The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-09-30
PEANUTS TO BRING $37.5O PER ACRE, |S CYST EST| MATE
Will Produce Greater Revenue Than Will Cotton At The
 Present Price
STATE CAPITAL BUREAU l
 THE AGE-HERALD !


 Based on average price now being paid, Alabama peanuts this year will bring about S3750 per acre, accord ing to a statement Saturday after noon by F. w. Gist, agricultural statistican. This means that peanuts will produce greater revenue per acre in southeast Alabama than cot ton, as the average revenue from an acre of cotton based on present price is $34.S0. MT. Gist said weather con ditions during the week had caused cotton to open and to permit pick ing without interruption. However, labor was reported as not being so plentiful as 1t has been in past. how ever, labor was reported as not be- ing so plentiful as 1t has been in past picking seasons.
 The report of the agricultural statistician follows:
 Average Is $130 Per Ton.
 Peanut harvest is coming on apace in Alabama, and growers will be in- terested in the market situation as given by the latest report of the bureau of economies. That report under date of September 26, says are being bought in the southeast ern district at prices ranging from S120 to $40 per ton. an average of about $130. What this years yield will be does not yet appear, but the average for Spanish peanuts has been around 20 bushels or one fourth ton per acre. At this yield. an acre will produce S3250 worth of nuts and 'S5 worth of hay. This is a total of S37.50 per acre. At the pres ent prospective yield and price cot ton is turning out $3480 per acre and peanuts are still a better bet than cotton in south Alabama. Be- cidpG and 1tpxW n grow at least twice as many acres to peanuts as cotton. This fact has been pointed out many times in re- cent months, and yet cotton has re- placed peanuts in this section to the decided loss of the growers this year. The price of cotton will have to so to 32.5 cents in most of that section to bring an acre value equi- Valent to peanuts.
 More than six million pounds of soy bean oil was imported into this country during August and yet in this section, where soy beans grow well, no mills are crushing soy beans. There are many other things which might be profitably done in the south.
 Cotton Picking Uninterrupted.
 The weather of the past week has served to open cotton and en- able picking to continue uninter- rupted. Last year to September 25, 40.2 per cent of the crop of the state was ginned and the year before 39 2 per cent. Prior to those two seasons less than half that proportion was accustomed to be ginned. Since the the beginning of picking, this sea- son has been very similar to thS last two, and the eating of thee folK age by leaf worms has hastened opening. On the other hand, labor is not so pentiful for picking as usual. Tuesday next, both the bureau con- dition report and the census ginning report will be issued, both referring. to September 20. One private report says that only B per cent of the present crop was picAed to Septem- Der 25. The government has no in- formation on this point. Those in terested may, therefore. interpret the ginning report to suit themselves. The bureau will again interpret its own condition figure.
 Killing frosts have already oc- cured in the more northern states, and some corn has been seriously damaged in the field. Alabama farm CTS will have supply of better corn when they grow their own corn, which is never damaged by frost and very rarely by any other un- favorable weather during the harvest season."