The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-12-20
N rHn BLACK BELT.

An industrial item printed without a head h last week's Issue of The canebrake Herald. psbisshed at Union town. carries . significance that should be appreciated by large portion of the agricultural citsenship of Alabama and the industry of agriculture means mofe to the State than any other sins gle industry.
 The Item sets forth that the Cane- brake Alfalfa Club a week ago de- clared a dividend of sixsy-four per cent on its operations for two years. Nor was this all In addition to the divs- dend the club had on hand the latest machinery bought in the two years and 1t had eight acres of land seeded in alfalfa. and which will cost nothing next year in the ptoduction and marketing of crop except the gathering.
 The significance of that item should apply with it's greatest force to the prairie and the lime rock land farm CTS of Alabama. It has been demon strated beyond the e6ssibiity of any doubt that the finest lana for grow ing alfalfa in the United States are the Alabama prairie plantations and thoss hilis ana valleys of the State. strongly imprsgneted with Iimestone. No Western State has exceiIed the alfalfa crops in these portions of Ala bama. It is yet to be demonstrated that tlie pine lands. which under in- teiiisent care have produced such sx- cellent crops of corn. and cotton are suited for growing alfalfa Tn fact, the experiments conducted In the pine lands have been discouraging to those interested in aifalfa.
 But in the prairies and the lime stone sections of the State the suc- cess which has crowned the efforts of alfalfa growers has been almost wonderful.
 The growing Of aIfalfs is recent industry in Alabama. It is doubtful if it has been grown for the market longer than the past six years. But so successful has 1t been done, so re- muneratIve has the crop proved to those pioneers who havs established it afrsaAy e ara industry. that 1t is regarded as one of the best crops to which lands in Middle and west Ala banna can be devoted. The canebrake Club as indicated from The Union town Herald has only eight acres un. der cultivation. but about Uniontown many Sf the leading business men and farmers have put many acres In ai- faifa and 1t ia within the bounds of truth to say, that like the clnbs they have achieved q financial success
 It may be demonstrated in the next few years that alfalfa is the redetnp- tion of the Black Belt plantations. Those plautatioAs have been handi- capped by a lack Of labor. soms of the richest land in the United States. situated in Alabama has year after year 'Iaid out because Iabor to cuiti- vate 1t could not be secured. These plantations had been cultivated hy ne gro labor Tn recent years the negroes have fiocked to the clties. they have gone 10 the public works and they haNe gone to the mining section of the State where cash wages are larger. The situation In many of the Black Belt communities. for this req son has been gloomy. for of what value is a costly piantation to "a man who can not set labor enough to euI- tivate it?
 But alfalfa ofrers . new hope for the BlaSk Belt. Compared to the growing Of cotton 1t requires But lit- tie labor. where ten men are re- quired for the growing of cotton crop, one man could produce the equal crop in alfaisa, It would seem now that alfAIfs Will solve the labor aues- tion on the Black Belt plantations. if it's CuItivstien is pursued with in- teiligenee. care and energy.
 It is to be remembered. however. that all lands in Alabama are not suit able for the crop It is also to be re- membered that 1t has been tried in the prairie and milestone lands and that in practically every instance it A