The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-12-15

 
 and that they were ready 10 take part in the discussions. and to ask questions, and we found these men up to cate. At Jas- pe- we met many farmers who read The Age-Herald, and every one of these are prosperous and living well. They came out and said: You have been of great help to us. We greatly appreciate the good advice you give us rom time to time and we have been greatly benefited by following it.''
 Right here l want to mention what one enterprsing commercial house at Jasper is doing, and this is well worthy of imi- tation by others. This firm Is so anxious to see the farmer succeed that they give to every farmer who trades with them to the amount of $5 a years subscription free to the Weekly Age-Herald. It would pay the merchants in every town in the state to do this. They would soon get it all back in increased trade. Now we do not want to be understood as claiming that The Age-Herald is the only paper for the farmers, but it Is the home paper the paper for Alabama farmers-a paper that has their best interests at heart, and if the people-the farmers-would give the paper the support that 1t deserves or merits it could be made better all the time, and would keep pace with every demand of the times and with all ques- tions pertaining to the farmers interests.
 Why, the time Is past in this country for opposing book or newspaper farming. The farmer of this age who refuses to read and inform himself is simply com miting financial suicide and is sure to be left in the race. As the street boy would say, the farmer must get in the band wagon if he expects to ride
 Right on this line let me tell what hap pened at one of our farmers meetings the past week. I was making a talk on the dairy industry when had occasion to re- mark: This morning at breakfast, here in this place, 1 found the first cream that I have had for my coffee since l have been on the line" The farmer who furnishes the hotel where we found this cream happened to be in the audience, and he got up and said: .The man who supplies the hotel where you got your cream Is one of those book farmers a reader of The Age-Herald and a graduate of the Mississippi Agricultural and Me chanica1 college" I expected as much, for no man who does not read and think and educate himself can succeed in the dairy industry
 But there is another matter we want to notice for little here. we have heard SO AiuCl Ol IL idIelN-WnaL many cal prosperity of the farmers
 About Prosperity.
 We are ready to admit that there is more prosperity today among farmers than ever before in this country. But it might be well to investigate this matter and see what class of our farmers it is that are the most prosperous The other day we went into little town where we were billed to speak. We went around to try to persuade farmers to come out and take part in the meetings We hap pened to come across the mayor of the town and in talking with him about the meeting he remarked Our farmers are so prosperous, they have made so much money on their cotton this year that they do not feel the need of attending these meetings"
 Such statements as this makes man who is as familiar as is the writer with farmers and their conditions, smile. know all about the prosperity of the cot ton farmer l know how he lives in his home, and know how his surroundings compare with such farmers as MT. XII gore and many others that I can name We went ahead in this town, got out a few farmers and held our meeting. Ii happened, as 1t always does. that there was one of these book farmers in this meeting, gentleman-well, we will cal him Mir. R.
 MT. R. made talk He said amons other things that he was one of the al. versification farmers; said that he pro. duced on his farm all that he consumed in the way of food for man and beast He said he raised mules. cows, hogs and poultry for sale; said that he grew cot ton in his rotation of crops, and that hls cotton hOtb Ia cf fhic had yielded an average of one bale pei acre. He stated that he had not yet sold his 1903 crop of cotton, but had 1t and thi: years crop in storage; said that he hac been selling stock and other farm products, and that he was loaning hi: money out at 10 per cent interest. Al that he had or could get he could finc borrowers for at this rate of interest When asked to what class of farmers ht was loaning his money. he said to cottor farmers-farmers who are engageg ex- clusively in the production of cotton
 I thought at once what the mayor had said about the prosperity of the cottor farmer. and of his condition as compared with the farmers who are engaged in the dairy business in states where farmers are glad to get a chance to loan money at per cent interest. But let us be hon. est in this matter and look little into tue lildlteT ol cotton farming conn., pared with dversification farming.
 Prosperity of Cotton Farminq.
 Now to commence. let us take the cot ton crop along the Frisco railroad, from Birmingham to Memphis, taking every acre that there is in sight of this roac and do not believe that it will average one bale for every five acres. But suppose that we take the best estimates as giver by the farmers along the line, and admit that the crop will give one bale for three acres. Now a bale of cotton and the seeC is worth. well. $50. This is little more than $16 per acre. Now figure out the cost of producing this cotton. and what is there left? Besides, the cotton Is al the crop produced on the land for tho year.
 How does this compare with such farm CTS as MT. R. and MT. K, and man, others whom we can mention?
 I am often amused a the many boasts about the great cotton crop and of wha