The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-11-11
MOSS TALKS ON
 THE COTTON CROP
State Agent Declares It the
 Money Crop of the South
GOOD ROADS NEEDED
Interesting Feature of Meeting at Auburn Were Discussion of Farm Buildings and Home Conven-
 fences by DeBardeleben

Auburn, November 1o.-(special.)- 1.-The average farmer with his low yield his failure to diversity crops, his old and shiftless methods, is being raked over the coals by the progressive farmers of the demonstration work, who are meeting in Auburn. E. L. Moss, state agent, scored the average farmer this morning in the course of his talk on "The Cotton Crop. J. c. Phelps of Auburn, district agent, speaking of corn, sounded his contempt of the man of low yields, who is listed in all reports as 'the average farmer
 'No more average farmers for Ala bama,' said MT. Moss. You are good farmers, you demonstration men, and we want all good farmers. This average farmer with his 16o pounds of cotton to the acre, his 12 bushels of corn, as the reports all say, is losing money not only for himself, but he is contributing to your loss, and is responsible with his blind ad- herence to an easy one crop system, to low prices of your staple"
 Every one of the hundred farmers here is enthusiastic
 The third days session was marked by the talk of State Agent Moss on the cotton crop. Cotton as the money crop of the south, but as a part of a rational system of diversification, was his demand. By figures he proved that cotton is the great est money maker known to agriculture in the United States as a staple crop, much more profitable than the wheat or corn staples of other sections.
 'If you will diversity, raise food crops and sustenance crops, and devote your surplus energy to cotton, we'll have a great crop and a profitable crop. The pro- duction of cotton must go on and must increase, despite the boil weevil or any other factor And he showed where the worlds demand for cotton doubles periodically, and that the south must sup ply the increasing demand. Cotton, he showed, is the crop the least expensive on land, and in the expenditure of the vital resources of the land.
 An interesting feature of the meeting were discussions of farm buildings and home conveniences by W. L. DeBardee- ben, Autauga county: w. B. Isbell, De Kalb county, and Clarendon Davis. Madi- son county. The farm Is not crude, un- comfortable, and undesii ..ble living place, aCcOrd1ng to the TeNeldllOllS Dy lneSt piO- gressive farmers. The notion of the city man is all wrong. Rather there are more conveniences on modern Alabama farms and in Alabama farm homes than In many city homes The men told of screened doors, slate and tin roofs, acetylene lights, waterworks, private grist mills, saw mills and a score more real luxuries of which men in town are ignorant. But the greatest of all convenlences which ox.,itb fa far life accord l. ing to MT. Davis, is good roads Good. roads is the first and foremost convenience" he said, and related eX- | periences of his own, You want to load your wagons going to market, not to load your mules."
 The first word in what may be a signif- cant institution in Alabama agriculture was sounded by w. H.. Conway. county agent of Chiffon county. It had to do with farmers cooperative buying and selling; buying fertilizers and other essentials and selling farm products. MT. Conway told of the system pursued in Chiffon. and of the good results derived therefrom.
 Home mixing of fertilizers and fertfl- izers in general figure largely in the dis cussions Prof. J. F. Duggar of the Au- burn faculty and director of the eXperi- ment station, led in the discussion with his expert lecture. Dr. Carey advised home mixing
 we need more ground limestone in Ala bama. Also, under the existing conditions, We must continue to rely on acid phos- phate until we get more humus in the lands. The uniform need of cotton lands is acid phosphate"
 N C. Benton of Dallas county and c. F. Stripln of Clay county spoke of the needs in fertilizer of their districts Both told that they had obtained good results from fertilizers In connection with his fertili- ger talk, Mir Benton told of his success in establishing a crop rotation in Dallas.
 Health and sanitation on the farm was the subject of the address of Dr. c. A. Cary state veterinarian and dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine at All burn.
 ''The city diseases have been driven by sanitary methods away from town to the country" he said.
 Fright filth; then you'll fight nearly all diseases. Guard against typhoid and you'll get rid of the hookworm. Diseases are co-ordinated on basis of uncleanli- ness. s-4
 "Get rid of the old fashioned open well: cover it and establish pump. Don't have it close to the house.
 Don't build permanent chicken house. Places inha bited by chickens needs disin- fection'
 Dr. w. F. Hinds, professor of entomolo- gv at Auburn and state entomologist, talked of the big questions. the boil weevi The meat of his lecture was:
 "The boil weevil is here, but don't lose your nerve: hold your labor; destroy the boil weevirs advantage by destroying his winter home, the cotton stalks Burn them as the best method of getting rid of them, and don't forget to burn them early and to have clean fields when your cotton is all picked"
 T. z. Atkinson and w. D. Whitehead talked of cotton wilt. It is best was the advice, to buy seed that has been select ed by others for wilt resistance rather than spend time in breeding and selecting your own wilt resisting seed.
 R. E. Lambert of Wilcox county talked of permanent pastures, the only contrlv- ance he said for profitable stock raising
 ReOrganize Corn Club