The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-06-05

To the Chamber of Commerce OF BIZ
mingham belongs the honor of being the
first public institution In Alabama inVit-
ing people to settle here. and taking steps
to accomplish this aim. Much has Deen
said and claimed about this matter; many
causes have been ascribed to the fact that
notwithstanding her immense agrlcuiturai
and Industrial resources, the greatest IN
this country. the south has not succeeded
so far to attract many settlers. When
all IA said. however, one cause STANDS
out pre-eminently: The south mas never
made any strong ss stematic efforts to IN
crease her agricultural population.
The principle involved in this matter is
nor different from that underlying any
business proposition. If we want settlers
here. we must go out after them Ihat Is
the whole matter in NUTSHELL strippeo
nj all the time-worn arguments about why
We cannot get settlers to come soutn'
when for instance, thousands OF gooa
farmers have emigrated to Canada our-
ing recent years. And that Is what the
farm movement OF the Chamber OF COM
merce means. We will go AFTER theh
and we will get them, too.
For the benefit of those who are sui
claiming that we have here in the BIT
min CHAM district and Jefferson county
comnaratively few lands adaptable 1or
agricultural purposes. l will quote Re"
axoernts from the report of the Unltea
sto+es soil survey of Jefferson county;
..,rbe county contains 1890 acres, or
with
the increasing prices for land, IL Is ho'
unusual for q farmer to buy lano ana sell
enough truck to pay for 1t IN from one u
thraa Years. Notwithstanding this and
~, abundance of truck soil, the bulk OF
the vegetables come from OUTSIDE the
state. -. :.
nrbe great diversity of the soils OF
| r.erarson county with their accompanying
| variations of elevation, slope, draihase
.to adapting them to consloerapis
range of agricultural use.
sweet potatoes succeed wen on a.
/ inter soils. The yield ranges rroH
I 15o to ESQ bushels per acre. Aithous'
nr,ces are never less than 10 Genus
hushe, and often more than 81, only
sr,all matches are planted. There II
roor, for the farmer who understands
the crop and soil adaptation TO gro"
both kinds of potatoes on large com
n,ercial scale. Tomatoes do well OF
oil soils. Cabbage should be more gen
orally grown, especially on the Do
catur. Upshur and Hagerstown SOILS
In July and August there Is often
scarcity. large consignments being
.hinned in from the north. The De
Kalb and Limestone soils are wei
adanted to strawberries and blackber'
r,es although few are grown and ber'
rios are imported from the south and
from Cullman county. The price Is al
wavs high and the culture OF these
fruits will prove profitable. Beets. peas
memoirs. cucumbers, kale. spinach ant
lcaultflower find a ready sale. and arr
vel, adapted to the lighter sandy De
Kalb Soils"
On the whole Birmingham. with 1T
Increasing population, furnishes one o
the best markets in the south for al
soil products, and the soils are SO wei
adapted to truck and other subsls
tence crops that many times the ares
now devoted to their production coul'
be probably utilized.
will add to this that of the soil
mentioned, adapted for all kinds o
vegetables and fruits. we have the fol
lowing areas:
DeKalb silt loan, 2l0,s1s acres; De
Kalb fine sandy loan, 60,672 acres
. Hagerstown loan, 24.76S acres; Decatu
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