The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-07-13
FARM RESOURCES BEING UTILIZED
 INTELLICENTLY
DiversificatiOn Proves Profitable In County's
 Rich Soils

agricultural section. The productive al- luvial soils of the Warrior River valley and the clay lOams and sandy loams of the uplands afford a variety of cultiva- ble land that will yield practically all products of the temperate zone. The returns from the great crops of cotton, grain and truck. and from hogs and cat tie, combine with the wealth produced by forest and mine and various indus tries, to keep prosperity at high tide the year round.
 The climate is equable. Severe cold weather is extremely rare, and the heat of the summers is rarely oppressive or destructive to vegetation. There are few records of frost occurring after the first day of April or before the middle of October or first of November. As n result, it is practicable to produce some crop at every season of the year.
 Scarcely more than half of the SS9,- 600 acres of land in Tuscaloosa county is under cultivation. Rich bottom land. capable of producing without in tensive cultivation a bale of cotton to the acre and from 50 to 100 bushels of corn, comprises a large part of this area. The uplands are adapted to profitable production of varied fruit crops and field crops, and also to graz ing.
 Cotton Not Sole Crop
 Though cotton has been for years the chief money crop of the Tuscaloosa County farmer, it is by no means the sole crop, for the doctrine of diversifi- cation, ably championed by the boil wee vii, has influenced the planting of a greater variety of crops than ever be- fore. Some farmers have abandoned en- tirely the production of cotton, while practically all of them have reduced their cotton acreage.
 An important substitute for cotton has been grain. Corn, oats, wheat and other grains have been produced in quantities never before approached. One of the chief aims of the farmer has been to raise his own foodstuffs for himself and his stock, and thereby check, if not stop altogether, the annual in flow of western grain and the outflow of southern money.
 Grazing crops and hay crops are profitable, because of the variety of the soil and the advantage of the climate. Lands are no longer allowed to lie idle in the winter and have their fertility washed away by winter rains. Instead, the fields are planted in rye, cloyers and vetches for the cold season, while throughout the spring, summer and ear ly fall months, peas, soy and velvet beans and various grasses used for hay thrive.
 Sugar cane is a profitable crop which is readily converted at local plants in to a syrup of fine quality which finds a ready market.
 Peaches of the finest grade, as well as apples, plums and grapes are pro- duced There are numerous thriving ochards of oceans, which yield a good return. All kinds of vegetables, ber- ries and melons, Irish and sweet pota- toes, cabbage, beans, tomatoes, onions, strawberries and cantaloupes, are being produced in increasing quantity.
 Interest In Livestock
 Exceptional activity in livestock rais- ing has been noted during the past few years. and the farmers have co-operated earnestly with the county in efforts to get rid of the cattle tick Fine hogs and poultry are being raised, and many farms now possess pure blooded herds of hogs of the best lard and meat breeds, while interest in thoroughbred poultry is also extensive.
 Developments in cooperative market ing, under the direction of the Farm Bureau of the Tuscaloosa ChambeB of Commerce, of which J. s. Yerby is head, have had an important influence on agricultural affairs in Tuscaloosa coun- ty. The farmers have, to a marked de- gree, solved the problems of production, Mir. Yerby declares, but their products have no appreciable value unless mar ket is afforded.
 The Farm Bureau has grown from a membership of 100 in 1922 to 464 this year, and of this number 407 have sign ed the cooperative marketing contract Through the cooperative marketing association. farmers of the county de livered i, ,122 bales of cotton during the last year. A cooperative egg market ing plan is also being worked out through which it is expected to market the eggs produced by at least five thou sand hens.
 Solving Fertilizer Problem
 The bureau is helping to solve the fertilizer problem for the farmers by inducing them to mix their own fertiliZ- CTS on the farm, as the German agri- culturist does. A large percentage of the commercial fertilizer ordinarily pur- chased by American farmers is mere dirt, on which the farmer pays a freight rate which forces up the cost of the product. In cooperation with the Alabama Experiment Station, the Farm Bureau conducted local fertilizer tests on eight farms, and over one thousand farmers of the county now are home mixing their fertilizer for field crops.
 A further assistance in this respect has been the cooperative purchase of fertilizer ingredients by the Bureau for its members. The Bureau bought last year 465.S tons of nitrate of soda, val ued at $25, 5,S01.60 l 1.13S tons of acid phosphate, valued at $14 ,589.1 .16; = tons of muriate of potash, valued, $30S The total value of fertilizer ingredients thus purchased was $4069S.76 for 1,611.5 tons.
 The Bureau also purchased calcium arsenate for use in boil weevil control the expenditure being $4,814 for 36, 450 pounds, while 26 dust guns were pro cured at $946.
 Other cooperative purchases repre- senting a saving to the farmer included 1,230 fruit trees, three cars of dairy feed, costing S1 ,549. and $2,95O worth of seed for cultivation of cotton, yetch, crimson clover, oats and rye.
 The total expended by the bureau in this manner was $51 Ill, and the di- rect saving to the farmers was 10 to 20 per cent of this amount.
 Six meetings were conducted by the bureau for the farmers agricultural short course, with an attendance of 1,700 people, and exclusive of these there were D other gatherings, with an attendance of 2,24S people.
 Formation Of Boys Club
 Other activities of the bureau include the organization of boys agricultural cInh work in the cnnntv in which there