The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-02-24

the cooperative extension WOrk Tn aS- riculture and home economies, submit ted his annual report yesterday on the work accomplished in Alabama by county agents for the year 1917 It shows wonderful advancement In all ag- ricutural, livestock and poultry depart ments and reflects credit on the work of all agents, both individually and CO., operatively. The report in full follows:
 Honorable Bradford Knapp, chief, of flee of extension work in the south, Washington, and Professor J. F. Dug gar. director extension service of Ala bama, Auburn:
 Dear Sirs-I have the honor of sub hitting herewith my annual report of the farm demonstration work as done by the county agents in the year 1917.
 The data herein does not include the supervisory work done by the district agents. Nor does it give the full re- suits of all county agents in all the counties of the state, due to the ap- pointment of a number of new agents and the resignation of several of the old ones; the new agents not being in the service long enough to familiarize themselves with the work done by their predecessors, the old agents resigning before making full report of all their activities.
 In many respects the results obtained are very gratifying, notwithstanding some of them were had under adverse conditions. The unprecedented weather conditions of the year 1916 left the farm CTS of Alabama greatly handicapped for the lack of feed and food crops on account of the extremely high prices of in, hotr ntC m were not able to keep their work stock in the condition in which they should be kept to do best work. But we are delighted to say to you such conditions do not exist in Alabama today. Prac- tically all farmers in Alabama have an abundance of corn, velvet beans, and other feed, if judiciousy used and prop erly taken care of, to maintain their livestock until another crop is gathered
 AIM AT DIVERSIFICATION
 The principal aim of the county agents work in Alabama has been di- versification. The evils that have come to Alabama as result of one-crop sys- tom are apparent to the casual ob- server who looks upon the impoverished soils of the state. The United States department of agriculture, colleges, newspapers and individuals have preached diversification, in season and out of season, for a century, but only in the last few years have we diver sified as much as our fathers did. There is a reason, things do not just happen. It is very easy to tell the farmer he ought to diversity; few will. but the majority will say: T can't sell my di- versified crops, but I can sell cotton anywhere and at any time" But things are different now. You can sell any, thing you grow as quickly as you can cotton.
 With the boil weevil there is no crop in Alabama that carries the element of risk that cotton does. Then, too. no crop requires as much work and ex- pense to grow, harvest and market as cotton In view of these facts 1t ought to be apparent to the average farmer that 1t Is safer farming, and perhaps more profitable to grow a larger acre. age of feed and food crops that the production of cotton. notwithstanding the present high prices.
 It cannot be claimed that our forces were entirely responsible for the great increase in acreage and production of all foodcrops, but they united with all other forces in Alabama working to- wards this end, with the result that Alabama leads all the southern states in the increased production of food crops. The figures incorporated in the body of this report will show the large part played by the county agents in the way of increased production of diversi-
 COTTON
 The cotton yield in Alabama this year was small. However, our demonstrations compare favorably with yields made be- fore the coming of the boil weevil. There were SIG demonstrations in cotton repre- sentng 11,s41 acres, making an average yield of S95 pounds of seed cotton per of 800 pounds per acre over the average or the state. In addition to this, we have I3l05 co-operators representing total acreage of 39,502, making an average yield of 69i pounds of seed cotton per acre, or practically twice the yield of the average farm of Alabama.
 Part of the increased yield of cotton per acre on demonstration farms, as well as other farms. is due to, the spe- cial boil weevil fight which was begun on January 9 and 26 when joint meet ing was held in Montgomery of the rep resentatives of the extension department of the Alabama Polytechnic institute, the state department of agriculture, | United States department of agricultr and the Montgomery Chamber of Com nerce, at which time cooperative ar engagement was made to put in the field March three boil weevil specialists. Messrs J. w. Moss, w. P. Smith and J.. C.. Taylor were engaged to do this special work, working the months of March, April, May, June and July, with the ex- ception of MT. Taylor who resigned June 16. These agents reached the farmers in most of the boil weevil territory of Alabama and did excellent work. as Is evidenced by their reports showing that they travelled 19,63S miles, held 269 meet ings, with an attendance of 13.933 held 650 conferences with business men and report 250O visits to individual farmers. These agents did not only do special bool weevil work, but they assisted the county agent in inducing the farmers to grow more feed and food crops and to do general diversified farming. The re- suit of the work of these specialists is obvious in every county in which they worked.c They caused the farmers to make great fight on the boil weevil { and in most instances where the farm CTS took their advice they made nor mai yield of cotton per acre.
 GRAINS
 There were 1G19 demonstrations. repre- senting total acreage of 31,S55. with an average yield of 33 bushels per acre; 2339 co-operators. representing total acreage e 29.242, with an average yield of 25 passhels per acre.
 On account of the severe freezes last w.nter great portion of the oat crop was killed. and where not destroyed completely. was more or less damaged, making both our total acreage and yield per acre small. There were 80 demon strations in oats. representing 1924 acres. making an average yield of 29 bushels