The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-20
|HORT|CULT BURSTS ARE ARTISTIC FARMERS State Society in Annual Con-
 vention Here NEED FOR WAGON YARDS Speakers Emphasize Necessity for AL lowing Producers to Sell Their Products Direct to the Consumers
NEED FOR WAGON YARDS
BY WALTER HARPER

BY WALTER HARPER
 The Alabama State Horticultural so- ciety is in annual session in the audi torium of the Chamber of Commerce of Birmingham. The officers and members present are enthusiastic in their decara- tion that the meeting Is the largest and most important in the history of the organization.
 We have discovered that Birmingham is good place to hold any convention,' said Secretary P. F. Williams as the con- vention was assembling yesterday morn- | ing at 10 o'clock.
 The horticulturalsts are the artistic farmers. They make a scientific study of trees, ornamental and useful, fruits, vines and flowers.
 Every section of the state and every line of horticultural enterprise is well rep resented in the convention. The papers and discussion have been well and care fully prepared and all of them claim the l fullest attention.
  l through this afternoon
 Opening Session l The convention was opened shortly after 10 o'clock yesterday morning with | President W. F. Heikes of Huntsville, presiding. Prayer was offered by the l Rev. John R. Turner.
 Mayor Culpepper Exum delivered short but generous welcome address on behalf of the city. President A. H. Ford welcomed the society on the part of the | Chamber of Commerce. J. H. McCary | local horticulturalists.
 All these addresses were timely and were well received by the delegates pres ent.
 President Ford reviewed the work that is being done and that Is being planned by the farm movement committee of the | Chamber of Commerce. He suggested | that one of the needs that Birmingham 1 should supply for the encouragement of farmers is the establishment of the old fashioned wagon yards. He also ex- pressed the need for central city mar ket where the producer of foodstuffs could carry his products and sell direct to the consumers. He said that Birming- ham is behind other cities in this re- spect.
 MT Ford also declared that all tax, H. cense or other obstacle in the way of the farmer or gardener getting to the homes of the people In Birmingham should be removed. He called attention l to the value of state and county fairs.
 Ohicers' Report
 The annual address of the president was received with close attention.
 Secretary Williams reported that the society has increased from 32 members a year ago to 65 at the present time.
 E. w. Lumpkn, student of the Ala bama Polytechnic institute at Auburn, | read most instructive paper on "The Home Canning of Fruits and Vegetables" :" He advocated the procuring of small home canning plants not only for pre- pairing fruits and vegetables for the mar ket but for home consumption.
 The canning of sweet potatoes elcted considerable discussion from the dele gates J. H. McCary announced that this product is increasing in popularity very rapidly in Birmingham.
 Morris on Pears | w. z. Morris of Lafayette told in a most entertaining manner how he pro- duces $500 worth of pears to the acre on his farm in Chambers county.
 After experimenting on lowss rich lands, where trees grew too high and frail, with fruit hard to gather, he finally se- lected high, dry, well drained lands of average fertility. He explained the prep aration of the land. The soil is broken deep with subsoier. The trees are planted deep and with great care. They are high ly fertilzed and carefully pruned. The pruning is very important The trees are kept back. Dwarfing makes more limbs and stronger trees.
 MT. Morris has 125 trees to the acre and secured six bushels to the tree. which are sold at 90 cents and $l per bushel.
 Afternoon Session
 During the afternoon session a number of interesting and important papers were l read, followed by live discussions. In the absence of J. C. c. Price. Sec retary P. F. Williams read the paper the former had prepared on Commercial Orcharding in Alabama The paper con- l tained much valuable information of in terest to the members.
 Winston Fruit Growing
 G. H. Potter of Haleyvile delivered a most interesting address on Growing Fruit for Profit In Winston County" He explained how 169 hill farmers in Win ston and adjoining counties have adopted new methods in orcharding and are mak- ing money growing peaches and other fruits. All these growers have more than 300 trees, and some of them have many thousands of trees. All this has been accomplished in the past three years.
 Japanese PerslmmOn
 Prof. Francis E. Floyd of Auburn made an interesting talk on the artificial ripen- ing of the Jajanese persimmon. The Japanese persimmon is a very fine fruit that is grown successfully in south Ala bama, but is not yet well known to the general public in this section.
 H. H. Bolton of Mobile read a paper l prepared by G. Mertz of Mobile on I'm portance of the Trucking Industry in Mobile and Baldwin County" MT. Mertz was unable to attend the meeting.
 Thomas Brigden, vice president of the Sixth district, reported good progress in fruit-growng in his district. l A discussion arose during the afternoon