The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1902-05-25
Agricultural Department
OUT AMONG THE CROPS.
BY F. 5. WHITE.

Last week I spent several days out
inspecting crops generally along the line
of the Louisville and Nashville railroad,
going as far as the coast country. My
first stop was Montgomery. Between
Birmingham and Montgomery the crops
all looked well and clean, and a good
stand of nearly all crops has been Sc
cured. The vegetable crops around Mont
gomery are very fine. The rich river land
crops In this section all look we'll and
are well advanced.
Greenvllle Meeting.
The main object of this trip was to hold
the field day meeting appointed for Green
vile on the 10th. The weather was some
what against us, as 1t was raining most
of the day. Yet we had a very pleasant
and profitable day in other respects.
Owing to the rain our attendance was
not so large as 1t would have been had
the weather been more favorable. Mr..
c. H. McMullen, president of the Butler
County Truckers Association, had made
arrangements for the blowing tests to be
on his farm, and fields of corn and grow
ing vegetable crops were ready for the
trials. Arrangements had also been made
Tor dinner on the grounds in the beeuti-
full grove in front of the house. Refresh
ments in the way of iced tea ice cream
and cake were all abundantly prepared
and served. Mrs MCMILLAN knowing of
my fondness for vegetables had prepared
on my account a full home vegetable
dinner. all from vegetables grown In her
own garden and under her direction. 1
enjoyed this most of all, and the dinner
consisted of fresh beans, peas, beets, po-
tatoes, cucumbers cabbage and squash.
The vegetable crop here being some weeks
earlier than at Birmingham. Land was
rather wet for good cultivation, yet l
managed to get in some very fine work
with both the single and two horse Gull
tivators. In fact, the farmers and gar
deners were charmed with the work. The
gardeners were particularly pleased with
the work which l was able to do with the
Plannet Jr. Combined Horse Hoe ana
Cultivators. and saw at once how much
time they had been loosing by not having
these plows to use in their crops. Then,
too, these No. Plannet Jr. cultivators
are just the thing for all small crops on
all farms and are just as well adapted
for all classes of farm work for corn,
cotton, potatoes (either sorb, all vine
yards and for all young orchards as well
as for garden work. They are construct
ed of the very best steel, made very
strong and are so cheap that no farmer
or gardener can afford to be without
them. 1 mention these facts because
farmers everywhere are complaining
about the scarcity of help on the farms
and how unreliable the help that they
have is; so the only relief l see for them
is to use improved implements and save
not only the cost. but also the worry and
vexation of poor help on the farm With
one of these Planet, Jo., cultivators, the
farmer or gardener can cultivate as much
land and do it better than five men can
the old way with the single scooters The
truckers at Greenville have begun the
use of these tools and begin to see the
great advantages of improved implements.
Taking all in ALL the day was well spent
at Greenvile and all went away feeling
well satisfied. l talked to the farmers on
various practical farm subjects, and also
had with me samples Of some of our de-
structive insects, which l exhibited and
talked on their habits and how to destroy
them. The potato bug had or has just
reached this section and are doing consid-
cradle damage to the potato crops. l had
taken along one of our fine auto-sprays.
and so loaded this up and went out and
killed the bugs on a crop of potatoes So
the day was one of practical demonstra-
tions throughout, so far as the rains
would permit The weather had been dry
through the early part of the month, so
that some of the growers failed to get
good stand of some crops.
The Farmers at 6TeenNllle SnlppSu quile
a few radishes and the prices were gen.
orally very satisfactory. There are nearly
two hundred acres of vegetables planted
here about seventy-fve acres of which
is tomatoes, the other crops or acreage
being divided up with melons, beans and
potatoes. There Is also ten acres of fine
onions now nearly ready for shipment.
Next season the growers here at Green
| Vile will plant several hundred acres of
/ -. l. 20 hi tn,
lots They say that this seasons ex-
perience has led them to find out just
| what they can do, and what their land
| is capable of producing. They have found
| out that they could have had radishes for
| shipment two weeks earlier than they
| had them this season, and that the money
| Is in the early crops They find that their
lands are well adapted for growing fine
radshes. l have taken a great deal of
interest in the association OF Greenville,
from the fact that 1 was largely instru-
mental in building or starting this ASSOC
citation and then, too, they have placed
so much confidence in my judgment that
l am very anxious to have them succeed
and feel sure that they are on the road
to success and will succeed If they only
| will hold and pull together. There is not
much fruit being grown at Greenville,
though a good acreage of strawberries
will be planted next season. They are
preparing now for the planting of these.
NY next stop was Evergreen. Owing to
rain it was thought best to postpone our
field day here until June s. At that time
they expect to have a grand rally at
Evergreen. The date, however, is not
fully decided upon, but the committee on
arrangements will fully determine the
date in a few days when it will be an
nounced. The crops here are very prom
ioipo There are nearly two hundred