The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-08-30


present crop will be shoHter by over one
hundred thousand bales than the crop
last year. He also advises the farmers
to hold for 10 cents and insists that If
properly marketed the price can be kept
to that figure.
The letter in full follows
Department of Agriculture
and Industries,
Montgomery, Ala, August 30 1906.
l have received many requests to give
the crop conditions as reported to this
office by our various crop correspondents
throughout the state.
The cultivation of the cotton crop has
been remarkably good ana up to the first
of August the plant was in a healthy
condition, the outlook being very promis-
Ing indeed. During the latter part of July
the rains were little excessive and
caused a large growth of stalk; in many
localities there has been complaint of
poor fruitage, but upon the whole,
throughout the state, the conditions were
very favorable The first of August found
the plant in a healthy condition, but
rather too much weed. The wet season
was followed by dry. hot weather, which
has caused the plant to suffer very much
from lack of moisture.
The dry, hot weather caused the plant
to rust and shed very badly. There has
been much complaint about blight. While
In the earlier part of the season the crop
seemed to be a late one, the dry hot
weather has caused a premature opening
of the bolls. and the result is that in
many sections nearly all of the cotton
is now open. The bolls are small and Inn
mature and consequently the lint is very
short; the indications now point to an
other short crop In Alabama.
In my opinion, the present crop will be
shorter by over 100000 bales than the crop
last year The fine prospects for a crop
In the earlier part of the season has
caused the prices to be depressed; the
farmers of the state being now confronted
by a short crop and low prices. Every
pound of cotton of this crop is worth 10
cents a pound, and If properly marketed.
will bring that amount My advice to the
farmers of the state is to market their
cotton slowly; am satisfied by pursuing
an intelligent course in this matter that
the price of cotton is very sure to adj
vance.
The corn crop Is very good, and the re-
ports come to me- that wherever the farm
ers have planted, the yield has been
abundant r. R. POOLE,
Commissioner Agriculture G Industries.
Printing Contract Awarded.
Roberts & Son, printers of Birmingham,
secured the stationery contract for the
next two years today, their bid being
1884 for the time covered The other
bids We're Marshal & Bruce Co., Nashville,
$407617; Walker, Evans & Coggswell,
Charleston. $4,000 60. 1t is regarded at the
capitol as an exceptionally low figure and
one out of which the bidder will be able
to collect very little profit
The contract for printing, binding and
distribution was secured again by the
Brown Printing company of Montgomery
the other bidder being the Phillips-Shehan
company of the same city. The bid in
cludes not only the printing OF the state
documents but the sending of them to the
other counties when they are fixed up.
The details of the bids on this feature of
the work are as follows:
Phillips Shehan company, class 1, % per
cent below the maximum; class 2, 40 per
cent class 3, no bid; class 4, 81 per cent.
Distribution. acts and jornals. 4 cents a
pound; supreme court reports, Z cents
all other documents cents.
Brown Printing Co., class /, 30 per cent
below the maximum: class O. 501a; class g.,
80; class 4, Sc. Distribution, acts and jour-
nels, 8 cents a pound supreme court re-
ports, cents; all others. cents.
The stationery contract will amount as
a whole to about 5000 for the two years.
The legislature appropriates $4,000 for two
tage and box rents, so that there will be
only about $4,000 for the whole time All
that is ordered will have to be sold at the
price made in the bids for the amounts
given. However, next year will run about
$3.50 over because of the session of the
legislature. but the excess will have to
be supplied by the contract price.
The appropriation for the printing and
binding will be as much as $50 600, all of
xr1hio oh will or ba nd oil
neat sum to be returned to the treasury.
The printing of the state is divided into
classes, maximum price being set by the
legislature for each one. Thess- are the
parts as divided by the acts:
Glass /, supreme court reports class q
the acts and journals of the general as
sembly and the revenue laws Of each ses-
sion In separate pamphlets class A. de-
partmental reports, reports of the state
institutions, bulletins, etc; messages of
the governor, legislative bills, documents
and reports, and blanks of the state Of
ficers.
The printing and binding contract has
been held by Brown Printing company for
some time, and the other by Marshall &
Brown Co.
Brown Becomes Chief Clerk.
Cyrus B. Brown will, on Saturday morn
ing. take over the office of chief clerk to
the secretary of state announcement of
the appointment being made by Secretary
of State E. r. McDavid. He will relieve
Capt. A. c. Sexton. who has been actins
since his resignation some weeks ago to
become deputy insurance commissioner.
Fred Wlkerson, who has been at work
as clerk in the office for some time.
leaves soon to resume his studies of medi-
cine in Columbia university, New York.
Mr. Brown is son of former Attorney
General Charles Brown and for many
years a resident of Birmingham. He has
been in the office of the state auditor for
some time. He is one of the best posted
state house clerks and has the work Of
the department in which he works at the
ends of his fingers. Speaking of the re-
tirement of Mr.. Brown, Judge ]. M. Car
michael, auditor, said:
He is one of the best men ever en-
ployed In any office, and / do not see
how am to get along without him. He
is a kind of fellow who can do anything
and do It well I am at a loss to know
what to do about his successor. He has
made the work In the office assigned to
him so little trouble to me I hate to un-
dertake to fill his place. Cy Is a good
boy and 1t gives me regret that he is not
IN he with me longer"