The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-09-25
SOUTH GAINS IN
 GRAIN PRODUCTION
By HOLT.ANn

NeW fork, September 24-(SpeciaI )-Jn the monthly publication of the National City bank, which was issued on Sep temper l, there seemed to be an intima- uon that the cotton planters of the south may nave made mistake when they dsleeu last year to curtail the planting oI cotton. For it seemed to these New 1ork bankers, apparently, that the enormous demand. both domestic and for eisn, which is due to come to the United states Tor raw cotton would make if cer- tam that cotton could be marketed al prlces which would return to the plant CTS reasonable profits.
 But there now appears to be another polnt or view. Richard H. Edmonds. edi- tor or the Manufacturers Record of Bal tlmore, than whom there is no higher ex- pert authority upon industrial. transpor- tation and agricultural conditions in the south has been able to secure authentic hgures which seem to offset those which tell of the falling off in the production oI cotton this year, although, accord ing to some reports the cotton harvest may not exceed 100000 bales
 For the southern farmers have offset the unexpected falling off in the produc- tlon of wheat. If the southern farmers nave reduced their cotton output. not by chance, nor by reason of climatic dis turoances, but in pursuance of what they believed to be a sound economic policy, they have demonstrated to the na- tion that the south is likely to match and possibly by and by to surpass other great sections of the country in the pro- duction of crops.
 A few years ago the south was regard ed as a section of the country chiefly occupied in the cultivation of cotton and tobacco, although it also produced sugar cane and considerable corn Now. in view of the record made by the south. ern crops of 1919 that section of the country will no longer be regarded as almost exclusively a producer of cotton.
 ASTONISHING FIGURES MT. Edmunds' figures show that ther, was gain in the southern states ol oZooooo0 bushels over the crop harvested year ago. This gain has been of ines timable value to the United States, fo,
 1t undoubtedly makes it possible to re- port that the entire harvest of this year even though there be a falling off in wheat and some in Indian corn. is al least an average harvest. The southern crops undoubtedly made it unnecessary for the government authorities to report later in the year that by reason oi climatic disturbances the harvests of 191s have been very disappointing.
 The entire south. or that part of the country which is south of the Potomac and Ohio rivers, is harvesting a grain crop which will amount to a billion six hundred and fifty million bushels in round numbers. Elsewhere in the United States the harvest of grain will amount to a little over $500 000.O0O bushels But the other sections in the United States where grain is produced include parts o1 New York and Pennsylvania much of the midwest the northwest Kansas anc Oklahoma, as well as Iowa and Nebraska and California, as we'll as other states upon the Pacific coast.
 Taken as whole the south is con siderably smaller in area than the rest of the union. Nevertheless this year il has produced approximately 30 per cent of the entire grain crop of the United States.
 | NEW WEALTH IN SOUTH Without referring to the cotton har- vest which, comparatively small as il