The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-09-27
Come 10 the ALabanaa State Fair October 8-13
WADE'S LETTER

Farmers of Alabama are advised to store their large food and feed crop on the farms and market them gradually, thus stretching the marketing period to cover six to nine months instead of three months as previously practiced. This would be splendid advice if the farmers were all out of debt and the crop en- tirely surplus and sufficient storage room had been provided. Only about 25 per cent of the farmers are able to do this unassisted. What about the other 75 per cent who owe money due this fall and have no storage facilities and no money with which to buy building ma terial for storage? There is something for the business man and banker to do. lf marketing must be done gradually to save the situation for all concerned then collections should be made gradual ly and extended to conform to the mar keting period instead of the usual pay iii the fall" policy. It is folly to ad wise man to do two things when one prohibits the other. The farmer must do his part but he can do but little un- less the merchant and banker cooperate by collecting little, extending payment on part and assisting in providing stor- age for the remainder for such time as the market may demand. Such a pol icy cannot be universally carried out as there are always individuals with whom one cannot deal leniently; but to a greater extent this kind of policy can and must be pursued, if the farmers are to be protected from a speculative de- pressed market and the programme of diversified farming continued in the fu- ture
 Feeding experiments have proven that corn when fed to hogs produces pork at a cost of cent per pound for each 10 cents increase cost per bushel Pork is selling at IS cents per pound and gives corn value of s1.s0 per bushel when fed to hogs. There are 1,600,000 hogs in Ala bama Every hog for the market should be made as large and fat as possible. Summer pigs may be fed through the winter and marketed in the spring to good advantage and a splendid price se- cured for surplus corn, beans and pea nut meal which would otherwise go on a depressed market at a sacrifice. The same policy may be adopted with feed ing cattle for the market. Much corn, beans and hay can be converted into profitable and ready market through cattle.
 There are at present about 50 feed- ing stuff mills in the state which crush velvet beans. If these mills run full time they can crush only one-third of the velvet beans now grown in the state. A few power corn shelters have been established but not enough to be- gin to handle the surplus corn which the market will demand to be sheHed There were $600O,0O0 worth of mixed feeds shipped into the state during the pres ent year We have the feed material, hence the need of marketing machinery and financing to prepare it for the mar ket.
 The situation is not one which the farmers can handle alone. It is a prob lem of cooperation between farmers and business men consisting of gradual marketing machinery and financing to prepare 1t for the market.
 The situation is not one which the farmers can handle alone. It is prob lem of cooperation between farmers and business men consisting of gradual mar keting, gradual collecting and financing. storage and marketing machinery. Time is limited and quick action is needed Farmers, put it up to your business men and bankers. J. A WADE Commissioner of Agriculture and Indus
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