The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1922-11-12
SEASON FOR CROP
GATHERING FINEST
EVER EXPERIENCED
Farmers Able to Put in Solid
Time Without Hiring Help.
Shortage of Corn
Is Seen
STATE CAPITAL BUREAU
THE AGE-HERALD.
HScr40nO,arv Ala Nov. IL


"Another week of perfect working
weather has passed in Alabama" says
F.. w. GIst, federal and state agri-
cultural statistician,' which has
brought the 1922 harvest just another
week nearer to completion. This har-
vest season, beginning with the first
of August. has been perhaps the most
nearly perfect since the mind OF
man runneth not to the contrary.
In two and a half months not that
MANY days over all tho state have
been such as to interfere with farm
work. The present crop has been
gathered with less extra hired labor
than any In present recollection.
Farmers have been able to put
in solid time In labor almost the
entire crop year, and after all un-
broken labor. with fair return
therefor. is the very highest attain
ment for the man who works. OF all
the men who labor to live the far
mer q the most constant. He never
strikes, he never sulks; who can say
that this time the gods of destiny
have not been on his side. While his
returns in Alabama are gratifying,
as indicated by the recent estimates
of production, he is entitled to every
dollar Of 1t. because he has earned
them.
Corn Crop short
"Tha corn crop of the state Is Ia
coo, 900 bushels below last year. and
in the aggregate Nill only half sup
ply thN1otai demands of the state.
There will be barely enough to sup
ply the farms for another year. even
with careful distribution. Only about
100000 bushels will be available for
market. and that will be needed by
farmers whose crop has not been SUI
ficient for their cwn necessities.
The conclusion is obvious-those who
have to sell may dispose of their
surplus tc, their next-door or next
county neighbor. Next spring will be
the time to sell corn. The price is
now steady at 81 bushel; then 1t
will bring more. The man who sells
now will have to take 1t off some-
where and offer 1t; he who sells next
spring will find somebody at his door
asking for it. This is not advice; it is
a statement of fact which is patent
on its face.
New Land Bank
This office has had the pleasure
during the past week to lend its fund
of data to the new joint stock land
bank, recently established in Mont
gomery. The source of supply of
revolving funds OF this institution is
the sale of its bonds secured by its
mortgage loans. The sale of Its
bonds depends largely on the pro-
ducing capacity of the lands in the
state. To this end tabulation was
made to see whether Alabama Of
fers in its farm lands good security
for such bonds. The facts will be
of public interest. OF nine states,
each the leader in It's geographic Sec
ton. Alabama has the highest per-
centage of rural population. having
SO per cent of its people living in
country districts, Notwithstanding It's
splendid mineral and industrial area.
:. THE percentage of it's owned
farms mortgaged is only rs, whereas
such progressive states as New York,
Illinois, Iowa and California average
AZ per cent For fixed expenses of
labor, fertilizers, feed bought, cost
of irrigation and interest on mort
gagged debt, Alabama spends less
than any of the nine, while her aver
age net income per improved acre
is greater than Illinois, Iowa. Texas
or Montana, and is only less than
Georgia, Maine, New York and Cali
& fornia. Where Alabama really shows
f'the value of lands as security for
loans Is in the ratio OF her net farm
3 income to her farm investment.
~ 1.-THE nine states show on this point
the following percentages. Ala
bama, Al; Georgia, So; Maine, 80;
New York. 2e: Illinois. 1S; Iowa, 10;
Texas, 81; Montana, 5, and Califor-
MIA, IA. These data relate to 1919
and are taken from the census.
Doubtless the present crop would
make better showing for us. None
of the counties in which the bank
purposes to operate in this state gave
a percentage of acre return to value
of less than 67 per cent. If the ratio
Z of income to investment in Alabama
Shall be brought down on a par with
that of Iowa, the value of our lands
would be automatically raised from
about $2S, as reported by the census
\ of 1926. The Alabama farmer Is en-
titled cheap money. because he has
the security to offer.
with a million bushels of sweet
potatoes more than last year. and
the price now tending downward
from around 80 cents in local mar
kets at the highest to 65 cents in
outside markets, sweet potatoes look
like good hog feed this fall"
LUMBER is NOT PASSE