FARM MANAGEMENT IN SUMTER COUNTY, GA. 7 
The topography of the county varies from very rolling in the 
northern part of the county to gently rolling or flat in the southern 
part. 
CLIMATE. 
The climate is characterized by short, mild winters and long sum- 
mers with rather high humidity, but not extremely hot. The rainfall 
as recorded at Americus by the United States Weather Bureau was 
45.06 inches in 1913 and 48.86 inches in 1918, with an average of 47.88 
inches for the 35-year period from 1884 to 1918, inclusive. The 
length of growing season from last killing frost in spring to first 
UTILIZATION OF THE FARM LAND 
ON 
FARMS OPERATED BY WHITE OWNERS 
SUMTER CO.,GEORGIA; 1913 AND 1918 
ee CROP LAND (1-coTTon, 2.-CORN, 3.-SMALL GRAINS, 4.-OTHER crops ) 
SS PASTURE LAND, Y/// IDLE CROP LAND- WOODLAND. WASTELAND 
PERCENT 
Fic. 3.—Over 50 per cent of the farm land was used for growing crops each year. The 
greater part of the remainder lay as woodland. The acreage in cotton was reduced 
about one-third in 1918 and that of corn increased about one-third. The acreage in 
pasture in 1918 was about twice that of 1913. Thus more land was used for growing 
feed crops and for pasture for the increased amount of live stock in 1918. 
killing frost in fall and the distribution of rainfall by months are 
shown in figure 2. 
UTILIZATION OF THE LAND. 
The way the land on the Sumter County owner farms is utilized 
is shown in figure 3. Here are given the proportions of the farm 
land that were used for crops, for pasture, that lay as idle land, as 
woodland, and as waste land for the farms operated by white owners 
in 1913 and 1918. This figure also shows the proportions of the crop 
land that were used each year for growing cotton, corn, small grains, 
and other crops. Over 50 per cent of the total land area was used for 
