The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-11-17


 region on the banks of the Volga. become plungers, plunging in and out as the prices rise and fall? Take this matter of potato growing and ask how have the growers of potatoes In the great potato growing section of Colorado, Iowa, Wis consin, the Dakotas, Michigan, New York and Maine made money out of their crops? By first educating themselves to know the requirements of their soils for pota- toes and by keping their lands up to high state of cultivation, by studying markets, by taking the good and bad years as they come and by making the most of each. But the farmer who is all ways plunging to catch markets often plunges at the wrong time. For instance. potato growers of the south made some money in 1904. In 1905 many rushed out into the business and no one but the best growers made anything out of the business.
 The indications are that next season Q906) is the season for the southern grow CTS to again plant large crop of pota- toes. The northern crop is short and In bad condition, generally. Many crops have routed In the fields and other crops after being dug continue to rot. The quality Is poor and there Is no question but that the old stock, crop of 1905, will be cleaned up and out of the way of an early crop which should be grown and shipped by our southern growers.
 Success in This Industry.
 My observation and experience in this matter should be of some value, especial ly so for the new beginner. When we start out to grow early potatoes for the northern markets, we should look careful ly after the competition that we have to meet and remember that the early crop Is the one to bring fancy prices. Our south ern growers should know that we have some sections in the middle west, where strenuous efforts are made each season Tor growing and placing potatoes on the markets early and that in order for our southern growers to get the cream of the early markets, they must head off the growers of these sections by having their crops on the markets ahead The great Raw river valley. lying between Kansas City and Topeka, Kan. is one of the sections alluded to and another is the Great American bottoms near St. Louis These are the sections that our southern growers have to look after. There is not so much difference between the time that the crops from these valleys and the crops or the southern grower comes upon the market as latitude would indicate So for the southern grower to head off these
 
 prepare his soil and push his crops right from the start Remember that there will be greater profit in preparing the soil well In advance and in few acres we'll prepared more will be obtained than from a large acreage half prepared and half cultivated, the crops from which would come in late and have to meet the eompe- ttion of more favored sections and grow CTS. It would not be at all advisable for nn hne rff.Faa t. .xI, The better plan would be to have well organized associations, so well educated that they will cooperate together for the good of all. and let each member plant according to his land and the help he can command from one to ten acres This would enable the association to ship in car load lots, and not only this, should the season prove bad one, or if the mar ket should go to pieces, no one would be badly injured.
 Of course, we have growers who have land enough to grow car load lots and many of these large individual growers have had a long experience, so they un- derstand the importance of growing, the importance of careful sorting and the matter of shipping and selling. They are posted in all these things and so are in a position to act independently of organ izations, and here. too, is another class oA toihPtliiipi lilit lut new DtBlIlleT ndS to meet. But new beginners had better start In a small way, and remember that 1t will be better to make a success on a few acres than failure on a large acre. age.
 Greater System of DiverslfcatIon.
 A great deal has been said and writ ten upon this question of dversifcation. yet, the subject is not yet nearly ex- hausted. It seems to me that right here t, thA r1A1A Af f0., farmers. The farmer everywhere should grow as far as possible everything that Is needed for feed for both man and beast on his own farm. This food sup ply should be the first consideration. Next. a portion of the farm should be set apart for growing fruits and vegetables for market. These early fruits and veg etables, when properly managed, will bring in cash at time when money is badly needed on the farm.
 The farmer, and especially our southern farmer, should bear in mind that grass, stock and grain form the basis of all agricultural wealth and these should have the first consideration. The dairy busi- ness, too. offers great Inducements. and there is no fastsr or cheaper way by which our farms may be kept up than by keeping dairy cows on them and by keep Ing plenty of grass growing to feed them upon, both summer and winter.
 It really seems that the best plan for the southern growers would be to keep stock on the farm, poultry, sheep, hogs and cows and feed to these everything that is strictly not first-class and ship to market nothing but the very best, that which will bring paying prices. There Is no question in my mind but that such system as this will have to be adopted by our southern growers before they can ever succeed in growing and marketing fruits and vegetables.
 This plan will bring about a greater system of diversifcation and the stock on the farm will furnish market for all crops that are unfit for shipping. It will be better to market our inferior crops in the form of poultry, mutton. pork and cream than for us to go on committing financial suicide by crowding and chok- ing down our markets with inferior crops that no one wants. The plan is for a greater diversifcation of crops on the farms by adding more stock and growing more feed to feed them on and grow less crops for shipment, and what only such fruits and vegetables as con sumers want and are willing to pay for. It is time to call halt in our loose methods of growing, packing, shipping and selling our crops and I give this timely warning of where we are drifting unless we do adopt some better methods expect to continue the discussion of this subject until something better is accom- plished.