The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-07-09

| 1.-THE Jefferson county farm movement
recently inaugurated by the Birmingham
Chamber of Commerce is being widely
advertised and will, in time, If systemat-
ically pushed have large results said
citizen. 1.-The committee in charge of
this work has started In the right way.
Attractive literature, based on the United
States soil survey of this county, and
the successful experience of the 70 or 100
truckers who are already cultivating small
farms near Birmingham, is being care
| fully prepared, and within the next few
weeks this literature will be distributed
| in those sections of the east and the
north where small farmers are most
numerous.
1.-THE secretary of the farm committee.
Mr.. Hechinger, is well equipped for this
enterprise. No one in Alabama, per-
haps, is so conversant with the immi-
grafton question in its relation to the
south and to the horticultural industry;
and, in addition to his practical knowl-
edge and his grasp of the situation, he
is full of enthusiasm. Mr.. Hechinger does
not expect to induce 1000 families to set
tie on small farms In Jefferson county
within the next IL months. He and the
committee will doubtless be satisfied If
they bring 80 truckers here from the
north the first year.
1.-THE reason why so little has been
done in the past in developing this coun-
tvs horticultural resources is because
former movements have begun and
ended in talk There has been a lack
of organized effort and a lack of pa
tience.
If Mr. Hechinger can cause to be To-
Gated on truck farms but % families be-
tween now and next summer the sue
cess of the movement will be well as
sured. The first new corners will re-
second year: and after the second year
the ratio of increase should be large.
Within FIVE years the county's truck
farming population will be counted by
thousands.
1.-THE Baltimore Manufacturers Record
of this week devotes four columns or
more to discussion of this farm move
ment.
The regular Birmingham correspondent
Oh the fecoru cOHlfAputSo oil ih'ci cStiiS
article on this farm campaign and Mr..
Hechinger contributes another interesting
article. outlining his plans In details. And
the Record in. directing editorial atten-
ton to those articles. makes some per-
tinent remarks. The Baltimore editor
says In part:
BY inducing families of farmers to
take up the available trucking land, 1t is
Expected that some Of the surplus members
of the families, that is those who have
no call to agriculture, will find openings
to profitable careers in manufacturing
industry and thereby gradually create a
substantial home Industrial population.
The Chamber of Commerce plan is
attracting wide attention in Alabama. and
Capt. r. F. Kolb, who Is to assume the
duties of state commissioner of agricul-
ture at the beginning of next year, is in
lclined to widen the suggestion into an
encouragement of diversified agriculture
all over the sttae. The plan is one that
other business bodies in the south may
we'll consider. There is hardly large
city in that section which could not place
itself in position of depending only upon
its immediate country surroundings to
supply 1t with vegetables, poultry. eggs,
etc. Such plan successful would mean
greater prosperity for everybody con-
cerned, and closer relations between cities
and their environs.'
|