Georgia Magazine - July 2022 - 4

MailBOX Comments from our readers * Compiled by Jennifer J. Hewett
Georgia cotton by the numbers
By Tara Woodin
Cotton memories
My wife and I are members of Sumter Electric
Membership Corp. as owners of our farm on Logan
Store Road in Americus. The article by Tara Woodin
about Georgia cotton was great and really took me
back to my roots. [See " Georgia cotton by the
numbers, " March 2022, page 24; bit.ly/gct322.]
I was born on the farm in 1942. Since we had
completed our first picking on our 8-acre allotment,
my father let me pick for Mr. Tidd, who rented the
10-acre field in front of our home. I was 14 then.
That week while picking, I raced with Miss Della
I
n 1733, shortly after Georgia was colonized,
cotton was planted in Savannah, thus
beginning its impact on the state's economy.
Georgia is where the cotton gin was invented,
it was the first colony to produce cotton
commercially and, by 1800, 21 percent of
cotton grown in the U.S. came from Georgia.
Georgia ranks behind only Texas in the
number of acres of planted cotton.
Cotton is the state's No. 1 row crop and is highly
versatile. The growing process has five stages, and all
parts of the plant from each step are used. Georgia's
cotton industry provides 53,000 jobs, and its overall
economic impact exceeds $3 billion.
Here are a few more cotton-related facts:
1,170,000
Number of acres of cotton planted
in Georgia last year, according to
the U.S. Department of Agriculture's
National Agriculture Statistics
Survey.
2nd
Cotton is the traditional gift
for the second wedding
anniversary. It is intended to
represent strength and comfort.
6,000
Number of snack-sized bags of chips
that can be cooked in oil processed
from the seeds in one bale of cotton.
40 percent
of all cottonseed oil produced is used
in the U.S. snack-food industry.
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313,600
Number of $100 bills that can be
made from one bale of cotton.
96 percent
of total digestible nutrients are found
in whole cottonseed. It contains
17 percent fat, 21 percent crude fiber
and 24 percent crude protein, so
it's no wonder dairy farmers feed
cottonseed to their cows daily.
Tara Woodin is a journalism student at Georgia State University and is Georgia
Magazine's spring editorial intern.
$727.8 million
Dollar value of Georgia cotton in 2020 as
a commodity, according to the University
of Georgia's Center for Agribusiness and
Economic Development.
75 percent
of a U.S. dollar bill is made of cotton.
Cotton is blended with linen to make
the paper our currency is printed on.
American society. They enjoy
tremendous popularity, but, more
significantly, they also promote values
such as fair play and teamwork. Sports
have made important contributions to
social and racial integration and in
many ways have served as a sort of
" cultural glue " that binds our country
together.
For all of these reasons, we are
Lowe, an older lady working for Mr. Tidd, and we shared a " grab row " between us. I
averaged 185 pounds of cotton each day, and by " weighing-up time " on Saturday at
noon, I had earned a little over $20 for the week.
I'm now 80, and each time I spend a $20 bill, I think of the entire week I spent
earning just $20 by picking cotton! I have a dozen bolls of cotton on my family room
mantle, along with a miniature bale of cotton, to remind me of my wonderful roots.
-John C. Hendricks, Auburn, Ala.
TRUDIE: PLEASE MOVE THE PHOTO CREDIT TO THE TOP OF THE PHOTO SO
IT IS NOT COMPETING WITH THE HEADLINE.
School looks familiar
Remembering
GEORGIA'S ROSENWALD SCHOOLS
Several of these historic
landmarks still stand tall
By Amber Lanier Nagle
S
isters Joan Battle and Vivian Anderson travel back in
time every time they step inside the old school building
they attended decades ago on Highway 92 in Hiram.
The two women spearheaded the restoration of
their alma mater, known between 1930 and 1955 as the Hiram
Colored School. The Paulding County landmark is now the
Hiram Rosenwald School Museum.
" I remember when I was in fifth grade, " 84-year-old
Anderson says, looking out the expansive windows that line the
classrooms. " A big fight broke out in the schoolyard. Everyone
was fighting, and I hid behind a tree over there and watched.
Afterwards, Miss Scruggs said she was going to [whip us all]. I
didn't think that was fair, because I hadn't fought anyone. "
Anderson ran a half-mile to her home and explained the
situation to her mother.
" Mama brought me right back to school, " she remembers. " I
thought she was going to take my side, but she didn't. She let the
teacher punish me, too, and I hadn't done anything wrong. "
The two sisters cackle at the memory. Their back-and-forth
paints a picture of what their school life was like in the 1940s:
dirt roads, two classrooms, two teachers, two outhouses in the
woods, a well with a hand pump, a wood stove that heated the
Top: From left, Joan Battle, Tyrone Griffi n and Vivian Anderson stand
amid relics from the past at the Hiram Rosenwald School Museum.
Above: The school in Hiram opened in 1930 and closed in 1955.
schoolhouse and the teacher ringing a bell to signal for students
to come in and be seated at their desks.
" Students in first through fourth grades were taught on this
side, and the fifth through seventh graders were taught on that
side, " Battle says. " I'm a former educator and can't imagine how
difficult it would be to teach so many students at different levels
of learning every day. "
At the end of each school year, students competed against
students from other schools in various contests.
" We won our share of blue ribbons here, " she says, holding a
blue ribbon from a display case. " We had great teachers, and so
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Just a note to say how much I enjoy reading Georgia
Magazine. My heart skipped a beat when I saw the picture
of the Eleanor Roosevelt School in the February 2022 issue.
[See " Remembering Georgia's Rosenwald schools, "
page 13; bit.ly/rgrws0222.]
It looks almost identical to the elementary school I
attended in Banks County on Highway 59 in Commerce.
My brother and sisters and I all attended Davis
1/14/22 12:11 PM
Academy. I don't know any history behind it-only that
at first, it was for first through 12th grades, and later, when
I attended, it was for first through eighth grades. High
Academy. I don't know any history behind it-only that
schoolers were bused to " Homer, " as it was called then. It is now known as Banks
County High School, located in Homer.
-Delia Tolbert, Nicholson
Beautiful bonsai trees
Thank you for the story by Amber Lanier Nagle in your June publication about
bonsai in Georgia. [See " The shape of things, " page 24; bit.ly/bons622.] It was a beautiful
report about the art and
The shape
of things
Art of bonsai thrives in Georgia
By Amber Lanier Nagle
L
isa Bartlett rushes past a group of visitors at Smith-Gilbert Gardens,
picks up a hose and begins watering the bonsai trees in the exhibit
while fielding questions from guests.
" The word 'bonsai' actually means 'tree in a small pot' or 'tree in
a small dish,' " says Bartlett, who is the garden and education manager
at Kennesaw's 17-acre gardening oasis. " Watering is very important,
especially on warm, sunny days like today. We can't let our bonsai trees
dry out, so we will water them several times today. The [mesh] pods on
the surface are packed with a special plant food that is activated when
the water rushes through them. "
She explains that bonsai (pronounced " bone sigh " ) is a centuriesold
Japanese tradition derived from a similar practice in China known as
penjing. The ancient tradition combines horticulture and art to produce
interesting, small-scale specimens of trees. Woody-based trees are
pruned, wired and trained to grow in compact containers. When they
are manipulated over time, the creations retain their shape and remain
miniature versions of full-size trees.
China gave the United States a group of penjing trees in 1972, and
Japan presented 53 bonsai trees to our country in 1976 to commemorate
the American bicentennial. Housed at the National Bonsai and Penjing
Museum at the U.S. National Arboretum in Washington, D.C., these trees
inspired a gardening revolution in the 1970s.
Five decades later, bonsai trees reign supreme in the cultivated and
manipulated plant world. Cherished, coveted and collected, these handcrafted
showpieces may live for more than a century and often are handed
down from generation to generation like priceless family heirlooms. To
create or acquire one marks the beginning of a long-term relationship.
" I've had my own bonsai tree for 30 years, " Bartlett says, pointing to a
leafy, layered specimen of ironwood. " To put that in perspective for you,
I've had my tree longer than most relationships I've been in. "
She says that some people compare bonsai ownership to raising a
child-naming them and rearranging their days to care for and spend time
with their trees. It's a labor of love that yields peace and joy.
In Georgia, a few places offer the opportunity to view, learn about and
even create these miniature models of leaf and bark.
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4 Georgia Magazine July 2022
Laurel George
Editor
Lisa Bartlett helps care for the 70 bonsai
trees on display at Smith-Gilbert Gardens
in Kennesaw.
horticulture involved and
the first I have seen about
Rodney Clemons is
indeed a leader in the bonsai
art world, including patience
in dealing with his students
(I am one). And Bill Pfeiffer
also does a wonderful job in
the bonsai community; he is a
distant cousin of my wife.
-Mike Stoddard, Marietta
the first I have seen about
bonsai in Georgia.
bonsai in Georgia.
pleased to bring you this, our second
sports-themed issue. In it, we visit one
of the newer entrants on Georgia's
professional sports scene: Major
League Soccer's (MLS) Atlanta United.
Even before taking the pitch for
the first time as an MLS team, Atlanta
United showed its dedication to
promoting new talent through its
Academy program designed to identify
and develop potential team members.
Turn to page 24 to learn how this
program is giving Georgia youths a
chance to hone their soccer skills and
prove themselves on the pitch.
Next, we take a look at a sports
trend inspired by an NBC reality show.
The popularity of " American Ninja
Warrior " has sparked the development
of ninja gyms and leagues all across the
country. These venues train aspiring
ninja athletes of all ages, imparting not
only the skills needed for competition
but life skills as well.
To learn more about ninja training
and the creative obstacle courses that
are involved, read " Becoming a ninja
warrior, " starting on page 16.
Finally, we examine an age-old
sport that's experiencing a renaissance
of sorts: arm-wrestling. This pastime is
more than just a test of strength
between two guys in a pub. Today's
arm-wrestling is competitive and
technical, with weight classes, prizes
and titles.
To find out what it takes to succeed
at this unique sport, read ' " Ready, go!, " '
starting on page 20.
Enjoy!
From THE EDITOR
Sports play an important role in
COURTESY SUNBELT AG EXPO
DAVID SEIBERT
ISTOCK.COM / JENS_LAMBERT_PHOTOGRAPHY
AMBER LANIER NAGLE
GEORGIA TRUST FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION
AMBER LANIER NAGLE
$100 FEDERAL RESERVE NOTE FACE (SERIES
2013) (PUBLIC DOMAIN / U.S. CURRENCY
EDUCATION PROGRAM)
Above left: Bonsai artist Bill Pfeiff er runs Bonsai Beginnings in Port Wentworth.
Above right: Pfeiff er hosts workshops to teach others how to shape and
maintain bonsai.
Smith-Gilbert Gardens, Kennesaw
(770) 919-0248; smithgilbertgardens.com
Gardeners Richard Smith and Bob Gilbert purchased the 1880s-era
Hiram Butler House just off of Pine Mountain Road in 1970, with a vision of
transforming the surrounding grounds into showplaces of woodland and
meadow gardens. For 35 years, they collected bonsai and added the new
pieces to Gilbert's extensive private collection.
Today, Smith-Gilbert Gardens boasts 70 diverse specimens ranging
in age from 20 years to several hundred years, making its bonsai exhibit
one of the most noteworthy collections in the country. Styles on display
include formal upright, slant style, cascade, windswept, group planting
and twin trunk.
" We have some standouts here, " Executive Director Ann Parsons says.
" For example, the pond cypress on display was collected from the wild in a
Florida swamp in a dwarf form almost 50 years ago. The tree itself is about
300 years old and is probably the most-photographed bonsai tree we have. "
From a few feet away, the cypress looks like a person walking on a high
wire. The expanded lower trunk balances the fuzzy, flat-top foliage.
" Bonsai trees have distinctive fronts and backs, for viewing purposes, "
Parsons says. " Another interesting fact is that some of the bonsai pots and
containers are as important as the trees. Sometimes people can recognize
an important potter simply from seeing the pot in our collection. "
Buying bonsai
A tropical Jaboticaba tree in the exhibit produces grape-like fruits.
" Bonsai fruit trees bear full-size fruit, just like a full-size tree in an
orchard, " Parsons explains. " That's always interesting-to
see full-size apples or lemons on tiny trees. "
Rodney Clemons, an internationally recognized bonsai
Lisa Bartlett helps care for the 70 bonsai
trees on display at Smith-Gilbert Gardens
in Kennesaw.
Prices for bonsai range from about $30 for starter
trees at a local garden center to hundreds and
even thousands of dollars for prime pieces off ered
by nurseries and private collectors. Several years
ago, a centuries-old pine tree sold for $1.3 million
in Japan. A specimen's value is based on several
factors, including the tree's type and age, the
container and the labor required to care for it.
master from Stone Mountain, curates the botanical masterpieces
at Smith-Gilbert. He works with volunteers to care for
the tiny trees on the second Saturday of each month.
" They trim them, rewire them and repot them as
needed, " Parsons says. " [Visiting on the second Saturday of
the month] is a great way for people who are interested in
bonsai to learn more. "
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Georgia Magazine - July 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Georgia Magazine - July 2022