The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-02-17
POOLE URGES MIXED CROPS, Commissioner IssuesLet- ter to Farmers.
 -e-- TO ABANDON POOR LANDS
 --~--@---- Purchase Of Grain Outside of the State Is Disastrous. Appeals to Cetton Growers te Jein sesthera Association and stand Firm For HisAer Level of ]

There is being shipped into the State every year immense quantities of corn ] and meat, which Is reflection upon our entire State. and If this policy is pursued disaster is sure to follow.
 Labor Is gradually growing scarce every year. aud no land that will make Jess than one-haif bale of cotton Is profitable to work: my advice to the farmers of the State is to abandon the poor lands and conflne their energies to their best acres.
 "A crop of cotton over eleven mill lion bales means less than ten cents per pound: crop under eleven million bales means ten cents and above. |. In my opinion there is no cause for the recent decline in cotton: the crop wilinhe in the 1eighborhood of ten and one-half million bales, and is worth twelve and one-half cents; so do not sell your cotton on a declining mar ket"
 These are excerpts from aa address issued to the farmers of Alabama yes terday by Capt. R, R. Poole. Comnris-, sioner of Agricufture and Industries. The Commissioner said he thought 1t timely to do ali that can be done tn turn the eyes of the farmers again from the fieecy staple to the great economic principle of raising their home supplies on their own acreage. NAO ACpitA4y ~QAEdto AH tttF tSttEI WAAft the views of the New Orleans delegates on the same proposition. He urges every farmer In the State to join the local subdivision of the Southern Cot ton Association and not only subscribe to the. ideas of the orgaulsations but carry them out.
 substitute For Cotton.
 Among the crops mentioned by Com. missioner Poole as the most advisable substitute for too much cotton. are corn. oats, alfalfa, peanuts, peas, sorghum, su9ar~cane and potatoes,
 The letter In full follows:
 ITO the Farmers of Alabama:
 As the time Is drawing near for the planting of the crop of 1aAs, I wish to urge upon you the necessity of piaut- inR sufficient crops for home consump- tion. There is being shipped into the State every year. immense quantities of corn and meat. which is q reflection upon auy entire State, and if this poll icy is pursued, disaster is sure to foi- low. ! wish to urge upon you the ne- cessfty of planting a sufficient acreage in corn, oats. alfalfa, peanuts. peas, sor- gtuns, sugar-cane and potatoes for home consumption. with an ample sup ply of these products on hand. the farmer is comparatively independent. at matters not what his cotton crop may be: if on the other hand he has to purchase these supplies, his cotton crop will be absorbed in payment of l.ss Y f3s6Sr N xfaanAIfy wrowfnw scarce every year, and no land that will make less than oRe-half bale of cotton is profitable. to work: my advice Is to the farmers of the State to abandon the poor lands and connne their energies to their best acres. Professor Duggar has said that one-third of the lands being korksd in Alabama were unprof- ftable and were robber lands rohbing the other two-thirds of their profits. These abandoned acres can be tnro- cd to good account by turning Che lands to pasture, sowing in grasses of vari- ous kinds and other forage crops.
 "T want to urge upon you the neces- sity of not planting all of your lands in cotton and neglecting the crops ahbve mentioned A crop of cotton ever eleven million bales means less than ten cents per pound: crop un- der eleven million bales means ten cents and above.
 The Cotton Association.
 'The movement inaugurated at New Orleans by the Southern Cotton Asso- citation in my opinion, Is a very wise i one. it's objects and purposes Is to ,teach the farmer to make his farm | sseIf-sustaining. and a more intelligent l marketing for his cotton, in my opin- l Jon, this is very wise measure, and | T hope that every farmer in Alabama | ,ygiff join hIs local Cotton Association | and give it his hearty and cordial sup port. Tn my opinion there is no cause l for the recent decline In cotton; the | ersp will be in the neighborhood of | ten and one-half million bales, and is | worth twelve aud ons-half cents; so do not sell your cotton on declining