The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-05-15
SIGNS OF THRIFT IN PERRY COUNTY  Visits Made to Some Model
 Farms HOW WORK IS DONE. Farmers Have Town and Country Houses and Ride Behind Horses
 That Are Worth Over
 5000 Each
By WALTER HARPER

I On my previous trip which was through Winston and Lawrence counties. made number of tortuous relays across stretch
 of more than 80 miles with. scrub mules l and horses, some of which, while they seemed to have mastered the art of cling | ing to the mountain sides. did not appear able to carry themselves, much lass
 moderate load.
 Yesterday rode over part of Perry
 county behind a horse valued at more than s10o0
 1 After spell with the one s. v. Wood
 fin had the horse replaced with another
 that is valued as high. He had still
 others but there was no use in driving all
 of them in one afternoon.
 l These horses and the others in the pas
 lures are as fine as silk. They would al
 most make any man run his numbering
 old automobile into the junk heap. One
 more we drove has a record on the track and some others on the farm are being
 groomed now for records | MT. woodfn raises these fine horses I himself.
 1 He also raises sweet potatoes-from 200 to 800 bushels of them to the acre-hay, oats, corn, cotton, hogs and cattle. We drove out to his farm of 65 acres four miles from Marion. By the way, do you notice the size of that farm? That Is one of the feature of the practical moral that I am trying to pass to you. It is fact worthy of profound consider ation that the really most prosperous farmer in Alabama has the smallest farm. We worked our way through a 16-acre patch of oats. The heavy heads slapped me over the shoulders. They have an- other month in which to grow and mature. On this 65-acre farm there are several acres of cotton It is up and growing fine in rows four and one-half feet apart Every acre produces at least bale, or 1t is put to other use. MT. Woodfn gathers from 1000 to 3000 bushels of sweet potatoes a year. He sold large consignment of last years crop few days ago in Bir- mingham at $1 10 per bushel net. He has more to sell.
 He also grows cabbage, lettuce and other crops for market
 Besides this he has fine horses for breed- ing and a choice strain of Poland China and Berkshire hogs. saw more than a score of as fine hogs and pigs as can be shown in the state. He slaughtered 1900 pounds of pork for use on his farm last winter.
 Mir Woodhns home is on the farm He looks after every detail of the farm work and Is constantly improving his lands, | which are among the best in the red clay | soil of east and north Perry. The black | land lies few miles south of Mr. Wood | fms farm.
 But this red land is almost level, just rolling enough to afford good drainage It is really chocolate loam with red clay subsoil.
 Mir Woodfn's country home Is roomy and neat, one of the most attractive in | this section. He also has a magnificent town house which his family occupies during the winter month.
 Mir Townman, you think you are cut | ting a swell when you can have both a |
 
 Alabama farmer can juggle these luxuries | and never finch. He Is not bit stuck up | about it either.
 The section around Marion would be a | revelation to almost any man in the | state who has never visited this sec tion. The land is fertile and adapted | to a large variety of profitable crops | There are many individual farmers who are directing the management and are improving the lands.
 Perry county has two distinguishing conditions that are most favorable to the general prosperity of the county. About half the county consists of the sand loam and clay subsoil, while the other half is the black land. If the climatic conditions are such that crop