The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-01-13
BOIL WEEV|L IS NO LONGER FEARED IN
 W|REGRASS REGION
Editor Hilson Declares That Value of Stock Raised Is Greater Than
 Cotton Crop

The wiregrass section of Alabama is enjoying prosperity without precedent.
 The ravages of the boil weevil are no longer feared and the farmers in Houston and adjoining counties have more money and are in better financial condition than they have ever been before.
 This was the news brought to Bir- mingham last night by l. B. Ellison. edi- tor and proprietor of the Dothan Daily Dispatch. Mre Hilson is well known throughout the state and has been en- gagged in the newspaper business in Ala bama and Florida for number of years During the regime of the late Frank P. O'Brien, as proprietor ofeThe Age-H Herald, MT. Hilson was connected with that paper For some years he was the editor of the Pensacola News, but returned to his native state some years ago.
 In speaking of the improved condi- tions in his section, he declared that the value of the hogs raised during the past year was. greater than that of the cot ton crop Cattle are being raised in great numbers and fine breeding stock is being imported all the time. Velvet beans various kinds of feed and other diversi- fled products have served to pay off the farm mortgages. and give the farmers plenty of cash money.
 WAVE OF PROSPERITY
 The wiregrass section of Alabama especially that part around Dothan, Is in a wave of prosperity such as nc prophet. with any consideration for his prophetic reputation, would have dared predict a few months ago, when it seemed that the boil weevil ands the rains to- gether had conspired to bring ruin to g heretofore favored section.
 But the golden pot was found at the end of the rainbow, and everyone is smil ing, not only in anticipation, but over the immediate present.
 'Dothan has shipped hogs of more value than the heretofore large cotton crop She has bought more and finer cattle for breeding purposes in the past four or five months than she has imported ir the same number of years before.
 "A syrup refinery has been established which has paid out over $3O00O for cane that city.
 .'So much corn has been raised this year that two concerns, one of local capi- tai, the other from the outside, are put ting up feed mills in Dothan, involving an outlay of about $75OO0. The citizens have made up a purse of 5000, which they intend contributing toward the erection of creamery A cucumber pickling plant has been arranged for and about 800 acres of pickles have been pledged by the farmers for the spring.
 BEAUTIFUL GREEN CARPET
 Thousands of bushels of oats ant hundreds of bushels of wheat are now covering the earth and making a beauti- full green carpet where in former years the earth lay bare and barren.
 '"The farmers have gone to work witt a will, as they now have a ready cash market for their products, which they did not have in former years except 'fol cotton.
 Some cotton, of course. will be raised but peanuts, velvet beans, syrup, SOY beans and corn will in the future be the main money crops of the wiregrass. Ant if you find any better hogs than art raised and cured in the wiregrass they will have to come from Arcadia.
 ''The people of north Alabama don know just what a city Dothan is It has fine paved streets. splendid schoolhouses the finest and best arranged municipa. opera house and public building in ths state and everything else that goes te make up a real city"