The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-12-27
M E N l., W o N E N
 A ND T HIN C s

tEe SOutH
 
 I am telling what Nashville has ac-
 complshed for Tennessee and the other
 southern states because want Alabama
 to get into the game for all il Is worth
 for in spite of the low price of cattle il offers as good returns as cotton and other agricultural crops.
 I wrote a story about William A. Bur
 nett the traffic manager of the Nash vile Union Stocks Yards, Inc- in rather a humorous way; but I trust l did not give the impression that he wasn't on to the possibilities of cattle raising in the south, he has made an extensive study of it and knows it from every angle.
 ] If you do not believe that he knows
 what he is talking about just get this chunk of wisdom which he Is always trying to instil into bankers who are
 trying ohelp those engaged in agri- culture: "Speculations should be curbed land reckless buying checked, but our farmers must be adequately financed for producing crops and raising and ! feeding live stock, or the necessities of life will continue to sell higher and higher"
 l Alabama is adapted to cattle raisin g. This is no longer disputed question. Money has been made and lost in it just as in merchandise, manufacture, or other commercial enterprises. Live stock and agriculture are very closely allied. In fact, they are twins. so close ly linked together ,hat it is hard to draw hard and fas tline which will separate them, for they are dependent on one another, Just as well try to come between man and wife by raising the question to which one is worth more in the home.
 Here in Birmingham we are in the mineral belt. but rapid as has been the growth of Alabama in it's coal. iron and steel output it is yet essentially an ag- ricultural state and that is why l am continually harpng on the fact that we must raise and feed more live stock if we would look to the upbuildng and ! the ssabilizing of our agricultural re- sources. 1 have made quite extensive Investigations through reading and by travel and I am Sure that live stock can be produced in Ala bama profftably. l Wehave the climate the water and the pastures. Only the expert cattle man knows the value of an abundance | of water, and Alabama is the best | watered state in the union. Only the I expert cattleman knows the value of a long grazing season. have within the month seen fst steers bring top-notch prices in Sumter county that never had 1 been fed on corn, but gained their size and weight on grass. Fred Jones can 1 substantiate this, and will be glad to show those from Missouri what can and 1 is being done in his neck of the woods. We can raise all the grain crops and roghage necessary for the maintenance and fattening of live stock within the l state and l believee we can raise and fatten cattle and hogs at a lower cost per pound than even Tennessee. and | that is saying whole lot. for it is won derfully adapted to the cattle industry. The government investiea tions have credited Alabama with having produced cattle on q lower margin than anywhere else in the United States.
 l 'Bill' Burinett advises every farmer m Tennessee to get into the cattle | game saying: T think that if every | farmer in Tennessee would feed at least a load of cattle every year and I be- lieve any we'll regulated farm will pro- duce sufficient feeding material flor this l purpose without any great expense. that the manure from the feeding of these cattle would be a great big profit in itself If farmers will raise cattle | and conserve the manure, it won't be 1 put few years when the land will be- come so enriched that they can pro- duce the requisite number of bushels of grain on which to feed stock on half the present acreage and with half the l farm labor now required. The balance or the acreage being turned to profit by grazing cattle or sheep.
 l Bill is not only a practical handler or the breeders. grazers. and commis- | : knows ho wto not onfy ge things go- 1 ing but what's better still. has ac- auired the more difficult art of workins < 1 with others. He is past master when IL comes to team work He does not knick if he is made the lead horse, but i is ready opull wherever he finds him. self hitched. It didn't take me long ! to lind out the secret of the Nashville | entegprise for it was in the very air. Nobody claimed to be the whole show.
 There was a curious state of affairs around the Nashville Union. Stock Yards, Inc. for "Bilr' said to me- Now, Frank. soft peddle on me, for the men who have made the success are Fay Murray, president of the Nashville Live Stock exchange. and Meredith Cald- d- we'll" I hinted to Fay what "Bilr' had told me and he replied: Tt isn't so; Bill | Burnett and Meredith Caldwell put if over' 1 then ran up against Meredith | Caldwell and repeated what "Bilr' and Murray had told me. and he up and an . swered. They are joshink you;" "Bill'' and Fay are the promoters I found all l three such q cheerful bunch of pre- varicators that I asked the members of i the Live Stock exchange and they agreed that the honor belonged to the ! three of them. They were together. and that's why they accomplish So much.
 The thing which has made Nashville 1 the leading liv estock market in the
 south comes from the fact that the Nashville Union Stock yards. Inc. and 1 the Nashville Live Stock exchange work hand in glove. both organiza tions being { made uD of live men for it ,olya. ,;,-a