The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-11-06
GOVERNMENT
EXPERT SPEAKS TO
THE LAND CONGRESS
Moss Says Alabama Farmers
Are Not Taking Advan-
tage of Their OPP
pOrtunities

Il. l.. Moss, a farm demonstration
agent of the government, yesterday
spoke to the land congress on "Demon-
stration Work In Alabama" He de-
plored the vast sums that are spent
annually In the state for artificial fer
tilizers and pointed out how the lands
might be benefited much more by the
production of winter crop. Mr. Moss
said tho farmers OF Alabama were not
taking advantage of all the opportuni-
ties which confront them He spoke
In part as follows:
This morning I shall talk TO you
lparticulrly of the mems demonstra-
ton work. Admittedly the next genera
| tion must be adequately prepared for
its life work, and to this end nothing
should be left undone that will train
the head, the heart and the hand of the
country child But we cannot afford
to wait for the next generation to
regenerate our rural economic condi-
tions. The man on the land must be
induced directly to attack our prob.
lens of low yields and productive in
efficiency. Poor farmers, men produce
ing ono-third OF a bale of cotton and
10 bushels of corn per acre, have never
built good roads, good schools, good
churches and good homes; nor haye
they been able to prepare their chill
dren for the responsibilities of citizen
ship. In a word, we must have a great
er per capita wealth on the farm, and
1t is only through the farmer of today
that this may be Immediately attained.
Faults of Farmers
Let us look at some of the factors
that contribute toward low yields and
insufficient farm wealth.
Il. Impoverished, washed away soils,
as result of half a century's adherence
to a one-crop system.
"2. The custom of depending on Iowa
corn, Kansas hay and Missouri mules
to produce this single crop.
'3. insufficient livestock on the farm.
both as draft animals and as a means
of producing meat, milk and butter and
farm manures
a. insufficient preparation and cult.
vation of the land.
% The use of poorly selected seed 4
"6. Failure to use the clovers, cow
peas, soy and velvet beans as winter and
summer soil-improving crops, and a blind
dependence upon commercial fertilizers
alone as u means of preserving soil fer
tillty
~ The almost entire absence of any
buslness-like system of keeping farm ac-
counts.
1T has been the aim of the Farm
Demonstration Work, always by means
OF concrete illustrations, to AID in the
correction of these most apparent defects,
later passing to those that are less obyi-
Gus, Let US look at some of the results
| obtained r.
Three years ago, outside the Tennes-
| see valley, it Is doubtful il there were 500
acres of bur and crimson clover grown
in Alabama. These crops cover the land
with rich pasturage In winter, prevent
soil teaching and erosion, and may be
plowed under in the spring in time to
plant crop of corn. When so used, an
acre of good clover has the fertiIizing
value of 10 tons of stable manure, or
1900 pounds of cotton seed meal, or $50
pounds of nitrate of soda. When we
know that these great crops are cer-
tain success on every wel-drained soil
type in the state, 1t seems almost a erimi-
nal waste that we should continue to pay
high prices for a fertilizing clement that
can be produced at home so easily and
eheaply. In 1911 few hundred clover
defnohstrations were started IN the state;
In 1912. these were increased to 113o DEM
ohstrations, and in 1918 a total of 1000 dem
onstrations, or approximately 5000 acres
are being planted. Aside from their great
value as winter pasture and soil building
crops, the production of clover seed for
the market is particularly profitable
business. In fall of 1912. ]. j. Kellogg
Limestone county farmer, planted two
bushels of bur clover on one-half an acre
From this patch. after reservng S5 BUSH
els for his own use, he has sold this
season 500 worth of clover seed. The
time is near when these great clovers
will be grown as generally and SUCCESS
fully throughout the state as are cow
peas today.
Work of Co-Operation
This work is a work of co-operation.
seeking to enlist all possible agencies in
the upbuirding of our rural life and citi-
zenship. The problem is not alone for
the individual farmer, the state depart-
ment of agriculture, the state agricul-
tural college, or the United States de-
partment of agriculture to solve. but
should demand the serious thought OF
every professional and business man in
Alabama. Iofeel that this congress of
men here today is the concrete evidence
of our broader consciousness of our civic
responsibilities toward the man on the
land. We are coming to see that poor
farmers mean poor merchants and poor
bankers, poor DOCTORS poor preachers
and teachers, and inefficient, unprofita BILE
system of transportation. A single poor
farmer in neighborhood lowers the av-
erage of production and adversely infiu-
ences his neighbors who are trying to bet
| ter their methods; while every farmer In
a neighborhood is distinctly benefited by
teh presence of a man who is above tho