The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-12-21
FARMS NOW RUN
 AT DEF|C|T--G IST.
Safer Agricultural Methods Are StresSed-Less Acre.
 age Is Urged

AUBURN, Ala, Dec. 20.-Special Leased Wire. .)-With representatives of 61 of the 67 Alabama counties and national and state authorities in various departments of agriculture in attendance, to a total of some 200 persons, the Alabama safe farming conference met here today to outline a permanent policy of intelligent and judicious production. L. N. Duncan, di- rector of the extension service of Auburn, welcomed the visitors.
 After morning given over to or gapiZation and getting acquainted the cSdnty agents and actual dirt farnlers entered into a serious discussion or Alabamas needs since Alabama, 1t was declared, Is essentially an agri- cultural state despite the abundance of water power and minerals.
 F. w. Gist federal statistician for Alabama showed the seriousness of the situation facing the state when he brought unrefutable figures prov ing that throughout the past ten years there has been steady decline in the production per acre and dis pelled the idea that the boil weevil tion when he cited the reduction in the corn crop per acre. His con clusions, entirely in line with his re- port, were to the effect that the day of the 'nigger and the mule" as the chief factor in the production Of cot ton has passed, that the only salva- tion of the Alabama farmer was che increase of the acre field by intensive methods where one man can accom- plish the work of two, that unless this came to pass the center of cotton prouetion would move Westward.
 Gist Strikes Keynote.
 He showed that Alabama farmers lost an average of $93 per person em- ployed on a cotton basis alone, While Texas farmers earned more than $l40. He traced the increasing yields of Texas and the Carolinasy against the decrease in Alabama and other states Under present conditions Alabama must receive 52.7 cents per pound for cotton to make money. His address was the key and furnished the basis for work of the several committeess
 That farmers of Alabama were cul- tivating 3,000,000 acres too much ground was the assertion of G. T MeElderry, president of the Farmers Union, who urged the farmers to al- low the fields to grow up in legumes and provide the very food for dairy cattle, the one great need of the state He stressed the necessity of using calcium drSendIe WHeIo COleoh iH grown and told of Carolina's success with the poison.
 E. A O'Neal, president of the Ala bama Farm bureau, and Will ELS berry, of the Alabama Cotton associa,- tion, pledged cooperation but declared that the great trouble with the Ala bama farm was the farmer himself. A w. Snead, general manager of the Hay Poultry association, MT. Mitchell president of the Poultry association and Morgan Richard, secretary of the Pecan Growers association, pledged support to any policy outlined and spoke of the needs in their various lines. K. G. Barker, market super visor for the extension service, and Prof. M U F'unchess, Agronomist of Auburn, talked.
 Make Farm Attractive.
 The necessity of making the farm attractive to the young men and women was the subject of an address by A. B. Graham of the United States department of agriculture, who asked the farmers to raise garden trucks orchards, butter, eggs and hogs. Grow all the food that is needed for the farm family as we'll as the farm animals was his plea He was followed by l. w. Hill former superintendent of education of Alabama. but now a member of the United States agricul- ture department Mir. Hill stressed the necessity of keeping the young people on the farms and declared that there were counties in Alabama, in which