The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-07-01

ing CnareCteTlStfCs pSSduse IL IS tnai which soonest and deepest impresses sized here for the plantation life, the mansion house, the toiling negroes the proud and cultured white families have combined to form the most pic turesque phase of Alabama life. The Alabama writers who have essayed tc represent their people to the outer world have found here the most pic turesque and romantic material for their literary work. Even as the Vir- ginia writers have in the main found inspiration in the mansion house and plantation life and in the character of the people who live upon the planta. ton, SO have most of the few writers who have written of Alabama, in ono way or another. dealt with the cus- , toms, the conditions and the men and women of the Black Belt.
 But aside from its picturesqueness aside from its romantic interest what is the condition of the Canebrake to- day?
 The answer is quick and plain. 'So- cially it is delightful. financially 1t is prosperous"
 There has been less of general hegira from the farms and plantations than in any of the other Black Belt sections of the State. More of the old homes are occupied, the white owner lives in closer touch with his negro labor. and gives to his plantation a closer care and a more thorough at- tention than o.s is true of some one ,n, other people 1.-Two closer to their farming in- terests than do the people of any eth CT portion of Alabama where the ne- tor. There are of course farm and plantation houses abandoned to negro tenants. but such is not the general rule. And even, when for schools or family to the small town or city of the Black Belt he continues to keep close ly in touch with his farm or planta- tion and to carefully supervise Its care
 Farm Owner. Prosperous.
 The industrial conditions of the Canebrake show the general benefits of such a policy and such condition. The men who own the farms and plan tations are prosperous and contented. The business of the towns and small cities is upon a firm and stable basis The whole financial fabric Is firm and
 The financial condition of our bus mess and our agricultural interest has espaan esfn this vevy Vadsn Mayor s"s Unfontown. our farm lands have naturally increased in value with oth- CT lands of the State. because or the two good CFop ycaiS anu ahC tiSA oN tory price for cotton. But the in crease did not mean so much here in the Canebrake as 1t did in other parts of Alabama. You see see our T-Ca Ganebrake eb ,ke market. The demand for them has been greater than the available supply The man who had a Canebrake plan tation to sell never had any trouble in
 I've believe. in fact we know. we have the best agricultural lands ot the entire State here fin tho Canebrake It is sometimes claimed that there are some lands equal to them, but I do not believe that it Is even claimed that there are other land superior to them Our cotton crops and our corn crops are among the very best grown.
 We haven't had the trouble with Ia bor that they have had elsewhere with the negro laborer. The negro has not some portions of the State. Some of them have gone. Labor this year was not as plentiful as 1t was last year but there was enough to attend to our crops without any serious embarrass- ment. We think we have a superior class of negroes here. too. From all hear our negroes are more prosper ous and better contented than the ne groes of other parts of the Black Belt We have one or two negroes here whd are amassing something like com fortable fortune in the mercantile bus mess and who are given endorsements and recommendations of the first class by our local banks when out of town firms writes to inquire as to their financial standing."
 Mayor Walden had. too. some words to say about the remarkable adapta- bility of the Canebrake for the grow ling of grass and the raising of cattle. interest and attention that was being paid to tho growing of alfalfa in the section around Uniontown. IL was found later that the section was ex- ha a1f warmest form. Practically every planter around Uniontown was either growing some alfalfa or proposed next year to put in Iahs large s,ne neidi president os the Planters and Merchants Bank is of all of alfalfa's friends the most en- Alfalfa Enthusiast.
 T believe that 1t Is one of the great est If not the greatest crop that am bo grown" said Captain Johnston. l feel safe in saying that one acre or alfalfa will make more money for a farmer than two acres of cotton Tn our lands I do not think that much trouble will be experienced In getting plantation ten miles from town I have i20 acres in alfalfa and l will get easily from four to six tons of hay from this land You must remember. properly cultivated, give forth a much greater return from the land than any other grass or hay but 1t commands a premium of kGyo,iSrt say $S t9R it9 Ii is in it. self as near a perfect ration for horses and cattle as the soil has ever pro duced. Why. on my pianta.ion II am am clusively on alfalfa. Out at the exper- iment station they are doing the same thing as well as on the Mum1ord
 My acreage is already large but I'm going to increase it largely next year. I intend to raise some hogs ana mules on this same plantation and there IS nothing better to do 1t on than on al- falfa. It is not only one of the most valuable crops that grows on our lands or on any other lands. but 1t has an additional value in that It requ1res pu. ss growing of alfalfa the main thing IS to get the right sort of start The land should be broken up deep It should then be narrowed two or three times and the seed should be planted deep. When this Is done the man who starts to plar growing alfalfa VIII have but little trouble. some peopio have started to growing 1t but became discouraged and quit Their troupe IS that they did not prepare the soil properly When the soil is properly prepared the land owner IS gong ,to Io crop. And, you know, only one plant ing is necessary. The alfalfa con tinues to grow on year after year.,a
 The other day ait the big Diyersth- cation Barbecue on the Munford place. state treasurer J. Craig Smith, who is i9'1 another ar alfalfa enthusiast. Is said to have bought from Captain Johnson seventy five, bushels of alfalfa M seed seed a,, 9t a large acreage of the great forage on his Dallas County place but he p"o- poses to increase 1t materially.
 JUDGE JUDD AD-