Chief Askew's Diary: April 10, 1930

A good day for planting; Georgia bankers warn farmers to cut back on cotton

It was a fine spring day today, and Newnan, Georgia police Chief Walter E. Askew observed “lots of people planting gardens, some few planting cotton seed.” He finished planting a few “things” in his own home garden that morning but didn’t say what they were.

The price of cotton had gotten so low and the devastation of the crop by the boll weevil so high that southern bankers had taken a stand to convince farmers to diversify their crops. Paid subscribers can read on about what they did. Upgrade to paid for the low cost of $5 a month by clicking below.

The cartoon showing a farmer plowing with his mules Courage and Optimism appeared on the front page of the April 7, 1930 Newnan Herald.