The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-05-01
sanitary work in Pike county is ap. preaching 100 per cent.
 Service of Health Units

sanitary work in Pike county is ap- preaching 100 per cent.
 Service of Health Units
 The service of the county health departments is provided by the coun- ty commissioners for the whole coun- ty, and in Pike is well known and liked by everybody Dr. Welch says he sometimes receives inquiries about the healthfulness of counties as places in which to live. and that Pike is on his list of counties which he can conscientiously recommend.
 In offering these articles to lhe people of Alabama it is only fair to tell the truth about health condi = tions in the counties mentioned so that home seekers would know all the conditions under which they might have to live.
 The agricultural opportunities Of Pike county are excellent. Pike is a county of small farms and on ac- count of the climate any farmer can be self supporting and raise every thing his family can need, even 10 the clothes on his back. There IS every kind of wood needed for struc- tural purposes. Honey. milk, meat. flour, potatoes. sugar cane. sorghum, peas, velvet beans, fruits, melons, oCiIlcN anu pttdHs diC Elohn II T abundance. There Is no chance for pellagra in Pike county if the people will take or raise what nature offers and thus have that variety of food which prevents the disease.
 There Is a large variety of fruits being raised in the county and the old idea that the south is not suitable for their growth has bean proven false. Proper setting, cuiti- vating. pruning and spraying will give fruits all the opportunity they need to grow and yield well.
 The advent of the boil weevil was a blessing for it has lead to diversi- fication of crops and with 1t tre- mendous increase in the production of live stock. Peanuts was one of the first large crops used in place of cotton but it was found that hogs could reap the crop as well as men. saving lahor. The result has been m immense increase in the production of hogs.
 Velvet beans belong to the group of legumes and enrich the soil with nitrogen. It does best when planted with corn for it climbs the corn stalks for support. The stalks and beans weather well and form very fine pasture for hogs and cattle. The cliIndtc IN ND 1nllu that Stock uOSS not need shelter and with such pas ture will go through winter in good condition. Cotton acreage has been greatly decreased and food and for age crops increased as result. in 1918. there were shipped out of Pike county 470 cars of hogs and 150 cars of cattle.
 There is no better climate in the world for poultry raising and there is not reason in the world why the industry should not be greatly n- creased.
 There follows statistics on Pike county obtained from reports from the department of agriculture Cor 1918.
 There are 4,46s farms in the county, 2.G4S white and 1.S20 colored.
 There are 3.330 farms under leo acres.
 There are 432.0OO acres in Pike county and 364.S44 of them are in farms Improved land in farm amounts to 220.S23 acres. The value of all farm property amounts to IT, 0lS.7O9 and of that the land is valued at s4.ss6,432.
 The value of the domestic animals in the county is $2.973.000.
 There are in the county 20,700 cat tle anu ol tHeI are t.tVV udiTy COWs.
 The number of horses and mules are 7.1t0; swine 69.000; poultry 7s- S41: bee colonies 2.79l.
 The value of all crops was $5.9S1.- 800. Figures show corn raised 70S.- 900 bushels: oats 57.34S bushels; pea nuts 1,6s2 .000 bushels; sweet potatoes 30o. 1000. cotton 5000 bales: syrup 42.- 900 gallons
 There is an abundance of hay and grasses, apples, peaches, pear. plums cherries, quinces. grapes and figs crchard frui: trees number 65.7sS and nuts. principally oceans. 1.17l.