The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-11-16

In country such as ours, which is
growing at so rapid pace, and in which
land values are yet rising rapidly, there
is no demand for so or 50-year loans. The
fertility of the soil enables our farmers
to pay for their land in a period of from
to 10 years, while the European farmer
with the high prices of land and small
profit. requires a generation. In addi-
ton to the greater fertility of our soil,
our timber. and our pasture ranges have
much to do with our better conditions,
as compared to the exhausted resources
of the older countries.
There aree still millions of acres In
this country to be had by merely home
steading them. A further advantage
which our farmers possess is the fact
that taxes in this country are q mere
bagatelle compared to the enormous bur-
den imposed by the European govern
ments, to say nothing of the further
strain imposed by the three years OF en-
forced military service of every able
bodied man.
AS there is not a system of agricultural
credit in Europe which has not the
friendly influence and support of the gov
ernment l fully believe that il the next
legislature will pass laws in accordance
with the plans of Mr.. w. p. G. Harding,
leading birmingham banker, as out
lined In the last meeting of the executive
committee of the land congress in Mont
eomery, it will bring about results
whereby our farmers can secure money at
G per cent for long time loans. This
would be substantial reduction on time
loans, their interest charges, and If suf-
ficient money can be obtained ON 5 or
10-year loans, at this rate. L believe all
present requirements would be fully met.
Nor do see where the plans offered
above could, in anywise, injure our pres
ent banks. In fact, 1 believe it would
tend to help them as the selling of these
long time mortgage bonds at money CEN
ters away from here would bring new
capital into the state, which would swell
the deposits of commercial banks. A fur
ther evidence that there is a better day
dawning for the Alabama farmer now
can be seen by the large number of small
banks which are being established all
over the south.
l note in the press that the President
Senatore Gore OF Oklahoma, and others
are at work upon plan by which the
government may lend to the farmers di-
rect and this may prove to be a happy So
luton of the whole problem. As this state
in particular could use all of its capi-
tai for commercial and manufacturing
purposes, as the present indications point
to an unprecedented era of material
growth and expansion following upon the
opening of the Panama canal, Our trans
portation facilities will be taxed to ham
die the traffic and already one of our
four trunk lines is double tracking, and
the others must soon follow Its example
Our marvellous resources of coal. iron and
timber are destined in the next 10 years
to make this the leading Industrial state
of the union, and to sustain the tremen-
dous growth in population which is sure
to follow. Our farmers will be taxed to
their utmost capacity to produce the nee
essary food products, and newer meth
DDS of farming and finance will be re-
quired
AS an example of what is possible along
this line. / may mention some instances
which l observed on my last visit to
Europe. In one case T saw land which
had been in use for 2000 years, which pro-
duced this year more wheat per acre than
lit did SO years EGO, this being brought
about by careful rotation of crops, thor
ough cultivation and high fertilization.
Another case is in southern Italy, where
saw three growing crops ON one field
at the same time. First, several rows of
potatoes or beans or peas, etc, then a
row of grape vines, trained on posts,
planted at 12-foot intervals, then more
potatoes or peas. And then row of Lom-
hardy poplars. planted at intervals of "a
feet. The limbs from these poplars are
stripped off entirely every two years; the
small twigs bundled for stovewood. and
all sizes above that of q mans thumb
are burned for charcoal: thus we have
wood, food and wine all produced at the
same time.
Statistics show for the last 10 years
the following yield of wheat per acre:
England, 3S bushels; Germany. 20; France,
20; United States, IA; of oats Germany,
over 90; France, 81. and the United States,
80; in potato raising we are much behind
the European farmer. While we average
IS bushels to the acre, Germany makes
200. France 1873, England and Ireland 1893.
SO you cannot blame the European for
saying that the American farmer is less
of farmer than speculator in land.
i have witnessed great Improvement in
the productive capacity of lands In this
state since / have been here. Piney
woods lands which from 1880 to 1890, would
only have made one-fifth of bale to
an acre. now produces one-half bale to
the acre, and where l5 bushels of corn
was considered a fair crop, 25 to 80
are now made, not saying anything of
the prize acres of 200 bushels I had the
pleasure of serving as one of the Judges
of the agricultural products at our fair
few days ago, and it gives me great
pleasure to report 50 bushels of corn being
raised by a boy under IA yeas of age
after the oat crop was cut off of the
same land. When schoolboys can do SUCH
things, why cannot men make from so to
100 bushels. at least, by using better seed,
deeper plowing, fertilization. etc?
All Is being taken away from our land
and there is no return to it of the plant
food removed We must appreciate the
prCfitableness of barnyard manure or
usA more commercial fertilizers. There
are millions of acres of land still in