The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-08-17
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS

crops and the conservation of foods, 5 made up my mind to get her a chance to
 carry her gospel out in the middle west.
 
 I have already given the story of how
 almost by chance I got her an engage
 ment with Redpath Chautauqua, but for
 several weeks I have been so busy pol.
 iticking," or vainly imagining that was,
 that was unable to quit long enough to give some incidents out of letter from Alabama's great farm woman, who is
 making such hit in Ohio.
 '"The gentleman from Ohio" has been in the public mind for the past few
 weeks, but this is not to be a political article, but a story of "the woman from Alabama" who invaded Ohio, not to SOW seeds to get votes, but to urge the farm. CTS to plant something to feed the boys
 lover there" and keep us from gong hungry at home.
 I might, however, incidentally say while side glancing at prohibition that in q paragraph of her letter she says: Pro- hibition is live issue here, and the peo- pie are rebelling at food regulations, while the brewers consume so much for drink. Ohio is certainly wet, and some | towns seem to have saloons on every corner. I wonder how they exist as 1 towns at all"
 1 Now I felt that if anybody on earth could put enthusiasm into crop raising l for war purposes, it was Mrs. Mathis, l for have seen her go into cities in Ala bama and get men, women and children crazy about planting gardens, and then go into the country and set the farmers wild to go in for diversification of crops. This is why wanted her to get lick at the fellows who are so strong for corn and wheat crops.
 | But this was not the only reason. ] might as well own up that I had an ul- terior motive, and that it was to turn ] their eyes toward the fertile but cheap lands in Alabama, for think my friend Byrd Farmer of Dothan spoke true when he told me, after studying the question, that he believed good farms were to be had in this state at a lower price than anywhere in America. This opinion of l his was backed up by land valuer who was in the employ of big corporation whose business it was to make farm loan mortgages in a number of different states.
 l What Alabama needs is more white l farmers who have been used sto work I themselves, for farm labor is getting scarcer and scarcer, and it's only little time before the whole state will have to I get on the basis now Tn vogue which is making the wire grass section so pros porous, and that is to break the planta- tions up into small farms, and have them worked by the owners with the help of day labor called in at special times.
 Already a number of thrifty and ener- getic farmers from the west have come to Alabama and they are making good. and they are worth more than any paid agents whose business it is to advertise the possibilities of the states agricultural resources. They have lived in our midst and know that the soil and the eli mate is as fine as anywhere in the United States.
 | Now, as a promoter of Alabama's op. portunities for farming, know of no one in Mrs Mathis class, and I knew if it could be arranged so that she could deliver Ter message to the well to do in tha crraat f farr,inc sections that sha womb open the eyes of many and make them want to make a change, and this is just what she has done, and quite few are beginning to figure on coming our way.
 "The farmers seem astonished" she says, when I tell them that we can plant four months out of the year, and l Irish potatoes over a period of six | months, and that in many sections cattle 1 can graze out the whole twelvemonth. Here in Ohio am told that there is l limit of 15 days when corn can be planted with the hope of good yield. I am boosting Alabama and telling them to come and live with us, that true south ern welcome awaits them"
 "Now, here is what they say about one of their principal crops. They must get their wheat in before the last of Sep tember. I tell them we can plant up to l December I am speaking to great crowds, who give me a most patient and enthusiastic hearing. Scores come up to | talk to me after I finish my address, and many come to the hotel to ask me further 1 questions about the climate, the soil, 1 the prices, and the schools and living conditions. I am greatly enjoying tho opportunity to tell them the truth. 1
 "Ohio is great farming state. and am glad to bc billed at a number of places in the heart of the great agricultural districts. It is'pathetic to see how eagerly many who have to bear the bitter cold listen to my story of how we can live out of doors almost the year round with out having to be blinded by snow or bit l ten by frost or chilled with ice I never before realized what the long, cold win. ters mean to thousands, and how many there are who want to escape it. |
 ''I think have done good work for my native state. I will be in Ohio until Au- gust 20. and then will take up my itiner- | ary in Pennsylvania for a while. and will go from there int6 North Carolina I forgot to say that the dry weather here