The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-11-20
SUMTER COUNTY
AS CATTLE RAISER
Alfalfa and Trucking Are Also
Fine industries
HEAVY YIELDS OF CORN
Cuba Is Already Well Known For Its
Fruits and vegetables-New
Railroad VIII Tap Rich
Section.
BY WALTER HARPER.

Livingston, November &C.
H. Allen, editor of the Sumter County
Sun, was in Meridian, Miss, a few days
ago and while there called on a butcher
friend in one of the leading markets.
His attention was attracted to some extra
fine specimens of beef displayed for sale.
The butcher, noticing Mr.. Aliens inter-
est inquired, Where do you suppose
got that beef?''
II would guess that it came from Kan
sas City," replied Mr.. Allen
well, it is as fine as any that ever
came from that western meat packing
metropolis replied the butcher, but [
assure you that 1t came from your own
county, Sumter Alabama. 1t was raised
by Cobb & Mcmillan on their fine alfalfa
stock farms in the northern part of your
county. These gentlemen recently sold
several car loads of the finest cattle ever
seen in this city. Some of the shipment
was taken by Meridian dealers and the
other was consigned to some of the
largest trade centers in the south. Cobb
&c Mcmillan always get the very highest
prices for all the cattle they raise
1t is needless to say that while Mr.. AL
len was familiar with the success of his
countys farmers in the matter of raising
fine cattle he was surprised to find that
they were considered on a par in the
market with the finest western product
Has Fine Cattle.
Sumter has long enjoyed a reputation
Fl, t. Rpo ~ al dc
The success of w K. Pickens of Iiv-
ingston in the raising of fine Berkshire
hogs as described in this correspondence
yesterday shows what can be done with
swine Fine horses are also a hobby with
these people.
Cobb & McMillans farm is in the north
ern part of Sumter county, in the midst
of the finest alfalfa belt in the south.
They not only produce some of the finest
cattle raised in the south but ship every
year several thousand dollars worth of
alfalfa hay.
John 7. Cochrane's new railroad, the
Alabama, Tennessee and Northern, is be-
ing built through this marvelously rich
section and will be of great advantage
IN the IuTlneT ueN Equipment VI tiloSo III
dustres. The farmers are hampered to
some extent now in the lack of adequate
shipping facilities. The hay and cattle
have to be transported long distances to
the railroad. Mr.. Cochrane very appro-
priately calls his road the Alfalfa
Route" He gave it the name in honor of
this exceptionally fine section.
Big Acre Yield.
AS an Illustration of what may be done
on these fine black prairie lands In north
Sumter I will give the result of one acre
of the Cobb & Mcmillan farm this year.
From the one acre was gathered 1884
bushels of corn and 100 bushels of Irish
potatoes. As a matter of information
which will interest many corn raisers in
the state I will say that the method used
for growing this corn was that given by
the demonstration bureau of the United
States department of agriculture. / will
add that equal results are being secured
In many sections of the state with the
Williamson method. Though there Is a
fierce quarrel being waged between the
promoters of these two methods, which Is
rather disgusting to the general public,
it is a matter of satisfaction that both
methods are greatly increasing the yield
of corn In the state.
/ propose in the near future to give my
observation of the results of these two