The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-06-18
GREAT POSSIBILITIES
OFFERED IN FARMING
Birmingham District and Immediate Surrounding Territory
Has Many Advantages General Farming and Garden
ing Have Been Profitable to Many
BY G. b. M'vAY

1t is probably believed that since JEFF
ferson county, as we'll as a large part OF
the northern section of Alabama, is IN
fact, a rather hilly and rugged country,
that little opportunity exists for agricul-
tural development. But it is the purpose
of this short article to relate not only
what is being done in Alabama in farm
ing way, but to point out some possibil-
ities that may be gained through ra-
tional management of our many diversi-
fed soils.
The government soil surveys that have
been made in the various counties in the
state of Alabama show a remarkable d.
yersiflcation in the matter of soils. In
fact soils have been located within the
bounds of the state that have shown
, through a thorough analysis to be adapted
to practically every known crop, and the
remarkable fact about the matter is that
these soils are often found of widely diff
ferent character and adaptability within
the confines of the same farm.
In the Birmingham district. including a
large per cent of north Alabama the pre-
dominant soil may be said to be what is
known as red land, although sandy lands
frequently abound, chocolate loan, sandy
loan, gray loans and great quantity of
a complex character not easily defined.
Most of the north Alabama lands are un-
derlaid with a porous red clay, giving a
foundation on which high development is
possible under proper management. 1T Is
not possible in this short article to pre-
scribe the most rational treatment of the
different soils to bring them into high
state of cultivation, because 1t would lead
to great confusion on account of SO much
depending on the class of crops to be un-
dertaken. But it is enough to say that
most soils in Alabama are naturally rich
in a number of mineral elements so essen
tial to the proper development of plant
life.
Most of the red lands in Alabama are
naturally rich in potash salts which ex-
jst however, largely in insoluble form,
but where the proper management Is pur-
sued the potash salts are rendered soul
BILE and taken up by the growing plants
as needed. The very important elements
Of plant food that are usually deficient
are nitrogen and phosphoric acid. Thls
deficiency is usually supplied through the
use of commercial fertilizers, or through
the growing of fertilizing plants of the
legume family.
Importance of Leguminous Plants
Those who are well up in the business
of farming throughout the entire world
have clear knowledge of the great eco
nomical value of all leguminous plants.
The southern farmer. however where this
class of plant is more needed than in
any other section of the United States,
does not really appreciate their great
value. A leguminous plant is any plant
that has the ability to store up nitrogen
in the soil through the work of bacteria
on it's roots All plants such as clovers,
peas, beans and vetches, belong to the
legume family. and their growth on any
class of soil not only produces valuable
crop, which may be harvested if needed,
but will greatly benefit the land through
their ability to store up quickly available
nitrogen in the soil for some subsequent
CROP The remarkable thing about this
class of plants is the fact that the greater
part of the plant food stored is contained
in the root system. Thus a crop can be
harvested for man or beast and there will
remain in the soil a great quantity of
quickly available plant food, mostly in
the shape of nitrogen or ammonia, which
is the most expensive element of plant
food and the most needed. Another thing,
the roots of all leguminous plants, besides
storing up plant food, perform valu-
able function in putting humus or vege-
table matter in the soil, thus creating
such soils and making possible the sue
cessful growth of most any non-legum-
inous plant to follow.
The soils of Alabama are not adapted
universally TO a great many. plants of the
legume family that are successfully grown
in other localities. But the southern
farmer does have a number of plants pc
crliarly adapted to our soil conditions in
such valuable plants as COW peas, soy
beans, velvet beans, vetches, Japan clover,
crimson clover, bur clover, melilotus, pea
nuts and alfalfa. The most common and
the most valuable OF these plants is the
southern COW pea and since its culture is
extremely simple and well understood
by the southern farmer, it is really re-
markable that they are not grown to a
larger extent than they are. Most every
southern farmer is heavily burdened each
season to meet their enormous bills for
commercial fertilizer, and it should be
plain to any one that this annual fertilizer
tax could be largely reduced through a
rational system of farming, having for
its main purpose large use of all the
valuable fertilizing plants.
Small Grain in Alabama
Every one who is we'll posted must know
that Alabama pays an enormous revenue
each year for their supplies for small
grain. The assumed reason for this lies
in the wrong conclusion that small grain
cannot be produced proftably in the
south, most farmers believing 1t to be
better management to grow cotton to
produce revenue for the northwestern
farmers grain.
1t has been repeatedly. shown in Ala
bama that much larger yields of oats are
possible in Alabama than In Kansas or
any other western state, and our Boys
Corn clubs throughout Alabama are show
ing yields of corn that is absolutely i'm
Alabama can produce such large crops of
the two grains mentioned above Is the
fact that her growing seasons are very
long. giving the plants full opportunity
for longer growth, thorough maturity,
which. of course. always results in a
larger yield per acre.
Most other small grains, such as rye.