Newspaper Page Text
VOLUME XXi.
>l. V. MOKTBBEN. K. \Y. LAXK.
McKibben fcLane
ATTORNEYS AT LAW,
Jackson Ga.
LUCIEN L RAY. ' CLAUDE t HAY,
mens, Ua. Jackson G.
RAY & RAY,
ATTORN E YS.
Negotiate loans on real estate lower than
any Loan Broker in Georgia.
Superior advantages in collecting claims
in the South.
Practice in all Courts, both Federal and
State: Also Supreme Court of U. S; A. by
special contract.
WRIGHT & BECK,
Attorneys at Law.
(OFFICE IN COURT HO. BE.)
rACKSON, - - GA.
M. M. MILLS,
lAunsollor & Attorney at Law.
Will fraction in all the court*. Me: ey
turned e* r al oatate at low rate of inter-
Ml Laws time granted with small pay-
C ” Stained at eneo without
(OVTKtB W COURT HOVTSK.)
Ur. 0. H. Cantrell,
DENTIST.
JACKSON, - - GEORGIA.
Up stair* J. W. Bun’s Rock
Comer.
J. W. LEE, M. D.
JAC Kb ON, GA.
Will praoiioe medicine in its various
Wswache*.
Office at J. W. Lee A Son’s drug store.
Residence first house west of Mrs
Brady's,
DR. T. K. THARPE.
DBSTXST.
FLO VILLA .... GEORGIA.
Crown and bridge work and all the la
test methods of dentistry, Teeth ex
racted without pain. Trices moderate.
Satisfaction guaranteed. Feb 14 93 ly.
NO TEL 8.
STOP AT THE
Morrison House.
BVMMTTHIN9 NEW ANN FIRST
CLASS.
SonTwniontly Located,
Free Hack ta n*a*
C. R. GRESHAM, Proprietor.
Wilkinson House.
F,rY Class in Every Particular.
TV only brick hotel between Atlanta
tied Mxcon.
Convenient to all business.
Mivs. A. E. WiLtiwsoir, Prep.
[Wlfrill.. K.; V. 7 V*
I “When I began your /C
•a ■ w treatment 3 xuos. affo Iwm so/ \ lIY * IT
exhantfad by ailments that I oould rot; Before. After. Lost.
do %nr work. The aceoEnpanylng Weight $45 lbs 195 lbs 50 lbs
ure snow the result of 3 months’ treat- 8u5t,.... 48 In. 37 in. 11 In.
trout. I now feel like a rev? bring. IlWj Waist... 40 in. 29 in. 11 in.
and pa;as are all gone. My friends are) Hips .... 57 in. 48 tn. 9 In.
itirptiseJ. Will cheerfully reply to Inquiries with stamp Inclosed.”
PATIENTS TREATED BY WAIL. CONFIDENTIAL.
Harmless. No Starring. Send 6 cents In stamps for particulars to
OS. 0. W F. SKYPFI. M’VICKER'S THEATER, CHICAGO. ILL
ETHERIDGE & KINARD.
FIRE INSURANCE AGENTS,
Risk taken on all classes of Insur
ance.
We insure Cotton, Cotton Gins Saw
mills, Country Stores, Dwellings ,
Barns &c. TT> represent some of the
*bes< and oldest companies in the Uni-
Wfd Sates.
21st Annual Announcement
OF THX
North Georgia AijicoltaraJ College,
AT DAHLONEGA.
A branch of the State University
Spring Term begins First Monday in Feb
ruary. Fall Term begins First
Monday in September.
B at school in the south, for students with
limitfd means. The military training if
thorough, be ng under a U. 8. Army officer,
detailed by tho Secretary of War.
BOTH SEXES HATE EQUAL, ADVAN
TAGES.
Students arv' prepared and licensed to teach
in the public schools, by act of the legislature.
Lectures, on Agriculture and the Sciences
by distinguished educators and scholars.
For health the olimate is unsurpassed.
Altitude SK7 feet.
Beard 910 per month and upwards.
it lewer rates.
Etch senator and representative of the state
* * n *itled and requested te appoint one pupil
® r * 1 ® his distriot or eonnty, without paying
hatriculadou fee, during his term.
For catalog or information, address Secre
or Treasurer. Board of Trustee*.
ttttttttttttttttttt
L IST UP DOR T ITNI TIPS.
Young man, will you listen while I sing
a little song,
It is not at all a lengthy one, and will
not detain yon long
Its truth is only this—you will learn it
at ihe last:
“The wheel will never turn with the
waters that aie ; ast.
Now while youth is in your makeup
and vigor in your veins,
Take lime by the forelock or handle
well the reins;
Fi.rWe is speeding onward—l know he
moveth fast,
And “The wheel will never turn with
the waters that are past.”
our aim should be a high one, indeed
you should be men,
For time to you is measured—its three
score years and leu,
And if you don’t be watchfnl, you’ll
miss the goal at last,
For “The wheel will never turn with
the waters that are past.”
Let no idle talk betray you, and sacred
keep your word,
For in the wide creation, you were
made to be the lord,
And in all your acts in business be hon
est to the last,
For “The wheel will never turn with
the waters that are past.”
And when you’ve spent a lifetime in
serving soon and late,
An angel smile will greet you—he’ll
open wide the gate;
And when you’ve entered heaven, the
truth you’ll learn at last,
That a wheel has never turned “with
the waters that are past.”
D. J. Thaxton.
In the Wyoming legislature a bill
to suppress gambling was 10-c by a
vote ol 20 to 1. Tut gamblers evi
dently hold a full ban 1 out there.
An exchange rightly says 1 If
the well to do church members
gave to Christ’s cause the same
percent, of tuoir wordly goods
that the poor church members
give, the preacher’s salary, cur
rent church expenses and ex
penses of mission work would be
pormt ly met.
Can’t be beaten ! Mr. J G Wittig
Blue Mound, Ills., Writes : “I have
used Salvation Oil with wonderful
success for inflammatory heuma-s
“Orange makes hand
some, happy women, because it.
makes healthy women, Sold by all
druggists.
Every one gives it the highest praise.
H. Gradel,Druggist, Walnut and Alli
son Sts., Cincinnntti, O , says this of
his trade: “I sell my share ef Dr.
Bull’s Cough Syrup and my customers
that have used this preparation speak
of it in the highest terms.”
Don’t wait until you are robbed to
learn that it is safest and wisest to
keep a bank account. Don’t keep
money locked up iu trunks and hid in
old stockings and ordinary iron safes,.
The steel burglar proof time lock safe,
in the Jacksou Banking Co’s, vault is
absolutely impenetrable. *
The old reliable Butts and En
taw acid and Jackson High
Grade fertilizers.
Almand, Moon & Cos.
POSITIONS GU^li2/INTEND.
By The Georgia Business College of Ma
con, Ge o rgi a
Jhe reputation ofjthe Geor
gia .Business College, which ranks al
other southern institutions, enables it to do
what no other is doing, viz: Guarantee a
position to every person of average ability"
and good moral character, who completes
its prescribed course.
Many Text B >ok t lieges are studiously
seeking to conceal their lack ot merit and
influence, by hinting that no repti able in
stiutiou will guarantee positions. Pet.
this celebrated college, which teaches real
business by purely practical meth nls, no
only boldly gives this guarantee, but si
making it good in every instance.
It hail fifty students from a dozen states
North and South, to enter last month; and
in addition to placing every graduate, has
now on hand numerous unfilled applica
tsoin fnmi the best professional and mer
cantile firms for book-keepers and stenog
raphers, at salar.es of 0600.00 to $1500.00
per annum.
Ev*iy young la ly and genfleman, de
siring to becon e independent, should
write for full particnlars, to
JFyatt & A/artix,
Macon, Ga.
JACKSON, GA., FRIDAY, MARCH 10, 1893.
ROAD AGITATION HAS BEES.
I SEFU L.
Several years ago we began call
ing the attention of our readers, the
dealers, to the miserable conditin of
the country roads, and urging them
to introduce road machines, with
the hope that the use of the same
would demonstrate to higwav offi
cials, and to farmers, how quickly
and cheaply roads might be made
and mended by suitable machinery.
We also pointed out to them that
he introduction of road machinery
would be doubly beneficial to them,
in the profit of selling the machines,
and also in the belter advantages
afforded by improved roads for sell
ing their other goods. Next, three
years ago we began urging upon the
Carriage Builders National Asso
ciation the ad outages of good roads
to the carriage business, and the
propriety of making the “road ques
tion ’ a subject for consideration iu
their annual conventions. Others
took up the cry for good roads that
was begun and c ntinued in this
journal and the agitation gained
strength ; out it remained for the
general abominable condition of the
roads last Spring and eatly Sum
mer to arouse every class to the
necessity of improving them.—
Farm Imp, News.
MACADAMS IDEAS,
About a century ago John Lou
den Macadam inaugurated anew
system of road making and road re
pairing. His leading j riticiple was
that a road should be an artificial
flooring, so strong and even as to
let the heaviest vehicle pass over
it without impediment. Another
principle was that the native soil
when dry was more resistant than
when wet. and that as it had to car
ry the road as well as the traffic it
should he kept in its greatest resis
tance i, e , dry. The best way ol
keeping it dry was to put over
it a covering impervious to rain,
the road in fact; and that the thick
ness of this covering should he reg
ulated solely in relation to its iai
pervrousness and not at all as to its
bearing of weight, to which the na
tive soil was quite equal. Instead
of excavating the native soil he
raised the road above it sufficiently
to let the water run off.
ability he obtained by the practical
discovery that stones broken small
and pressed together by the traffic
of vehicles rapidly settled down face
to face and angle ivith angle mak
ing as close a mass as a wall. This
important discovery has given to
us the verb to macadamize—to pav
a road with small broken stones.
DR. PRICE’S BAKING POWDER.
Supplying the Army, Navy and In
dian Department,
The purchasing agents of the
United States Government hare or
dered nearly one hundred thousand
pounds of Dr, Price's Baking Pow
dei in the first five months of last
year, 1892.
The government exercises great
care in selecting its supplies of all
kinds, rejesting everything that is
not of the best, and the very fact
tHat it has adopted Dr, Price’s Bak
ing Powder is proof that has found
it the best oi all baking powder?.
Dr Prices is peculiarly adapted for
export, as niether long sea voyages
nor climate changes affect it, this
brand keeping fresh and sweet for
years while other baking powders
deteriorate rapidly.
It is guaranteed to the govern
ment to be a pure cream of tartar
uowder free from aunuonio alum, or
other harmful circumstances, and it
is also the only baking powder pre
pared by a physician of high stand
ing—Chicago Inter Oeeau.
An agreeable Laxative and NERVE TONIC
sold by Drug-gists or sent by mail. 25e 50c
nd SI.OO per package. SaApSesfrewT
|TA Wn, The J a J orite TOOTS POTO3I
AV \J for the Teeth and Br rath, 25c.
BCRDET’S SERMON Ob LIFE
Man born of worn an is of few days
and no teeth, and indeed it would
be money m his poekei if he had
less of either. As for hi3 teeth he
had convulsions when he cut them,
and as the last one comes through,
lo ! the dentist is twisting the first
one out, and at the last end of the
man’s jaw is worse than the first,
being full of porcelian and roof
plate built to hold blackberry seed?.
Stone bruses line his pathway go
manhood : his father boxes his cars
at home, th. 9 big boys cut! him on
the playgrounds and the teachei
whips him in the school rooms.
He buysth Northwestern at 110
when ne lias sold short at 96, and
his neighbors unlofdetb upon him
Iron mountain at 937-8 straightway
breaketh down to 521-
2. He riseth up eariy and bitteth
up late and he may fill his barnes
and store houses and Jo! his chil
dren’s lawyers divide the spoil a
mung them and say: Ha !ha ! He
growleth and is sore distressed be
cause it raineth, and he beateth up
on his breast and sayelh : “My crop
is lost,” because it remaineth not.
The late rains blight his wheat and
the frost biteth his peaches. If it
he so that the sun slrneth, even a
mong the ninetiets, “Woeto me for
I perish.And even ii the north
west wingeth down in forty-two be
low, he cryeth, ‘‘would that I were
dead.’' If he wears sackcloth and
blue jeans then they sa v lie is a
tramp, and clad in purple and fine
linen, all the people then cry,
shoot the dude!”
He carryth insurance for twenty
five years, until he had paid thrive
over for all his goods, and then he
lets his policy lapse one day, and
that same night fhe destroyed his
store, He buildeth a house in Jer
sey, and his first born is devoured
by musquitoes ; lie pitches his tent
in New York and tramp devour
his substance. He moveth to Kan
sas, and a cyclone carryth his house
avray over to Missouri, while a pra
irie fire and-10,000,000 acres of grass
hoppers fight for his crop. He se -
tleth himself in Kentucky and is
shot the next day by a gentleman,
a colonel and a statesman “because,
sab, be resembles, sah, a man. sah,
he did not like sah. Verily, there
is no rest for the sole of his feet, if
he hau to do it over again he would
not be born at all for “the day of
death is better than the day of one’s
birth.*’—Bob Burdette.
THE HORSESHOE.
Doubtless our readers have often
been amused by the importance
attached by some persons to the ac
cident of finding a horseshoe.
It is considered a mark of good
luck by superstieiouß people and
very many persons even among the
enlightened people of our own coun
try, cannot entirely divest them
selves of the idea that there “is some
thing in it.”
This regard for the horseshoe is a
relic of superstition handed to. us
from very remote times, and it is
apparently Celtic origin.
The reason why it is a sign of
good luck to find the article is be
cause the horseshoe operates as a
charm to keep off eyil spirits.
Hence it is nailed up over th?
door to prevent the entrance of
those obnoxious witches.
The magi tell us the Evil One has
a tendency to move in circles, and
consequently when once enclosed
in horseshoe cannot easily get out
at the heel.
Upon this principle we would
suggest that instead of a horseshoe
a half-peck measure be put over the
door for the purpose of prevention ;
for taat presents a complete
instead of a broken circle.
Moreover, there are such small
devils about in these days that one
of them could trot ail day in a half
peck measure without once suspect
ing that he was impiisoned.
r j. he North Can lina house ot rep
resentaLvs passed a bill appropri
a ting $20,00*0 lor tho state’s exhibit
at the world's fair -
The lates‘ clock is described by
the advertisement in the jewelers’
windows: I \\ e have got you at
last. This clock keeps on ringing
its alarm until you get cut of the
bed and remove the oin. v
COMMISSIONER NESBITT
HIS MONTHLY TALK WITH THE
GEORGIA FARMERS
On Subjects of General Interest Per
taining to the Farm and
Garden—Good Advice.
Department of Agriculture,
Atlanta, G a., March 1, 11893.
The Ist of March finds the farmers in
a most backward state of preparation.
The weather has been such, first freez
ing and then raining, that it ha3 been
impossible to plow the red lands, and
even on the gray lands very little has
been accomplished. There are draw
backs and hindrances to every occupa
tion, and these are but the disappoint
ments incident 1 3 our avocation; but
when difficulties confront us
WE SHOULD SUMMON OUR BEST ENERGIES
to meet and combat them. Trials ami
difficulties develop and make the strohg
man; they paraiize and destroy the
weak. We still have much to be thank
ful for: the unerring return of the sea
sons; the blessing of the early and lat
ter rain; the perennial hope which
springs in the farmer’s breast as he goes
out to begin his year's work and sees all
nature donning her fresh spring robe; the
pleasure of witnessing the soil respond
to our efforts, and the gradual develop
ment of the different crops from seed
time to harvest. Surely the farmer in
his work comes nearest to God, and
takes its results more directly from the
hand of the great ruler of the universe.
How important, then, that he study to
make no mistake in executing his part
of the contract!
I hope my farmer friends have util
ized these muggy days in
REPAIRING,
as far as possible, the farm buildings
and fences, and in making compost, the
latter a most important factor in the
farm economy. Every moment, when
the land is too wet to plow, can be util
ized to the best advantage in giving
your farms a more liome-like and com
fortable appearance, and even when the
rain keeps the farmer indoors, there are
many jobs in the way of mending and
preparing implements, wagons, plow
stocks, harness, etc., for the coming
strain, which should not be neglected;
and always there are the stables and
yards to be cleaned out and attended to,
leaves to be hauled and cattle and stock
comfortably bedded. On a stranger the
impression of a well-kept farm is be
yond estimating. Even
ONE THOROUGHLY-CULTIVATED, WELL
KEPT FARM
in a neighborhood is an object lesson to
be seen and appreciated, not only by
farmers, but by every passing tr**eier.
At first it may not seem to exert any
sensible influence, but gradually adjoin
ing places begin to touch up’; the lands
are better prepared; more manure and
of better quality is made; more pro
gressive methods are undertaken; a
spirit of emulation is roused; evidences
Of thrift are seen on every side, and ere
long the improved condition of the
neighborhood is the subject of favorable
comment throughout the county.
OURS IS A POSITION OF HONOR AND RE
SPONSIBILITY,
and if we expect to fill it with credit to
ourselves and families, we must fit our
selves for it as do successful men in
other avocations, by careful study and
by well-directed energy and diligence.
Every moment, every hour is worth so
much to us; they are not to be wasted
if we expect success to crown our ef
forts. The slothful, indolent man, no
matter in what occupation he may be
engaged, has no reasonable hope for
even moderate prosperity. Let us ob
serve the methodical, systematic energy
of the successful merchant; the “snap”
and vim which characterize the suc
cessful lawyer or banker. No idling in
the hours devoted to business, no put
ting off until tomorrow the work which
demands attention today.
THE FARMER, MORE THAN ANY OF THESE,
comes directly in contact with nature,
and has the better opportunity of study
ing her in her various moods. Why
should not he draw inspiration from her
perfect work, lying all around him, and
portrayed in the smallest plant, the min
utest blade of grass—no detail lacking,
each complete, of its kind? I understand
that there can be
NO ARBITRARY RULE
laid down by which each individual
farmer is to be governed, but in these
“monthly talks” I wish to make sugges
tions which will not only arrest the at
tention of farmers, but which will pro
voke discussion on the lines I advocate.
On one point
WE ARE ALL AGREED,
and that is that we will have to build
up our lands or stop cultivating them,
and that we must make our farms self
supporting. But when we begin to dis
cuss the plans for accomplishing these
much-to-be-desired ends, we differ, be
cause our circumstanced and conditions,
individual, climatic and otherwise, are
such as to preclude the possibility of all
working by the same rule. For in
stance, one farmer has a large family,
man} 7 of the members are old enough to
help him in his work, and he owns a
piece of good bottom land. Such a man
can make his home supplies on a few
acres, and then devote the rest of his
farm to the production of cotton, or
some other money crop, which can be
worked successfully and cheaply by his
immediate family. Another man owns
a farm, the larger part of which is so
poor that until the land is improved
there is no hope for him to succeed.
Common sense teaches him to try and
build up a few acres each year, and cul
tivate only such spots as will yield some
return for the time and labor bestowed
upon them. Again, take the weather
which has prevailed during January and.
February. In north and middle Geor-
gia. the lands for the most part being
Stiff and adhesive, the continued rair
have prevented any progress in plow'
In southern and more especially '
Georgia, rain has been need*'
small grain crops, and ph *• 1
advanced, and preparat*
move on apace.
Ic is most gratif
the informatk
department
ents, and
nearly
see 4 "'
r
obtainable aTV 11
. from renorfq of „ at
• J rom other sr lf corres P°nd
- every county S ’ tJlat in
uons of s°ine counties thL p i rti eular
| nSOT ked of n ‘S Te “™‘ in thf ,
thf 6 is amr on hand a £L PpU< *; that '
1 than is usual at this season 1 " cent
eaSfm, and that
there is evident determination on the
part of farmers to pursue such a sensi
ble farm policy as will not only bridge
over our present unfortunate condition,
but jrive us an assurance of future suc
cess. The blind worship of cotton is, I
trust, becoming a thing of the past for
the self-inflicted punishment, which the
farmers have had to suffer, has taught
them a salutary lesson. Wherever the
farmers are studying their surround
ing and conditions with an eye to ulti
mate results; where they are giving
more thoughtful consideration to the
reasons which should control them in
tie direction of their affairs, good
results are beginning to be seen. They
realize their past mistakes and are
applying themselves to the task of cor
recting them.
TO THOSE FARMERS,
who are still considering the advisabil
ity of an all-cotton policy, I would
utter a word of warning, it is the far
mer who has not thought to provide for
his corn crib or smokehouse until the
past two months, who is suffering most
today. Meat at 12 £ cents, with the lard
pressed out, is not a very pleasant sub
ject for the all-cotton farmer to con
sider. except as it may release him from
the thraldom of mistaken methods and
policies. And the man who expects to
buy his lard, and sells his cotton seed to
the oil mills under the mistaken idea
that he is making a good trade, pays
two or three times its value, when it
conies back to him in the lard at 15
cents a pound. The selling of the cot
ton seed to the merchant is all right,
for in each ton of raw cotton seed
applied to land there is S2O worth of
oil which is absolutely wasted as the
oil possesses no manurial value, and cot
ton seed meal is the better fertilizer,
but the farmer, who buys his lard and
meat is playing a losing game.
IF I CAN INDUCE MY FELLOW FARMERS
to read and discuss these ideas, even if
they fail to agree with me, I will feel
that one important stepliasbeen gained,
i. e., that these discussions will bring to
the front new ideas, and stronger rea
sons for the abandonment of our ruin
ously false system, and the substitution
of better and more remunerative
methods. Of course my opinions are
not invulnerable. Already I have had
farmers dissent from them, and my sug
gestions do not always receive the cor
dial support of my thinking friends, but
I do not object to fair criticism, and the
good results of such discussions will be
seen later on. If every neighborhood
throughout the state would reorganize
their alliance clubs, with the distinct
understanding that their object is to
foster and build up an interest on every
thing pertaining to agriculture and to
permanently advance every interest
connected with the farm, and permit
only such questions to be discussed in
their meetings, much light could be
thrown on these questions fraught with
such deep interest to every struggling
farmer, and there would soon be a revi
val of that love for our country homes,
once so general among our people. The
friction produced by the ideas brought
outin these meetings, when intelligently
discussed, would have a most salutary
effect on our entire farm econemv.
The fruit men, the truck men, have
gained valuable aid and information
from an exchange of'ideas. If they can
perfect an organization to protect and
advertise and advance their interest,
why cannot the general farmer?
I hope the farmers will study the
results of the experiments made at the
experimental station in crops and fer
tilizers for the past season.
I WISH ALSO TO CALL THEIR ATTENTION
to the paper read before the agricultu
ral convention during its recent meeting
in Augusta, which is published in this
report. From this can be learned the
nature of some of the duties devolving
on me, as Commissioner of Agriculture.
Acquaint yourselves with these duties,
and find out if they are being faithfully
executed, and if your interest is being
protected and advanced. The latter
part of this paper is devoted to the advis
ability of teaching agriculture in our
public schools. Read it carefully, and I
think you will agree with me that there
are very strong reasons why it should be
taught.
I cannot close this article without
making
AN APPEAL
for broad acres of oats, corn millet, po
tatoes, cane, and only so much cotton as
you can produce at a profit. Ordinarily
land which produces, only a bale to
three acres is worked at a dead loss.
Think seriously before vou embark in
such a ruinous undertaking.
Elsewhere in this report I publish a
letter from a prominent farmer, which
puts this question in such a strong light
that nothing more need be said.
R. T. Nesbitt,
Commissioner Agriculture.
Cultural Notes on Potatoes.
Here is a summary of the results of
experiments extending over a period of
three years at the Michigan station:
First—lt was found that the seed end
is as good if not better, than any other
part of the potato for planting, and, as a
rule, produces fewer small tubers.
Second—A3 a rule, medium sized po
tatoes cut into halves lengthwise, using
at the rate of 13 to 15 bushels of seed to
the acre, will produce best net results
planted 1£ or 2 feet apart.
Third—lf smaller seed is used, the eyes
should be 15 inches apart, and pieces
containing two or three eyes about 18
inches. At distances over 2J feet the
number of hills is so much decreased that
the yield is lessened.
Fourth—When potatoes are cheap, it
does not pay to use small potatoes
seed, but when seed potatoes aw
tubers the size of hen’s eggs ir
for one year without grea i ' ■
the yield.
Fifth— on fp~
or fertilizers c"
When mane* .
out hau v
pound m
-*s
• J dg.
eastern
. jJ for the
15 well
-° ns f or Planting
•>™g to find
- rt y rich soil manure
a be used with profit.
X * e cannot be obtained with
w two or three miles, S(X
I “ a ,rill b 8 a
are - that “‘he best depth
Thi<j co, ? T about three inches.
Thi KS t 0 b ?/ i^ht for *y seasons.
Was when
manure was used an a nmlrhw^
the rr.tiro tct-, : ujuwu oeiween
iSt elt Can rea4il J be shown
iciJs
NUMBER 10.
HON. r neurrs
ADDRESS BEFORE THE STATE AG
* RICULTURAL SOCIETY.
Work of the Agricultural Depart
ment-Necessity of Agri
cultural Education.
The following address, which was de
livered before the State Agricultural
Society, treats of two important sub
jects. The Department of Agriculture
and its relations to the farmers, and the
necessity of education relat
ing to agri ft ure. The object and
aims of the are set out, and
the Commissioner is anxious that those
who desire to render the Department
more useful may be able to co-operate
with him in the work. The introduc
tion into our school system of studies
that would be of particular advantage
to those who intend to engage in farm
ing and which would invite others to
investigate and induce them to make the
farm their home, and upbuild our agri
culture, is a subject of great interest, and
which has been but little agitated *in the
State. Few men can succeed at any oc
cupation without possessing natural
qualification or being fitted by educa
tion. Complete success on the farm is
no exception to the rule, embodying as
it does in its entirety a large and varied
knowledge of scientific and business af
fairs. The fanner of the future, with
increasing population, will have to ask
and require more of the soil, and must bo
fitted to obtain these results. The ques
tion involves the place our children raised
on the farm, who shall become farmers,
shall take in the advancement of agri
culture in the future. We trust that
all who see these reports will read with
care and thought what is said on this
subject.
The Work o£ the Department.
Mr. President and Gentlemen of the
Agricultural Conventioi^
In making this, my yearly report, be
fore your society, there are two sub
jects of utmost importance to which I
would like to call your attention, and I
will do so as briefly as possible. The
first is “The Relations of the Agricult
ural Department and the Importance of
its Work to the People of Georgia,” and
the second is “The Relations of Agri
culture to the Youth of our Land and
the Importance of its Being Taught in
Our Public Schools.”
In order to arrive at a better under
ttanding of the first, I will outline the
principal work of the Department since
its organization, seventeen years ago,
leaving it to the minds of my hearers to
feed on the details, and then explain its
present management and the benefits
which our State agriculture receives
from its work. Before opening this
subject, I will state that there is a wide
spread prejudice in the minds of aver
age farmers against the department,
arising most often from want of infor
mation as to the aims and the
manner in which those aims are
carried out—and it is in part to combat
those prejudices and give the needed in
formation that the present paper has
been prepared.
About seventeen years ago, owing to
the rapidly increasing use of commercial
fertilizers, there was a popular demand
for some more thorough and effective
means of protecting the consumer
against fraud in the purchase of these
goods, and at the same time promoting
the sale of goods suitable to our lands
and to the needs of the crops under cul
tivation. We all remember the beauti
fully prepared Peruvian guano, costing
from S9O to SIOO per ton, according to
the distance from market; the tremen
dous life-giving principles it possessed
causing our crops to spring torward a3
if by magic, but we also remember that
at gathering time the results were most
disappointing. After this came the era
of cheaper goods, which in many cases
possessed no merit, and were prepared
often with no other object than to swin
dle the purchaser. The results from
their use were not as represented or
expected, and the farmers were natural
ly disappointed and disgusted. Then
followed garbled reports of these results
made by designing salesmen to mislead
and entrap unsuspecting farmers. Asa
sequel suspicion crystallized into cer
tainty of fraud, arnl caused our courts
to be crowded with litigation, the duped
buyers seeking by law to right their
wrongs.
Our lands were deteriorating and ex
hausting from years of mistaken agri
cultural treatment, and with the conse
quent spirit of unrest and dissatisfaction
arose the demand for an Agricultural
Department, whose duties were defined
as protective and educational. In all
countries, as the population becomes
more dense and the natural products of
the farm fail to meet the increasing
demands, commercial fertilizers play
their part in solving the problem and
with their aid comes the demand for
more enlightened agricultural methods,
and thus follow agricultural schools,
agricultural colleges and departments
of agriculture.
It was under this pressure, a**"
throw around the farmer the p’*
of which he stood so much i
our legislature in 1876 p
Department of
untried, it met wi*”
icism even frow
and promo*'
through •
bat r
ar ‘
tUUou lUi WUWO AA AA w
,aon it was created. All
, its history it has had to com -
prejudice, sometimes denunciation,
often its life has trembled in the
balance. Doubtless there have been
mistakes, but these are so far outnum
bered by its advantages that we should
pardon them for the sake of the great
Work it has accomplished in securing
the farmers against fraud, if nothing
y? . aa
high
-ay be used
■ay decreasing
elsd.
The most important protective duties
with which the department is charged
are the inspection and analysis of the
treitmndous amount of commercial fer
tilizers which annually cover hundreds
of th cm sand of tons, and the sampling
and t ?sting of the enormous bulk of
illumi ’nating pil§ offered for sale in this
state- Millions :\re annually spent tar
these t ro articles needed and used on
nearly rvery farm and in nearly every
farm-ht sasein Georgia.
The old system of each fertilizer in
spector b crag a cliesaist and conducting
his own a toddy sis. which was practiced
during tl * earlier days when the
amount of commercial fertilizers used
was by coc tgtarison merely nominal, and
the latter s raiS-em of inspecting in bulk, .
have both 1 ®en abolished, and our ajrs
tem is at pr went reghiated on a differ
ent basis, ui in its provisions for pro
tecting the farmer at the same time
dealing fair! jr with;the manufacturers,
'i** ... C''
.otectibh
need, that
.atablished our
New and
„n much adverse crit
. thAno fnr whose benefit