Background
David Dickson was born on July 6, 1809 at Hancock County, Georgia, United States. His father, Thomas Dickson, was a Virginian who served in the Revolutionary War and soon after moved to Hancock County, Georgia, United States.
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David Dickson was born on July 6, 1809 at Hancock County, Georgia, United States. His father, Thomas Dickson, was a Virginian who served in the Revolutionary War and soon after moved to Hancock County, Georgia, United States.
Dickson had limited educational advantages, but his natural mental ability and the best use of all his opportunities for reading, study, and thought equipped him well for his future labors and achievements.
With a small patrimony he began as a country trader. In 1835 he entered a partnership and opened a store in Sparta, Georgia, which was very successful financially. When he was thirty-seven he closed this business and invested all his capital in land, slaves, live stock, and tools at and near his father’s homestead. In his boyhood and youth spent on the farm he had recognized defects in the system of management and now had the desired opportunity to experiment in its improvement. From the first he was successful, and land which he bought for one or two dollars an acre under his management increased to many times its original value. His success in securing abundant crops was due to his skill as an organizer, to his improved methods of tillage, of cultivating and harvesting his crops and of increasing the efficiency of his labor. This last point he emphasizes.
He taught his workmen similar efficiency in handling the plow, the hoe, and the axe; “with more ease and less of sweat and muscle. ”
He never had a crop failure even in the driest season, and his crop yields were phenomenal.
When the Civil War broke out his property was valued at $500, 000. After the first year of the war he abandoned cotton, raising only provisions for the Confederate army, for most of which he received no pay, even in Confederate money.
Much of his property was swept away in Sherman’s march to the sea, and he lost his 250 slaves, specially trained and valuable laborers.
After the war he became prosperous again and at the time of his death he owned a plantation of some acres in Hancock and Washington counties and another tract of 13, 000 acres in Texas, managing the farm land on the tenant system.
He explained clearly and fully his theory and practise. He gave instruction in seed selection, the management of cattle, and the handling of various crops, indicating that he practised mixed farming, not confining himself to a one-crop system. He emphasized the proper handling of the soil, shallow cultivation, the proper distance of planting, the use of commercial fertilizers, instruction of farm hands in all labor-saving devices, etc.
In 1870 his writings were collected in a volume edited by J. Dickson Smith and published under the title, A Treatise on Agriculture, to which is Added the Author's Published Letters, by David Dickson.
He died on his plantation on the Little Ogoochee River, in Hancock County, Georgia.
( This work has been selected by scholars as being cultur...)
(This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. T...)
Quotations: “I have, in five minutes, taught a hand to pick 100 pounds more of cotton per day than he had picked on the previous day, ” so that he would pick three bales a week. "
Dickson was above medium height, stout and robust, with a fair ruddy face, in manner serious, thoughtful, and benevolent, with a vein of quiet humor. Quite unpretentious, he nevertheless spoke his mind frankly and with very decided views on matters of general interest as well as on his special business.