands pro
dhee a much larger quantity, going
up to forty-five bushels aud even
mom.
Fruit grows finely in all the coun
ties of Middle Georgia, arid ripens
early. There is scarcely a farmer
wlio lias not an orchard which
yields Him pears, apples, grapes
andipeaches in abundance. Dried
fruit is saleable at any time, there
being a constant demand for it.
Mnnv of the planters find their or
chards a valuable addition to the
earnings-of their farms.
Sweet potatoes is one of the best
paying and most prolific crop rais
ed in Middle Georgia. The tuber
thrives wall in the gray and even
the stiff Bermuda lands. The pro
dnet easily averages a hundred
bushels to the acre. Like the fruit
there is a demand for potatoes at
all l times.
Vegetables of all kiuds grow well
and require but little care. Irish
potatoes are a prolific crop and
yield from two to three hundred
bushels per acre. Many planters
and others produce enough to feed ;
themselves in addition to their reg
ular farms. Indeed, numbers make
a profit over their expenses on gar
den vegetables alone.
THE FAMED BEKMCDA GRASS.
Middle Georgia may be called
tlie home of this wonderful forage.
The soil is admirably adapted to
its successful growth, and this pas
turage, coupled with the even tem
perature of the climate, gives it ad
vantages for the raisiug of stock not
surpassed even by the famous blue :
grass regions of Kentucky.
It has been only of later years ,
that the great blessings of this nu
tritious grass has been fully appre- j
dated, aud the planters in Middle j
Georgia are fast turning it to ac- j
count. Asa money-making busi- j
ness the raisiug and curing of Ber-!
muda grass for hay, the sodding;
of the earth for pasturage for stock j
grazing is exceedingly profitable. 1
It has three growths yearly the
first of which is gathered in May ;;
second in July, aud the last in Sep-.!
tember. It is abundant in each
growth, as much as 6,000 pounds
have been gathered from one acre
at a single cutting. The grass eas
ily yields 7,000 to 10.000 pounds
TERMS :—s2 OO per Aiiuuni, in Ailvance.
I per acre and commands as hay
from fifty cents to $1.25 per hun
dred or sioo to $l5O per acre.
To illustrate how well it does and
will pay in Middle Georgia to raise
stock we will give figures. A farm
of 100 acres can be purchased for
$250 to SSOO. Comfortable house,
stables etc, can be built for $1,200,
making the cost of all $1,450 to sl,-
700. If the whole be sodded in
j Bermuda grass—and to give this
grass a luxuriant growth will not
require more than two years even
where the land has been abandon
ed .and worn out—fifty acres might
be allowed to grow for hay, and
the other fifty acres placed in pas
turage. From the first fiftv acres
of hav-land, at the lowest calcula- j
tion can be gathered 300,000 pounds ;
of hay, which, at the lowest market j
price will give $2,200. The only \
cost has been the original plowing
under in the spring, the cost of ash
element or other fertillizer to give
the grass tone, and the cost of gath-,
ering, curing and marketing. This
will not be over S4OO, leaving a net
profit at the yerv lowest estimate
of SI,BOO.
The other fifty acres will readily
browse fifty head of stock. In be
ginning, where one does not wish
to wait the foaling of brood mares,
young stock, mules for instance,
two-year olds, can be purchased in
Kentucky ami laid down for uot
WHOLE NUMBER 040.
more thau fiftv to seventy
five doHarS. Fifty of then},
tlimed on the Bermuda
fields,wijl fatten arid thrive,
Iu two yean they are ready
for the market, bring front
$125 to $l5O, and find im
mediate sale. The cost of
rearing them, housing them
and tending them, will not
exceed over $25 each, leav
ing on each animal a clear
| profit of $5O to $75, or on
fifty mules $2,500 to $4,000.
On 100 acres then, in four
years, tlie place, .with its
improvements, (thfe cost of
tlnj original stock included)
; V.s Urielj paid lor and T
good sflm is left. After the
first four or five years the
! profit increases. On a stock
| farm of 200 acres, in Middle
Georgia, it is safe , to esti*
| mate that $3,000 to $5,000
■can easily be made yearly.
MAIiKET FACILITIES.
All the lauds of Middle
Georgia are well watered
by rivers, creeks and other
streams. The principal
rivers are the Savannah,
Broad, Oconee, Ocmulgee,
Yellow and Chattahoochee,
while every couuty has one
or more large creeks and
streams of various sizes.
This section is a perfect
• network of railroads and
jthe productions of the soil
jare easily and cheaply
| transported to market. Iu
jthe upper portion of Mid
idle Georgia Atlanta, a city
|of 50,000 inhabitants, and
jthe capital of the State, is
the terminal point of seven
iines of railways, and has
direct connection with the
north, east, and west, and
also with the sea const.
Augusta, a'city of 35,000
{people, on the Savanuah
I liver, furnishes an avail
able market for the low
!er portion. This is one of
| the largest cotton markets
in the South, and has di
rect communication, by rail
{and water, with the sea
jport towns of Charleston
aud Savannah,au&thvcujgh
them With Livi ol and
the other cotton'Muanufiyj*
taring centres of The world.
All farm productions—hay,
cottou, grain, butier, poul
try .fruit, melons,vegetables,
etc. —can be easily dispos
ed of and briDg good prices.
THE PEOTLE—EDUCATION.
Middle Georgia, was set
tled mostly by Virginians,
who recognized the advan
tages of the climate and
soil over their own State.
They are hon
orable,kind and hospitable.
To deserving strangers who
come among them to live'
and labor they extend a
warm and hearty welcome.-
The educational facilities
of Middle Georgia are un
excelled in any portion of
the South. Each county
has several fine schools
which give good elementa
ry instruction, while within
the section are several col
leges for more advanced
learning. Among these
are Emory College, at Ox
ford ; Female College, at
Covington; State Universi
ty and Lucy Cobb Institute
at Athens; College Tem
ple, Newnau; Middle Geor
gia Agricultural College, at
I Milledgeville, and others 1
i which give thorough practical and
classical instruction. The children,;
then, of all have advantages of good
: schools for elementary education,
and collegiate courses desir-.
ed.
In this article it has been impos-
I sible to give more than a mere out
line of the resources and attract
ions of this remarkable section.—
.To those who are seeking homes
! we odIj; s?ity come and see Tor yonr
-1 selves. To capital is offered plen
teous opportunities for safe and
profitable investment. There are
hundreds of acres of land, covered
otily with leaves aud grass, lying
out unproductive now, which need
only a little care, a little labor, and
a little money to make them yield
thousands of "tons of bay, or mil
lions of bushels of small grain.
There are many streams of power
and capacity which would move
machinery for the manufacture of
the staples w e produce.
Tlie climate is all that could be
asked, mild and pure ; invigorating
and healthy; the markets for your
products are near ; the advantages
of education are all that could be
desired ; the people among whom
we live and labor are kind, and
honorable, warm in heart and gen
tle in nature. And they and .we
extend to those who are seeking
homes, health, happiness and
wealth, the invitation to come to us.-