The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-03-04
AGRICULTURAL.
FROM FLORIDA TO TEXAS.


 My last letter. I believe was from the city of Jacksonville.
 l left Pensacola, Florida. Monday Feb- ruary 15, at noon. When l left a cold sleet was falling and ice was forming everywhere on trees fences and side walks. I came direct to Birmingham where I found it quite cold. I left Birm- ingham at 12 o'clock Monday night for Sulligent, where 1 was booke,. for a meeting Tuesday. On reaching Sullgent l found the murcury down to sever de- grees below zero, a heavy snow, on the ground and the roads in, a desperate con- dition, all business demorallzed and as farmers could only reach the town on foot we concluded to call off our appoint ments as announced in the Age-Herald. This l regretted very much to do, as an unusual interest had been worked up for these meetings But every little stream was up and out of banks and so travel was impossible-even some of the mail routes had to be abandoned Fuel was scarce, as 1t was out of the question to get a team out to haul either coal or wood. People really in many cases were suffering with cold.
 I managed to get back to Birmingham Tuesday a late train and staid over night in Birmingham and left Wednesday. morning over the Louisville and Nash vile for Mobile and New Orleans. I found on the way down snow. ice and the whole country flooded with water from the recent rains and melting of snow. Streams were up and out of their banks and much fine farm land was under wa ter.
 Much Damage Done.
 On reaching Mobile I began to look af ter damages done the crops ar- the bad weather and found that there was much loss and that hardly crop of vegetables that were not killed looked the worse for wear and tear. It was the s-mc all the way to New Orleans. I have never before seen the gardens and true. farms in these sections looking so badly eff fected by cold and water. The tender vegetables of all kinds were killed but hardy crops such as cabbage, lettuce. celery and turnirs, while not entirely killed, scAe greatly damaged and it will take time and good weather to revive them. Besides the damage by cold the wet water soaked soil is becor ing foul and needs cultivation, but no work can be done for some days until the water goes down and the soil begins to dry. All this will cause many crops to be late and it is badly delaying the planting O. other crops.
 This is working another hardship on the farmers which is the advance in the price of a great many seeds. There is a great demand for many varieties of seed for replanting and some stocks are hard to procure in fact are nearly out or the market
 Loss In Vegetable Plants.
 There has been a great loss of all veg etable plant and these will all have to he replaced by replanting. Probably the greatest loss in this respect was the loss of tomato plants. All plants, even cab bage plants that had beer set in the oper field and had not had time to be- come well rooted are either killed or so badly damaged as to render them worth less.
 | stayed over night in New Orleans Wednesday night and left next morning over the Illinois Central for Memphis From New Orleans all the way up ice could be seen in the woods and on the small lakes and on all pools of water.
 The conditions through Mississippi were even worse than they were in Ala bama They seemed to have had more rain and all streams were full to over flowing. the snow and ice in great abun- dance everywhere. Along this line great damage was done to timber ana 1ruit trees by ice forming on them so heavy as to break them badly and many trees have been pulled down by the weight of the ice All farm operations are at a stand still all the way from New Orleans to Memphis
 I left Memphis Friday morning for points in Texas and Oklahoma, going over the Choctaw. found passing through Arkansas about .he same condi- tions as I left in Mississippi. l hao few hours to spend Friday at Hot Springs. Ark where I found that the city was crowded with inviiads and tour ists from all parts of the country many seeking relief from the severe winters Of the north others seeking relief from all 1f inl f11o htIT1Q n family are heir to. Others came for sport and to gamble. The population is strict ly cosmoboitan. This is fast place and wonderful in many respects. Situat- ed. as it is, in narrow valley between two mountains it gives an interesting picture to the stranger.
 Snow in Texas.
 Passing out of this. place and on west ! we reached Texas early Saturday morn