The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-03-12

large fund is in the hands of the South Carolina Association Treasurer to be spent in carrying that organization over the probation period.
 The Agricultural Association at its last meeting yesterday gave itself over most of the two hours to a debating bee on what crops are to supplant cot ton this year to the extent of 25 per cent That 1t is the intention of the majority of Montgomery County farn,- CTS to cut down acreage this year is proven by the eagerness of the big cot ton growers of last year to learn how best to use the subtracted acreage in 1905.
 Discussios e6 Potatoes.
 J. M. Stuckey gave some convincing arguments in favor of planting more sweet and Irish potatoes this year. He gave some approximate figures that should indicate the advantages of plant ing sweet potatoes. A reduction of the cotton acreage by one-fourth would produce about 160.0o0 bales less than were produced last year. If potatoes were planted in the subtracted acreage the State would produce 100000 bush els He secuted the idea that potatoes cannot be marketed on large scale. He seriously and humorously answered questions about saving the potatoes. What are you going to do about rats eating the potatoes. MT. Stuckeyr queried O. L. Gay.
 Raise enough potatoes for the rats Etuckey.
 How arc you going to bank them [" asked another voice.
 Put them under 8 substantial board structure or something of the sort and cover it entirely with about a foot of dirt. This insures a uniform temper ature and there will be no decay. The potatoes can have. in this condition, . ventilation if deemed advisable"
 M. c. Scott expressed the belief that farmers who have the cotton mania" should turn from the neecy staple to cowpeas. 'Cowpeas can be raised in abundance in this County and this should lead to raising hogs. It fur nishes excellent feed for swine. The people of Alabama do not raise enough meat It would be surprising to know just how much meat is shipped to this State from the West.
 Alfalfa and Cowpeas.
 A. R. Harvey was for raising al- falfa and cowpeas, either or both. He denied the proposition strongly argued that alfalfa will not grow successfully on other than lime soil. If other soil has the right inoculation of bacteria 1t should be productive of alfalfa.
 Mir. Reese almost went into ecstacies over the beauty and advantages of al- falfa-growing.
 "Alfalfa," said Mir. Reese. '1s like a modest maid of 16 years. It retires at an early hour and puts in its ap- pearance charmingly garbed at the nefghboring plants. It is also an ex- cellent panacea for hog cholera. A friend of mine told me of the magic power of alfalfa to cure cholera. He had hog in the last stages of the dis ease. It was necessary to take down the lowest rail to let him out. Into thel alfalfa he squirmed. After tasting the first mouthful his ears began to switch as if he were sustaining an electric shock, The hog was instantly cured"
 Prof. Maclxintosh's Talk.
 Prof. R. S. Mackintosh. Professor of Horticulture at the Alabama Poly technic Institute, made a talk to the Association on fruit-growing and par ticularly the cultivation of pecan trees He told of the necessity of planting budding trees and not seed for results. To illustrate the growing interest In orchards in Alabama Prof. Mackintosh | said he had written to two-thirds of the nurseries that sell to Alabama STOWeTS anu TUT tulS y0df CultitdtlOh he could report the sale of over 10000 trees already. He fully expected to see the sales reach 150,000 before May when they should stop. The sales may be said to have begun September 1.s~ Of course, this refers to fruit trees of all | kinds.
 There was also considerable discuss sion of the exact cost of raising cotton. It was practically demonstrated that a | farmer, counting the labor of himself and his family, might as well work in saw mill at dollar a day wages as to raise cotton at even 9 cents. It was noted by President Houghton that even the very best cotton planters in the State cannot arrive at that basis which should determine at what price cotton can be raised without loss. It depended generally upon whether the cotton Is raised on halves" or on shares or by direct cultivation. It was stated by some that 1-2 cents is the minimum and by others that cents Is the lowest.