The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-08-10
For the Good of
 the Community

main crops? 1t appears so.
 The Alabama Market Journal of July contains crop summary item eloquently setting forth another overcoming of han dicap by Alabama farmers through doing xlat which the handicap suggested. Il reads:
 An analysis of the crop report
 published in this issue diScloSeS the
 interesting fact that the total crop
 acreage this year is 106,900 greater
 than that planted last year; that the
 acreage duplicated and interplanted
 to secondary crops is 658,000 more
 than last year, and that the acre
 age actually planted and actually
 cultivated, or the primary acreage
 planted in main crops, is 551, 1000
 acres less than last year.
 This means that the Alabama
 farmer, prevented by labor shortage
 and unfavorable weather at planting
 time from putting in the intended
 acreage for cultivation to main
 crops, has added to the secondary
 crops such as peanuts with corn, cow->
 peas with corn and after grain, vel
 vet beans with corn, hay from pea
 lluCO dIlu COW pCdO, OOyOCC1IlO WlCl1
 corn and corn in cotton, in order to
 make up the enforced shortage of
 cultivated acreage and add to his
 final harvest of food and feed.
 The acreage planted to both Irish
 and sweet potatoes has been in
 creased, as has also been that for
 syrup. Both the total acreage plant
 ed to peanuts and that intended for
 harvest have been increased.
 The forecast of probable produc-
 tion shows that, while corn and cot . ton and grain will be harvested in
 less volume than was indicated at .
 this time last year, the other main
 crops will yield more abundant
 harvest and that altogether the pres
 ent crop gives promise of yielding < Total volume equal at least to that of
 last season.
 Alabama soil and climate with theil long growing season, variety of second ary and interplanting crops, the greatest number of hours allowed man to labor healthfully in the fields and the endless reaches of diversifcation are the basic condition that has enabled intelligence to bring about these results.
 Of the total acreage planted in all crops this year, cotton embraces but 2,. 871, ,000 acres, or 22 per cent. Corn was planted in 4,117, 900 acres, or 32per cent of the total. The acreage in hay is one half of that in cotton. The velvet bean acreage is slightly more than that in hay The acreage in hay and velvet beans is more than the acreage of cotton.
 Cotton continues to be great money crop. It always will be. But it is no longer Alabama's sole reliance. It represents but little over a fifth of the energies o1 the soil tiller. The other four-fifths are devoted to corn, hay, velvet beans, COW. peas, oats, wheat, peanuts, sweet and Irish potatoes, syrup cane and soybeans. To this should be added the cattle and hog industry, which grows amazingly, and the minor production of fruits, le- gumes and nuts that yield increasing revenues each year as superior attention is afforded them
 Trace it all back to what God gave Alabama and Alabamians have finally recognized as their most precious herit- age. They are no longer ashamed to be known as self-tillers of their own soil. They have ceased using the word 'rube'' and hesitate to apply the epithet hill billy" to the ruralist The first and noblest of mankind's vacations, that of provid-