The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1912-11-13

! Vienna November 12-Demand for
prairie lands suitable for the euitiva
tion of alfalfa has increased to re-
narkable degree in this section of the
Houston clay belt and number of
sales at increasing prices have recent
| ly been reported The buyers In near
| ~ every instance are pratieal farmers
and stock raisers who are going into
hay and live stock growing on a large
scale, and who have elected the heart
OF the alfalfa belt for that purpose.
w. B. PEBBLES. the largest Individual
landowner in this section, has prao-
ucally closed a deal for the sale Of
81 acres of fine alfalfa and 200 acres
adjoining It that is still to be plant
ed in the great forage crop. The price
paid for this piece of property was not
made public though it is understood
that II brought a fancy figure, as it
| is located near Dancy, on the Alabama,
Tennessee and Northern railroad at a
point where the cultivation of Alfalfa
has been demonstrated to be most prof
table
Dancy. though small town. is said
to be the largest hay shipping point in
Alabama. Last year $40 cars of bale1
hay were Whipped by rail from that
station and more than one-half of it
was alfalfa. Most of 1t classed No. I,
and brought the top price when prop
crly marketed The rest vas johnson
grass of excellent quality.
| Mr.. PEBBLES has another place in and
adjoining the town of Daney, which is
known as the Lemon place. 1t con-
tains $50 acres of typical prairie land,
| with occasional patches of black post
oak soil and it is declared by ex-
perts to be ideal alfalfa land, with
plenty of lime in the soil and a depth
CT about 20 feet to the strata of lime
rock beneath. The topography of the
place Is gently rolling, affording per-
lect natural drainage and it Is as pref
ty a piece of country as a farmer
could wish to see. The government
soil surveyors declared that part of
the alfalfa belt just about perfect. ana
one of these experts made a consider
able investment in land of the same
type in that neighborhood.
Another desirable place for an al
falfa farm near Dancy is known as the
east of the station and contains 40
acres, unimproved, except that por-
ton of 1t is a fine Johnson grass
meadow, from which Mr.. PEBBLES har-
vested 1000 bales of hay this year, with
only Two cuttings. 1t would make an
ideal dairy farm and every foot of X
will stand the muriatic acid test, show
ing sufficient lime for the cultivation
of alfalfa of the finest kind.
A Ave hon CT nf
near Cochrane, extending to the Tom
bigbee river, Mr.. PEBBLES owns an
other piece of the finest alfalfa land,
IL is known as the Binion place and
contains about 800 acres, including
some fine hardwood and pine timber
land. A part of this plantation has
been sown in alfalfa, which is doing
well now, at the end of the third year,
and Is used principally to fatten hogs.
They are permitted to Craze the mead
ow during the spring and summer with
rings in their noses so that they can
not tear up the roots of the plants, and
by the time fall comes they are rolling
TAT Besides this enough of the hay is
cut each year to supply the planta-
| lien through the winter. Only 40 acres
has been planted in alfalfa there but
almost the entire cultivated part of the
place and much that is uncleared is
the best kind of alfalfa land
| But the most lordly plantation l have
seen in my travels through the aiiaifa
Ihelt is known as the Lee place, which
rs also owned by Mr.. w. b. PEBBLES.
There are nearly 5000 acres in the
tract. which extends from the Tom
bigbee river on the east to point
within two miles of Pamela on the
Alabama, Tennessee and Northern rail
road, and having river frontage OF