The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-07-16
Cotton Better Than in Eff
 teen Years
TALKS ABOUT FRUIT
Telephone and Weather Reports Have Been of Great Advantage. Farmer Now Uses Scien-
 tific Methods

"Yes, indeed; the commissioner of agri- biggest and best corn crop that she has ever had" said H. NJ Vanderpntte, pres ident of the Alabama Truckers associa- ton. "1 have just completed my annual trip through the state and I am of that opinion. The cotton crop is the best we have had within 16 years and I think that the corn crop will be as good as ever.
 "T'he truckers are going to have a very large Irish and sweet potato crop and the other vegetables are coming up we'll The early vegetables were cut short on account of the drouth, but the straw berries were certainly abundant Around sCullfnan, my home, the truckers shipped 102 carloads.
 But, of course, as you know, the fruits have been nearly all destroyed. The early frost that we had this spring killed nearly all of the peaches and there will hardly be any shipped or sold-and those which were not killed are very small The plums will not be good because they were also killed by the cold weather and those that would have been raised are already after season. The apples. although they were not killed completely, were chilled, and, as you now see, those home apples which were marketed afe very small. However. in spite of this luscious fruit being killed, the grapes will be abundant and fine. Around Cullman I look for the largest crop we have ever had. These will be on the market within the next week. l am shipping some this week. Fruit as a whole is very disappointing. but the farmers will make up the loss on the cotton and corn crops Some innovations have helped the farmers. The system now in use by the Southern Bell Telephone company of tel ephoning the farmers and truckers the forecast of the weather condition around their vicinity has helped the farmers greatly in both planting and marketing. For instance, the other day friend of mine desired to market some hay. He had received report early that morn- ing that 1t would rain about the middle of the day. Upon being notified that 1t would rain he hastily put the hay in a storehouse. so that it would not get wet and waited until the next day to market 1t. This saved him money and great deal of inconvenience.
 Although the use of the agricultural department is not a new facility, the farmers did not formerly cooperate with 1t, but recently they have taken advan- tage of this department, and I think the bumper crop is largely due to this CO., operation. The farmers have learned that the department is working for their ben eft and they are taking its advice on agricultural methods.
 "The farmers are using more fertilizer and I predict that they will use much more next year. The use of fertilizer is helping the crops wonderfully. I think it is directly responsible for the fine con- ditions about the state.
 ''I am greatly pleased with the fine crop this year and expect better one next year. The farmers are now working the crops with scientific methods and are taking advantage of the splendid assist ance offered them by the state and na- tional farm exDerts