The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-02-09
COSTS AN ENORMOUS SUM TOFEED PEOPLE I0F CITY ONE YEAR Over Twenty-Five Million Spent Annually For Agri-
 cultural Products INTERESTING DATA BY B. WILKINSON Blue Grass of Kentucky Comes to Alabama For It's Alfalfa But Bir-
 mingham Sends to the Far
 Western States

Consumption of agricultural products by the Birmingham district in one year amounts to- about $25O0O, 600, according to figures compiled for The Age-Herald by E. Wilkinson, one of the best informed men on this question in the state
 Following is the data compiled by MT. Wilkinson.
 The Birmingham mineral district uses every day in the year as follows:
 Four car loads of Irish potatoes, worth annually s450,o00; two car loads of sweet potatoes, worth annually s2a5,0O0; 20 tons of cabbage, worth annually $15O 900; 1900 bushels of oats, worth annually s2.o0O. GOO; lo,ooo bushels of corn, worth annually s2.- 250,0o0; 200 tons of hay, worth annually H, 100000; 100 tons of other food stuff, worth annually s75o,ooo; 10000 gallons of milk, worth annually s.so0,oOO, butter, milk and cream worth annually s500.000 eggs. worth annually N,s0o,00o And annu- ally, 29,7S4 carcasses of beef 37,"43 car- cases of hogs, mutton and veal fresh cuts of meat in bulk, weighing 6,972, ,199 pounds. $2,447,300; 1000 barrels of flour daily, worth annually s1,5o0O00; total, s15,. O720O0.
 These figures do not include salt meat. smoked meat, canned meat ham, bacon, lard, poultry, butter, apples, canned veg etables, canned fruit or fresh vegetables.
 Two concerns in Birmingham alone send to the state of Kansas annually over s150,000 for butter
 Costs Over $25, ,000, 900 Annually
 hoe 11r figures given above, would make grand total of from s20.OOo,0oo to s25, 100000 an- nually.
 Many of the figures given above are of necessity estimated, but if any error has been made, it is under, rather than over estimated. The figures on cattle and fresh meat cover only actual inspection made within the city limits of Birmng- ham by the city health department, and cover the past year.
 Advantages a producer in Alabama would enjoy as compared with a pro- ducer of farm products in the states from which a large per cent of these goods are drawn.
 Alfalfa hay coming from Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Kansas carries a freight rate to Birmingham proper of from 42 to 60 cents per 100. or from 40 to SIP per ton. The average charge on this hay from Alabama points to Birmingham proper would be 12 cents per 100, or $40 per ton, or an average saving of sS per ton in transpor- tation charges alone Alfalfa in the Ala bama territory will usually make four and sometimes five cuttings, and estimat- ing the production as low as two tons annually per acre, would show a saving as compared with the western shipper of SIG per acre. This is 16 per cent interest on land estimated at s1Oo per acre.
 ''The acerage rate on grain from the large grain producing territory is from 32 to 40 cents per 100 while the average rate from Alabama points to Birmingham would be 10 cent per 100 making an av- craze saving in freight charges on corn and oats of 26 cents per 100. With a yield of 40 bushels of corn per acre, this would be a saving in transportation to the Alabama producer as com- pared with northern and western ship per of $5.S2 per acre, or almost per cent interest on land valued at $1O0 per acre.
 Comes Here For Hay
 "The great stock farm in Kentucky. | called the Hagan farm, located in the celebrated blue grass section, famous for producing fine stock, investigated alfalfa lands throughout the alfalfa belts; have invested thousands of dollars in lands. and are spending thousands more improv- Ing these lands in Alabama. They do not to put this alfalfa hay on the market, but have made this investment | In our state to raise alfalfa for ship | ment to the large farm in Kentucky, to 1 be consumed by their own stock.
 When the great blue grass region Of | Kentucky comes to Alabama for it's al- | falfa, it is almost criminal for the sup ply of alfalfa needed in the Birmingham | ylstrict to be shipped from the far west l srn states of New Mexico. Colorado and | 4 rizona. with a loss in transportation | alone of $S per ton.'