The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-04-26
COLD WAVE CAUSES
TREMENDOUS LOSS
THROUGHOUT STATE
Frost Is Reported From One
End of Alabama to
the Other
COTTON PLANT RUINED,
SAYS WILKINSON
Snow FIurries Occur In Many Counties
Throughout the State and Ii Is
believed That Fruit Crop
Has Been Killed

Montgomery, April 25.-(Speeial)-
a frost tonight means the practical
destruction of the cotton plant in the
state now above the ground. Our only
hope was a warm rain and escape from
lower temperature That is blasted,
it appears, and there is every pros
pect for the staple output of the state
to be put entirely on a replanting
basis"
This is in effect the statement made
by Commissioner of Agriculture j. a.
Wilkinson late this afternoon. He had
given it as his opinion in the morn
ing that with any sort of frost
tonight the cotton crop will be killed
As about two-thirds of the crop is
up the extent of the damage will be
costly, injuring the state many mil
lions of dollars. The weather bureau
report is clear and cold with heavy
frost tonight.
With the practical certainty of frost
tonight and the consequent loss OF
that part of the Alabama cotton plant
above the ground, Commissioner of Ag-
riculture J. A. Wilkinson began at noon
on a movement to save all seed that
can be located, thus hedging against
the necessity of almost total replant-
ing. He found 10000 bushels at one
mill and smaller amounts at others,
and with the interest taken by all kinds
and classes of men he has ever rea-
son to believe that enough will be
saved in this way to supply the need
in the state.
Cotton seed in Demand
Already, however, other states are
asking for seed. A call came fror1
Texas early today and other states are
sending out like pleas that they may
be in early to protect themselves
against the demand that will be made
from almost every section of the cot
ton belt 1t is likely that Alabama
will not be able to do more than
supply its own people, hence the out
side calls are left to the last or will
be in the fight that must come to
get new crops started. That they will
be needed is plain, even now much of
the plant showing such bad condition
as to forecast ruin.
seed VIII Run Short
1.-THE great trouble in replanting is
the inferior seed" reiterated Mr.. Will
kinson. when seen this afternoon Take
my own farm as an example. In
structed my men to plant here and
there, as the soil was best suited; Sc
lect lots of seed which had been Sc
cured during the year from various
sources. One kind was put in one place
and other kinds in other places, thus
working out the idea of getting the
best results from careful selection not
only of the seed but the soils. Now,
these seed are lost, or will be in case
of frost, now almost certain, and l
will have to get along the best L can
with the seed that 1 find about the
mills. My case. as have already
noted, is like that of the great body
of the farmers in the state"
A low temperature with high wind,
as have been had all day Monday,
is in itself deathdealer to crop life.
A man sends in wilted and dead cot
ton plant to the Montgomery Jour
nal office which. he says, was alive
and healthy Saturday. The cold winds
withered 1t like a tender leaf in a
freeze and farmers from all parts of
the county are bringing in like re-
ports. Capt. w. A. Henderson, prom
inent farmer, who was over the Ala
bama river early Monday says that
while the corn and grain are holding
their own, cotton is falling down and
willing in a sickly and dying way.
Reports of this kind are coming to
the commissioner of agriculture,
though for the most part, so far, they
are about ontgomery and adjoining
counties
some Fruit May Escape
There is some doubt about the extent
of the damage to fruit. The foliage, now
very dense, has given it protection to a
large extent but the frost that seems I'M
minent tonight will complete the destruc-
ton already begun, it is thought Small
vegetables are victims of the cold winds,
though they might not be entirely killed
out If more frost could be escaped, which
does not seem even a long shot at this
time. This is great loss to the section
between Montgomery and Mobile, which
has of late years made a lot of money out
of such products. Greenville, for instance,
has already shipped many cars of rad
ishes to the eastern markets -fl
The weather bureau reports that snow
in Montgomery in April is unknown In the
entire history of the department. 1t also
makes the statement that such cold has
not been felt in this section at this time
OF year as is now being experienced 1t
seems also to be a fact that never before
was baseball game of the league post
poned at Montgomery because of cold
weather. The fact is there are number
of weather records being made. The peo-
pie are rushing back into winter cloth
ing, the coal wagons have crowded the
ice wagons off the streets and the old
stoves and fireplaces have been cleaned
out for service. Straw hats have sought
the seclusion of the dead of winter and
the fourth Monday after Easter is as
bleak as the day after New Years
might, in all good weather reason, be-
Young Cotton Is Killed
Decatur April 25.-(Special.) with the
thermometer at 81 degrees above and with
a heavy frost and light freeze this
morning, all cotton that was up in this
section of the state is reported killed
About one-third of the crop was up This
is the latest frost and freeze that has
been In this section of the state for years
Killing Frost In Marion
Guin, April 25-(Special.) -This section
of the country was visited by a killing
frost Friday night, and as a result the
gardens are all ruined and the field crops
are very badly damaged.
Much of the corn which was I'D will
now have to be replanted, and the cotton
seed in the ground will very likely never