The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-12-09
BIRMINGHAM HAS VALUABLE ASSET IN HER SHADE TREES
But Cooperative Care Is Necessary To Save Them From Gradual Destruction Says McVay-No Community Has Monopoly On Growing Flower Seeds And Many Grown In North Will Not Thrive In Southern Climate
By GEORGE ID. M.VAY, SIR.

The trees Of Birmingham are one Of the city's most Valueable assets and if nobody cares, which seems to be largely the case, then it's not go- ing to be long before these valuable assets vanish in to thin air. This ought to interest our new park board. It is really gratifying to know that we are going to have some constructive effort towards de Neloping OUT dormant parks. but this is going to take years and will cost lot of money. In the meantime, why can't something be done in cooperative way to save literally hundreds of thousands of valuable trees? There is really much indl- vidual effort, but many owners re- fuse to do anything, simply because his next door neishbor will do noth inS. In consequence of which, Vari- our disease, scabs, fungus and a horde of other insect enemies to trees are multiplying and steadily march ing on to be in at the death finish. Insects and disease are our greatest enemies and while Birmingham is ai- ways liberal in all forms of charity. nobody seems interested in one of our great assets--the mute trees.
 PLAIN TRUTH ABOUT SEEDS
 The Age-Herald is in receipt of an eiEht-page letter wanting to know where some hundred varities ot vegetable and flower seed should have been procured in order to sue reed in her particular section. Such letters are frequent and result from claims set forth by many mail order seed cataloss that are bold enough fo assert that their particular loca- ton, generally in the far north, IS the only place where the various seeds are produced to perfecton' Fortunately, however, no reputable In or south would think of making stch an absurd claim. In the first place, they assume that the public are aware that nearly every country on the globe furnishes more or less or both flower and vegetable seed that ao to make up the stock of nearly all seedsmen. As rule, seedsfen grow under contract or buy their seed sup plies from those sections where It IS known that the plant grows to per lection. This catalog bunk about one section being the only one for the production of all seed should be an insult to ordinary intelligence
 A COTTON FARMER
 A farmer from an adjoining county was in the writer's office the past week, having come to Birmingham to small bills, and what he said about cotton is worth recording.
 He planted ten acres of his best freah land in the staple and because of the ravages of the boil WeeYlI rust and army worm, he only gath eued about thousand pounds of lint or two average bales. This man mas q good business head and keeps books OH his farm operation and knows that the cotton cost him over 50 cents per pound. He made splen- did corn crop on poor land, raised few hogs and fattened on wood land half a dozen of country bought calves He states that if it had not been for his corn and stock. which surplus he expects to sell, he would be forced into bankruptcy. He says that he will again plant small acre age of cotton but will give more time to the production of hay ana forage and the increase of the out put of live stock. He stated that To- cal farmers were wild about tEe present price Of cotton and thought that perhaps some of his neighbofs would even plant their fence corners another season