The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-07-13
AGRICULTURAL.
AGRICULTURAL INFORMATION.

on Saturday, leaving for a trip over the
Fort Worth and Denver railway up to
the Panhandle or northern Texas. l prom
ised to tell our readers of a section where
crops were really good. and here l found
them so
Soon after leaving Fort Worth the crop
conditions began to improve. This line
runs north from Fort Worth through al
most a new and virgin soil. soil which
when wet will produce wonderful re-
suits. The corn, cotton and grain were all
much better than l had so far found
them. After a few hours ride we were
in the great wheat belt. Here he crop Is
great. but the rains have greatly intr-
fered with the harvest. and many fields
look as IL they will be lost entlIely, as
the soil is so water-soaked that farmers
cannot get teams on it for harvesting.
Here the oat crop is very hne. ard 1t
is also ready for harvesting.
We soon came to a section where there
is a great Investigation OF crops and new
crops before not mentioned here are to
be found, such as milo maize, izaffir corn,
brown corn, miletts peanuts, sweet PC
tatoes. watermelons, canteioupe5 and a
large acreage of Irish pota toes all OF
which are very promising. The only thing
now to prevent a great harvest in this
section is too much rain. Heretofore this
section has been regarded as a semi-arid
or drouthy region, but last year and this
things have changed to the other extreme.
Much has been written lately OF this Sec
ton and there has been a great rush of
immigration into the country of late. so
that prices OF land. have advanced rapid
ly. There is no question as to the produce
ing power of the soil here il 1t can only
have rain.
Disasters Probable.
This section has been regarded a
country subject to drouth, hot, burning
winds hail and cyclones. What the
chances are for these things to occur or
why they should happen to occur here
more than in any other section Is some
thing which am unable to explain. How
over, the wise man who thinks of set
ting In this section should count his
chances of having to meet some If not
all OF these disasters still, in all my trav-
els l have found but few sections where
these things are not likely to occur When
We have a great cyclone in the east as
we had at st. Louis, Birmingham and Me-
rdian, we soon build up and forget and
have no fear of such a thing ever hap
pening again. yet we are always living In
dread of cyclones in tho west. And In con-
nection with this I want to say that /
am afraid of cyclones anywhere. for |
have passed through three In my life and
! know what they mean. They carry de-
struction, desolation and death In their
paths, and it Is sad sight to witness a
section visited by one.
But We pass on through great fields of
wheat and oats, dead ripe and falling
down, where the rain has prevented har-
vesting Much of this great crop of wheat
no doubt will be lost, while that which
Is harvested will be more or less dana ged
One object on this trip was to see the
fields of Durum wheat now growing in
Northern Texas and Western Oklahoma.
The department OF agriculture at Wash
ington, d. C.. has been introducing and
encouraging the growing of this wheat
in these sections. I found that the farm
ers who have been growing it for several
years are greatly pleased with it. 1t not
only produces great yields but 1t Is rust
proof and will give great crops where our
native wheats would fail entirely. 1t Is
sown in these sections both in the fall
and spring, but I could not find out which
sowing give the best results, but will he
furnished with this information after the
present crop Is thrashed AS yet growers
of this wheat have been unable to find
market for It, Our millers do not want it
and claim that It will not make the quail
ity of bread required by our people. i
visited the great mills in Minneapolis and
here also l found the millers opposing
further introduction of this wheat in this
country. But as stock food proposition
for the west or semi-arid regions. 1t
seems to be the thing.
Across Oklahoma.
After a day of four hundred miles travel
through good crops of everything, even
to fruits, stopped to rest over night and
early Sunday morning / was ready for
1, IL. fIa afa 10
of Oklahoma. Here crop conditions con-
tinue to improve and were even better
than what ! had seen the day before, for
In this section the crops were not so bad
y damaged by rain. Surely nature has
been lavish in her gifts to the people of
Oklahoma this season and has given them
great crops of wheat, oats. potatoes. fruits
and vegetables; these are all made now
end ready for market while the promise
for great crops of corn, cotton. sweet po-
tatoes and melons was never better. Both
the corn and cotton are well advanced
many fields of corn are silking and cotton
is nearly in bloom. A fine crop of early
potatoes was being harvested and sold
and the land planted to other crops
There is, of course. much new land JUS.
being broken and many crops are late. /
saw farmers planting cotton seed on June
1G and they will plant corn and Kaffir
corn until the middle OF July.
When I reached Oklahoma on this bright
and beautiful Sunday morning the news
was being spread among the people thai.
on the day before the President had
signed the statehood bill and everybody
was happy and rejoicing. There seemed
to be even smiles on the growing crops.
while the birds in the trees were singing
their merriest and best songs. The peo-
pie were expecting this news. so they had
gathered In from the country and at
every town we passed there were great
crowds They seemed to have laid aside
all cares and troubles. and were out for
a good time. Our readers. of course. have
heard before this Of the great celebration
that was given in Oklahoma City.
After another daylight ride of four
hundred miles through the most promising
crop prospects that have so far found
anywhere, night overlook us and We stop
ped to rest again over night In South
western Missouri I enjoyed some of the
fine fruits which are to be found in that
section. such as Strawberries. cherries,
raspberries, blackberries. etc. Since tn.
rains. crops In Missouri have improved
very much and while the corn lie late yet.
with favorable weather we may yet have
a great crop.
leave soon for an extended trip