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Houston County Agriculture - - - Where To Now?
By Virgil Adams
Dr. Purcell, well-known
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ara ’^Pl 11 ■ WmL<
Crop dusters can be seen in all areas of Houston County these days and here
is one taking off from a field near Perry preparing to spray a cotton field.
f
Houston County Agent Emmet Whelchel (left) talks with farmer Franklin
Bledsoe just before he takes off in his Grumman Ag Cat cropduster. Bledsoe
does all of his own dusting and is an accomplished farmer as well as a pilot.
49 A Salute * I
To The
Farmer
Producer Os Food And Fiber
Our Friend And Neighbor |
; I
Thanks To You
CUSTOM FARM SERVICES, Inc. |
na iw imam mm Perry, Georgia
Dan Britton, Crop Advisor i @ I
Perry, (912) 825-5088 ."SSP
agricultural economist at the
Georgia Experiment
Station, Experiment, Ga.,
has been keeping track of
Georgia agriculture for
years. This series of articles
is based on information
which he prepared originally
for the Committee on
Agriculture of Governor
Carter’s Goals for Georgia
program. Dr. Purcell also
presented the material at the
winter meeting of the
Georgia Society of Farm
Managers and Rural Ap
praisers.
We are happy to share
here brief summaries of his
remarks about Georgia’s
fruit, nut and vegetable
crops.
Peaches
Production of peaches
requires a long-term ap
proach. For example, an
orchard will not begin
bearing fruit until the third
year after planting.
Dr. Purcell says costs
associated with bringing an
orchard into production
should be amortized during
the years it is in production.
Costs of establishing the
orchard become “Fixed
costs” for the productive
years.
He believes production of
peaches for commercial
processing (canning) has
possibilities in Georgia.
California currently
dominates this market, and
Georgia canned peaches
would have to compete on
the basis of price; that is, the
same or better quality at a
lower price. Several Georgia
growers are already selling
peaches to canners. Dr.
Purcell adds that canners
could be a profitable market
for mid-season and late
varieties.
Apples
Apples are similar to
peaches in that several years
are required to bring about
much increase in production.
In fact, the establishment
time for an apple orchard is
much longer than for
peaches.
Except for increased
production through better
cultural practices in bearing
orchards. Dr. Purcell
believes it will be rather
difficult to increase apple
output in Georgia to any
great extent before 1980.
“The one possibility”, he
adds, “may be through
planting dwarf trees which
begin bearing at an earlier
age than standard apple
trees.
The agricultural
economist says apple
production does have
potential here because of
season of maturity. He ex
plains that Gelrgia apples
are ready for market at a
time when other areas have
only storage apples for sale.
True, technological
developments in recent
years permit storage of
apples for long periods. But
costs for this storage may
permit Georgia apples to
compete on favorable terms.
Small Fruits and Berries
As with peaches and ap
ples, it takes several years
after planting for these crops
to show a profit. Another
problem with small fruits is
that harvesting and
marketing conflict with
peaches.
A major limiting factor to
increasing small fruits and
berries is high production
costs. Dr. Purcell points out
that both are labor-using
crops. “Until mechanical
harvesting aids are
available, little increase is
expected in Georgia”.
Pecans
Georgia ranks first in
production of improved
pecans. Increases in the
shortrrun will be possible
only through better
management. More fer
tilizers and pesticides can be
helpful tools here.
Long-run increases in
pecan production are
possible through
rejuvenation of abandoned
groves, but Dr. Purcell says
this may not be economical
in groves that were aban
doned for more profitable
use of the land. Another
possibility is top-working
with more desirable
I way since the days of quilting bees, kerosene >i
I lamps, and horsedrawn p'ows.
a Today's farmer must be a scientist-engineer-
I economist-businessman .. .with a dash of
I philosopher thrown in. He has to be, to
continue setting our tables with an unequalled
H variety and quality of food, in the face of
I soaring costs ... to produce food and fiber for
I 45 people, when two decades ago it was only 14.
H We of America’s nearly 1,000 consumer
■ owned rural electric systems—which serve
1 the majority of our nation's farms—know firsthand
I about the farmer’s vital role in our modern economy.
I We know that in our progressive, changing
M world, some things are worth saving. Like an
I heirloom quilt. Like the family farm.
| Flint Electric Salutes American Agriculture. And We Are Glad To Have A Part In This Recognition
| Os The Acheivements Os Houston County Farmers. Our Organization, Our Members, Seek Always To
1 j-m- Make ur S emce Areas Better Places In Which To Live And Work .
I SlilkiSl fUNT(I£CWC
FERRY, HOUSTON COUNTY, GEORGIA, 31069, THURSDAY, JULY 6,1972
varieties. He points out that
many abandoned groves are
of undesirable varieties.
However, this would require
eight to ten years to increase
production.
Because pecans are a
speciality food item, con
siderable potential exists for
market expansion in excess
of population growth. The
agricultural economist says
Georgia’s competitive
position in this market is
excellent.
Considering current
alternative uses to which
farm land can be put, he
adds that the major
limitation to increasing
pecan production is the lag of
approximately 20 years from
initial investment to ap
preciable returns from
production. “The landowner
would need to either graze
the land or interplant other
crops during this non
bearing period.”
Salad Vegetables
Just about all the so-called
salad vegetables can be
grown in Georgia. But it is
not feasible to increase
production of many of them
at the present time, ac
cording to Dr. Purcell.
“There is the problem of a
new area moving into the
market”, he explains. “An
established area has an
advantage over a new area.
Time of harvest is another
factor. For example, the
tomato harvest in Georgia is
limited to a short period in
May and early June.
Because of weather con
ditions, there is often a
conflict with Florida. When
this occurs, the marketers
remain in Florida as long as
possible. This is to be ex
pected, because the Florida
harvest extends from
December into May or June.
When the Florida harvest
ends, the buyers pass
Georgia and move on up the
East Coast.
“Until Georgia growers
produce a larger volume”,
he continues, “they will find
it difficult to move into the
market. Practically all
vegetable marketing is in
large lots to the super
markets (chain stores).
Buyers operate in areas
where there is a con
centration of production”.
Dr. Purcell explains that a
shortage of hand labor for
harvesting vegetables has
brought about the
development of machinery,
and much of this is of such a
size and cost that it is not
feasible except on larger
acreages.
Any expansion of salad
vegetable production in
Georgia would be risky in the
short term, the economist
believes. Depending on
developments in the western
states in the next ten years,
there may be a possibility for
increasing production of
these vegetables in Georgia.
Processing Vegetables
Climate is a limiting
Factor here. This is
especially true with some of
the major processed
vegetables such as table
peas, sweet corn, green
beans and tomatoes.
Vegetable processing is
production oriented, and it is
concentrated in a few small
areas where both high yields
Houston Farm Bureau
Serves Farmer's Needs
An organization of farmers
known as United Georgia
Farmers became known as
Georgia Farm Bureau in the
fall of 1940 when they voted
to affiliate with the
American Farm Bureau
Federation.
The Houston County
chapter of the Georgia Farm
Bureau was organized in
March 1941 with 117 mem
bers. The first president was
Walter W. Gray, Sr.
The county Farm Bureau
has 357 members. Monthly
supper meetings are held
and high quality are the rule.
Georgia growers, ac
cording to Dr. Purcell, can
produce certain vegetables
which are more or less
sectional in both production
and demand. He cited
Southern peas as an example
of a vegetable which lias
potential in Georgia. “This
crop can follow small grain
fairly successfully. The
limiting factor at present is
development of suitable
harvesting machinery. A
machine to harvest peas
should bring about an in
crease in production of his
crop for commercial
processing.
Melons
Georgia ranks third in
production of watermelons.
Florida leads because it has
a longer season in which
there is little if any com
petition.
By the time Georgia
melons are being harvested,
other Southeastern states
are also harvesting them.
So Georgia Growers have
a great deal of competition.
However, the economist says
there is some potential for
expanding watermelon
production in this state.
from September through
May.
Farm Bureau is the voice
of agriculture in public af
fairs. It is local, state-wide,
national and international in
its scope and influence. It is
organized to provide a
means by which farmers can
work together toward the
goals upon which they agree.
It is controlled and financed
by its members and
equipped to serve their best
interests.
The local office is located
in the county agricultural
building at 733 Carroll
Street.