The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-01-06
ADOPT NEW IDEA
 |0F C0-0PE RATIOA|I
More Than $12,000,0 900 Of Cotton Crop Sold Through Farm Bureau

AUBURN, Ala, Jan. 5.-(Special,)- Alabama fArmers have entered the new year. with spirit of optimisnn. Despite unfavorable weather condj tions, which contributed much to bell weevil depredattons, the year which has just. passed witnessed much prog ress in the, agriculture of the state. in the. opinion of Prof. l.. N. Duncan, director of the extension service. Citing as his reasons for this con- clusion, Professor Duncan says that the progress made by farmers during. 1923 along sound business lines Is sufficient assurance that new day Is here for the agriculture of tho state. Farmers are rapidly abandon ing the old custom of selling raw, products at whatever the market of- lfers. To replace this practice. they are merchandising their products in an efficient and intelligent way by eo-ol,s <; sion., ..s
 spee,,ll reference Is made to the cotton farmers, who are selling mofs
 than $1A000,00o worth of the 1929 cotton crop, through the Farm Bureau
 the Farm Bureau Hay association.
 which is 2 big factor in the hay mar Ret of the state. Last year. the. 0airymen of Jefferson and Calhoun counties opened cooperative milk distribtting plants and creameries,
 whichsare well started on successful careers. N> Co-operation h Slogan.
 The splendid cooperation relation ship of farmers, merchants, bankers and editors Is declared to be one of the main causes for the splendid progress of the year. According to Professor Duncan, there is general | realization of the fact that agricul-
 ture is the one big basic industry
 of Alabama, and that it must be
 profitable if other lines of business
 are to prosper. Alabama farmers"
 said Professor Duncan, "do not want
 other people to work out their prob lems, but they do earnestly desire | hearty cooperation in the solution of | mutual problems, without which
 maximum progress cannot be made.' | After having their cooperative
 marketing program well under way,
 Alabama farmers turned in large l numbers to the solution of their soil fertility problems. Farmers geper- l ally are realizing that they must
 make larger yields per acre, and to
 do so they are convinced that they
 must have richer land To make
 their land richer. the largest winter | loB uiue aCESdB6 III the history or tho
 state was planted last fall, and pres l ent indications are that a good crop | will be made, This acreage is sev-
 eral tinfess larger than that Of any
 previous year. The growing of sum
 mer legunes will be stressed in 1s2&.]
 Crest Year Seen.
 Work on commercial fertilizers also
 received a great deal of attention, in 1923. Sixty thousand tons of com mercial fertilizer was bought co-op- eratively and mixed at home in order
 to get fertilizer that would produce
 maximum returns at the minimum
 price, sound business procedure con sidered. E2 During 1924, farmers will continue
 and expand their great program of
 comparative marketing, co-operative
 purchase of fertilizer and economic
 soil Improvement. Definite plans for
 this work were made at the Safe
 Farming conference. which was held
 here just before the Christmas holi- days, VI.