domestic animals of all kinds were reported in
1850 than in any succeeding census year. The
increase in cotton production after the Civil
War diminished the grazing area, and hindered
the revival of the stock-raising industry. It is
noteworthy that whereas horses greatly
outnumbered the mules prior to the Civil War, this
ratio is now reversed.
Manufactures. Because of its industrial
importance, Georgia has long been known as the
‘Empire State of the South,’ and has played a
leading rôle in the recent industrial awakening
of that section. A number of conditions favor
the growth of manufacturing interests, chief of
which is the great annual output of raw
material. While outranked by the Carolinas in the
manufacture of cotton, and by Alabama in that
of iron, Georgia has a greater variety of
manufacturing interests, and excels these two States
in the sum total of manufactured products. The
wide distribution of water-power is another
favorable factor, as is also the cheaper labor
of the region—a result of the low cost of living.
Again, the efforts of the State through expositions,
technical education, and of the
municipalities in exempting manufacturing establishments
from taxation, have encouraged their
growth. The number of wage-earners employed
in manufacturing increased 60 per cent. during
the last decade of the century, the census of 1900
showing that 5 per cent. of the total population
were thus employed. Of these, 10,900 were
women and 6370 children. The value of
manufactured products increased during the decade
from $68,900,000 to $106,600,000. The manufacture
of cotton products leads in importance, and
there are but three New England and two Southern
States which surpass Georgia in this
industry. The cotton-goods establishments
increased from 53 in 1890 to 68 in 1900, and the
value of the product from $12,000,000 to
$18,500,000. A noteworthy beginning was made in
the manufacture of hosiery and knit goods. Still
more striking was the progress made in the
manufacture of cottonseed oil and cake. The
oil is used in the production of oleomargarine,
cottolene, compound lard, for illuminating
purposes, and as a substitute for olive oil. The
cake or meal is valuable for stock food, and is
also used in the manufacture of commercial
fertilizers, in which Georgia outranks the other
Southern States. The State exceeds all others
in the manufacture of cotton-gins. The recent
increase in wheat-raising resulted in giving a
new impetus to the flour-milling industry, the
value of the product of flour and grist mills
having increased during the decade from $5,200,000
to $8,300,000. The car-shop and machine-shop
products also show a good growth. The
following table indicates the development during
the last decade of the century of the eleven leading
industries:
INDUSTRIES
Year
Number
Capital
Value of Products including custom work and repairing
Total for selected industries for State
1900
3,301
$61,341,596
$72,715,693
1890
1,673
38,425,143
41,763,950
Increase, 1890 to 1900
......
1,628
$22,916,453
$30,951,743
Per cent. of increase
......
97.3
59.6
74.1
Per cent. of total of all industries in State
1900
44.0
68.3
68.2
1890
39.0
67.5
60.6
Textiles: Total
1900
98
$25,606,170
$20,266,712
1890
71
18,084,708
12,375,724
Cotton goods (including cotton small wares)
1900
68
24,222,169
18,544,910
1890
53
17,664,675
12,035,629
Hosiery and knit goods
1900
16
928,887
1,230,801
1890
4
121,494
166,850
Woolen goods
1900
14
455,114
491,001
1890
14
298,539
173,245
Oil, cottonseed, and cake
1900
43
4,098,668
8,064,112
1890
17
992,131
1,670,196
Cars and general shop construction and repairs,
by steam railroad companies
1900
32
1,408,592
3,062,283
1890
11
450,512
892,610
Fertilizers
1900
41
6,663,618
3,367,353
1890
44
5,501,881
5,026,034
Flouring and grist mill products
1900
1,123
2,504,033
8,330,439
1890
719
2,347,835
5,190,311
Foundry and machine-shop products
1900
87
3,398,141
3,506,427
1890
52
2,107,969
2,272,653
Lumber and timber products
1900
1,254
11,802,716
13,704,923
1890
449
5,019,635
6,545,195
Lumber, planing-mill products,
including sash, doors, and blinds
1900
99
2,074,226
4,302,976
1890
82
1,677,880
3,548,972
Turpentine and rosin
1900
524
3,785,432
8,810,468
1890
228
2,242,592
4,242,255
The four largest cities of the State produced
less than one-third of the total product, their
increase being 17.6 per cent. against 54.9 per
cent. increase for the entire State.
Forests and Lumbering. The forests are
almost as important as the cotton-fields as
producers of raw materials. An area of 16,000
square miles, chiefly in the southern part of the
State, is covered with forests of the long-leaf
pine, while in the central and northern districts
there are immense forests of hard woods, oak,
hickory, maple, and other varieties. It is
estimated that 71 per cent., or 42,000 square miles,
of the State's area is forest-covered, of which
23,800 are included in farms, and 18,200 are
not. The entire forest product almost doubled
in value during the decade 1890-1900. The timber
products in 1900, valued at $13,700,000 (see
