The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-09-05
ID BE MODEL CITY
 IN PRAIRIE BELT J. o. Thompson and J. E. Penny Are Promoters HAVE BIG LAND TRACT About 6400 Acres of Prairie Lands Will Be Divided Into Small
 Farms and Sold to
 Immigrants

A model city Is to be established by developing their immigration schemes fin south Alabama where they intend to bring hundreds of prosperous farmers to grow alfalfa, principally.
 The two landowners have about 70,00O acres near Eutaw and elsewhere on the Queen and Crescent railroa4, which will be cut up into small farms. They pro- pose to establish demonstration farm or experiment station and to make a model country village.
 The deal has been hanging fire for sev- eral weeks and it was only yesterday that MT. Thompson gave out the real plans. His statement follows:
 We have purchased 64O0 acres of prairie lands in the heart of the prairie belt of Alabama with view of dividing it into 40, 80 and 120 acre tracts to be sold to small farmers and truck growers. The deals involve something like s15O,0O0.
 ''The land lies along both sides of the Queen and Crescent railroad, commencing about 2ls miles south of Eutaw and ex- tending a distance of more than five miles giving 10 miles of railroad frontage. No part of the lands are more than mile from the railroad tracks, a feature wn,ch will appeal strongly to the farmer who has to market his products.
 Establish Townsite
 'Trhe plans call for material develop ment of this property. We propose to create a town site between Hairston and Eutaw, with sites for schools, churches and public buildings of various kinds, where the owners of these farms may live and educate their children. There will be approximately 100 acres devoted to the townsite or more if tt becomes necessary. It is estimated that there will be approximately 100 farms sold, tho minimum to be 40 acres, each purchaser having the option of buying as many tracts as they want.
 "The land is the heart of the prairie belt. The soil is the richest Huston and Trinity clay, and without fertilization corn, or will cut from four to six tons of alfalfa in five or six cuttings to the acre. It is especially well adapted to raising alfalfa. and the cheapness of the lands will probably draw a number Of farmers from the middle west where lands that correspond to these in richness bring from $200 to $3eO an acre. although only cutting three to four crops of alfalfa Il year
 "The properties were purchased from Judge Edwin de Graffenreid of the ap- pellate court, Charles E. I.atimer, late of Greensboro and now a resident of Birmingham; Mrs Taylor of Eutaw J. J. Dew of Eutaw,- and Sydenham Moore, excise commissioner of Birming- ham. The places include the Alexander loo IAxtr IDat, ,d farm the Minor place, the Hairston place and the Moore place, all known as being among the finest prairie belt plantations in Alabama.
 "A model 40-acre farm will be com menced at once and will be In charge of an expert, partaking somewhat or the nature of an experiment station This experts time will be at the serv- ice of the purchasers of the land and he will advise with them as to the best methods of planting and harvesting their crops. The 40-acre tract will probably be divided into one acre for the home lot. 20 acres of alfalfa, 10 acres corn, three acres potatoes and other house crops and six acres in an orchard The farm will have bor- der of pecan trees set 50 feet apart and alternating with figs and pomgranates, all of which thrive in the vicinity.
 Lands Selling Fast
 Recently more than $1,000,000 has been invested in the prairie belt lands of Alabama by people from other states who appreciate the cheapness of these lands compared to those of other states I am anxious for the people of the state to waken to the realization that these lands are of wonderful value and should be owned by Alabamians. A 40- acre tract of prairie belt land will make the average farmer independent if he exercises only ordinary intelli- gence in farming. We have great faith in these lands and can show many in- stances of their value.
 We believe that the farmers who pur- chase these tracts can ship every bit or their products to Birmingham and get excellent prices This property has th- advantage of being right on the railroad. and this fact makes haulage cheap to the station.
 I've enter the prairie belt at the closest point from Birmingham, about 9a miles. The government map shows only a narrow strip of this soil in Alabama, the estates being in the center of it. Bir- mingham people can own one of the al falfa prairie belt farms which are in close reach, being directly on the Queen and Crescent.
 ''Since the preliminary announcements recently we have had inquiries from all parts for farms of small acreage, such as we will sell, and I am confident that the demand will be enormous.
 ''Inouiry into the value of these lands will disclose the fact that they are not farm land schemes, such as have been pulled off in the south, but the very cream of the south's richest farms.