The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-06-25
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS

or about 70 miles and got to see the growing crops.
 Greene and Sumter may have cut out cotton to large extent, but I drove through some of the best cotton lands which I have seen for a long time after crossing over into Marengo from Liv- ingston on my way to Demopolis. saw field after field of it clean of grass and ready for the July sun.
 sst~
 Now, I was born and reared in cot ton country and have been used to 1t all of my life. for in Barbour it was the principal crop for scores of years until the peanut and the velvet bean and the hog came along to compete with it for the favor of the farmers and to show them that the trio would pay better div !dends than the fleecy staple which from time immemorial had kept most of them in debt.
 When I arrived at Livingston, my old side partner in the Red Cross bull sale was at the depot to greet me, but un- fortunately a pressing business engage nent prevented his joining me on my way to the rooster dinner" at Demop- olis, but Frank Derby, Jr, took good care of me in spite of the wretched roads and the mishap of breaking the big front spring of his seven-passenger Buick.
 It's funny how a new fad gets a grip on a fellow. Until Frank Derby, Sr., fioated into Birmingham with his pipe dream" about raising $100,00O for the Red Cross through the sale of bulls, I had not been particularly interested in cattle. Then Bob Seals, veritable walking en- cylclopedia about Short Horns, came to town. A bit later Fred Jones, the presi- dent of the Southern Mems Cattle as- sociation, appeared on the scene, and the three innoculated me with live stock virus, and my how it took!
 I like a man who is in love with his job. and if there ever was a fellow who loved fine cows, that man is Fred Jones; and so when the committee tied us to- gether to go up and down the state to CT cate enthusiasm for the sale, it meant that for two weeks or more was under the spell and tutelage of an expert in cattle, and had calf for breakfast, COW for dinner and bull for supper, until was convinced that any one who was not interested in registered stock was outside the pale of ordinary gentility. Now, when I get bitten by any kind of a bug, I just keep scratching until 1 find out something about it's past, present and future; and so when the cattle tick got me I first, as is my habit, got up on the literature of the subject I bought the best books could find on live stock, acquired government bulletins, took to reading cattle and farm papers, and just crammed up on the great new industry which was getting foothold in Ala bama-
 1 I have been a bookish man all my life, but am no mere theorist, but when l get interested in a subject try to mas | ter 1t both theoretically and practically. The fortnight with Fred Jones was just I the college course which needed in cat tie, for he knows the breeds, and what each type stands for; he knows the state and what parts of it are best suited to the various classes of live stock. While he Is fond of registered cattle. he is not above saying good word for grade cattle.
 | I noticed as we hurried over Alabama he did not have the same message wher- ever he went, but adapted his talks tc the section in which he found himself At some places he frankly advised against any of his hearers attempting I to go into stock raising save in very limited way. He was always careful to warn amateurs against trying to plunge on registered stock until they had learned degrees bringing up the native stock 1
 1 I do not pose as a judge of cattle, but l I do say that I have a more intelli- gent interest in the improvement of Ala bama cows and clearer idea concern l ing the best places in which to build up a herd than before sat at the feet of Fred Jones' This was why I was glad to get into such cattle counties as Greene. Sumter and Marengo. and sec with my own eyes the fine herds as rode through the country and to feas my soul on the green pastures which seemed to stretch out mile upon mile. l I passed by some fine old ante-bellun homes, and they brought up a flood O tender memories of life that has ceased II to exist; but as much as I joyed i, I glimpsing them, my heart was more glad dened by the sight of modern bungalows spacious barns towering silos and tn latest thing in farm machinery. for i showed that at last 8 new forward look ing race was on the ground ready to mee
 the new standards of the twentieth cen turn.
 got to see the famous Haggins plan
 tation and Ennis Thornton. the manager
 has the right to be proud of the lovel,
 home set in a grove on a hill command
 ing view of the broad acres. I say
 a splendid herd of cattle. a flock o
 sheep and many hogs. I think withou
 question it's the finest country homestea,
 I have ever seen in Alabama, reminding
 me of some of the blue grass homes il
 Kentucky or the Hermitage near Nash
 vile.
 Any man with a vision will have hi
 faith in the future of cattle in Alabam | strengthened who will take the ride