The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-05-20

AS the guest of President A. R. Smith c. c. Smith, an alfalfa expert and dealer in farm lands, was shown over a large section of northern Mare.sgo county in an automobile this week. We saw some of the best alfalfa lands in that favored strip of Houston clay that extends through westerl. Mississippi and west ern Alabama.
 The man who has studied soils and their peculiar virtues cannot but be amazed at what is revealed to him on this trip. Here are miles and miles, thousands and thousands of acres of tho finest alfalfa lands in the world, and we saw one field of real alfalfa. This was on what Is known as the Manning place, now owned by Compton and Bley, near Prairievile. It lies along the Southern railroad and IS dream of undulating symmetry. On this farm there are 80 acres of alfalfa, making one of the largest tracts of alfalfa in a body in the entire Alabama belt
 This alfalfa has already been cut twice this year and will yield three more with ordinary conditions. Each of the cut tings already made gave one ton to the acre. If the other cuttings do as well each acre on this farm will produce five tons of fine hay this year.
 There are millions of acres in Alabama that will do the same thing. But negro tenants cannot do it.
 Messrs Compton and Bley are mer- chants They haven't the time to devote to the farm. They have had superintend- ents in charge of part of 1t and have demonstrated the value of the soil. Sew eral thousand acres of this plantation is now for sale for the reason that they are not able to take care of it under the new conditions and for lack of labor. The ap- proach of the boil weevil is directly re- sponsible.
 This land was described to me as be- ing the finest type of Houston clay and Houston black clay. The Houston black clay Is the accepted alfalfa type and will grow alfalfa luxuriantly without inocula- ton or any sort of previous preparation The Houston clay. which appears on the upands, will grow alfalfa equally as well except that 1t needs little more atten- tion.
 On an adjoining farm which belong to c. C. Clay saw as many as six varieties of clover growing voluntarily. The fla nous red clover of Tennessee was knee high and was growing on land that had not been cultivated or seeded Harry Vetch is growing luxuriantly without cul- tivation. Some of 1t Is as fine as any l have seen on cultivated farms in other sections of the state.
 w H. Pullin, manager of this farm. IS an expert on egumes and is now pre- pairing by request a paper on "The Le- gumes of Alabama for a leading agricul- t,ral journal. He is asid to be one of the best practically informed men on the sub feet in the south He has had wide ex- perience in the west.
 He is preparing the Clay farm for the breeding of fine Purcheron horses. He was engaged in this business in Southern California and in Mexico for years, and declares that conditions here are more favorable in all respects than the former countries named. On the Clay farm there are four flowing artesian wells and as many more can be dug as are needed.
 Flowing artesian wells dot this entire belt, a feature that Is of great value to the man who would engage in stock rais- ing
 MT. Clay Is having part of his farm seeded to alfalfa and intends to make this demonstration farm for the entire belt He Is an expert and an enthusiast on alfalfa growing. having built up one of the largest and most profitable alfalfa farms in Eastern Mississippi near Ma con.