The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-12-26
ARE LEARNING VALUE.
 0F CANNED GOODS.
Women Agents Conference Strengthens Crop Diversi-
 ficatiOn Movement

Washington, December 25.-6Special.)
 Interest in the movement for the diver
 sification of crops in Alabama and
 throughout the south in general has been
 strengthened by a conference in Wash
 ington of women agents from l5 southern states who are active in farmers CO.,
 operative demonstration work. These
 agents have supervision over the work
 Of 369 county agents who in turn direct
 the work of 3S, 420 girls.
 Among the stories told by these agents
 was that of one southern girl who last
 year cleared s1so by raising and selling
 turkeys, and sSsS from chickens.
 This young woman's success" said the
 agent who related the tale, evidently has
 made an impression on her father, as
 he has reduced his cotton acreage 50 per
 cent and is putting in vegetables instead;
 also, he has installed small canner and
 he and his family propose to can a large
 amount of their produce for the mar
 ket''
 Suggestions that fig culture would be found profitable were advanced by q couple of the agents, one of whom said: Although the area where figs will grow in this country is extremely limited, in certain sections of southern Mississippi
 this fruit grows so plentifully that it's
 value is not appreciated and barrels of figs go to waste every year. Under the conditions that exist in dooryards and gardens the trees require little or no cul- tivation and the majority of owners ca, l few, can a few for home use, and per init the rest to go to waste except in localities where commercial oanners are prepared to buy the fruit from day to day as it ripens
 During the past year two counties of southern Mississippi decided to specialize in canning figs. One girl packed 500 pints which she sold for from % to 40 cents a pint. The girls in these sections are now leaving tomatoes for other less fortunate districts where figs will not grow and are planting six fig trees on their tenth acre formerly planted to the other crop. The demand for this product from figless sections is far beyond the supply. -Four years ago there were only two countries in Mississippi where organized gardens and canning club work was car
 ried on for the girls the next year there were F counties: the next g. and during the past year there were 5 counties or ganized.
 "Pimentoes have proved q particular boon to certain counties in South Caro- lima as have figs in Mississippi. Certain clubs which had been specializing on to- matoes decided that there was a possi-
 bility in pimentoes, which are not so gem
 erally grown and whicn are canned iu practically no other parts of this country.
 the main canned product here being im- ported from Spain and Mexico. Since the product of these young women has been put on the market, requests have como
 from 45 states for information regarding the canning and culture of this valuable food product which the American people l in general do not yet understand" | The total profit of all the South Caro- | lima club girls for the past year was over | s2s, GOO Every agent who assists the girls ] is a college graduate who has received 1 special domestic-science training. Home demonstration work is a feature. the motto being Do one thing at time 1 There was, for instance, a home made l fireless-coolSer campaign which lasted for | three days in one section and resulted | in 100 homemade cookers being put into use fly-trap campaign is to be next ! in order and after that butter-malking ] campaign.