The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-06-03

| fore; last hut not least, to raise a l fine lot of boys and girls imbued with l a spirit of progress and vision of what the future has for everyone that will
 make the most of opportunities.
 PROGRESSIVE SPIRIT
 This progressive spirit cannot but 1 rebound to the credit and profit of the south. It has been brought about by a livelier cooperation on the part | of all concerned in agricultures Too long the south has been only a cot ton country. President Wilson recent appeal that farmers of the south plant abundant foodstuffs as well as cot ton and show by the variety of their duty, has been Loyalty answered. Di- versification in the southland has at last become a reality.
 "This has been effected through many agencies. Man is always unless he sees a practical road to their accomplishment. The road has been made clear by the depart- ment of agriculture In Washing
 ton. the various agricultural de- partments and associations in the states, the farm demonstration agencies, the canning and pig
 clubs which are springing up ev- anywhere, and the splendid work of Mrs. G. H. Mathis in this state,
 under the auspices of the Alabama
 Bankers association.
 This is an age where cooperation counts, where cooperation is a vital necessity to success. It is the new
 int 1f Id. ing and serving together,'s in the mem orable words of President Wilson which is doing it's invaluable work in the southland. Wonderful progress has already been made. Specialized educa- tion and the availability of the latest and most authoritative, scientific in forma tion have made many things pos sible for southern farmers
 Now that we are at war and the necessity of feeding not only our own people but those of our friends the entente allies efficiency in farming is absolutely indispensable If we are to win out in this grim and terrible war for democracy the individual produo- tivity of every man and every acre of land must be reckoned with It is not matter of north. south. east or west The intelligence of all is challenged: the whole-hearted cooperation of ev- Ci IHdiNlQudl CIllZcA IS essential.
 Our consciences are clear, as we lend our sons and money and strength, in fact, all our resources, to the fed eral government that we are fight Ing without anmus and without self ish aim for the things which are our most precious national heritag ge-dem- ocracy, freedom and right. No one wants war; nobody sought war. New ertheless, the war is upon us and will tt.xr zIv cry cloud there is a silver lining. and in the war cloud even the boil wee vii cloud, as it hangs over the south land, there are many things that will prove of lasting benefit
 ''The south will learn to feed
 herself. and in so doing she will
 not only profit, hut also restore
 the fertility of her lands. The
 landlord and the big planter will
 go out unto the plantations not
 merely to collect rents, but to see
 that every acre under his personal guidance and direction is produce ing it's maximum. If labor is hard to get. he will buy modern labor saving machinery and so overcome
 that serious and ominOus obstacle. He will not let his products go to waste. but will cooperate with his ncighbors on marketing lines and in all his ambitions he will secure and retain the co-operatiOn 1, of his bankers. the state and na- tiOnaI government.
 | "A few days ago I read how farm l CTS in England and France have been i buying large power tractors and blows | from the United States and how un- I der necessity for food. these machines were working day and night with shifts of labor There occurred to me | instantly the thought that a similar
 condition might arise in this country. l This wonderful southland. adopting l like methods in such an emergency l could produce surprising results It is no extravaganza to say that the south 1 land, in such case, could feed not l only the United States but it could 1 feed the world.
 I Whatever the future holds it is 1 a sure thing right now and for some 1 years to come, that every acre of land can be made to produce at a profit and no market for foodstuffs will he i glutted. The man who does his bit ou the farm is doing a big bit In/ ad dition to profting considerably himself | he will be helping to feed the nation and the peoples everywhere who are fighting Tor the principles which in l sure for every American birthrisht