The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-06-27

| loes or potatoes, ana only lew or the number will make 1t pay2 Some of the members will clear from $50 to S150 per acre on these crops, while others fail entirely.
 In one section where l succeeded in get ting HOO acres of canteloupes planted at thls date, when the crop has advanced far enough to tell, find that of this HOG acres that we have only about GOO acres of irst-class, promising crops. and the grow CTS of this 600 acres are going to clear all the way from Ss0 to Sf50 per acre on their crops. I could go on and mention many like experiences. but this is good sam pie, and just so, long we have so many of this class of Ahiftless farmers. just that long will it be necessary to keep advising them for the better, But must move on.
 Stock of Cow Peas.
 Here Is another crop always in great de- mand and crop more easily grown than almost any other. It Is hardly fair to say told you so, but I wonder how many of our readers remember how earnestly I tried through these columns last year to get them to plant largely of these peas. both for seed. and for a hay crop predict ing then that before the end of the pres ent season that they would be in great demand and command high price
 l now repeat the same predictions for next year, for every bushel of good seed that Is grown and saved this year will be in great demand and bring a paying price, There Is yet ample time to prepare the soil and to plant and grow a big crop of this crop and I urge that every bushel of seed that can be had be planted. and that the crop be saved after it is made am getting inquiries every day for seed peas and ,only yesterday up in Kansas I found a farmer who is very anxious to buy | thirty bushels just for his own use. He stated to me that he used to buy Whip poorwill peas in the south for 50 cents per bushel, but now would be glad to have them laid down to him at & per bushel. The freight from Birmingham to this mans town would not exceed 25 cents per bushel. So that this would mean S1. 75 per bushel at Birmingham
 Now only few days ago I saw dealer in peas in Alabama receiving a car of Whippoorwill peas from Tennessee. I thought what an idea--AIabama buying COW peas from Tennessee when she has the best soil and climate in the world for producing this crop But this is not all of this story. l noticed a large acreage of peas planted all through middle Tennes- see and the crop put in in first-class con dition and most of the crop up and grow ing finely, and only in this section have seen anything like a large acreage planted to this crop. The present indica-
 
 to sell Alabama again next season
 Recently, while visiting at the state uni versity of Arkansas one of the professors remarked that soon the north would be growing and selling us our seed stock peas, as they are doing in other seeds. He went on to say that the farmers of the north were now buying and planting largely of these peas and while they have so far failed to mature seed, yet they will lraa nsrf,a ,a~tfsa d
 get them acclimated and then they will save and send them back to us for seed T must confess that it begins to look as if this prediction would prove true. This Is one industry-like that of cotton-which had hoped that we might keep strictly southern, for we certainly have the soil and the climate, and all we need is the Will and energy to produce all the seed peas needed for lne world.
 Sorghumns and MiIlets,
 These, too. may yet be sown and grown to good profit But, like the other men toned crops, they should be planted as soon as the soil can be prepared for them
 Dwarf lEse-:; Rape.
 Hrere is another crop which may ho sown, as this crop will furnish an enor- nous amount of feed for hogs, sheen and cattle. But l cannot spare time and space to single out and make mention of each individual crop which can and should yet be planted.
 There are so many things needed and so much which can be done that it Is hard to enumerate them all. Yet I will call the attention of the reader to the fact tba+ tho time is near at hand when the soil should be prepared for seeding such crons as wheat rye, fall or winter oatA grasses and elovers. as well as for preparing for. planting all fruit trees and plants How ever, before closing I want to make Aen- ton of one more valuable crop, which is
 Alfalfa Clover.
 Here is another case of | told vou so My attention was called to a renort in the Age-Herald recently from Decatur on alfalfa. This report only confirms what l claimed for this crop from time to time There is no crop that will so much heln the farmer out as this, and every farmer who has land suitable should commence now and prepare at least a few acres for seeding to alfalfa this fall Only a faw days ago l was in a prominent Texas town where there was not a busheI of grain, corn or oats to be had for the floods had cut off all freiehts from tbe north. One of the largest dealers in farm supplies said to me: We can't get feed hay or grain in from the north, and if 1t was not that a few of our most enterpris- d. CTS could not finish their crops. But for tunately we have a good crop of alfalfa hay and this will let the farmers out. This was a true statement of the facts as l found out from the statements of the farmers also.
 Now while I am seated in Fort Worth. Tex, as l pen these lines. I turn to the Dallas Morning News to see if the prices as given me on alfalfa hay were correct, and l find they are, for the quotations this morning are for choice alfalfa in car lots from Sl4 to $l6 per ton. Now when we come to think that this is a crop that can be cut three times or more turing a sea- son and give from two to four tons at cutting, or six tons per season, 1t is a big thing. But here comes in another ques- tion: How can farmers afford to pay even S14 per ton for hay to feed horses wisdom on their part to put in a few acres less of cotton, if necessary, and produce this alfalfa hay on their own farms and save the hauling and freights? Then again, if your neighbor can grow and make money selling alfalfa hay, why can you not do the same?
 Now do not claim that all soils or that all farmers, regardless of soils should at tempt to grow alfalfa, but there are many sections all through the south where 1t can and should be grown, and if the reader will only turn back 10 his files of the Age Herald-all of which should be kept on hand for ready reference-he will find full instructions not only for growing alfalfa but for all the crops that are here rner