The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-06-02
Handles S75,O0O Worth of
 This Product Annually
HAS DISTINCTIVE VALUE
Poultry Products From 5oaz Are In Demand Among Particular Con- sumers All Over the South.
 Are Properly Handled.
BY WALTER HARPER.

BoaZ, June I-kSpeGialJ-by CulckenS and eggs, $75,OOO
 This is the footing at the bottom of the ledger of the annual trade at Boaz. Or rather this Is one of the fooungs.
 But I want to stress this item. I can remember when chicken and egg money was called pin money"
 The value of these products are not appreciated as they should be even now. though the agricutrural department at Washington has spent considerable time and money in exploiting the business and trying to educate the people in the im- portance of the product.
 Chickens and Eggs.
 When d small mountain town like Boaz handles $75,0O0 worth of chickens and eggs during the year the demonstration is one that should interest every small farmer in the country.
 This almost equals the cotton receipts in the town and Is twice as big as the potato crop of which Albertville is boast ing and which is attracting the attention of the entire state. The expense of pro- duction is less than half that required in the raising of the same market valua- ton in cotton and it is easier to han dle.
 These people themselves do not appre- ciate the importance of their accomplish ment. Many of the producers in the com munity do not know that the Boaz hen egg has a distinct value Many of the largest hotels in the big cities of the south insist on Boaz eggs and chick ems and will have no other when they can get these. Not a day passes but telegraph orders are received for choice products from the Boaz poultry yards. These orders come from almost every city in thee south.
 You naturally wonder if the Boaz hen or egg is better than those of any other place. Is the egg larger or richer in flavor or food quality?
 No; the secret is all in the handling. Part of the popularity is also due the honesty of the producer and the ship per.
 The federal government has just com pleted an exhaustive investigation into the egg business of the country. More than a year was taken by experts in the work. The report of this investiga- tion is full and very interesting. The | burden of 1t is the lack of care in hand ling this valuable product.
 The fact Is deplored that millions are lost annually in careless handling and l sloven management
 Learned the Secret. | The people of Boaz have learned the secret and have begun to reap the re- ward. They put the eggs on the mar ket while they are fresh and pack them properly. They are also made to show up clean and attractively The egg is no better than the average egg but 1t comes to the consumer in better shape and commands a better price. The pro- ducer gets pay for his truoble and at the same time gets credit for good sense. J. w. Collier was Instrumental in mak- ing Boaz the greatest poultry and egg market on Sand Mountain He knows the business thoroughly and made mar ket for these and kindred products The only other thing MT. Collier knows or cares for is baseball. He gets the best there is in life in handling the best eggs In the world and watching the na- tional game.
 But this Is not all that makes Boaz one of the most prosperous towns on the Sand Mountain plateau. It is in the midst of that fine agricul- tural section which is rapidly coming to the front as the most productive noun tain section in north Alabama. Irish Potato Crop, Like Albertville it has large Irish po- tato shipments which bring thousands of dollars to the town at the dull season of the year. The acreage is being rapidly increased and the farmers hereabout are becoming prosperous and independent. Cotton is also a valuable crop. The planters are adopting modern methods and the soil responds bountifully to inten- sive cultivation.
 Boaz has grown rapidly from a small wayside village to a town of 2O00 inhab- itants and is still advancing at a good pace.
 Good Schools. The town has an excellent public school system with an attendance of 300. There is also located here the John H. Snead seminary with an attendance of 40O This Is one of the best educa tional instftu- tions of the kind in the state The Woman's Home Missionary society of the Methodist church has just com pleted the Rebeccah McCleskey home here at a cost of $85, 900. It is a hand some structure of brick. It has already received 50 inmates