The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-10-29
AUTAUGA COUNTY IMPROVING FARMS Prattsville Mayor Tells of Re
 newed Interest TOPIC ON ALL TONGUES Everywhere One Goes There Is Heard Talk of the Renwakening of In
 terest in AIabsms's Agrieul-
 turaI Life
TOPIC ON ALL TONGUES
BY WALTER HARPER

"I have no fear of a scarcity of cotton in this country said M. A. Graham of
 Prattville. mayor of the town. and sec
 retary-treasurer of the Prattville Cotton
 Manufacturing company.
 We were sitting in his office at Pratt ville He talks in a low, even, careful and is exceedingly careful of every state-
 ment. though he occasionally becomes Intensely enthused over the subject un- der discussion.
 'tkagree with those people who declare
 that the coming of the boil weevil will
 be a blessing to Alabama.
 'rhe pest will not materially diminish the production of cotton. but the profit in growing cotton will be increased. At the same time the farmer will have beenedriven to produce his foodstuff
 He will continue to do this after he learns that it can be done. The scare we are having over the approach of the weevil will react as an inestimable bene- fit to the farmer of this state.
 We are producing millions of dollars worth more corn this year than ever be- fore This is not because our farmers want to raise. corn. but because they are forced to 1t. Next year and the years following they will grow corn be- cause they have found that they can and that it is profitable.
 More corn means more cattle and hogs and ultimately a saving to the state of millions of dollars that are now going to the north and west for meat products More cattle. and hogs on the farm mean improvement of the lands with practically no expense. 1 T tell you we are just now passing through a great and wonderful epoch in lthe agricultural history of this state.
 There can be no other reasonable ex- planation of the present high cost of living but the lack of adequate produc- tion Food will always be high as long as there are more consumers than pro- dueers. The producers must either pro- duce more or there must be more pro- ducers. The thing is not properly bal anced.
 | 'srhe farmers of Autauga county are fully abreast with the new progress that seems to be general In the state and over the south. You would be astonished at the development that has been made in this county in the past two years. | There are many evidences of the new awakening The farm houses are bright CT and better; rural telephones are strung everywhere, farmers are putting in water works, hot and cold water. the schools are improving rapidly and the at home Though there are any number of farmers in this county sending their boys and girls away to college.
 "A good school building in one com munity excites the commendable rivalry that builds another like it or a better one in the adjoining community. | Better roads is another material evil dence of the new order of things in the country"
 Two distinguished elderly gentlemen
 were sitting close together in earnest con-
 yersation in one corner of the lobby of the New Exchange hotel In Montgomery. l They were talking about the great agri- 1 cultural uplift in Alabama. It is the
 same subject that is being discussed by | all classes of people in the state just | now.
 l These two men eonversing in the Ex- 1 change hotel are two of the leading farm | CTS of Alabama-farmers who have left
 their mark the agricultural history 1 of the state.
 | They were J. B. Ward of Henry county and Hiram Hawkins of Barbour county.
 Hawkins is responsible for the state | department of agriculture and Ward must answer for the establishment of the dis 1 trict agricultural schools. l Back in 1882 Hawkins was a member of | the state senate and Ward was in the house. Senator Hawkins introduced the bill putting tax on fertilizer. The 1 bill was passed and is known as the | tag-tax. During the next session Sen | ator Hawkins saw the need of some
 department Or bureau to handle this tax and other agricultural matters affecting | the faysners. The result was the estab- | lishment of the state department of agri- culture
 The first commissioner of agriculture was Reuben F. Kolb, who happens to | be the next nominee for the position. He was appointed by the governor. Some | political or other impeachment was in the l way of the appointment of Senator flaw 1 kins to the place, though many of his | friends still contend that he should have | had the appointment.
 | In 1889 MT, Ward, a member of the ! house from Henry cGnty, introduced and 1 had bill passed establishing the con | gressional district agricultural school at i Abbeyille, an experiment. The estab- | lishment of similar schools in the other
 congressional districts soon followed.
 These men-pioneers in the agricultural development of the state-happened to l meet in Montgomery and at this hotel and were discussing the old days in the legislature and the developments that
 have been made in Alabama agriculture since those old days.
 The department and the schools estab- lished by these veterans have become very lanseful and are among the most import | ant departments of the states develop ment
 It was a pleasant meeting and though 1 neither man has been rewarded as he 1 might have been by political preferment.
 they both seemed to be well satisfied
 with the material benefit they have done Il the farmers of Alabama. H. S. Doster, editor of the Prattville Progress, one of the most progressive weekly newspapers in Alabama, is an in dustrial baron.
 He is one of the early men of affairs who yielded to the back to the farm sentiment. or, perhaps, really he has never cut entirely away from the soil. He owns one of the best and largest farms in Autauga county, not far from Prattviile and spends most of his time out there supervising and managing its