Georgia historical agricultural data

GEORGIA
ISTORICAL AGRICULTURAL DATA
TOM LINDER, Commissioner
STATE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
ATLANTA - 1954

GEORGIA
HISTORICAL AGRICULTURAL DATA
TOM LINDER, Commissioner
STATE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
ATLANTA - 1954

FOREWORD

At the request of the Georgia Historical Commission, ~~re have endeavored to compile current and historical data on important agricultural and related topics in Georgia.

With the assistance'of the Georgia Experiment Stajions, Extension ~ervice, College of-Agr~culture, U. 8. Forest Service, U. S. Soil Conservation Service, REA and many other agencies and individuals, the task has been completed and the material turned over to the Historical Commission to be placed on High~~ray Markers throughout the State. With the assistance of many others, we have designated appropriate locations for these markers which may or may not be fol1. o~<~ed in every instance.

In view of the value of this information and recognizing the fact that it cannot be obtained from any one source, 1~re think it advisable to mimeograph it in pamphlet form, placing copies in various libraries for permanent record and furnishing copies to the various agencies and individuals who assisted in its compilation.

We recognize that the Commission may use only a certain amount of the information because of limited
space, but for permanent record we have included a fuller description than may be used on the markers.

Let me express my very deep appreciation to each
of you for your fine cooperation and to say that if it had not been for you and others who have coonerated so splendidly, it would not have been possible to have gotten together this valuable information,

TL:ce J. C. Holton

JUnce!:ely *ours~-i
/~.v ~-~d~ Tom Linder Commissioner of Agriculture

CONTENTS Georgia. Apples The Georgia Broiler Industry Commercial Broiler Industry in Cherokee County Coastal Bermuda Dixie Crimson Clover Cotton and Sea Island Cotton The Cotton Gin The Dairy Industry Georgia Experiment Station The First Organized Forest Fire Protection in Georgia The Fred Fenn Planting The Albany (Herty) Nursery The Georgia Muscadine Grape Commercial Hatcheries In Georgia
Dr. Benjamin w. Hunt -A Pioneer
A Grand Champion Hereford Famous Jerseys and A Famous Jersey Cow Blue Lupine Georgia Peaches Pecans - Our Major Nut Crop Peanuts -
Paper Making In Georgia Pimiento Pepper Rural Electrification In Georgia First Erosion Control Project -In Georgia Georgia's First Soil Conservation District Negro South~'ITide Soil Conservation Jamboree Fever Ticks - A Menace To Livestock Tobacco Tung Oil (Chinawood Oil) (Native of China) Georgia Turkey Industry Watermelons

GEORGIA APPLE:3
The apple - "King of Frui ts 11 - ~~ras brought in to North Georgia by early settlers in, the late Eighteenth Century. Prior to 1860, many excellf'nt varieties were knoT~rn in the mountains of Nort!J Georgia~ About 189n, H. R. State of Demorest, Georgia, Purchased apple trees from a nuraf'ry to sell to the ~ocal peoPle. Being unable to dispose of them, he planted an orchard on his own farm near Demorf'st. This was the first commercial apple o!'chard in Georgia., At 12 yf'ars of ~ge, the lC-acre orchard netted $3,00~.~0. In 191~, a
Georgia apple received first P..rize over all other
Southf'rn apples at the ~pokane, Washington, Apple Show. The Georgia apule industry spread r~resttrard along the mountain slop~s. There are many large apple gro'lllrers in GilmPr, Fannin and other counties. The 1950 one and one-half million bushel crop TAras valued at more than thrPe million dol lara.

Marker at: Cornelia, Georgia

- 1-

THE GEOnGIA BBOILER INDUSTnY
The early history of commPrcial broiler nroduction in GPorgia is vague. necords ah(l"TAT that the early pioneer~ were Mrs. Dennett, Hall County, 191?, W. C. Mor.gan, Buchanan,' 1921, C. W. Wester, Temple, 1922, and W. E. Murphy, Talmo, 1924. Early marketin~ ,.,.,as through cooperative carlot sales. Poultry cars were op~rated throughout the State promoted by the State De-partm,ent nf A~.....riculture in
cooperation with the n. n., CoJle~e of Agriculture
and County Agents stoppin~ at various stations on stated days. The first carload of brC~ilers "~ras shipped from Talm~ by Mr. W. E. Murphy. Under the leadership of enterprising citizPns of Hall County, the industry began to flourish in that area. In 1941, J. D. Je~.retl op0ned the first modern nrocessine: plant at Gainesv11le. In 1944, he started the first rendering ulant and 1~ras the first nrocessor to market 11 cut up frozen chicken". In cooperation t,ri th the StAte Department of Agrlcul ture,
a modern poultry diseaee diag- nostic laboratory w. as
locatPd in Gainesville. Hatcheries, feed m1Jls, pro-ceasing and cold stora~e 'Olanta sprung up everyt~rhere. Georgia leads the nation in broiler urodn~tion. 'l'he industry has g::ot"rn from 500 1 000 bro1lf>I"S in 193~, val1fed ~t $230,000~ to 121,n31,000, vaJued at $93,826,000 in 1953. Marker on U. S. HiglNay 23
near f1a1l"~evj1lc. -
- 2-

COMMERCIAL BROILER INDUSTRY IN CHEEOKEE COUNTY

The industry began to de'l::elo:p at an early date in

this vi~inity. R. o. Cotton, 1!1. Lloyd Lawson, H.

c. H. La~rson and E.

La~.rson ~~rere the pioneers. l"f'lhe

:'ir8 t year 1r1. Lloyd Lawson sold feed enough for

10,000 baby ch1~kens. In 1950, he supolied feed
for more than 2,oco,ooo baby chicks.

Broiler production has replaced cotton in this

area and is the main source of farm cash income.

It is reported that more broilers are produced in

Cherokee than any ocu~ty in Georgia. It has brought

n:...ospPri t:y to farmE-rs, ~,r1 th lmproved na stures and

livePtock, ia resnonsible for a well balanced farm

program. 92~ of the farm cash income in Cherokee

County ~omes from_poultry.

The egg, hatchery, orooess1.ng and othPr allied

inuustrie s have developed proporti ona lJ y.

Marker placed on Georgia High~ay 5 Nor~h of Canton near inter8ec:1on of Bighway 140.
- 3-

COASTAL BERl-:UDA
The development of .Joastal Bermuda grass was started at the Georgia Coastal Plain ExperirnPnt Station, Tift Countj, in 1929. J. L. Stephens, Agronomist, selected a super~_or strain of bermuda grass 'f.\fhicn was named "Tift Bermuda. 11 In 193?, Dr. G. W. Burton, Geneticist, made 5,000 hybrids, combining Tift Bermuda with a South African Bermuda. Selections from these were started in 1938. Coastal Bermuda, the most promising of the hybrids, was released to farmP.rs in 1943. It is a vigorous: highly-palatable and disease res1etance grass. It ts a su~Prior grazing and hay grass and; t.-rith h::~h fertilization, gives hi~her beef and hay yields than any other grass knm11n to southern farmers. Coastal Bermuda is eas11y cured into a bright, h~gh quality hay. Unlike legumes, it can take modera.te exposure to unfavorable t.:rea thpr rd thout high losses in feed nutrients. Coastal Bermuda is tole~ant to a wide range of soil and moisture conditions, and is especially adapted to the ~rarm climate of the Souchw Ten year~ after being release~, it had been established on 500,CCO acres in Georgia, and tAridely planted in a11 southern states from the Atlantic Seaboard to New Mexico. Marker near: Coastal Plain Experiment S~et1on.
- 4-

DIXIE CRIMaoN CLOVER
Dixie Crimson C1over was released to Georgia farmers in 1945 by tbe Georgia Experiment ~tation. It is a synthetic varlet~ developed by mixing equal amounts of seed of Allen, Thornton and Hardy varieties. The Al~en strain was ~eveloped at the State Insane Asylum, Milledgeville, Georgia; Hardy at Bellevue Farm, Senoia, Geor~ia; Thornton at Hartr.-rell, Georgia. Development of the cattle industry in Georgia has led to a more general use of clover for winter pastures. 11 Dixie 11 differs from common crimson in that it is reproduced each year '!itJl thout the necess1 ty of planting. More than a mil1ion acres are grown annually. The Experiment Station releases about 10 tons or seed eacJ;l year. The annual yalu~ of grazing .\.t; about $5,000,000 and seed $2,500,000.
Suggested locations for marker: Allen's Invalid Home, M1lledgeville, S. L. Thornton 1e.Farm, dart County, R. L. Hardy Farm, Coweta County.
- 5-

COTTON

The fi:t st cotton. in Georgia t~ras gro~rn in Trustees

Garden, Savannah, in 1733. Cultivated cotton as

we knLw it today was introduced into Georgia in

1?34 by Philip M~l1er. In 1741 the first sample of

Georgia cotton ,,ras sent to EngJand. It was called

"Georgia Cotton" in En~land, and "Sea Island Cotton"

in France. Thie marked the beginning of Georgia's

export trade in cotton. Cotton r,ras produced mainly

for home conoumption until slavery ,.ras pei,'mi tted in

the Georgia Colony in 1749.

Cotton prod~cti~n in Georgia reached its peak in

1911 when 2,769,000 baJes were harvested from

4,958,000 acres. The Mexican boll weevil entered

Southt111e st Georgia in 1916. Severe weevil damat5e in

1921, 1922 and 1923, and the movement of Negro labor

to other areas caused a decline in cotton pr~duc~ion.

In 195,_, 930,984 bales ~nre-re harve~ted from 1,410,000

acres, 14% of laf!d 1f! cultivation, Nhic~. brought

farmers $163,798,oon, or 26~ of the total cash farm

income. Burke Co~nty leads in cotton production

where in 1951, 3?,280 ba':'-es ,~,rere harvested from

60,590 acres.

Cotton is our most important cash crop. Production

and manufacturing of cotton and cotton products

provide employmPnt for more people than any other

commodity.

Suggested marker be placed in:

Burke County.

- 6-

SEA ISLAND COTTON

Sea Islanr Cotton l~ras first grcmn in Georgia on Sapello Island in 1778 by Alexander Bisset. In 1786 several persone.on the Georgia Coast, including Alex?nder Bisset, Governor Tatnall and James Spalding, received some Sea Island Cottonseed from the Bahamas. Sea Island Cotton has a s1.1ck bJ.ack seed that is easily removed from the fiber. The staple is li to 2 irches long. Product ton had re8ched 1.00, 000 bales l~rhen the industry was almost destroyed by the boJ.l ~eevil about the end of the :first r.rorld t.rar. Saa Island Cotton has thin bolls and is later in maturing than short staPle cotton. It is almost extinct. Very 11 ttle is grot.m today, though its staple demand.s a "prc.mium or1ce".

Marker: U. S. 'Righ~.ray #17 Near intersection State Bigh~ray #93.

- 7-

THE COTTON GIN
The cotton gin, a machine to separate the seed from the lint, 't.Yas invented by Eli 'ihitney, a. New Englander, at the home of the widow of Nathaniel Green on Mulberry Plantation near Savannah, Georgia, ln 1793. ThP first saw gin, 't'IThich is t~e type 1n use today 1,ras invented by a Georgian, Hodgen.Holme~ of Augusta . The patent was granted May 12, 1796, and signed by President George Washington. The first gin~ ,111ere manufactured on Upton Creek, Wilkes County, where the first Georgia cotton factory l~ras built in 18J1. After the invention of the cotton gin and with an increase in the number of slaves, cotton production expanded rapidly throughout the South.
Marker: Near Savannah on High~~ray nearest "Old Mulberry Plantation."
- 8-

THE DAIRY INDC" STRY

Put.1am County has m..tde a g:::eat contribution to

the dairy industry through th~ early er~..orts of

Dr. BtnJamin W. Hunt. When he moved to Eatonton

in 1876, he brou~ht 50 regisGered Jerseys- more

than one-half die1 t...ylth 11 tick f2ver 11 About J.880,

Dr. Punt visited the Isle of Jersey and personally

select~d the be~t strains for his Eatonton farm.

In 1880 he regi ster~d the f'!.:rs t J '::rt=~eys ,,,1 th t.he

Ac..TC 01.ub and bred Jerseys for morP than 50 years.

Tick fevl!r t~ras a menace and J.osin~ registered

cattJe caused hi~ to inveetigate the cause in 1886.

He was the first to 3UCC~ssfully immunize cattle

agains~ the disease.

Records indicate the first creamery estabJ.ished

in Gror~ia was at Eatonton by Chicago promoters in

1908. It r~ras made a ooopera ti ve ~n 1912. Hoa:rd 1 e

Dairyma~, in 1916, referr~d to oth~r creameries in

Georgia, but no definite data is available. The

Moultrie Creamery is on~ of the oldest that is

still in operation.

The fir~t cheese plant \~Tas oui 1 t at Young Harris,

Geor~ia, in 1918. Commercial pasteurization wns

first used in Atlanta about 1910~ Our current dairy

industry yields a cash income of about $40,000,000

::>cnnue.11y.

lviarker:

Cn U. S t-lightftTBY #129

near Eatonton.

- 9-

GEORGIA EXPERIMENT STATION

The Georg1~ Exner1ment Otat~on lM"BS e~tab1ishe~ at

Experiment, Spalding Cou -+.y, Georgia, in 1888, and

is a unit of the University of Georgia. Ito pri~Bry

objective is the betterment of 11ving conditions for

the agricultural people of the State. It has pioneered

in th~ de~eloPment of improved crop varietiea.

Among the outstandin~ c. varlet1es ~eveloped by worke~s

at

this

institution

n. re

Emn1re

cotton,

Chancellor wheat, '

Dixie crimson cJovPr, Arfington and Atlantic oa~s,

Georgia 101 and 103 corn, D~xie Spanish peanuts, Hunt

and Dulcet muscadine grape a, and Truhart pimiento. The

institution has also received notet~rorthy,acclaim for

its work in the field of food processing, devel~pment

of improved cultura1 and pest control practices r~i th

peaches, evaluation of f~rages for dairy and beef

r,._ ,_ma.ls, and in the development of a mobi1e ~oils

tA. -1g laboratory.

Location ouggested for MerkPr: At entrance of Geor~Sia Fxperitnent 3tatlon alon~ U. 8. Highway #41
- 10 -

THE FIRST ORGANIZED FOBEST FIRE PROTECTION IN GEORGIA

The first organized forest fire control with private,

state and federal cooperation was sat up at a meeting

at Homerville, Geor~ia, in 1926. It was known as the

Homerville Timber Protective Or~anization, composed

of the l~nds of Do~rning; Musgrove, A. K. Sesson, Homer

WilJ1ams, Mr. Peigler and others - a total of approxi-

mately 100,000 acres.

A budget was agreed unon. The moner ~.ras SPent for

lookout to~rers, PlOT~ring fire brakes, telephone lines

and Personnel. The lando~.mers oupervi sed the spending

of the money and Nere responsible for direct supervision.

They -paid the entire cost but the' State and Federal

governments refunded 50 per cent.

The general belief was that fires couJ.d not be kept

out of the ~.,oods; there r.rouJ.d alTrays be a big fire and

everything ~.rould burn. Protection nroved definitely

'

.

that fires could be kept out, and it was a demonstration

to many landoT.rners ToThat it Trould cost per acre tc nrotect

the forests and T.rhat returns they might expect for their

investment.

Marker: Near Hame1vllle.

- 11 -

THE FRED FENN PLANTING

This is the Oldest slash pine Planting of morP than

5r')

acres

1n

Geor,gia.

It

'T~ra e

plan ted
-

i. n

1926.

Mr. Fred

Fenn, the ot~rnPr , and State Forester, B. M. Lufburrow,

spent days locatin~ the sfash nine seedlings.

The land, before planting, was valUPd at $2.00 an acre.

It ,~as a typical cra~M"fiehy pond, and devastated of all

growth except scraggy cypress and small pine.

Mr. Fenn checked the 60 acres in 6 x 8 rowe. A woods

crew lifted the seedlin~s and del1v~red them to the

planting area. Mr. Fenn insisted that each seedling be

planted at the intersection of ~trin~s strung along the

plo~~red furrows ancl that every seedling stand up-right.

A check five years latPr revealed that 92 per cent

surv1 ved. After the second year cm~rs ~~rere alJO~M"ed to

graze. Considerable dama~e wao donP to the trees at the

entrance gate.

State ForestPr Lufbu.rrow soent days h~lp1nf2: "T..;i th the

planting and J. K. Luck, County Agent, took over to

compJete the planting.

Marker: Cordele on HighNay #41
- 12 -

THE ALBANY (.HERTY) NURSERY
The site of the Albany Nursery, nOi~ kno1~rn as the Herty Nursery, ~~ras selected in 1932 by a committee of the State Board. of Forestry, J. M. Mal1ory, Director of Management Deoartment, Georgia Railroad, Savannah, Bonnell H. Stone, Forester, Phiste~-Voegel, Lumber Comoony, Bla1rsvi11.e, Mrs. M. E. Judd, Dalton, and State Forester B. M. Lufburro~r. The Albany Chamber of Commerce secured a 99-year lease by the County Commissioners to the Georgia Board of Forestry for the establishment of the nursery. AgreemE."nts provided that add_i t1ona1 acrea~e l~rould be included as fast as funds ~-.rere available. The Civilian Conservation Corps established a camp at Albany. The main nrojects T~ere to construct housing facilities, enlarge the nursery, incrPase the water supply and collect seed. This T1ras the first State o~-rned Forest Seedling Nursery in Georgia and probably the first in the South.
Marker'nearAlbany, Geor~ia.
- 13 -

THE GEORGIA MUSCADINE GRAPE
The Georgia Experiment Station in +909, under the direction of Henry Perkins ~tuckey, initiated research to improve Muscadine Grape varieties by breeding and selecting. In 1919, Dr. Stuckey introduced several nei~r varieties, inc1 uding the "Hunt" l,vhich became the most widely planted variety.
As Director, 1919-1948, he ~ncouraged studies and investigations of the breeding, vineyard management and processing for the ~urpose of nromoting the establishment of an industry based on this promising species of grape native to Georgia. Muscadine grapes are 1~re11 adaptPd to Geor~ia and nroduoes exo:el.lent fruit for home and local markets.
Location near: Georgia Experiment Station Experiue nt, Georgia
- 14 -

COMMERCIAL HATCHERIES IN GEORGIA

With the growth of the broiler industry in Georgia,

and the Southeast, the commPrcial hatchery business

has developed proportionately.

In 1935, the nation produced 42 1 890,000 broilers va1ued at $24.6 mi1liondol1ars. In 1951, 791.8

million broiJ ers T.orere nroduced valued at $690.4

million dol1ars. In 1935, 4,406,000 baby chicks

were hatched in Georgia, 36.4 million in 1945 and

128,934,00J in 1952.

Thirteen

SouthPrn

3tatee

n
.

r

c'

-

duced 294,247,000 baby chicks in 1945 and 571,586 1000,

of the 1.7 billions nroduced in the nation, in 1952,

Records show that 69 per cent or the eggs set in

commercia 1 ha tcher1es in Georgia, in 1952, 1,rere

produced in Georgia. The hatch~ry industry con-

tributes millions of dollars annually to Georgia's

agricultural income.

Marker: U. S. Pighl'~ray #23 Near Gaineevi1le.
- 15 -

DR. BENJAMIN W. HUN~ A PIONEER
Born in Westchester County, New York in 1847. Educated at Mt. Kisco Academy and began his career as a bankE>r. Married I.ouise Pruoc'ien of Eatonton, Georgia, in ~876, movE>d to Putnam County soon thereafter and estabJished Panola Farm. He introduced the first herd of Jersey cattle to the State. He ~~rae active in the devel~pment of the dairy indu~try and a breeder of fine horses. In 1886, he investigated the cattle fever tick and assisted in securing passage of the first tick eradication la1~r. Dr. Hunt visited and co1Jected plants and shrubs from aJ l parts of the t.rorld and exper1mP nted 1~ri th palms, peaches and 12:rapes and developed a nelftr variety of figa, 1~rhich 1~ra s named for him. The USDA furniRhed him many exotic planta and.his collection at~racted the attention of LuthE>r Burbank, Dr. L. H. Bailey, and_ othPr scientists who visit~d his garden. In 1898 Dr. Hunt was bitten by a cat with rabies ana went to Paris for trPatment by Pasteur. He nromoted the first Pasteur Institute in G-eor~1a. In 1912, he 1~ra s electe<1 PresidE>nt of the Georgia BankE>rs 1 Association. He ent~red the cotton manufacturing business and organized a railroad. Dt. Hunt 1-ras apnointed member of the Board of Directors, Georgia Experiment Station, and in.recognition of his outstandinS service to agricuJ ture, the St-3 tion developed a muscadine grape and named it "Hunt" in his honor. The UnivPrsity of Georgia conferred an Honorary Doctor's degree on him June 1922. He died in 1934 - an "Illustrous CitizenH of a great State. - Marker: Near Eatonton
- 16-

A GRAND CHAMPION HEREFORD
E. E. Mach of Thomasville, showed the Hereford
bull Bonny J to GrAnd Chamo1onship at the International Livestock Show, Chicago, 1919. First and oniy ceef bu':11 of any breed in eastern part of cctton belt to attain such prominence. This bull was late~ acquired by John J. Cummings, Dona~sonvil1e, Georgia. Peter Cummings, father of John, estab1.ished thio Hereford herd about 1913, probably the oldest in the Goutheast. For yeare this farm registered more Herefords than any other breeder east of the Miaaiss1Pni River. Today Georgia ranko 11 up the ladder11 as the home of fine beef herds of all bre';Cis.
Marker: On U. S. High~.ray #84 near Donalsonville or near Cummings farm.
- 17 -

FAMOUQ JETI..lli
The world famous purebred Jersey herd of Pebble Hi11 Plantation 1,ras 1oc~ted npar Thomasville. In this herd the first Georgia record of more than 1, 000 pound::: of hl tterfa t in one year '~ran made in 1947, by Sparklin~ Noble Man- 18,555 lbs. nf milk and 1~7~ lbs. of butterfat, in 365 days.
Here too 1.ras bred Sparkling Dandy Sir, sold in 1948 for $27,500, the highest Price at that time for an American bred Jersey bull. Pebble Hill w~s the home of Brampton Standard Sir, V~rho se da ugh tero Non "Get of Sire11 at the National Dairy 5how three years in ouccesoion - 1935, 1936 and 1937; and of Xenia 1 o Sparkling Ivy, one of the great cows Of the breed. William MacPherson, Mana~F>r, ~111a r, thP first to be designated 11 Maoter Brceder11 by the American Jersey CattJ.e C1.ub.
Marker ahouJd be placed on Highway to Tallahassee, FJorida, ~outh of Tbomat~vi11 e nenr Pebble Hill :r1anta tion.
- 18 ....

A FAMOUS JERGEY COW
Near Centerville, Wilkes County, Henry v. Am~oon,
cotton and d$1ry farmer, bred the Jersey co~rr, 11 Sir 1 s Gtandard Br1ght Beauty"~ In addition to winning top Place for the breed at five major dairy sho"TAro, she \I;Tas named G-rand Champion.Jersey cow at the Nati~mal Dairy Sho;.; at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, in 194C', and Reserve Champion at the Na t1ona1 ehm.r in 1941. She 1.,ras the first Georgia bred dairy COlli to bring this honor to the 3tate. She classified "Excellent", hi~hest rating for type and nroduced in one year 12,703 nound8 of milk and 710 pounds of butterfat. This great Jersey cow gave Georgia much favorable publicity and, through her sons and daughters, contributed high milk Production and good type to hundreda of Georgia J erseye '
Marker should be Placed on H lgh1~ray #78 near Centerville 1 Wilkes County.
- 19-

BLUE LuPINE
The first plantings of blue lupine in Georgia ,,rere made in, the Ocmulgee River Soil Conservation District in 1939, with the assistance of the Civilian Conservation Corps ana local farmP.rs. Thi a crop 'ra s of outst-anding importance for soil buildinrl and 1N"inter protect.ion of peanut and othPr lands during World War II, x~rhen .extensive plantinl;s of peanuts 111ere made to provide
0.11 tor ~e 1111ar effo~t. By 19f?O the average in Lupine
ha.d incre-ased to 156,000 acres 1 '"'i th a seed crop of more
than l40 ~il11on pounds valued at $e,oco,ooo.
Blue lupine oo'.rr~1nued to gro,~r in favor and Dooly County took the lead in nroduction. 3o much interest developed that a Blue Lupine Festival T~raa held in Dooly County for many years.

Location: Near Vienna.

- 21') -

GEORGIA PEACHES

The 3paniards introduced the Honey Peach in Florida

ae early as 1791. The Indians brought them up the

rivers to Georgia. In 1850, Mr. Cook Plant, a Macon

banker, bought several budded trees of the Chinese

Cling variety from a Dela~.rare nursery, ~rhich he gave

to Cnl. LelAris Rumph of Marsha1J.vi1le. Sf>ed from cross

po11 inated plante were saved and ulanted by his grandson,

Samuel Henry Rumph, in 1870. From one of these came the

original seedling 'llorhich was named Elberta, after Mr. Rumph 1 s ~rife.

There was a good size plantin~ of peaches in Georgia as

early as 1850, but it was not until 1870 that the industry

began to grm111. Factors which contri buteo. to making Georgia

"The Peach State" were: disruption of the labor system of

the South, introduction of the Elberta variety, improved

rail transportation, invasion of the boll weevil about

192~, ana the developmPnt of mechanical refrigeration.

G

eo ~

r

g. -

i

a ~

reached

its

n- eak

of

nlantin~.-

in

1925,

with

14,469,4R5 trees and 8,362,000 bushels of peaches had a

farm value of $16,724,000. From 1919 through 1931, the

ave~age, value of the Georgia peach cron l~ra~ over
~ho, 000, OO('). Many of the Nation 1 s - leadin~ va.rieties ~1ere
developed in ~eor~ia, namely! Elberta (1870~, Hiley,

Georgia Belle, Hiley Belle, Dixigem, Dixired, etc.

Suggestion for marker: llarshallviJle- Macon County.
- 2l-

PECANS - OUR MAJOR NUT CROP

11 Pacan11 - An Indian 1'1T(')rd to desi.c:mate all nuts hard

to crack. Its origin on this continent ia unknown. De3oto is said to have found. it in the 11 Li ttle

Prairie District" alon~ the Missi~sippi in 1541.

Fossll remains of trees have been found in Texas.

Early French settlers in thP Mississipp~ basin found

it gr?wing. In 1720, R French explorer, LePage du

I'ratz, visited Ne1~r Orleans and praised the pecan

flavor in praltnes.

In tbe early 18th Century, Indians and travelers,

men like Gen0raJ Wa::Jhington 'tllrho loved beautiful trees,

scattered pecans from Texas to the Carolinas.

The pecan became domesticated in the 19th Century and

orchard.s

of

great
~

va-:t.ue

Nere

Planted.

in

Louisiana.

Antoine, a Louisiana slave gardener, did thP first

euccessful grafting.

The

first .variety

developed '

was the Centennial. About 1882, the Centennial,

FrotschPr and Rome 1.rere the first varieties offered

for plantin~ on a commercial scale.

Georgia :pioneers 1~rere G. '". l3acon, DeWitt, G. W. Peek,

. Hartw. ell, J. P. Gill and James Tift of Albany. In 195n,
1951, 1952 and 1953, Georgia lead the Nation in the pro-

duction of pecans and Droduces more than 50% of the

.

I

improved varieties. It is a $10,000,000 industry in

Georgia.

Marker- N~?ar Albany, Georgia

... 22 ...

Peanuta have apparently been grown in Georgia since

early colonial clays. Recorda sho1~r they ~rere grm~rn

for export and for h~g food prior to 1850. The

Un~ted Gtates 9ensus gives Georgia peanut acreage as

52,000 in 1889, and 100,000 acres in 1899. With the

advent of the cotton boll weevil in about 1916, Peanut

production became an important industry. 't!Ti th the

discovery of the ma~y nrodu~ts th~t are made from

peanuts such as oil, butter, mPal, etc. the uroduction

increased rapidly.

The first peanut shelling plants we~e built in Edioon

and Donalsonville, Georgia, in 1917, by the late C. J.

Rambo and Homer G. Ray. Ear11f"r efforts ~.rere made to

process peanut~ about 1914. Oince 1940 Georgia ha~

uroduced and harvested about one-third of the total

United StatPs crop. It is a chief money crop in many

sections of Georgia, F1orida and Alabama. In 1948,

'

'

the peanut crop contributed $80,7~7,000 to Georgia's

agricultural income, ra~king thi~d in cash crops. Total

Georgia acreege in 1953, ,,ra s 536,000 aml the crou valued

at $57,352,000.

Markers: High;,..ray #27 EarJ y County near BJakely - Colquitt County near lvloul trie.
- 23 -

PAl'ER MAKING IN GEORGIA

Geor~1a is a pioneer in the production of pap~r. In

Clayton's Compilation of th~ Laws of Georgia,lBC0-1810,

a Resolution records action of the "select committee"

regar~ing petition of Zachariah Gime praying for loan of $4,000 to complete papPr manufactory on Ocon~e River,

Greene County. The Le~islature anuropriated $3,000 and

unon

Sims

g

i

v
'

i

n

g .

bond

and

security

to

His

Exce1lency '

the Governor, for return of money with interest, the

loan 1.ras approved December 1910. Records sho.,.~r Governor '
Mitchell brought suit against ~ims in 1814, and the mill

was sold at 11 pub~ic outcry". The nroperty .,.~rae bought

by Thomas Stokes, President of the Georgia Senate.

First machine,made pape~ was produce~ in a mill located

on Soap Creek, Marietta, Cobb County, in 1849. During

.the Civil War the Marietta miJ1 ,.~ras operated by James

'

'

Byrd, Uncle of Wm. 11. Whiteman, who estabJished a p~per

mill on Middlebrook Creek near Knoxville, Tennessee, in

1837. Isaiah Thomas reported there .,.~rere four naper mills

in Tennessee as early as 1g10.

A mill was suppOsed to have bePn built about 1810 by Wm.

Moore from funds obtained through 11 The Paper Mill Lottery".

Recorda indicate much of the paper used in nrinting Con-

federate Money and Bonds tras produced at Marietta and

Knoxville. First t~dsted paper tTrine made in the Routh

is said to have been uroduced in the Marietta m11J.

General Sherman destroyed the mi11 and all records of Cobb

County as they ~rere valuable to the Southern cause.

Marker: Cobb and Greene Counties. - 24 -

PIMIENTO PEPPER
11 Pimiento 11 is the Snanish r.rord for penper. C3. D. Riegel anc'l. Sons cf ExperimPnt, ~.rerP. pioneer~ in pimiento pepper grl""t~~rin~ in GForgia, and firat in America to gr~n.r true 3renish pimientos. GPorp;e Riegel first obta1nPd seed from a Philadelphia seedman. In 19n3, Congreo~man Charl~s L. Bartlett obta inr:;d some ceea. from Gpain f(')r 1'4r. Riegel. The 11 Perf~"ct1on" variety or~ginated from these seed. The 11 Truhart Perfection, 11 the most ~.ridely used variety is an im~roved selection released by the Georgia ExperimPnt 5tation. Cl"mmercial nroduction of pimtento began about 1912. In 1915, Mark Riellel, an emnloyeP of th~ Experiment Station designed and patented thP fi~st pimiento rnaoting ma9hine and built the firrt canning: n1ant. In 1917, niegel and Patterson organizAd the Pomona Prnduct~ Company at Pomona, ~ear Griffin. In 191.9, Wa1t~r Graefe of Maryland, acquired Bief!e] 1 s ~nterPst, later purchas~d Patterson 1 s in-t-er.est and moved the nlant to Griffin, in 192~,with branch plants at oth~r locations. The rotary ro~ stnr s 11178 invF:n ted in 1CJ23. The firm now employs 1,000 peorle. The nimiento i~ one of Georgia's principal vegetable crops, producing 75%
. of America 1 s proo.uction. More than 8,000 Georgia
. farmers are growing pimientos, rea-uiring 15 process-
ing plants to handle the crop valued A.t $n,ooo,noo.
Location of Marker: In Griffin at Junction of U. G. High,~ray 41 and 19.
- 25 -

nURAL ELECTRIFICATION IN GEORGIA

The A}tamaha E1-ectric Memberohip Corporation,

Lyons, Georgia, was the first to go into effect in Georg~a. The allocation of funds io~Tas made May 1936, loan contract si~ned July 1936, and

the first lines went into service in May 1937.

In 1935, according to cen3US figures, 4 per cent

of the farms in Georgia were electrified and in

1953, 87 per cent. There are 41 Cooperatives in Georgia 1'111 th a memb~rship of 228,227 receiving

electricity from 58,104 miles ~f wire. To May





f



31, 1953, R~ loans amountPd to $73,273,876.

The rural electric property is valued at more

than 7C million dollara and a11 l'epaymPnts are

ahead of schedule.

Recomme1~ed marker be placed at Lyons, Georgia.
- 26 -

RURAL ELECTRIFICATION IN GEORGIA

The Tiayle Electric MembP.roh1p Corpor~tion, Wash1n~ton,

Georgia, was the first loan allocated to a spontaneous

coopPra t1 ve 3entember 1935. Electric service t~ras made

ava1lab~e to its memberoh1p June 1937.

In 1935, according to census figurfs, 4 oer cent ?f

the farms in Gpor~ia were electrified and 1n 1953,

87 pP.r cent.

There are 41 Cooperatives in GPorgia with a membership

,

-

-.1

~

of 228,227 rece1!ing e~ectricity from 58,104 miles of

1~riry. ~o May 31, 1953, REA loans amounted to

$73,273,876. The rural electric nropPrty is valued

at more than 7:> million dol 1ars and a 11 repayments

are ahead of schedule.

Marker to be placed at Washin~ton, Georgia.
- 27 -

FIRST EROSION CONTROL PROJECT IN GEORGIA
The first erosion controJ demonstratio~ nrojfCt in Georgia was established on March 22, ~934, with headquarte~a at Ath~ns. It included 104,a70 acres in Jackson, Madison, and Clarke Counties. Similar 9-emons~ration projeyta r~rere established at Americus, Rome, Gainesvil1e, and LaGrange in 1935. As a part of a new nation-;dde r)rogram to develofl and demonstrate methods of soil and r,vater conservation, the nroject was first set up under the C. S. DepartmPnt of the Interior and. r,ras latPr transferred by Congress to the Soil Conservation Service of U. G. Department of Agriculture. Tr~ first Civilian Conservation Corps Camp was assigned to this work in Georgia in 1934 and located on the At...l-Iena demonstration nroject site.
MarkPr to be placed near Athens.
- 28 -

G-EO:RGIA 1 3 FinST SOIL CONQ1~VATION DISTniCT
In 1937 lando~.rn~ra in Bartl"'w, Cha ttooga, G~rdr,n, Polk, and por ticna of C.,:,bb and Paulding Counties, vnted to form the Coosa River Goil Conservation Distr5ct, un~e~ the 8tate Soil Conservation Act of 1~137. Ce:r ttfi ca te r.;f Or~:1ni u; tion was i s~ued neptnnber 13, makint?, 1t the first d.iatrict organized in thE: i~ta.te. The rcm~ind.er of Pau1d1ng County, and all nf Walker and Dade CountieG were added to the
The Agate Dem~ns~ration Project for ero~ion control consistinp; of 30 ,5Bfi acres 1~r~s 1f'lcated in Floyd and Polk Co~nties in 1935. In 1~53, there are 27 r,oil Conoervatior. Districts, embracing every county in Georgia except one.

Marker In District.

- 2~ -

NEGRO SOUT~WIDE SOI!. CONSERVATION JAMBOREF;,
The annual 9oi1 Cone~rvation Jamboree, started as a local evr-nt at t.og 9abin Community Ce~ tt-r in 1945 by Benjamin F. Hubert, Community Leader, in cooperation with the Piedmont Soil Conservation District. It became South~ride in scope in 194?. State Associations of Soil Conservation Districts throughout the South have cooperated to make this an outstanding event for the.enoouragement of conservation farming among Negroes, ~ATi t;h annual prizes a"'rarded by the As~ociation for the Advancemr-nt of N0gro County Life. This is the ~irst Statr and Area Negro Jamboree ever held in the South. The 1950 State ~dnn~"r rP.turned to his home county, Early, and organ! zed a South1~re st GPorgia Negro Jamboree.
MarkE'r at: Log Cabin Community Center.
- 30 -

FEVER TICK~ - A MENACE TO LIVESTOCK

In 1893, the U. S. Bureau of A~imal Industry, based on findir.~s of Dr. Smith, announced that the cattle fever tick transmits a parasite that causes "Tick fever". Dr. Walter Reed Gix years later supplemented Dr. t5mlth 1 s theory by provin~ 11 YelJ Olrif fever 11 is ~ranami ttPd to humans by a mosquito. In 190o, the USDA estab'J.ishf'd quarantines to prohibit shipment of Southern cattle to certain Northern markets.
'
In 1905, the General Assembly of Georgia authorized the Commissioner of Agricu1ture to employ a Veterinarian tn investigate outbreaks of livestock diseases. Dr. Peter F. Bahnsen nm~r of Americus lras assigned the task of eradicating the fever tick from Georgia. The
U. s. Bureau assigned Dr. Payne to Georgia in 1907.
The General Assembly of Georgia pasRed a tick eradication la1,.;r in 1909. Lumpkin ~~ras the first county quarantined, but the eradication program began in Haber-sham ancl. Elbert Counties. The nro~ram began in 19 :; ana the Gta te 'Nas released from Federal quarantine in 1~25. A "yeomans" share of credit for the nresent ~25o,oco,oo~ livf:'8tock income is due to the efforts of Dr. Bahnsen, and the Gtate Department of Agriculture.

Marker! Near Americus.

- 31 -

TOBACCO
Tobacco nroduction began in Georgia about the time slavery ~.raG permitted in 1749. KnoNledge of the industry i~raa brought to Geor~ia by Virginia settlers.
. It is callPd Geor--gia's "Miracle Crop".
In 1792, Geor~1a exp~rted 5,471 hogshe~ds of tcracco. With the beginning of the 19th Century, the industry declined and was lRr~ely replaced by cotton. Interest ~as revive~ with the adv~nt of the boll weevil. The first tobacco 1rarehouse i,.ran hull t in GeorP-"ia in 1914, and the first successful auction mark~t was established ~t Douglas in 1918. In 1S17, our nroduction ~~ras about 1/3 m11110n pounds. Tobacco nroduction ~as resumed in 1918 when 3,000,000
p- ount.ls of flur-cured or bright leaf tobacco ~rere groi~m
on 3,75? acrea. In 195~,Geor~ia :reduced 136,788,7]0 pounds of tnbacco on 1')4, 100 acres, irh1ch broughtt farmPr~ $79,923,828. Production is confined to the southern part of the State. There are 19 auction markPts located in the main centers of nronuction that operate only during the marketing seaGon. Tobacco io on~ of our main cash crops. lvJ.arker: Intersection Highways Nos. 441 and 32 Court Houoe
f1qw1e, G1ty of Do1l~1as. - 32

TUNG OIL (CHINAWOOD OIL) {Native of China)
The late Mr. J. B. Wight of Cairo, was a pioneer in the Tung oil industry of America. A one year seedling se~t him from the U. 3. Depar~ment of Agricultur~, Plant Introduction Garden, Chic~, California, in 1908, grew to be the 1ar~est Tung tree in America. It produced 250 pounds of nuts in 1928 and stil1 prodUCf'S abun?_antly. It ,,rao 60 inches in circumference in 1929, and 76 inches in 1939, with top spread of 76 feet. According to U. G. CenGus, Geor~ia had 131,14n trees in 1050 and produced 2.4 mtJ.Jion pounds of nuts in 1952. This new induGtry contributes more than 1n mi1 1ion d.o1lars annua1 J_y, to the farm cash income of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and. Florida. 11 '\IJ'e annropria tely honor this pioneer. 11
l'flarker: Wight Nuroeries on
Higl:.~,ray #J 11, Calro

GEORGIA TURKEY INDUSTRY

Molena, Pike County, apppars to be the center

of the turkey industry of Geor~ia. More turkeys

are grown within a radiuo of 20 miles of Molen~

than any other similar area of the State. Turkeys

are ra1Red in most parts of Georgia, but the major

industry is in this area.

Georgia production has increased from an average

~

#



,

#

of 209,000, 1945-49, to A15,00~ in 1952. Among

the leaders of ~he turkey industry_are Lester

McCrary, Molena, and Morgan Milner, Zebulon.

This has deveJ.oped into anoth~r "cash crop" for

Georgia farmers.

Marker is to be Placed on Georgia Highway 19 at junction of r}eorgia Hip.:hr,ray #74 South of Molena.
.... 34 ...

WATE'RMELON3
The ''ratermelcn is de"Oicted in Egyptian painting dating to the time of the ryramids. It is thought to be n na t i VP of South~=>rn Africa and ~rJa s l:rought to this country by the Opaniards. Some evidence indicates a citron-type may have been a native of AmPrica. The industry has been with us since colonial times
' ,,ra termelons are reported to have been gro,ll)'n in New En~land in 1S20 and in F1orida prior to 1664. Georgia for a number of ypars planted twice the acrea~e of any other ~tate. 68 pPr cent of Georgia's acreage and 11 per CPnt of the nation's are planted in 18 coastel plain countief.:l. In no other section of the Union dOP8 this luscious cucurbit flourish as it doPs on the gray sandy soils of Georgia. Th~ U. G. Census shm,rs that Georgia 1 s acreage ,,ra s 27,874 in 1899, 88,511 in 1924, and 45,0CO in 1952. A Univercity of Georgia bulletin shows that it was an im~ortant commercial crop in 191,. Georgia has developed a number r:>f imnortant varieties. The GPorgia Ra ttlesnakA in 1[370, Tom Watson 1906, Irish Gray 1913, Stone Mountain in 1924. Georgia, Florida and Texas vie for first place in production
- 35 ....