The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-07-09
COTTON DECREASE
 IN FOUR STATES Commissioners Show Aver age Is P Per Cent HOGS ARE PLENTIFUL Alabama Has B Per Cent More Hogs and p Per Cent More
 Corn Than Last
 Year
HOGS ARE PLENTIFUL
By HERyEy W. LAIRD

Atlanta, July S.--lSpecial 1.-The Ala
 bama commissioner of agriculture esti-
 mates that the supply of hogs in his state
 will be at least SS per cent over that of
 last year. and that the corn crop shows an increase of % per cent.
 l He finds that there has been planted
 much less cotton, and that the lands not
 used for cotton have been given over
 to grain. Also that the crop has been
 made at less cost by far than in other
 years, and that the debts made are way
 below the usual.
 l The amount of food for humans and
 feed for animals has also been greatly
 increased.
 The commissioners of agriculture of tho
 four states of Alabama, Georgia, Flori- da and South Carolina find that the aver | age reduction in the cotton acreage in
 the four states is % per cent, as com pared to the ordinary plant of the past 1 few years.
 For Alabama Commissioner Wade places 1 the reduction at 25 per cent. basing this 1 on reports from middle and east Ala l bama especially; Commissioner Price of i Georgia sets it at 20 per cent in his state; Commissioner McRae of Florida puts his | | Carolina officials of the same class esti- | mates IS per cent in the Palmetto state l In the case of Georgia, Commissioner l Price is supported by Charles J. HadeE l of the Georgia Chamber of, Commerce.
 who estimates the reduction at the same figures as the department 20 per | cent.
 l These facts are presented in state ments made to the service bureau of | a Tfact a.s., company. which has been making a I s survey of the farming territory in which it operates.
 The most gratifying information,
 however, is the fact that there has been
 planted in the acres usually devoted
 to cotton an immense amount of grain
 and to fatten on this grain a great
 horde of hogs. And what is equally
 important the crop of this year is be- l ing made at from one-fourth to one
 half the cost of average years
 The Alabama official reports an in-
 crease of 20 per cent in the amount of
 grain being raised, and % per cent in
 corn; the increase in the number of l hogs runs to B per cent. By this fail l he thinks, the farmers will have made
 enough food for their families and feed
 for their stock; also that their crop l of peas is very much larger than ir. many years before. The cost of the present Alabama crop is 30 per cent
 under the usual, with reduction of 40 per cent in the debts made to put , it in.
 Chamber of Commerce, estimates from l his reports that there has been an in- crease in the amount of corn in Geor- gia equal to 25 per cent. with the wheat
 and oat crops about 100 per cent great
 CT There are more hogs by over a I thlrd, and q lot more peas Almost
 enough food for humans and feed for
 stock has been produced. or will be by 1 fall. He also finds that the farmers have made less debt by half than they
 did last year.
 The commissioner of Georgia and MT. Haden are practically together in the figures which they give, especially with 1 regard to hogs and the cost of making
 the crop
 1 sioner reports an advance of fully 20 per cent over last year, with about a like ] increase in hogs He thinks that the l farmers have almost enough food and
 stock feed to run them through to spring
 The cost of the crop is very much under
 other seasons, and the debts of the peo- | pie are much under the usual.
 The largest crop of wheat and oats l ever planted in the state has been har- l vested, writes the Commissioner of i South Carolina. He finds an increase of 1 30 per cent in corn, of a considera ble
 amount in wheat and oats and 30 per cent l in hogs. The fall will find almost enough
 food for folks and feed for stock among l the farmers, and they are making the present crop with 75 per cent less debts
 than in 1914. The cost of the 1915 crop in South Carolina is fully s20,000,000 under what it was last year.
 In many sections grain mills have been l built to take care of the excess supplies l of wheat and corn, and there is talk of | packing plants in many sections to take l care of the hogs. The fact is, many 1 leading men are waking up to the i'm portance of finding a market at good
 prices for this large increase in crops l not heretofore offered for sale in such 1 volume. recognizing that if the producers
 cannot dispose of them at a profit they will jump back to cotton in the years 1 to come.