The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-12-29
Agricultural Department
CONDUCTED eY FULTON S. WHITE,

EToN S. WHITE
better. The latest and most improved
farm implements are now to be found
or many farms and the soil Is cared for
and cultivated after the most improved
methods
Fine Truck Farms.
The gardens were nevr in a better con
dition than now in the vicinity OF both
New Orleans and Mobile. The gardens
are a grand and interesting sight. They
are all well cultivated and look fresh
and green. I don't believe I ever saw
them looking so well. There seemed to
be a perfect stand of all kinds of crops
and the markets are well supplied with
full line of fresh green vegetables.
Shipments are now being made to other
markets. The cabbage crop seemed to
b. very heavy and soon large shipments
OF these will begin to move north.
Many new truck farms are being
opened up in the vicinity of New Or
leans. The rich swamp lands are being
reclaimed by being cleared of the brush
and timber. drained out and put into
cultivation. The New Orleans Land and
Improvement company is doing lots Of
| this clearing and improving the low lands
near New Orleans. Every year finds
many new acres of truck farms brought
into cultivation. This soil is very rich
/ and produces abundantly of a large line
OF small fruits and vegetables saw
fine fields of celery and caulifower, as
well as cabbage
But one must see the fine winter gar
/ dens around Mobile and New Orleans in
order to fully appreciate what they are
and what they mean to these sections.
Commencing at Hammond, fifty miles
out of New Orleans, on the Illinois Cen
. limo nd m
even beyond Jackson, Miss, we see many
fine orchards and truck farms; hundreds
or acres of strawberries, and more being
planted: hundreds OF acres are being
! planted to the liberia peach. The diver
siflcation idea has certainly reached
many sections of Mississippi and so far
the results lave generally proven quite
| satisfactory
From Mobile North.
was particularly interested in want
ing to see what is being done along the
line of the Louisville and Nashville rail-
road from Mobile north to Birmingham.
| Here found that much has been accom-
plished in the way of general improve
ment of the country. Along this line are
t. be found some of the finest farming
lands In the state, as we'll as the best
fruit and vegetable lands, and these are
fast being brought into cultivation and
made to produce large paying crops
Coming north from Mobile we soon
reach the new and beautiful village of
Bay Mnette Here are some of the
finest young peach orchards of the south.
J | have before made mention of some of
! these orchards. The trees have made
a wonderful growth the past season and
all look healthy and in a thrifty condi-
ticn. The country here Is fast becoming
fruit and vegetable growing section.
The country around Atmore is one of
| the richest sections in the state so far
as soil is concerned Here is one of the
finest vegetable and strawberry growing
sections of the state
Then there is Castleberry, where so
many strawberries are grown and
| shipped. Here they have 900 acres planted
| to strawberries alone.
But l cannot make mention of all the
many places that show great improve
ment and that are engaged in the fruit
/ and vegetable business. However do
want here to give some figures and facts
regarding this industry as furnished me
/ by Mr.. L. II. Lister, agricultural agent
or the Louisville and Nashville railroad.
/ Travelled with Mr.. Lister coming up
from Mobile. Speaking of the develop
ment of the country he said that w. Y
| Quarles, who is president of the Truck
/ Growers association at Long Beach,
had shipped for this association the past
season seventy-five cars of radishes and
| that the association expected to ship 300
! cars of vegetables this season. Speaking
! OF the great strawberry industry on the
1 line Mr. Lister gave me the following
figures as to acreage: Castleberry 600
acres, Owasso 225 acres, Boiling rs acres,
j Brewton 200 acres, kirkland so acres,
/ Flomaton 100 acres Century 50 acres
| Minter rs acres, Theodore 100 acres, Red
| Level 70 acres, Evergreen 200 acres. OF
! peaches 1000 acres of trees are now
! planted and more land is being cleared
and prepared for planting both peaches
ard Strawberries. This great acreage is
ali on the line of the Louisville and
! Nashville railroad and all south of
Montgomery.
There is also a great acreage of fruits
I planted between Birmingham and Mont
/ gomery. Here we have the prosperous
| colony at Thorsby witt fine orchards and
vineyards, all in fine condition and all
showing what the country Is capable of
producing
In the issue of December there are two
errors which | wish to correct. In writ
ing of what Mr.. Kilgore of Jasper had
| done in the growing of pork the printer
| made me say at a cost of 211s cents per
| pound which should have read Pr cents
| per pound.
! In the same issue, writing OF what DR..
J
sentence should have read % bushels Of
early potatoes instead of 30 bushels
Old and the New.
With this issue the old year of 1904
passes out and new year of 1906 will soon
be ushered in. In looking back over the
old year that is passing we find much to
be thankful for, and in closing the old
year / wish to thank our readers for their
many kind letters and words of encour-
agement The experience of the past
year makes it easier and strengthens us
for our work In the future.
Y During the year that is now passing
out the writer has met thousands of
farmers in many sections of our coun-
try and has delivered hundreds of lee
lures on agriculture. We have made
careful study of crop conditions over
large range of country and we have tried
to acquaint ourselves with agricultural
conditions generally as they exist in the
United States. In this work | wish to
acknowledge the great assistance the
press of the country has given me in my
work; also to thank the various officers
of state agricultural colleges for their
valuable support and assistance. With
the new year 1 shall go forth in my
work hoping that 1t may be more fruit
full of good results than ever before.
HINTS ON POULTRY RAISING.
Following is the paper reld by Webb
per, Ala, Farmers institutde
/ II, .t..r- -4,44 toe Ind