The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-01-07
THE STATE OFFERS PRIZES ID FARMERS, Inducement For DiverSificatienl
 Of Crops RULES FOR CONTESTANTS It Is Desired That the Compress Rate Case Before Interstate Commerce
 Commission Be Heard
 In Alabama.
RULES FOR CONTESTANTS

Montgomery, January 6.-(Special.) J. With the approval of Gov. B. B. Conner, Commissioner of Agriculture J. A. wilkin- son has offered series of prizes for ex eellence in farming work in the state, to be applied to the crop of the coming season and aggregating sl675. Induce ments for better grain crops, better food products and more feed are offered, it being the belief of the commissioner that in the development of the crops of this class than in planting so much cotton.
 A bulletin will be issued in a few days, including the best methods of crop rais- Ing in other states and in Alabama Soil survey figures and reports will be given and all sorts of information sent out. A full list of instructions will be given on application to the office of the com missioner. Information of the prize crops must be in hand by August for oats, and the others by October 1. The best crops thus produced will be shown at insti- tutes over the state, and it is not at all unlikely that the commissioner may take around the exhibitors of the best
 
 over the state and tell how they did it.
 The awards will be as follows:
 Best acre corn, s200; second best, $125; third S100.
 By farmer under 21 years of age doing his own work:
 Best acre corn, s15; second. $1oo, third, $50.
 Oats, best acre, $10o; second, $50; third, $25
 Sweet potatoes, best acre, s75; second, $50; third $25.
 Best acre of hay, s1oo; second. s75; third $25.
 Greatest income from one acre of truck, s1o0; second, $75; third. $50
 Greatest income from all products on ten acres, first, s1Oo; second, s75; third, $50.
 Rules of Contest.
 Following are the rules for governing awards of prizes by the department:
 1. The character of the soil must be described, the kind and variety of corn, oats potatoes etc. planted, must be named; also state the time when planted. the mode of cultivation and the kind and amount of fertilizers used.
 g. All who intend to contest for any one or all of these prizes. must send In their names and postoffice address to the commissioner of agriculture and indus tries by May 1, stating the prize or prizes for which they will compete.
 8. All contestants for the prizes offered by the department of agriculture and in dustries must set forth all the informa- tion in writing and forward the same to the commissioner of agriculture and industries by the following times:
 sInformation as to oats by August l. 1909.
 Information as to corn, potatoes hay, etc., by October 1, 1909.
 4. The contestor must forward to the commissioner of agriculture and indus tries specimens of these several crops, etc., as may be required.
 5. The commissioner of agriculture and industries may make exhibits of these several products at our state fairs, and hold institutes in the counties, where these products are made, and will p0b- fish all information as to how these crops were worked and grown and the yield of same, in the bulletin of this depart ment.
 6. These awards will be made by such a committee as may be appointed by the commissioner of agriculture and indus tries, and the quality and market value of all products will be considered by the committee marking the awards. Further rules governing these contests will be published in our forthcoming bull 
 letin.
 These rules may be altered or amended when published in bulletin form.
 Want Hearing In Alabama. The hearing of the Alabama compress | rate case, to come up before the inter state commerce commission soon, will be , brought to Montgomery or Mobile if the 1 wishes of President Henderson and Sec retary Kennedy of the railroad commits | sion are carried out. Governor Conner | will be asked to use his influence in this | direction and Attorney General Garber 1 will de the same thing. | The case grows out of a petition Of the 1 Alabama commission that the railroads be | forced to have a rate for cotton com 1 pressed and one for cotton uncompressed. 1 Now there is only one, the railroad hav- ing the compressing done at presses Of l either the Atlantic Compress company or