The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-12-25
/, VALUE OF ALABAMA'S CROP

 The total value of Alabama s field crop production for 1919 is Ss94, ,42fooo, accord ing to tie final estimates made public to- day by the Alabama cooperative crop re. porting service after confirmation of the figures from the Washington office of the bureau of crop estimates. This aggre- gat values compares with a revised total ! of s354, ,27S, eco for the same crops produced in 1918. Cotton in both years is credited with the greatest value of any one crop, the total value of lint and seed in 1919 being $l4s.966ODo and in t91S $1826i5,ooo, being in each instance little over 40 per cent of the aggregate
 The aggregate acreage actually culti- vated on the farms of Alabama in 1919 was 926S,0oo.
 The figures for 1919 constitute a re vision of preliminary estimates relating to all crops In revising preliminary es- inmates for 1919, the Alabama co-opera- tive crop reporting service is indebted to about 1900 farmers, who reported their acreage and production for both years, which reports were ofvery great service in determining the acre yield, and the relative acreage and production f1gures for each crop The values given to the crops are thoses found to be about the average farmwalue being received by the farmers on December |
 The total acreage actually in cultivation or the farms of Alabama in 1919 is -esti- mated to have been 9,26S,0OO, and in lslS 9, ,O62 900, an increase of a little more than 2 per cent over the former year. The irterplanted and duplicated acreage ran the total drop acreage for 1919 to F. S62 coo, and in 1918 to 12111,0 ,000, which was also an increase of about ? per cent over the former year This increase in. acreage devoted to growing crops in Ala bama was accomplished this year in the face of very marked labor shortage, and it's cultivation was attended with more than the usual difficulty on account of excessive rains during the cultivating season.
 The. volume of production in 1919 was not qnite so large as that in 1918, due ta the unfavorablc season and the con sequent inability to cultivate to the full measure of efficiency. In spte of this fact the aggregate value of the crop grown was greater in 1919 thanin the pre- vious year, due to the higher unit values
 The acre yield of corn in 1919 was one tenth of bushel less than in 19lS ant the aggregate production was about IT, ee0009 bushels less The amount of corn produced is probably sufficient for farm purposes, if carefully handled, but will not be sufficient for-the aggregate needs of the state and some corn will have to be purchased from abroad before the next season is over. Some counties will have a surplus over farm needs and eff .1,<@ l. surpluses to other counties within the state rather than to ship it out and force the other sections into outside mar- 'kets.
 The estimated production of cotton this year is higher than recent forecast in- dicated, and. the increase is found in almost every section except the black belt In south Alabama the exclamation is found in a larger acreage than was formerly indicated while in the Tennes- see valley and other counties north of the weevil line the very late apeparance of killing frost added considerably to the acre yield, the crop in those counties being generally excellent. An average yield per acre of 122 pounds of lint is in- dicated, which compares with 149 pounds last year. In most of the black belt coun- ties the yields ran very low. but not so low as in the disastrous season of 1916
 
 counties was not so good as last year while in the extreme northern counties it was considerable betterN
 Only 3So,000 acres of peanuts is shown to have been-gathered in 19l9 against 54S,- eco in 1918, The acre yield, especially of the Spanish varieties, was extremely dis appointing this season and the total crop of harvested nuts is but little more than half the aggregate of last, year. The very high price. however, brings the total value to within about $l.3e0000 of the pre- vious crop. In 1919 the harvested acreage consisted of 2s90o0 of the Spanish variety and 1ll.0n0 of the Runner variety. Che for mer produced 4.0S5.0e1 bushels. while the latter produced 2645. 900. Last year 5l0.009 acres of the Spanish variety were gath cred, producing 11,7S0000 bushels, while g. coo acres of Runners were harvested, producing 75s.o0q bushels, The total amount hogged-off this year was 4S2.o0o' acres, consisting of 3ls.eo0 Runners and