The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-07-16
YEARBOOK BEING
SENT TO FARMERS
Largest Edition of All Govern
ment Publications
is EAGERLY SOUGHT AFTER
A Valuable Work in Every Respect,
and Should Be In the Hands
of Every TiIIer of
the Soil.
IS EAGERLY SOUGHT AFTER

the Soil.
Washington, July 15.-(special.) -"The
Yearbook of the Department of Agricul-
ture" for the year 1905 Is now being sent
to farmers throughout the United States.
By next week It should be in the hands
of those who have made applications for
IT to their members of Congress or the
department of agriculture. Probably
more copies are printed of this book than
any other prepared by the government.
Its circulation is only exceeded by the
Congressional Record. the official daily
Of the proceedings of Congress, which
suspends upon adjournment The Year
book Is especially for the use of the
farmers of the country and is eagerly
sought after. In every respect 1t is a
valuable work and ought to be in the
hands of every tiller of the soil
The publication of tho Yearbook Is called
for by IAN act providing for the public
printing and binding and the distribution
of public documents" approved In Janu-
airy, 1895 The Yearbook is issued in an
addition of 10000 copies and made up of
three sections. The first is the personal
report of the secretary. The second con-
sists of papers prepared in the various
offices or by special agents, with the OBJ
Ject of presenting the latest and best
practical and scientific information at the
command of the department in such form
as to be readily understood by each read
err of the Yearbook. The third section,
under the title Appendix, contains large
amount of statistical matter of interest
to the farming public.
First Section.
In the book just issued the first section
covers 1872 pages, while 440 pages are de-
voted to the papers composing the second
section. Although information of imme-
date use and value to actual farmers
hold the first place in the Yearbook, an
important position is given to agricultural
progress. AS an educator, the Yearbook
also gives space to the discussion of the
problems underlying successful agricu-
ture, avoiding as much as possible scien-
tific and technical language, which would
be bound to deprive 1t of it's technical
character. In the second section every
article but one was prepared In some one
or other in the offices of the department.
The third section. the Appendix, may it
self be subdivided into three parts, the
first consisting of a sort of agricultural
directory. brought up to date; the second,
a brief review from each office, setting
forth the progress and conditions through
out the year of the special line of work
assigned to 1t; the third, the statistics of
agriculture covering the year 1905, but In
GLIDING, for purposes of comparison, va
rious periods from three to ten years pre-
cedng
Over 300 Pages.
In the book embracing over 500 pages,
there are about sixty colored plates and
100 text figures. Every conceivable sub
ject pertaining to agriculture is discuss
ed, according to the index, from "acorns'
to wrapping tobacco" To the south's
great monopoly, cotton, the prominent
place 1t holds in the agricultural world is
similarly dealt with in the Yearbook. In
connection with cotton, the following are
a few of the subjects discussed at length:
Boil weevl, bollworm, breeding achieve
ments, competition, foreign trade, COM
pressed. freight rates, crop, commercial
statistics, value, culture improvement.
diseases, exports, farms, their prices and
value, fertilization, growing, relation to
crop Investigation in the south, weather
conditions. injurious insects improvement
of land, loss from wilt disease, ocean
rates, prices, relation to Increase in farm
land prices in cotton states, rotation,
seed. soil, statistics, trade and wilt. All
of these subdivisions are extensively
dealt with.
A particularly striking feature of cotton
discussion is a plea for diversified farm
ing In the cotton belt. 1t is declared that
there are few portions OF the United
States In which it is possible to produce
a greater variety of agricultural products
In the territory comprising the states OF
North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia
and Florida. The Yearbook then goes on
to point out lines along which still fur
Their progress can be made, not only IN
the states mentioned but in all states
in the cotton belt
Live Stock Farming.
1.-The greatest deslderatum in the diver
sification of farm products In the south
is the development OF livestock 1arm-
ing.' saws the Yearbook. This would
give much greater stability 10 agricul-
tural industries. 1t would help to supply
extensive home markets and thus Keep
money at home and at the same time
would add greatly to the fertility OF the
soil and thus increase production II has
been fully demonstrated on many farms
that one-third of the land now devoted TO
cotton can be made 10 produce as much
cotton as is now grown on all of IT, while
the other two-thirds of the acreage is cap
able OF producing the forage needed Tor
farm stock the fruits and vegetables re-
ouired for home use and local markets,
and with few exceptions all other food
supplies which are now brought from
other sections. There is less danger OF tine
over-production of live stock products
than OF perishable crops like fruit and
vegetables, for the farmer has the whole
world for a market. While 1t would take
some time to develop a satisfactory sys-
tenn of marketing live stock products,
even for the home markets of the south,
II is possible not only to do this, but to
ind outlets in foreign countries for any
quantity of such products which the south
Is likely to produce in the near future.
Cotton Farms.
1.-THE beginning of diversification on cot
ton farms in the south should be the ef-
fort to supply home needs, as far as these
may be supplied from the farm. After
that the aim should be to supply local