The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-02-18
ARM INDUSTRY IN TUSCALOOSA SECOND ID MANUF FACTUR|NG
The Agricultural Production Promises to Be Greatly Increased and of
 Varied Kind
Rx JOHN TIpPEx

Tuscaloosa, February 17-(Special) Second only in importance to the man. ufacturing industries of the Tusca- loosa district, comes the agricultural industry of Tuscaloosa county. With a and total crop valuation of approx imately $7,000000 there is little fear but that Tuscaloosa will be able to feed and clothe herself from her own prod ucts in the future.
 Reversing the general order of things in 1917, neither corn nor hay were inn ported into Tuscaloosa from other counties, the past year being the first one in quarter of century when it was not necessary for large quanti- ties of hay to be shipped in from the county.
 Until recent years cotton was the principal crop of this county, but by the scientific diversification of crops, the farmers have learned that there are many other crops more profitable than the white staple, and while con- siderable cotton is still produced a phenominal increase in other crops was noticeable in 1917.
 With it's varied soils, equable eli mate and abundant rainfall, there is q wide diversity in agricultural prod ucts, and what might be termed crop failure has never been known.
 Not only corn and cotton, but wheat, oats, barley, rye. sugar cane, hay, and all varieties of vegetables are now pro- duced on scale which a few years back would have been considered inn possible.
 As fruit raising county, Tusca- loosa is almost without an equal. Fine apples are grown extensively on the ridges of the northern hill country. and figs, peaches, pears and plums. which have been planted in all parts of the county for many years, produce abundant yields.
 In the river valleys below Tusca- loosa, and in the uplands as we'll there are many fine pecan groves, and the native scuppernong and other grapes thrive everywhere, as do the succu- lent strawberry, the luscious raspber- " and the ubiquitous blackberry.
 Both the watermelon and the canta- 1oupe are to be considered dependa- ble crop, the melons produced in this section being large, juicy and finely favored.
 Few regions are better adapted to dairying and stock raising than Tus- caloosa county, and no where are these interests making more rapid advance than here. Live stock, which live in the open the entire year, require the minimum of winter feeding or pro- lection here, where all necessary hay and other feeds are produced on the same farms with the cattle
 A steadily increasing home market is supplied for practically every thing raised on the farm by the growing mining towns and manufacturing cen ters of the district
 A new crop which will be undertaken by the farmers for the first time this season is that of cucumbers, 200 acres of which are to be planted and home market for every bushel of which is guaranteed by the Heinz Pickle com pany of Pittsburg.
 This firm has established factory branch in Tuscaloosa, and is contract ing with the farmers before planting to take their entire crop of pickles, at price agreed upon before the seed are even put in the ground.
 In addition to this, the Heinz com pany is furnishing the seed to all ap- plicants without charge, and is main taining cucumber expert in Tusca- loosa to advise and assist the farm CTS in planting, cultivating and gath ering their crop, which will insure largest possible production and highest prices.