Agricultural heritage of Georgia

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Irvin, Commissioner of Agriculture

Introduction ...
Georgia's history is so intertwined with agriculture that the two are practically inseparable. The climate, soil types, terrain, long growing season and plentiful rainfall caused the state to be chiefly agricultural from the start.
While many early settlers sought religious freedom, they also hoped to find a suitable environment to grow commodities that Europeans needed. Intitially the crops early settlers wanted to grow included grapes, tobacco, silk, potatoes, melons, rice, indigo, peaches, plums, and quince. Some of these were successful; others were replaced by a variety of more lucrative crops.
This booklet showcases, different crops that played a part in the history of Georgia. The story begins . ..

Cotton

The history of Georgia and cotton are closely

interwoven. Cotton was first planted in the state

near Savannah in 1734, just one year after the state

was settled. Although grown in other colonies,

Georgia was the first to produce it commercially.

Georgia was noted for its produc-

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tion of the famous extra-long staple

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Sea Island cotton. According to one

account, Columbus first found this

variety in the West Indies. In 1786,

these bags of West Indian seed some-

how turned up on Sapelo Island off

the coast of Georgia. Someone in

need of a gunny sack is said to have

dumped the seed; the seed sprouted

This simple, hand operated device,

and became the first crop of Sea

patented in 1793, separated up to 50

Island cotton in America.

pounds of lint from the seed per day.

The culture of this variety spread

This was a drastic improvement con-

for 300 miles among the coastal is-

sidering it previously required an

lands, Georgia and the South Carol-

individual an entire day to separate

ina coast, and brought up to two dol-

one pound.

lars a pound. While Sea Island cotton

Englishman Samuel Slater also gave

provided an extremely valuable com- cotton a boost; he built the first suc-

modity, it had its limitations: it could cessful textile mill in the United States

only be grown on the coast. It was the

in 1790. The first important Georgia

upland, short staple cotton that pro- mill was built in 1811, nine miles

duced the great revolution in Georgia

southeast of Washington in Wilkes

agriculturally.

County. Cotton thus became the

During the pre-Revolutionary per-

foundation for one of the state's first

iod, cotton was usually planted in

and still largest industries, the textile

small patches; the fibers were spun

business.

and woven mostly for home use.

The invention of the cotton gin and

However, two important events which

mill combined with demand for more

occurred after the American Revolu-

cotton by American and English mills

tion made cotton production feasible

led to expansion of cotton acreage. By

and appealing.

the 1820's cotton production was

Separating cotton from the seed by

beginning to change the agricultural

hand was a tedious and costly task

pattern of piedmont Georgia, until

and discouraged many farmers from

now, dominated by small farmers.

planting the crop. On a plantation Production increased from 1000 bales

near Savannah in the latter 1700's,

in 1790 to 90,000 bales in 1820. By

Eli Whitney remedied this problem

1826, Georgia was the leading cotton

with his invention of the cotton gin.

state producing 150,000 bales.

Despite continued increase in production, demand for cotton did not dwindle. Foreign and domestic demand for the crop persisted. Georgia formers become preoccupied with cotton production and become less and less self-sufficient. By the 1850's cotton approached its pinnacle as "king." It was everywhere ... more than a third of the cropland across the state was devoted to cotton and production soared over a half million bales annually. By 1860, it was bringing $30,000,000 to the state.
During the war, New England mills shut down due to the halted cotton supply. Georgia planters burned cotton warehouses rather than let them fall into enemy hands. In 1862 a resolution was passed in the Confederate Congress restricting cotton production. Some formers protested and planted anyway. However, the result for 1862 was a 60,000 bale crop rather than the usual 700,000 bale average.
After the war, Southern planters turned to a share-cropping system which lasted until well into the 1920's. Between 1900 and 1916 the value of the commodity tripled and acreage

grew to over five million acres. Up until the twenties, cotton accounted for over half of the total value of Georgia agricultural production.
While cotton was enjoying a period of prosperity in Georgia, trouble was brewing out West. The ball weevil crossed the Mexican border into Texas and multiplied. As it traveled West through Mississippi and Alabama, it left a path of poverty and destruction.
The"winged demon" reached Thomasville, Georgia on August 25, 1915. By 1921 it had swept the entire state. In 1923, for example, average yield per acre dropped to 106 pounds, contrasted with the average yield of 252 pounds per acre in 1914 before the weevil became a serious problem. Weevil damage reached its peak in 1925 and the pest has remained . Larger farms, more machinery and better insecticides now keep cotton damage under control. The weevil certainly persuaded the state to avoid a onecrop economy.
Although cotton is not the "king" it once was, it is still in high demand and an important Georgia crop.

Pecans

Compared with other orchard crops, Georgia's pecan industry is relatively new. It has developed from small three and four tree orchards to its present magnitude primarily during this century.

The pecan is native to the United States, originating in the Mississippi Valley region. Like many other crops, the nuts were probably introduced to Georgia by the Indians.
North American Indians are said to have pounded pecan kernels, added them to boiling water and used the mixture as seasoning for food . The mixture also was used to thicken venison broth, season hominy and in some cases allowed to ferment an intoxicating drink popular in tribal festivities . Eventually, the natives introduced pecans to early settlers and began exchanging the nuts for trinkets and tools.
Georgia's commercial pecan production began during the late 1800's. In 1886, the Southern Cultivator reported that several individuals successfulJy had produced and marketed pecans on a smalJ scale near Savannah. Nelson Tift established a 500 tree orchard in 1887 near Albany which he expanded to 2500 trees within two years. By 1889 there were 97 acres of pecans planted throughout Georgia compared with 1000 acres in Mississippi and 2000 acres in Louisiana.
The years 1880 through 1900 were often considered the "Golden Years" of horticulture in the South. G.M. Bacon of De Witt, S. W. Peck of HartweJJ, and James Tift and J.P. GiJJ of Albany were considered pioneers in the early development of Georgia 's pecan industry. In addition, H.P. Stuckey, director of Georgia's Agri-

cultural Experiment Station, conducted pecan research in a day when the nuts faced an uncertain future. The success of the states' pecan industry can be partly attributed to his early efforts.
As a result of the growing interest in the pecan industry, the Southern Nut Growers Association was established in Albany in 1901 . Later the group became known as the National Nut Growers Association.
The Georgia/ Florida Pecan Growers held their first convention in 1907 and continued through 1933. This group was the parent organization for the Southeastern Pecan Growers Association which was established in 1934 and is still active today.
By 1905, there were several thou sand acres of pecans across the state. These orchards provided a solid foundation for the further development of the industry.
Over 450,000 had been established in the Albany area by 1910. After that, plantings seemed to be continuous with more than 1,000,000 trees planted by 1920. Production also increased from approximately 27,000

pounds in 1900 to 2,500,000 in 1920. During the years 1910 through
1925, various real estate organizations and promoters in the southeast planted thousands of acres in pecans. One company sold 25,000 acres of such orchards in five and 10 acre units in Daughtery and Mitchell Counties.
While some of these agencies were trustworthy and worked to help the struggling new pecan industry, other promoters took advantage of the situation. They made extravagant claims for getting rich from pecans with little or no effort or additional costs.
For example, one promoter claimed,"A pecan grove of five acres nets $2500 yearly with no worry, no loss of crop and little cost of upkeep. The papershell pecan begins bearing in

two years, produces fifty to two hundred and fifty pounds at ten years, with yearly increases thereafter ... five acres will keep the average family in comfort." Of co urse, no purchaser ever realized as much as promised by some development companies; many lost their inves tment in pecan groves while others combined small acreages with larger and some ventures were successful.
By 1925, Georgia 's pecan orchards consisted of more than two million trees. From 1940 to 1948 pecan produ ct ion almost doubled from 23.000,000 pounds to 40,000,000 pounds. By the 1950's Georgia's pecan was well established and the state led the nation in pecan produ ct.ion.

Peaches

Peaches have been a trademark of Georgia for a long time. The state was among the first to become involved in the commercial peach industry during the 1800's.

Peaches were included in the Trustee's Garden on the coast during Oglethorpe's time in the 1730's. Early settlers continued to grow them successfully throughout Georgia's coloniarperiod. By 1800, there were a few large orchards in Wilkes County and other upcountry areas. Some farmers are said to have had as many as 5000 trees.
Because the fruit was highly perishable, early orchards were established primarily for home use. Unimproved seedlings planted during this time yielded fruit that was often hard and bitter. Peaches were usually used to provide food for hogs and make brandy.
Due to the increasing interest in cotton, many orchards were neglected or pushed up to make more room for cotton. However with the expansion of the railroad providing prospects for outside markets, peaches became more appealing to Georgia farmers.
In 1845, an editorial appeared in the Southern Cultivator recommending that farmers located near railroads leading to major cities grow peaches on their poor sandy soil to supply those markets.
Robert Nelson, a political refugee from Denmark, established Troup Hill Nursery in Macon in 1852. Unlike northern nurserymen who grew peaches from seeds, Nelson insisted that more uniform peaches could be produced by grafting from parent stock. His skill in fruit prop-

agation, along with his encouragement of commercial peach production in middle Georgia, played a major role in stimulating this industry in antebellum Georgia.
The commercial peach industry rapidly expanded in the decade following 1850. In 1851, R.J. Moses shipped a basket of peaches to New York first by stage to Macon, rail to Savannah, and finally steamer to New York. He received $30 for the shipment. Pleased with his experiment, Moses expanded his orchard. After the completion of the tailroad to Columbus, he continued to ship extensively to New York. His sales reached $7500 in 1861.
Although the Civil War put the rapidly expanding peach industry temporarily on hold, after the war the state continued in commercial production. The development of new and superior peach varieties played an important role in this expansion.
The Elberta peach, developed by Samuel Rumph of Marshallville in 1872, was perhaps the most famous and popular of these new varieties. Named for his wife, the Elberta was a sensation on the northern market.

No other varieties could be compared with it in color, size, and quality.
Lewis H. Rumph, also of Marshallville, developed the Georgia Belle and E. W. Hiley of Fort Valley had the largest orchard in Georgia as well as the world during that time. There were approximately 350,000 trees covering a land area of over 2000 acres . He employed over BOO pickers during the season.
Unfortunately, Georgia was not the only state expanding in the industry. Similar expansion across the nation resulted in overproduc-

tion and low prices. The Depression of 1929 only made matters worse.
Following the Depression, produ c tion fell sharply due to a series of bad crop years and bad weather. In 1950, production fell to 845,000 bushels, the smallest harvest recorded by the Georgia Crop Reporting Service since it was established in 1908.
Georgia has since recovered from the bad years. Although no longer the nation's top producer, it is still known as the "Peach State" and the fruit remains one of Georgia's top horticultural crops.

Indigo

Although no longer grown in Georgia, indigo was one of the first commercial crops produced in the state. During colonial times, the indigo plant was a primary source of the deep blue dye, indigo, used to color cotton and wool.

Georgia 's indigo industry began back in the 1740's when the plant was discussed during a meeting of the Trustees. Botanist, Robert Miller informed the group that indigo was better suited for Georgia's climate than colonies further North. Shortly thereafter, indigo plantings flourished along the state's coast. The crop was well-established along the Ogeechee River and the coastal islands by 1750.
Unlike rice, which required tedious, experienced labor along with a substantial cash outlay, indigo production could be pursued on a family scale. The seeds usually were obtained from Guatemala and plant ed around the end of March. The crop was harvested for processing when it reached full bloom approximately four months after planting.
The average yield was normally a little more than 40 pounds per acre. With Georigia's long growing season, plantings were often staggered in order to obtain as many as three cuttings during a season.
Although cultivation of indigo was not difficult, processing was an involved, dreaded task; the stalks were claimed to have given off an offensive, sickening odor. The terrible odor and flies associated with processing the stalks prompted the Commons House Assembly to require the residue from the plants be burned or destroyed.

Two wooden vats {12 feet square by four and half feet deep) were needed to process the indigo. After harvest, stalks were placed in a "steeper" vat. Here, fermentation was completed in 12 to 15 hours. The plants were then placed in a "battery" vat and stirred and agitated until a bluish precipitate resulted. Lime water was added to accelerate the formation of this precipitate; once formed, the mixture was allowed to settle eight to ten hours.
To complete processing, water was drained from the vat leaving the precipitate on the bottom; this was strained and pressed until it was water free. The dried indigo was cut into two inch square pieces and dried in a special building.
Indigo blocks were carefully turn ed three to four times daily to prevent rotting and to check for insect infestation. The finished product was determined by the merchants by observing the closeness of th e grains and the degree of brilliance of the violet blue.
Indigo pods

After the Revolutionary War, indigo production became less appealing due to the withdrawal of British subsidies to growers. Although production steadily declined, the crop was produced in Georgia throughout the 1700's.
Small quantities of indigo could be found in the state until after the

Civil War. However, remaining acreage slowly yielded to"King Cotton." Competition from British growers in the East Indies along with th e development of synthetic indigo eventually led to the elimination of Georgia's commercial indigo production.

Tobacco

Tobacco has been an integral part of Georgia agriculture for more than 200 years. It established Georgia as a valuable exporting colony, rescued farmers from the boll weevil and has proven its dependability as a marketable crop by adding millions of dollars annually to state agricultural revenues.

Thomas Jefferson said Georgia would be an ideal place to grow tobacco as early as 1782. At the time he implied that the fertile soil and warm climate of our state would provide such superior growing conditions that Maryland and Virginia would be surpassed in tobacco production.
By the late 18th century, Georgia exported 176,732 pounds of tobacco. The gold leaf went to market over dirt roads to the Savannah river, near present-day Augusta. By 1791 Georgia ranked third among southern states in tobacco production.
In 1793, however, the development of the cotton gin caused tobacco production to decline . Farmers could not resist the temptation to plant the lucrative cotton crop which at the time brought much higher prices than tobacco.
Farmers still grew enough tobacco for their personal use and after the War Between the States it was frequently the tobacco crop, although small, that helped farms survive.
By the late 1800's tobacco was gaining popularity but did not regain its pre-cotton status until the arrival of the boll weevil in the early 1900's. With cotton crops devastated, farmers once again looked to tobacco. Also, there was a new market to supply. The introduction of the

blended cigarette in 1913 created increased demand for Georgia leaf.
The increased demand and improved technology enabled Georgia tobacco farmers to grow greater quantities of tobacco per acre.
In 1919, Georgia produced 11.6 million pounds of leaf on 23,800 acres with an average yield per acre of 488 pounds. By 1'978, 125 milion pounds were grown on 61,000 acres averaging 2,060 pounds per acre.
Several varieties of tobacco have been produced in Georgia. Warne, a heavy coarse variety was first grown but the thinner flue-cured tobacco replaced Warne around the early 1900's. Sumatra, a shade-grown tobacco used for cigar wrappers was a popular Georgia-grown leaf. By 1900 thousands of Georgia acres were covered with canvas tents that protected the plants from the direct rays of the sun and pounding rain.

The Sumatra trend did not last, however, as cost of production was considerably higher than growing flue-cured . Also, technology developed a reconstituted tobacco sheet that could replace the conventional cigar wrapper.
Flue-cured tobacco is greatly influenced by the soil in which it is grown. It thrives in sandy loamy soil. It is ready for harvest when the green begins to fade and the leaves become a yellowish-green, the tips cream-colored. As the leaves ripen, they are "primed," snapped off three to five at a time starting at the bottom of each plant. Since tobacco is primed about once a week, it takes farmers from four to six weeks to bring in an entire crop.
Many Georgia farmers still prime their crops by hand. Six to eight primers or "croppers" move down the rows of tobacco. The leaves are piled on trailers to be pulled by tractor to the curing barn. An acre of tobacco will require 300 to 400 man hours from planting to harvest.

Only recently has mechanized harvesting and curing replaced hand labor. One-man harvesters strip the leaves up to a certain height on the stalk and deposit them automatically in trailers.
Besides harvesting, curing also is done mechanically. Humidity, temperature and air circulation are more easily controlled in bulk barns than in conventional curing barns. The need for constant surveillance by the farmers is eliminated.
Curing takes place in three stages: yellowing, drying of the leaf and drying of the stem. In the yellowing stage, heat is maintained at around 90 to 100 degrees for 24 to 40 hours. The temperature is then raised to 135 to 140 degrees to dry the leaf and fix the color. This stage takes 30 to 36 hours. Finally the heat is raised to 160 to 165 degrees to dry the stem. Then ventilator openings in the barn walls are thrown wide open so the cured tobacco can absorb moisture from the atmosphere.

Silk

The silk industry, usually associated with the Orient where much of it is produced, was one of Georgia's earliest industries.

Of all the exotic productions included in early Georgia, growing silk appeared to offer the greatest potential. England hoped that Georgia would be able to produce enough silk to relieve her dependence on others. The Trustees were so convinced that the colony could become a major silk producer that they included a silkworm and a mulberry tree on their original state seal.
The Trustees knew that mulberry trees, the essential food for silkworms, thrived in the state. However, they did not realize that they were the wrong variety; silkworms preferred white mulberry leaves rather than the native variety.
In order to possess land, early colonists were required to plant white mulberry trees on a specified portion of their property. Later, in order to qualify for land, colonists had to show a production of 15 pounds of silk each year for every 50 acres of land in their possession. In addition, land owners were required to have at least one female family member instructed in the art of reeling or winding silk.
Colonists could get mulberry trees from the Trustees' public garden. The Trustees also hired Italian silk experts to come to Georgia to instruct colonists in the art of silk culture.
Silk production was an intricate process. Although not a year-round family enterprise, it required the attention of two people for two

months before and during the spinning season.
An ounce of silkworms could potentially produce five to ten pounds of silk but they needed several hundred pounds of leaves to reach maturity. Silkworms were kept on racks so that they could be tended and protected from the elements and animals. This meant that mulberry leaves had to be picked and provided for the worms. Since one worm could eat its own weight in leaves daily, gathering them was a constant task.
The total feeding time lasted approximately six weeks. At that time the worms began spinning their cocoons. When spinning was completed, the silk balls or cads were removed and the tedious job of unwinding and reeling began.
Gods had to be placed in warm water, and slowly heated until individual silk threads became visible before unwinding could begin. The end of the thread was located and the first few yards were discarded because of poor quality. The remaining thread was unwound and reeled by hand.
Reeling silk was a difficult process and required individuals who were employed for this task. But utilizing a simple machine and a child to direct the thread, a pound of silk could be reeled each day.
Over 300 cads were required to produce a pound of raw silk. Not all of the cads were unwound for silk.

Heavier cocoons were saved in order to produce a new crop of worms the following year.
Oglethorpe took the first silk produced in Georgia to Queen Caroline on a trip to England in 1734. She is said to have expressed her satisfaction "for the beauty and fineness of the silk." and "so early a product from the colony." She had the silk made into a beautiful dress.
ln 1741, Georgia's silk crop totaled 600 pounds. To the disappointment of the Trustees, the colony produced only about a thousand pounds of raw silk during their 20-year reign. Most of this was produced by the industrious Salzburgers in Ebenezer rather than the original colonists. Throughout the state's silk-produc-

ing years, the industry was artificially supported by England and could not have survived without subsidies.
The German Salzburgers were the most successful silk producers in the colony. While most colonists became disinterested in production and turned their efforts to the culti vation of rice and other products, the Salzburgers continued for about 20 years longer.
In 1766, they produced 20,000 pounds of cocoons. However, Bri tain reduced the bounty paid for production and within the next three years raw silk production dropped to 290 pounds. In 1769, production again increased to an average of 450 pounds a year.
During the Revolution, Ebenezer was destroyed by British invaders. This, coupled with the disappearance of British bounties after the colonies declared independence, caused the silk industry to slowly
die. Silk was produced in Georgia as
late as 1790. Efforts were made to revive production throughout the 19th century but ended in ultimate failure.

Peanuts

Sitting by the roadside on a summer day, Chatting with my messmates, passing time away, Lying in the shadow underneath the trees, Goodness, how delicious, eating goober peas.
(Chorus)
Peas! Peas! Peas! Eating goober peas. Goodness, how delicious, eating goober peas.

Although peanuts curentJy rank as the top cash crop in Georgia, it has only been in this century that the commodity gained economic importance in the state. Prior to the 1900's, peanut production was limited to an occasional patch on plantations where they were utilized as livestock feed.
In 1846 for example, the editor of the Albany Patriot recommended feeding unharvested peanuts to hogs as a substitute for corn . By using peanuts for food, he believed that the state's pork could be produced cheaper than Tennessee pork which was selling at three and a half cents a pound. By the late 1800's, hog producers had devoted about 100,000 acres of peanuts for grazing purposes.
Peanuts became an important human staple during the Civil War when troops of the Southern Confederacy gave out of food. Some claim that Union soldiers also took a lik-

ing to the Southern "ground pea" during the War .
By World War I, peanuts were considered an important commercial crop in some sections of the nation as a result of the development of improved machinery for growing and pandling, increased knowledg e of their food value to humans and livestock and the discovery of new uses for them, particularly in the food industry.
It was the arrival of the boll weevil in southwest Georgia that encouraged farmers to plant peanuts for commercia/ purposes in about 1915. This insect invasion, along with high prices offered for vegetable oils during World War I actually caused peanut production to increase ten fold from 1916 to 1919 The sharp increase in production prompted the first commercia/ peanut shelling facilities built in 1916 in Edison and Cordele. That year, 56,000 acres of peanuts were harvested . The following year, acreage increased to 195,000 acres.
During the following two decades, peanut acreage and production continued to steadily grow. More than 300,000 acres were planted in the late 1920's and over 500,000 acres in the late '30 's. Georgia led th e nation in peanut production in most of

those years. Peanut production was again en-
couraged during the second World War to help alleviate the United States' shortage of vegetable oils. In 1942, acreage devoted to peanuts peaked to over 1,500,000 acres. By the 1950's, peanuts had taken the

place of tobacco as Georgia's second most important crop.
Georgia currently leads the nation in peanut production. Peanuts also have been the state's number one cash row crop almost every year since 1965.

Sorghum

Sorghum syrup production is perhaps one of the sweetest traditions in Georgia. Although the thick, dark product may have lost much of its market to mass-produced molasses and other syrups, it still has plenty of nostalgia and popularity.

Sorghum cane was originally introduced to the South during the 1850's by Dennis Redmond of Augusta. Redmond obtained a few ounces of sorghum seed, first imported to America from France, from a firm in Boston. He gave a few seeds to his friends and planted six or eight in his own garden in 1855.
During this period, sorghum was known by a number of names including Chinese sugar cane, holuc saccharatus and sorgo sucre. The new crop was received with much enthusiasm. Although claims that sorghum would provide syrup and sugar for interior areas of the state were somewhat overrated, the crop did provide an excellent supply for livestock feed .
Adding to its appeal, two crops of sorghum could be planted during a single growing season. It also was said that the seed alone would produce 50 bushels of meal per acre and that parts of the plant had potential use in papermaking.
Some say that the first reported successful attempt to make sorghum syrup took place in North Georgia at the farm of Richard Peters in 1854. With technical advice from Robert Battey of Rome, Peters decided to produce the syrup commercially.
In his work with Peters, Battey conducted various experiments with

sorghum. Among his discoveries was that Georgia-grown sorghum cane produced a larger quantity of syrup than cane grown in France.
Early speculation indicated that sorghum might be more beneficial to northern farmers than southerners. However, it was discovered that while juice yield was always 50 percent of the cane's total weight, syrup yield varied 10 to 20 percent depending upon the latitude in which it was grown. It just so happened that conditions existing in the latitude of the Georgia Piedmont produced the highest yields. There was also evidence that southern grown sorghum produced a better quality syrup.
During the Civil War, sorghum syrup became known as Confederate syrup. It served as a staple,

replacing molasses and sugar on many farms. Sherman's troops reported large quantities of the product "at nearly every plantation" on their march to the sea and some admitted to even developing a liking for it.
The naval blockade during the War, along with the impoverished conditions that followed, helped establish a permanent foothold for the sorghum industry in Georgia. Prices for sorghum are reported to have soared to $20 a gallon immediately after the War.
During the late 1800's, many middle and south Georgia farmers attempted to develop the sorghum and sugar cane industry to replace cotton. Sugar cane became the more successful of the two. Acreage tripled from 1870 to 1900 and production finally surpassed that of Georgia's standby, sorghum.
Today, sorghum syrup often falls into the category with other oldfashioned foods such as country

cured hams, red eye gravy and "cathead" biscuits. Many folks are not exactly sure what it is and often confuse molasses with sorghum. There is a big difference. Molasses is the strong residue left when sugar is extracted from sugar cane while sorghum syrup is derived solely from sorghum cane.
North Georgia continues to be the center for the state's sorghum syrup capitol of Georgia. The sorghum syrup festival, held each year in Blairsville, is scheduled to coincide with the making of syrup by Union County farmers. It features an old time horse-powered cane mill and competition for champion syrup sopper among its activities.
North Georgia mountain farmers have always taken certain pride in making their syrup. While electricity and tractors have replaced the old mule grinding cane mills, nothing can take the place of good, oldfashioned sorghum syrup.

Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are one of Georgia's oldest crops and rank among the state's top moneymaking vegetables. In fact for approximately 100 years {1836-1936}, Georgia led the nation in sweet potato production, at one time devoting over 150,000 acres to the crop.

The first settlers learned about this "buried treasure" through the Indians who were growing sweet potatoes when they arrived in Georgia. Early farmers planted sweet potatoes on raised ridges. The crop usuallywas from vines cut from older plants and planted following corn in July.
After the sweet potato crop was harvested, the fields were often used as grazing for hogs. Georgia farmers cured their sweet potato harvest in a two-foot-long, oblong pit lined with corn stalks and covered with a lean-to roof. Sweet potatoes were placed on top of the stalks and covered with rice 1'traw or additional corn stalks. The pit was then covered with soil to protect the vegetables from rain and frost. An opening was usually left in the pit to allow for ventilation.
Around 1776, a crudely processed form of sweet potato meal was exported from Savannah to England. A statesman during this period claimed that if sweet potatoes could be shipped to Europe without spoilage, the crop would be equal to cotton as an export product.
Census figures for 1850 and 1860 ranked Georgia first in sweet potato production. Production continued to increase during the Civil War years. Vegetable production was encouraged during this period as a

means of preventing scurvy. The sweet potato soon came to be known as the "staff of life" in the War diet. It was served baked, fried, roasted and even as pudding or pie for dessert.
The canning industry soon began to take advantage of the state's sweet potato crop. By 1909, small commercial quantities of sweet potatoes were being canned and by 1920 the industry had more than doubled.
Although acreage has decreased over the years, sweet potatoes are still considered one of Georgia's leading vegetable crops.

Watermelons

Although no one knows exactly when the first watermelon was planted in Georgia, the fruit has been among the state's leading truck crops for many years.

Georgia melons were shipped to Northern states by boat as early as 1853. In 1856, an Augusta farmer began shipping watermelons to New York packed with straw in crockery crates. It is said that his profit was so great that he gave others the incentive to plant watermelons . Within the next 10 years, Augusta was shipping 60,000 melons each season.
By the 1890's, commercial production of watermelons gained a permanent foothold in Georgia . In fact, the fruit was considered king of the wiregrass area of the state.
Because of the state's success in the watermelon industry, the National Watermelon Association was established in Morven, Georgia in 1914. Originally known as the Melon Distributors Association, the organization continues to promote the best interests of the watermelon industry from production to consumption.
Watermelons have always held a major share of Georgia's truck farming industry. As highways and transportation improved, watermelon production and the state's truck farming industry increased.

For example, 32 million melons brought $1,908,000 to the state in 1930. A record crop of 81,000 acres was planted in 1935. However, this acreage was not maintained; during the war, the federal government actually discouraged production.
Watermelons remain an important truck farming crop in Georgia . In fact the state is among the leaders in U.S . production.
The crop appeals to many farmers because it offers an early cash crop providing needed cash flow. In addition, the state has good growing seasons needed to produce a consistent crop with good yields and sweet melons. Popular Georgia watermelon varieties include Jubilees, Long Grays, and the most prevalent, Crimson Sweets.
Crisp County still claims the title of" Watermelon Capital of t~e World." The south Georgia county continues to handle a major portion of the melon crop through the State Farmers Market in Cordele.

Muscadines

Unlike some exotic horticultural crops which were introduced to Georgia for cultivation, early settlers found the native muscadine grape growing abundantly throughout the state.

Muscadine grapes are considered a "true" southern fruit. The scuppernong, a muscadine variety is believed to have originated in Terrell County, North Carolina, accord ing to Aubrey Owen, secretarytreasurer of the Georgia Muscadine Growers Association. The fruit was probably named for the nearby Scuppernong River. Since musca dines were primarily found near old Indian settlements in early Georgia, it is thought that the Indians were responsible for bringing the fruit into the state.
Many early settlers in Georgia were of European origin, so they were naturally interested in wine making. Vines of native grapes,however, tended to grow high into trees. Because the fruit was difficult to harvest in Jorge quantities for wine making, it was often left to be eaten by birds and wild animals. As a result, early settlers turned their attention to imported grape varieties from France, Italy and other countries. Unfortunately, these imports did not thrive in their new climate. The small amount of wine they did manage to produce was described as, "sad stuff, and bitter, rather the juice of the stalk than of the grape."
Around 1816, Thomas McCall of Laurens County began experimenting with wine making from native grapes. His wine is claimed to have been famous in inany surrounding communities. In 1826, he pro-

duced 860 gallons from his two acre vineyard.
In the mid 1800's, a suitable wine market did not exist in Georgia . For example, in 1845, James Horsley of Upson County, made large quantities of scuppernong wine, but the poor market ultimately discouraged him. About this time, a correspondent with the Southern Cultivator wrote, "... consumers of wine in this state will scarcely be induced to prefer domestic unless it were offered to them under some outlandish name or unintelligible brand." Some even accused the Northern states of buying Southern wine, adulterating it in their cellars, and sending it back to the South under their label for a substantial profit .
In 1848, Charles Axt, a German vine grower, settled in Augusta and established vineyards. He believed that with proper management, Georgia vineyards would excell. By 1855, his efforts were rewarded when his grape and wine proved to be an outstanding sensation at the Atlanta Fair. His success in wine making received further recognition in Cincinnati in 1859 when his Georgia wine of the 1857 vintage received wide acclaim and a higher price than Ohio wines.
During the same time peach production began to flourish in Georgia, a few adventurous farmers tried to commercialize grapes. The War was hardly over before a campaign was initiated to encourage more

vineyards. In 1867, Jarvis Van Buren, a well-known horticulturist, stated, "Let us make the state of Georgia one grand vineyard such as the world has never yet seen." He believed that a wine industry would be an ideal substitute for cotton.
The Cultivator also reported, "scupperm,mg fever seems to be increasing." Although "fever" may have been an exaggeration, by 1880, vineyards were springing up around Columbus, Macon, Griffin, Thomasville, and Augusta.
In the late 1800's, the Tift brothers of Tifton began grape culture and wine production. Their vineyard contained over 40,000 vines. By the end of the century, grapes were being cultivated throughout the state.
Over the years, Georgia has been

a leader in the development of new and improved muscadine varieties. Researchers at Georgia Experiment Stations have successfully developed larger muscadine varieties which have more eye appeal to the consumer.
Georgia's muscadine industry has rapidly increased during the past few years. This is due in part to the early retirement of many urban and rural individuals searching for ways to enhance their income in later years.
Presently, there are approximately 1000 acres of muscadine grapes scattered across Georgia, according to Owens. Most of these vineyards tend to be small, five to ten acre, vineyards. The bulk of muscadines grown in the state are utilized as table fruit and often marketed in "pick your own" vineyards.
The Georgia Muscadine Growers Association was established around 1975 for the purpose of promoting, establishing standards of quality, and locating viable markets for the fruit.
"It is difficult to promote a fruit that many people remember going into the woods and picking," explained Owens.

FCMB 101

Agricultural Heritage

This publication was prepared by the FARMERS AND CONSUMERS MARKET BULLETIN, Georgia Department of Agriculture, Capitol Square, Atlanta, Georgia 30334. Lisa Ray, Editor.

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