The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-01-26
Agricultural Department
CONDUCTED BY FIJI LYON s. WHITE.

What Does 1t Mean7
 Now lets have a little good common sense and stzp in our ma4 rush and req son a little as to what this reduction means and what will be the ultimate re- suit. Even reduction of 25 per cent. in acreage all over the cotton states would mean reduction of from to 10 million acres. Now the question is to what crops is this great acreage to be planted inY Another question which precedes this is what line of crops is this acreage suit ed for? The greater part of this acreage has been robbed of nearly all plant food and needs to be built up before it Is ready for another crop.
 The belief most commonly offered by these cotton reductionisls is the advise for the farmers to plant large crops of early potatoes for shipment north. This advise if followed will prove fatal to the farmers for an over production of pota- toes would be far worse than an over production of cotton for the cotton would keep while the potatoes would not. Of course grain crops and other fruit and vegetable crops are also suggested but the potato fever 1 want to treat first of all.
 A certain amount of early potatoes can be grown to a good profit. Beyond this limit there will be only freight bills to pay. Last year. 1904, was the year to plant potatoes for a big profit. that is it was the year for the southern grower to plant. There are several reasons why this was true. The first and most im- portant of all Is the fact that the north ern crop of 1903 was very short and gave cut two months earlier than common on the market in the spring of 1904. This gave to our growers of the south two months more for marketing their crops than usual That is they had the market or the great cities of the north at their mercy for these two months which ordin- arily are supplied by the old stock as grown in the north This advantage and condition may not be obtained again for years.
 It certainly will not this year. spring of 1905 for the crop north for 1905 was bumper and there will be an ample sup ply of stock to cover the two extra months that our growers had the ad- vantage of last season. Strange our farmers are not educated on these points. Quit talking cotton and come to the farmers institutes and get posted in these matters or read the papers that will keep you up in all these matters.
 This is only one side of the potato disease that is spreading. Another question or several questions. How much Of this cotton land is in any condition to BFOW d CIOp Ol DOldtptSF IloW liutn fertilizer will be required to fit it for this crop and how many of these cotton farm CTS are there who are willing to go to the expense of buying fertilizer and how many are willing to do enough extra work that is needed to make a potato crop pay.
 Now these are all practical questions and should be carefully considered before plouehing deep into crops with which you !, or~ we have many associations who have already passed through the dark mill of experience in potato growing and have learned how to grow and market a first class article These associations will have a decided advantage over new be- ginners. We are likely to have many new associations who will grow inferior stock and If so they will be at a great disadvantage in many cases as has been in the past only get freight bills for their crops.
 That farmers could take a few acres and plant to potatoes and make a sue cess there is no question. But the soil would first have to be well prepared and 1t is now too late in the season for farm CTS to get large areas or man. acres properly subsoiled and fertilized so as to make a success of potato growing. Most ot this work of preparation should have been done last fall
 Now let's figure a little. If eight H. lions of acres of this cotton land was planted to potatoes and the average crop should be fifty bushels per acre, which is as much as can be counted from the cotton farms-what would this mean? Why crop of 4O0000,000 bushels or about S00,O0 cars. Suppose we cut this just half in two and we have 100000 cars.
 So far as I have had reports and esti- than o9A-balf Df the posed acreage of the cotton crop reduc- tion is recommended to be planted to early potatoes. What nonsense.
 Seed Potatoes.
 Why have now calls or inquiries for seed potatoes enough, if properly plant ed and managed, to produce 5000 cars, and this only on one line If the farmers along all the lines If t'.s railroads have the potato fever as bad as they have on the Frisco system just think what 1t vii lead to. True, l have been urging this matter of growing carly potatoes for shipment, and still encourage 1t to cer- tain extent but I do not believe In this plunging system of farming Suppose all these farmers who want seed plant po- .tatoes and after having reduced their cotton acreage the potatoes barely pay expenses of production, and cotton next fall should go up to 10 cents per pound, Is there any argument or power on earth that could prevent them from planting all their lands in or going back to cotton to the exclusion of everything else in 1906? Our line (the F'risco) a common carrier, wants tonnage. That Is one of the things we are working for. We would like to haul seed potatoes to the farmers on our line and also haul their crops to market But above all this l fully real ize the importance of having contanted, satisfied customers and unless w caa build up industries upon basis that Will satisfy the farmers they are not going to say by such industries long.
 Our readers in Alabama do not have so much to fear from an over-production of potatoes as have the farmers of the west, from the fact that we have a good local market for large supplies of potatoes and other vegetables and fruits. Our mining and manufacturing towns of north Alabama will furnish a good mar these sections.
 In order to assist our readers as far as possible in potato growing I have is- sued a bulletin which, if followed, will lead to success. I have outlined some very plain facts and have given timely warning as to what will result in plung- ing headlong into this potato business. and the same rule will hold good for any other crop
 The first thing for farmers to do in this matter is to find out the acreage planted to early pSkatoes in 19O4-how many cars were shipped and how far these fell shor. of meeting the market