The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-05-28
soilEconomy.


 Last week I attempted to show the im portanee of soil preparation for seed. the importance of preparing the soil before planting. showing that with this thorough preparation the crop on such soil was half made when planted.
 Since writing that article have trav- eled over more than one thousand miles, through some of the richest farm lands in the world, and have had further opportu- nity to see the full force of the argument used in that article. and am more than ever convinced that the argument is the foundation for carrying on this agrieul- tural educational campaign. This matter of care, preparation and management Of soil is the key note to success.
 But there are many other important matters that deserve the attention of the farmer and one of these is the economy of soils, as I shall attempt to show. After the farmer has been to the trouble and expense of fertilizing and preparing his soil he should then make the very most possible out of the soil, and should In order to economize in this matter, make careful study of the crops that he wishes to grow, and should know just WHdl edGH hliu LII cIDp lNqdiiOo cAN eAaS habits of growth of all plants, so that he may wisely divide and lay off his land to accommodate these crops. lie should know how much space is required for the various crops, and work out his rows accordingly.
 To more fully illustrate what mean I will say that I have seen not only in our own state Alabama, but all over the country, a reckless waste of land, be- cause this matter was not more fully un- derstood. I have seen corn planted in rows 215 to 315 feet wide, where the rows should have been at least feet apart or Wlde. Then again, have seen onions planted Tn rows to feet apart, when lS 10 A inches would have been ample room. The same is true regarding early Irish po- tatoes-3 feet being ample room. Yet often we see them planted in rows feet apart, and this, too, on soils where 1t has cost much to fertilize. Now these may all seem like small matters; yet when we come to think and to count up cost and losses we find that it counts fast and amounts to a considerable sum in few years
 In Growing Cotton.
 Then again, I see on every hand, all through the country, poor judgment used in growing cotton the proper distance. Some farmers had fathers who had a standard for the width of rows and they follow the old rule without any cohsiu- eration of the difference in soils and eli matie conditions. It is all right to honor our fathers and follow the good exam ples left us, but many of them farmed under entirely different conditions rom those we are under My father was a great farmer in his day, and l am and always will be grateful for the practical lessons he taught me. But he Harmed In a new virgin soil, where things would almost grow at will where no fertilizer was used, and when land was cheap and where it was not so essential to econo- mize in soil as it is today.
 The farmer is largely man con- ,ronted with conditions, and these condi- lions he must understand in order tc succeed. Then again, our fathers were not confronted with the sharp competi- ton that our farmers have to meet 1T this age. Then again it is important tC have everything we produce now foi market as near perfect as possible il order to ge the very highest market price for it. Perfect fruits and vegetables can not be grown where the soil is over seeded and more plants allowed on th' land than there is moisture and plan