The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-09-22
(. AND l. ASSOCIATION
STATE BODY HOLDS NETTING IN AN
 NISTON.
Governor Cunningham Addressed BuSi- ness Organization at Afternoon
 SessiOn-Captain Hobson
 on the Panama Canal.

Association began itS eShsA ohAAe~A ~~~ sion in this city today.
 Al the morning session, addresses of welcome and responses thereto were de- livered.
 At the afternoon session. Lieutenant Governor Russell M Cunningham ao- dressed the association.
 governor Cunningham spoke as fol- lows:
 MT. President and Gentlemen of the
 Association: The settlement, development anu destiny of any commonwealth oepe primarily upon two classes or causes
 First-Natural resources and conoi- tions. ,a Second-The racial, national anu other characteristics of the poPuia s The present political sup-oiS i.s,,, and the earth are dependent maihiy cbiaav unon these causes. The naturai conditions may be by art more or iess modified and the population may through the instrumentality or so"e. ment be more or less cnahseo ~ modifed. The United states IS peI- hans the greatest national coHiihoA wealth and the State or Aiaoanha n,aS be roade one of it's greatest State units. Tn the following papers 1t is the pur- nosa of the author to consider prleny tbose two classes of causes and 10 noint. if possible, such changes as would rebound to the interest Of the State. -
 First-Natural resources and condi- tions.
 The area of Alabama is 52,251 square miles, 710 of which are water. The extreme length, north and south, is 336 miles, width 200 miles, There are four great belts; the cereal mineral, cotton and timber. but, cereal, cotton and tlm- Der interests are not marked out py sharp and acute lines. The mineral belt embraces about 1S,200 square miles, or a little more than one-third of the entire State Total acreage of It's agricultural lands is 20.6S5,4 ,427 acres, or which S,654991 are improved, or 41.S per cent In 1900, these lands with all other farm property were valued at s179399S62 or $S70 per acre. The products of these lands in 1899 amount ed to s91, ,3S7,4O9, or 45.3 per cent of the value of the lands. Of this, $6o,olo,l4o represent the cotton crop. or o4.o per cent of the value of the cotton lands s3.595s60 represent the value of the hay and grain, which, after feeding the stock, amounted to 27.6 per cent of the value of the hay and grain lands. Vege- tables represent $S06,S94 or 27.6 per cent. of the value of the lands. Fruits, s13s.2SS, or 23 per cent of the value Of the fruit lands. The percentage on nursery products in Alabama Is 69 per cent of the value of the lands. These agricultural lands are divided into 223.22O farms of which 129,137, em- bracing 15,965,260 acres, 5,591,0sS being improved are operated by white farm CTS, and 94.0S3 farms, embracing 4,flS,- O69 acres, 3,063,679 acres being improv- ed, are operated by negro farmers. Ihe size of the average white farm in Ala bama is 12S acres; negro 5o'2.
 Character of Farmers.
 Of the agricultural lands in Alaba- ma there are operated by owners. 69,- 92s farms, embracing 11,2o7,422 acres. of which 3,33S,076 are improved. valued at $S4O0O, 900, products, $37,000,00O.
 By part owners. S,6S6 farms, embrac- ing 1,214,135 acres, of which 435,199 are improved, value. s9,99S,9Ss; pro- ducts $4,46S,009
 By owners and tenants. 753 farms, embracing 126.9S0 acres, of which 42,- 24O are improved, value, $9S2,SO5; pro- ducts s42S.Ss0.
 By managers, SOP farms, being S47.- 0S9 acres, of which 118.115 are improv- ed; value. $574.56S; products s1,257,SSS.
 By cash tenants, 1S,11S farms, em- bracing 1.5S4,742 acres of which 741,- TAT are improved. valued at S16,070,S13; products. $S.694,165.
 By share tenants, S0,SS5 farms, em- bracing 16S4,sS2 acres, of which 915,- 7O3 are improved. value $1676O,69S; products, $9.724.S62.
 Farms operated by negro farmers-~ By owners. 111,123 farms, embracing pS9423 acres of which 401,119 are inn proved, value $1092,697; value of pro- duets $3,6S0.471. By part owners, 2S71 farms, embracing 21S.7S0 acres, of tol, iTroD vol 925.156: of products S1,131,570. By owners and tenants. 116 farms, embrac- ing S,6lO acres. 4,504 of which are im- proved. valued at $S5.492; value of pro- ducts, $3S149 By managers, 72 farms, embracing 14.212 acres. of which 5,649 are improved; value, $159,149; of pro- ducts, $56S73. By cash tenants, 56,212 farms, embracing 2,4SS.922 acres, of which 1,7S3,909 are improved; value, $27,130,413. value of products. s17,S35.- 7sO. By share tenants. 23,6S9 farms embracing 1,o00,22O acres, of which 750,777 are improved; value, $10.520, 446; of products, $6,962,962.
 Facts from the Census.
 From the above statistics, taken from the census of 1900. we learn the fol- lowing facts:
 First-A little more than two-thirds of the land surface of the State Is available for agriculture.
 Second-That only AIS per cent. of these lands are improved.
 Third-That the average value of the products of agricultural lands is 453 per cent of the value of these lands
 Fourth-That more than three fourths are operated by white farmers, of which only 35 per cent are improved
 Fifth-That less than one-fourth are operated by negro farms, of which 64.9 per cent are improved. or nearly double the percentage operated by white farmers which are improved
 Sixth-The value of products of white farmers, $G1,6S1, GOA, of negro farmers, s29. .705, ,SO5.
 Seventh-That 50.5O per cent of the lands operated by white farmers and rented to cash and share tenants are improved; 73.4O per cent of the lands operated by negro, cash and share tenants are improved, or nearly 50 per cent more.
 Eighth-Percentage of products. not fed to the value of the land on which same was raised. For the Tinted States 1S.3 North Atlantic Division 27S; South Atlantic Division. 27S: North Central 15.6; South Central Divis- ion. 27.1; Western Division, 16.S. Alabama. 45.3; Arkansas, 36.4. Flor Ida. SO; Georgia. 40.3; Kentucky. 333. Mississippi, 44,4; Tennessee, 25.7. Texas 21S; Virginia, 22.7; North Carolina S3.9. It will thus be seen that Ala