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FARM PRODUCTION
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MARKETING
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ALABAMA
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Farm Production and
Marketing in Alabama
Committee Report on Alabama Farm
Commodities and Appraisal of
Marketing Facilities
The Alabama Polytechnic Institute
EXTENSION SERVI CE
P. O. DAVIS, Director
MARCH 1943
AUBURN, ALA.
CIRCULAR 241
Cooperative Extension Work in Agriculture and Home Economics, Th e Alabama Polytechnic
In s titute and the United States Department of Agyiculturc Cooperating Acts of May
Eighth and June Thirtie th, Nineteen Hundred Fourteen.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Foreword
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Introduction _______________________________________________________________ _
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ltlrJ{ln~
________________________________________________________________________ _
Meltt Animltls (Beef Cltttle,
7-17
ltnd Sheep) ___________________
18-27
_______ .___ ___________________________ _____________ _________
28-36
Field Crops ________________________________________________________________
37 -58
Fruits ltnd
59-82
PoultrJ{ ltnd
E~~s
Ve~etltbles
Ho~s
______________________________________________
Forestry _____________________________________________ _________________ 83-104
Mltrket !N ews Service ___________________________________________________ 105-109
Con cl usi ons ________________________________________________________ .J.1 0-111
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Foreword
To Mr. John M. Ward, Chairman,
Special Agricultural Committee on
1. Alabama
Chamber
of
Commerce.
Marketing Farm Products:
2. Alabama Departm ent of Agriculture and Industries.
.
You will recall that on W ednesday,
November 11, 1942, a group representing various organizations in Alabama met at the State Chamber of
Commerce Office in Montgomery to
consider farm marketing problems in
Alabama.
3. Alabama Farm Bureau Federation.
4. Farm Products Division, Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad Company.
5. Agricultural Committee,
bama Ba nkers' Association.
You, as chairman of this group, appointed a committee to make a survey and study of commercial crops
and livestock production, existing
marketing facilities, and recommendations for improving market conditions.
Ala-
6. Experiment Station of the Alabama Polytechnic Institute.
7. Extension Service of the Alabama Polytechnic Institute.
Much assistance and information
also was given by the Forestry Division of the Alabama Department of
Conservation, the managers and gfficials of packing plants, stockyards,
poultry and farm produce dealers,
State Milk Control Board, and managers of various processing plants.
County agents f:1rnished much
hither-to unpublished county information and data on production and
marketing. ' Likewise, the home demonstration agents furnished valuable
information on curb market facilities
and sales.
Special thanks and appreciation of
this Committee are due:
F. W. Burns, dairyman; W. H.
Gregory, livestock specialist; J. C.
Lowery, agronomist; John C. Witherspoon, assistant forester; John E.
Ivey, poultryman; Lyle Brown, hor-
This r eport is being transmitted to
you in the form of a bulletin published by the Extension Service, Alabama Polytechnic Institute.
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State
This report does not include specific recommendations as to which of
the existing agricultural agencies will
perform the additional work outlined.
It is believed this phase can best be
developed through conferences between m embers of your committee,
r epr esentatives of agricultural agencies, and other inter ested groups.
The Committee has had access to
studies of marketing programs in
other southern states, as well as the
active help and cooperation of many
agencies and individuals.
We are particularly indebted to the
officers and members of the:
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ticulturist; J. T. Belue, cotton specialist; W. W. Cotney, assistant
agronomist; J. A. Beaty, mal'keting
specialist; L. O. Brackeen, editor, all
of the Extension Service of the Alabama Polytechnic Institute; D. D .
Whitcomb and C. T. Bailey, farm
products marketing agents, T. C. 1.;
A. B. Hope, representative of Alabama Bankers' Association; Ben F.
Alvord, head professor of agricultural
economics, J. N. Mahan, associate
agricultural economist, L. M. Ware,
head horticulture and for estry department, all of the Experiment Station, Alabama Polytechnic Institute,
Respect fu lly subm i tted,
MARJ"",'rING COWUTTEE
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Luther F ullar
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T. C.
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INTRODUCTION
ALABAMA has an area of 32,689,920
acres of land with 19,143,391 acres
in farms. Of this farm land (according to 1940 Census) 7,009,164 acres
are woodland; 2,173,731 acres plowable pasture; 1,736,954 acres, "other
lands"; and 8,223,542 acres cropland.
According to the 1940 Census there
were 2,832,961 people in Alabama of
which 1,338,664 or 47 percent were
rural farm people. The cropland
amounts to only about 6 acres per
farm person or around 34 acres per
farm .
These data show clearly that Alabama farm people have little productive land from which to gain an income. The farm population is relatively more dense than in the United
States, as a whole, but compares in
this ,respect to other southeastern
states. Not only do Alabama farmers
have less land, but they also have
relatively less machinery and equipment to use in farming this land.
According to the 1940 Census, Alabama farmers had $128 worth of machinery and equipment per farm. This
contrasts with a machinery value of
$502 per farm in the entire United
States.
The Alabama situation may be contrasted with that of one of the higher income farm states like Iowa. In
1940, 34,148,673 acres of farm land
were reported in Iowa. This land was
divided into 213,318 farms, on which
lived 930,810 farm people. The average size of the Iowa farm was 160.1
acres and the average size of the Alabama farm was 82.6 acres. That is,
the Iowa farmer operated twice the
land operated by the Alabama farmer.
At the same time, the cropland per
farm in Iowa amounted to 99.3 acres
and in Alabama about 34 acres.
Thus, the Iowa farmer had three
times the cropland in his farm that
the Alabama farm er had. Furthermore, the Iowa farmer had $1,135
worth of machinery and equipment,
or about nine times the amount the
Alabama farmer had. The Iowa farmer used, according to U.S.D.A. Bulletin 1348, about 1.1 horsepower hours
per man hour in his farming operations. By contrast, the Alabama
farmer used about one-seventh of a
horsepower hour for each man hour
in his farm operations.
The fact that Alabama agriculture
is composed largely of small farms
may be further emphasized by the
table indicating the number of AAA
payees receiving checks of various
sizes (Table 1).
Table 1 - Distribution of AAA
Checks by Size of Check in
Alabama (1940)
Range in size
of check
.00
20.01
40.01
60.01
100.01
160.01
200.Ql
300.01
400.01
500.01
1,000.01
2,000.01
$
20
40
60
100
150
200
300
400
500
1000
2000
3000
$
Number
payees
Per
cent
95,558
97,267
46,074
34,616
9,488
2,996
1,378
586
360
460
109
25
33.1
33.7
16.9
12.0
3.3
1.0
288,918
100.0
.5
.2
.1
.2
However, when we take the income
per acre of cropland in Alabama, we
find that it compares favorably with
that of other sections. The average
income per acre (crops only, 1941
figures) in the United States IS
$12.02, while that from Alabama is
$12.64 per acre.
Alabama has been particularly
weak in her income from livestock.
In recent years considerable progress
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�has been made in this respect. The
income from livestock was estimated
at nearly $42,000,000 in 1942. This
is more than 20 percent of the estimated total income for that year
even including government payments (Table 2) . The total value of
crops and livestock produced was estimated at $293,537,756 and the
cash income at $195,855,000. The
latter figure is more significant since
a large portion of the crops was fed
to livestock and entered into the Income from livestock production.
Table 2-Farm Production, Av e rage Price, Value of Crops, and Estimated
Cash Income from Sales, Alabama-1942
Crop
Average
Price1
Production'
883,056
Cotton (bales)
603,001
Cottonseed (tons)
378,000,000
Peanuts (pounds)
Livestock and Livestock Products, including Poultry
Fruits and Vegetables
6,670,000
Pecans (pounds)
Forestry
43,960,000
Corn (bushels)
4,800,000
Oats (bushels)
169,000
Wheat (bushels)
Hay (tons)
829,000
Tobacco (pounds)
235,000
Sorghum Sirup
(gallons)
1,767,000
Sugarcane Sirup
(gallons)
2,645,000
Legume seed (pounds),
including Kudzu
Crowns
11,149,558
Estimated Earned
Government Payments in 1942
$
Value
Estimated
Cash Income
78,026,828
29,167,158
19,656,000
78,027,000
21,000,000
19,656,000
.92
.69
1.19
11.49
.26
83,844,000
16,066,000
1,133,900
7,360,000
40,443,200
3,312,000
201,110
9,525,210
61,100
41,922,000
8,382,000
1,133,900
7,360,000
4,000,000
100,000
70,000
1,300,000
61,100
.75
1,325,250
350,000
.80
2,116,000
500,000
1,300,000
950,000
.188
48.37
.52
.17
11,043,000
293,537,756
Total
195,855,000
lEatimated from F.D.A., A.A .A. and Census Reports .
According to the 1940 Census, there
were 231,746 farms in Alabama. They
had an average income, including
Government payments, of $488.
Due to farm families shifting to
war industries and more profitable
occupations, it is estimated that there
were not more than 220,000 farms
operating in Alabama in 1942. It
is estimated that these farms had an
average income, including Government payments, of $890. This increase in income may be attributed to
increase in production, as well as In
price of farm products.
The number of livestock on the
farms in Alabama is constantly increasing. The cash income from cotton and cottonseed is accurately determined by census data and annual
estimates of sales based on the known
production.
The number of livestock on Alabama farms is much greater than the
census figures and annual estimates
indicate. These data have not been
adjusted to the rapid growth in the
livestock industry. This also is true
with many farm products other than
cotton, cottonseed, and corn.
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�DAIR Y INC
Historical Background
supply is as good as any state in the
Union.
Growth of the dairy industry was
rapid from 1914 to 1930 with creameries and ice cream plants paying
good prices for dairy products. During 1932 and 1933 the prices of dairy
products declined rapidly. This caused
the value of dairy products sold to
drop $9,583,000 in 1929 to $5,491,000 in 1932. Lower prices during the
next few years was more than many
farmers with low producing cows and
poor feed crops could stand. As a result many cream stations and creameries were forced to close or combine
their busin ess with ice cream or pasteurizing plants. Many farmers who
ANY STUDY of dairy marketing
problems would be incomplete without a brief review of the progress
made and the problems that have confronted the industry. Prior to 1914
the only available markets for dairy
products were around cities. It was
not until the coming of the boll weevil that farmers and business men
began thinking seriously of dairy products as a means of supplementing
the farm income. Small creameries
were established at Auburn and Decatur in 1914 to be followed rapidly
by others in most sections of Alabama.
During this early development no
check was made on the weight of
milk nor test made of cream sold. It
was not until the agricultural Code of
1923 was passed by the legislature
that an accurate history of manufacturing plants was available. Records
reveal that in 1924, 34 creameries
and milk plants were in operation in
the State.
During this early period of development the Alabama Health Department began to regulate the fluid milk
industry. The 1914-15 h ealth ordinance required only a T.B. test of
dairy cattle for milk to be sold. No
check was made on barns or equipment by the inspectors. Pasteurization of milk in the state was started
in Montgomery in 1915.
When America entered the World
War, the U. S. Department of Agriculture became active in checking
milk used in army camps. While this
was not the first rigid milk inspection in the State, it probably was responsible for the rapid expansion of
this work. Today, Alabama is recognized as one of the outstanding states
in health work and certainly its milk
TOTAL MILK PRODUCTION
1941 •
MAP t
-E stimates based on Census and AMA
repo rts.
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�plants were established in 1940 at
Athens, Decatur and Boaz. These
were in addition to the ones that had
survived the depression in Central
Alabama. Unfortunately a shortage
of material has curtailed this new
market development. Several areas of
the State are now ready for markets.
As soon as established, farmers will
supplement their income by milking
a few cows.
The following maps give a graphic
picture of the dairy industry in the
State.
COWS AND HEIFERS MILKED
1940 •
Type$ of Market$
Gra de A Milk - Grade A milk can
be sold by a limited number of dairymen around cities and towns after
they m eet the requirements of the
local board of health. In addition, a
number of farmers supply this type
of milk to cooling stations at BurkWHCLE MILK SOLD 1941 •
M AP 2
"Estimates based on Census and AMA
reports.
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had been selling cream were forced
to change to beef cattle production.
It was during this critical period
that the legislature passed the milk
control act in 1935 to insure a safe
supply of grade A milk and to insure
the dairymen of a fair share of the
consumer's dollar. Through its efforts the board has done much to
show that milk markets can be stabilized to ret urn producers and dealers
a fair margin of profit and to insure
the consuming public an adequate
supply of pure, wholesome milk.
During this trying period Alabama's agriculture began changing
from an all cotton economy to more
pastures and feeds . Small farmers
again b egan to need animals that
would give them a mark et for this
fe ed and profitable employment for
labor on their farms. Small cheese
f---r'--f----=e=--c,. •
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MAP 3
"Estimates based on Gensu8 and
reports.
8
AMA
�sota is being shipped into Alabama
to help supply the present demand.
O.P.A. price ceilings, increased labor
and feed costs, and uncertainty of
this market, have held back many
dairymen from entering this field.
The Grade A phase of the industry
is undergoing a change with the outcome uncertain. Out of it all should
come an opportunity for more farmers to enter this market. It is probable that in the future a greater proportion of the milk needed by the
industrial areas of North Alabama
will come from the adjoining counties. Small cooling stations strategically located in this area will provide markets for farm ers with only
10 to 15 cows. Farmers in the area
have the advantage of location,
higher yields of feedstuffs and a home
TOTAL MILK SOLO 1941 •
(MILK EQUIVAI..£NT)
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GRADE 'A' MILK MARKETED
1942 •
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MAP 4
·E stimates based on Census and AMA
reports.
ville, Harrell and Gallion. This milk
is hauled b'y trucks to Birmingham
where it is pasteuri zed and distributed. A similar cooling station at
Greensboro furnishes milk for the
Mobile market. Much milk from Baldwin County also is trucked to Mobile
and Pensacola markets. During the
emergency considerable milk is being
hauled to Camp Rucker, Anniston
and Childersburg from Montgomery
and surrounding counties. Additional
milk from T ennessee is helping to
supply the increased demands at the
Tri-Cities, Huntsville, Gadsden and
Decatur.
It is conservatively estimated that
Alabama dairymen have increased the
production of Grade A milk over 10,000 gallons per day during the past
year. Fully this much additional milk
is needed at this time to meet demands. Ungraded milk from Minne-
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MAP 5
·Estimates of grade "A" milk marketed
in cities. This milk may ha ve been produced
in counties other than one in which it was
sold. Based on estimates from the State
Health Departm ent, State Milk Control Board.
and Alabama Extension Service.
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POUNDS OF SWEET MIL K SOlJ) BY DISTRIBUTOR PLANTS. 1941-42 •
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1U I-42
Z
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ANNISTON
WONTGOtM:RY
GADSDCH
TUSCALOOSA
CHART 1
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·Based on data from annual reports at State :Milk Control Board for fiscal years endinll
September 5.0'
supply of labor. For these reasons
they can produce milk more economically than many of the large commercial dairies now attempting to
supply this demand.
regular milk routes in about 25 counties. This solves the problem of many
small producers getting their milk to
market. At present some of the
routes are so long that they are expensive to operate but this will probably be corrected as the volume of
milk is increased or as additional
plants are built.
Careful guidance to this new phase
of the industry should be given to
avoid a r epetition of early over-expansion. Un less a minimum of from
10,000 to 20,000 pounds of milk per
day can be secured within a radius
of 25 miles of the proposed new plant
it is a risky proposition. Eventually
it will be necessary to compete with
older dairy sections of the country in
the sale of cheese, without the benefit of the present inflated prices. A
Cheese
plants are now in operation at Ardmore (Tenn.), Boaz, Decatur, Fayette, Scottsboro, Montgomery, Uniontown, Demopolis and Safford. In addition, some cheese milk is going to
plants in Tennessee and Mississippi.
A check of these plants showed an
increase in production of 25.9 percent during 1942 over 19 41. Only
two plants showed a decrease. This
was caused by a diversion of milk
from the larger producers to Grade
A channels.
Whole milk is picked up daily on
Chee. e
Milk
Markets -
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POUNDS OF SWEET MILJ<. SOLD BY PRODUCER-DISTRIBUTOR
2.
21
I.
~ I040 - ~1
~ .1141-42
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L
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ANN ISTON
GADSDeN
8 1"loItNGHAW
CHART 2
. Based on data from annual report8 of State Milk Control Board for fiscal years ending
September 80.
as a sideline to ice cream or pasteurized milk plants.
Cream stations were set up in an
attempt to increase cream volume to
creameries but as a whole they have
not proven satisfactory. Generally
they are operated as a sideline by
someone who does not push cream
production. Often these stations only
open once each week and the quality
of the cream received does not permit the production of quality butter.
In many cases the price paid at the
station is below the price farmers can
get for country butter.
If small skim milk drying plants
can be operated in connection with
creameries they may be able to compete with cheese plants because this
would permit daily pick-up of milk
and would permit the creamery to
produce skim milk powder for Iive-
careful survey of the territory
should be made before a cheese plant
is advocated.
There are possibilities of using
cheese plant facilities and daily milk
Jrucks to handle other products, especially eggs. This would reduce the
hau ling cost and help to keep down
overhead on small plants. During
1941 Alabama cheese plants produced 3,278,000 pounds of cheddar
cheese worth about $1,183,400.
Creameries and Cream Station.-
Creameries were the first type of
market established in Alabama. Since
it requires more milk to successfully
operate a creamery than is needed
for a cheese plant, creameries suffered for a lack of volume to operate
economically. As a result many have
closed and others are operating only
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�stock feed in addition to quality butter. In 1941 Alabama only produced
1,231,000 pounds of creamery butter.
No roller or spray process skim milk
powder was produced in the State.
Generally, farmers do not realize
the value of skim milk on the farm
for feeding other livestock. As a result they prefer to sell whole milk. It
is doubtful if much progress can be
made in expanding the number of
creameries in the State until inexpensive drying equipment can be
made available.
COOLING STATIONS
19 4 2
With the exception of Texas, Alabama led all other
states in the country by producing
32,000,000 pounds of country butter
in 1940. Probably the main reason
for the heavy production of this product is due to the fact that more satisfactory markets are not available. It
is also due to the fact that 75 percent
Country Butte r -
BUTTERFAT SOLD 1941 •
MAP 6
(MILK EQUIVALENT)
CHEESE PLANTS
1943
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MAP 8
· Es timates based on Ce ns us and AMA
reports .
MAP 7
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�ery produce both sweet cream and
semi-solid skim milk for ice cream
production. In addition, several cheese
plants are shipping their surplus
sweet cream to ice cream manufacturers.
It appears that there is a need for
several plants to locate in some of
the manufacturing milk areas to help
supply the demand for sweet cream
and semi-solid skim milk. Thousands
of dollars are sent out of Alabama
each year by ice cream manufacturers for these products that can be
produced locally. A larger volume of
milk would be required than is needed for a cheese plant to justify the
purchase and operation of drying
equipment.
of our dairy cows are in herds of from
1 to 3 cows, which permits the sale
of a very limited amount of dairy
products after home needs are supplied. At present some of this butter
is being collected by rolling stores at
low prices and hauled to renovating
plants located at Birmingham and
Cullman . The production of country
butter for sale is decreasing in areas
served by whole milk markets as the
price generally received is below the
price paid by manufacturing plants.
BUTTER SOLD 194 1 •
(MILK EQUIVALENT)
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• •
Condenleri el-Condenseries usually pay slightly higher price for milk
than other manufacturing plants and
employ field men to help develop the
territory. The Carnation Company
already has made a survey of the
Piedmont section of Alabama and it
is possible that it will locate there as
soon as materials are available. This
plant, with several cooling stations,
could serve at least 10 counties in
this area and would find a ready
market for products in the cities of
the Southeast. A production of from
50,000 to 100,000 pounds of milk
per day is necessary to make the operation of such plants profitable. Few
areas in the State produce this volume of manufacturing milk.
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MAP 9
·Estimates based on Census and AMA
reports.
Marketing Problems
Ice Crea m Plant. - Ice cream production far exceeds creamery butter
production in Alabama. During 1941
a total of 3,633,000 gallons of ice
cream was manufactured. Most of the
sweet cream and milk powder used in
ice cream are shipped in from other
states because they are not available
here. Southern Dairies in Montgom-
MAICKETI G problems tie in closely
with production of all types of
dairy products. It is difficult to induce commercial plants to locate in a
territory and lose money for several
years while production is being developed. It also is difficult to try to induce farmers to increase milk production without some assurance that
a market will be available.
13
�It seems that it would be advisable
to make a careful study of Alabama
to determine the counties with potential ability to produce dairy products. This would include ability to
produce economically the necessary
feed and pasture and to provide an
ample supply of labor. Where natural
advantages are found a long time
program should be developed aimed
toward obtaining an increased farm
income from two or three main
sources.
Follo\ving the survey all agricultural agencies, local business men
and bankers should provide the necessary marketing facilities and stimulate the production of well-adapted
crops and livestock products. In a
few cases farmers may be in position
to set up their own cooperative markets but generally this is not true.
The interest of the local business men
will be tied in closer to the program
if they have some money invested.
They also will have to help finance
and plan landlord-tenant programs
that will permit the inclusion of dairy
cattle in the farming system.
A State-wide program encouraging
business men to give preference to
Alabama-produced d air y products
will do much to assist in finding markets for these several products.
to $4380 per farm . The average was
$1476. They spent an average of
$819 on barns, $220 on milk houses,
$231 on water systems, $89 on water
heating equipment and $117 on other
supplies such as cans and buckets.
These dairymen had an average of
39 cows and the increased cost per
cow for equipment was $38.85. Additional labor cost for producing
Grade A milk was $12 per week.
Depreciation and interest on the
average increased investment was
$1. 71 per week.
The average increase in price received was $1.22 per 100 pounds of
milk. The increased income per week
affected by the conversion averaged
$34.22 per week.
Small producers milking 10 to 15
cows may hesitate to make this investment. However, it is from such
producers that the bulk of our milk
must come in the future . Simpler
equipment for farmers, with cooling
stations available to receive this milk,
may be the solution to getting a more
adequate supply of milk for pasteurizing purposes around many of our
cities.
2. A thorough study of the cost of
collecting, pasteurizing and distributing milk by our milk plants would do
much to assist the State Milk Control Board in arriving at a fair price
to allow the distributors for this service. Farmers producing this type of
milk do not feel that they are getting
a fair share of the consumer's dollar.
3. Both the Health Department and
the Department of Agriculture employ men to check dairy manufacturing plants in Alabama . It seems that
this is an unnecessary duplication of
work. By having full time men checking quality, running butterfat tests
and examining sanitary conditions of
the milk plants, doubtless farmers and
plants would receive better service.
At large plants it might be advisable
Summary and Recommendations
1. A careful study should be made
of milk ordinances in Alabama with
the view of elinilnating all requirements not absolutely essential to the
production of a safe, wholesome supply of milk.
At present, milk which meets the
requirements of one milk shed may
not be acceptable in another shed in
Alabama. In a study made in 1942
at Greensboro where 17 dairymen
converted their equipment to grade A
production the capital outlay in making the conversion ranged from $610
14
�for state men, paid jointly by plants
and producers, to do all weighing and
testing.
4. To be in position to compete
with out-of-state Federally graded
cheese and butter it is advisable to
have at least one licensed grader on
the inspection staff of the Alabama
Department of Agriculture. Each
plant could be required to pay for
this service when requested.
5. Several privately-owned cheese
plants are dependent on the large
distributors for markets. They may
be squeezed out of business as demands for cheese decrease after the
war. Such plants need advice on proper methods of manufacturing cheese
that will permit them to produce a
product that can be sold on the Alabama markets without reprocessing.
Since this might not be a full-time
job, a trained man might be jointly
employed by the Experiment Station
and Extension Service to devote part
time to field work and the remainder
to working on new types of cheese
best suited to local conditions. He
also might assist in training men for
new plants as they are n eeded.
6. Many have t.h e erroneous opinion that all that is necessary to increase milk production is to increase
feed and pasture. While feed represents approximately 50 percent of the
cost of producing milk, farmers cannot pay for feed and obtain a reasonable return on the investment with
low producing cows that average only
130 pounds of butterfat per year.
Since 75 percent of the Alabama dairy
cows are in herds of from 1 to 3 cows
it is very difficult to get pr oductionbred sires available to do the job of
breeding up small herds. Artificial
insemination associations, subsidized
by the State, offer one of the most
promising solutions to the problem.
With State-owned herds at Auburn
and Kilby available it appears that
DAIRY PRODUCTS SOLD FROM FARMS
PERCENT AGE OF TOTAL VALUE OF SALE S
ALABAMA, 1924-1941
1924
1925
1926
1927
1928
1929
1930
1931
1932
1933
1934
1935
1936
1937
19 38
1939
1940
1941
-------
----
-------------------
----------
-------
Milk & Cream
Retailed
by Farmers
Milk Sold to
Plants,
Dealers. Etc.
at Wholesale
Cream Sold to
Plants,
Dealers, Etc.
as Butterfat
Butter
Sold
Combined
Sales of
Dairy
Product!
46.2
45.1
45.3
46.1
46.8
43.1
43.6
50.3
53.0
53.6
53.0
51.5
46.0
41.7
43.1
44.3
44.1
39.2
24.7
26.6
26.9
28.3
29.2
32.2
33.4
26.8
24.8
26.0
27.0
27.9
33.8
36.7
36.8
37.7
40.7
43.7
8.5
9.1
8.1
7.3
6.8
9.0
7.2
6.3
6.6
6.4
6.1
6.6
7.1
7.0
7.4
6.6
5.2
6.3
20.6
19.2
19.7
18.3
17 .2
15.7
15.8
16.6
15.6
14.0
13.9
14.0
13 .1
14.6
12.7
11.4
10.0
10.8
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
Farm
SOURCE: Farm Production. Disposition and Income from 1I:lilk
1924-1940. 1940-1941. AMS. USDA.
Extension Economics
August 14. 1942.
15
�-------.~-
GROSS INCOME FROM DAIRY PRODUCTS
ALABAMA, 1924-1941
Tota l Value
Dai ry P roducts
Sold
1924
1925
192 6
1927
1928
1929
193 0
1931
1932
1933
19 34
1935
19 3 6
1 937
19 38
1939
1940
194 1
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -------- - ------------------------
Valu e Dairy Prod.
Used In
Farm H ouse hold
(000)
$5,107
5,677
6,561
7,232
7,748
9,583
8,798
6,744
5,491
5,543
6,054
6,890
7,715
7,574
7,805
7,689
7,937
9,101
(000)
$23,195
23,607
24, 806
25,447
26,034
26,243
24 ,450
21,311
16,836
17,017
18,752
20,381
2 1, 23 1
21 ,7 04
20,635
20,779
18 ,786
20,615
Gross Farm Income
From
Dai ry Products
(000)
$28,302
29 ,28 4
31,367
32,679
33,782
35,826
33 ,248
28,055
22, 327
22,560
24,806
27,271
28,946
29,278
28,440
28,468
26,72 3
29,716
SOURCE: F arm Production, Disposition and Income from Milk
19 24 -1 940 , 1940-1941, AMS, USDA.
Extension Economics
August 14, 1942.
9. As dairying is still a n ew industry in Alabama, much stress must
b e placed on educating p eople in all
phases of t h e work. All inspectors of
dairy prod ucts s hould a ssu m e an attitude of friendly, constructive criticism where n eeded and plant operators need to do as much field work as
their time and money will permit.
Needless to say, the ed u cational forces
working in counties where dairying
is one of the major sources of incom e, should be well grounded in
dairy fundamentals and should devote a considerable portion of their
time to practical dairy demonstrations. A combinati on of f eed production, better dairy cattle, practical
da iry skill and managem ent together
with adequate markets are n eeded to
make dairying successful in Alabama.
10. Whil e a most friendly attitude
exists at the present time between
a ll agencies dealing with edu cational
and r egulatory work there is still
an appropriation to start this work
would b e advisable.
7. A uniform plan for pa ying for
m a nufacturing milk seems advisable.
Some plants are at present paying a
bonus f or quantity, others f or quality. Oth er s pay a straight butterfat
price, while others p a y on a basis of
a price for 100 pO,unds of 4 percent
milk with a point differential. If this
could be standardized it would make
it possible to quote daily prices in
m ark et r eports and in radio market
broadcasts.
8. Due to the growing interest in
dairy cattle and oth er livestock on
Alabama farms it is becoming increasingly importan t that livestock
statistics in the state be improved.
Errors of 50 percent or m ore occur
in many counties when census figures
are compared wit h B an gs test r eports .
Thi s situation makes it difficult to
make accurate surveys n eeded in determining the location of n ew mark ets or plants.
16
�some overlapping of responsibility
that might be eliminated in the interest of greater efficiency. All educational forces should use recommendations of the Experiment Station,
as far as they are available, and
should agree on other recommendations before taking them to the field.
These forces need to know marketing
problems and work toward their solu-
tion but should not attempt to engage in actual buying and selling.
Regulatory and inspection work
should be kept separate from educational work, except where cooperation is needed in handling educational problems. Occasional meetings of
all these forces to study their common problems should prove beneficial
to the group and to the industry.
----*----
17
�MEAT ANIMALS
(Beef Cattle, Hogs and Sheep)
Production
IMPORTANCE of livestock production in Alabama has increased in
recen t years. Classes of livestock are
being concentrated in definite areas
largely as a r esult of the cropping
system which influences the amounts
and types of feed available for producing livestock.
Beef Cattle
BEEF CATTLE production in Alabama has developed most rapidly
in areas where large acreages of pasture land and forage crops are
grown. The heaviest concentrations
of cattle are in the grazing area including the Black Belt from Russell
County across the State through Sumter County, in the Tenn essee Valley
and the open grazing areas of Southwest Alabama. (See Map, No. 10.)
Beef cattle production has increased
faster and steadier than any other
livestock enterprise, which is r eflected by the volume of business
done by t he Union Stock Yard of
Montgomery. (See Charts 3 and 4.)
Estimates by the U. S. Bureau of
Agricultural Economics place Alabama's cash income at $7,660,000
from cattle and calves in 1940. This
PASTURE fOR,L>C£ FEED UNITS PER SQ MILE
was 81 percent larger than the aver1939'
age income received during the period 1928-37. From informati on secured from th e stock yards and packers in the State this figure is undoubtedly very much too low.
The quality of beef cattle has
shown a marked improvem ent in the
past few years through the use of
purebred bulls and by retention of
better heifers in the breeding herds.
The State Veterinarian reports that
4,995 r egistered beef animals were
shipped into Alabama for breeding
purposes in the past two years. In
addition a large number has been
shipped in without the official State
health certificate. Too, a larger number than those shipped into the State
has been produced by the 186 purebred beef cattle producers. At presUNITS· •
ent, practically every herd in Alac=J O'~'"' '''''''''''
bama is headed by a purebred beef
~.ooo
bull. Farmers are doing more winter
MA P 10
feeding and this has done much to
-Estimates based on Census and AMA
improve quality even though there is
reports .
•• One feed unit rep resents the amount of
considerable room for further Imtotal digestible nutrients in one bushel of
provement in this respect.
corn or its eQ.uivnlent.
18
�RECEIPTS OF CATTLE AND CALVES AT UNION STOCKYARDS
MONTGOMERY, ALA. JUNE 1918-1940 '"
200
17
15
:g 12
z
<{
<f)
6100
I
I-
75
50
2
CHART 3
*Based on reports from Union Stockyards Company.
RECEIPTS AT UNION STOCK YARDS, MONTGOMERY'"
32
28
24
<f)
o
20
z
<{
<f)
=>
o
I
16
I-
12
8
4
MAY
JUNE
1942
CHART 4
·Based on reports from Union Stockyards Company.
19
JULY
�=
ALL CATTLE
1940 •
influence of periodic price changes.
This has caused peaks in numbers at
intervals of about 4 or 5 years and
low points during other intervals.
Sheep
•
LEGEND
I'IUW.'"
SHEEP numbers in Alabama are too
small to be of much influence on
the economy of any area. There were
365,000 sheep in Alabama in 1860.
This number gradually decreased until at present there are only 48,000
head. This decr ease has been caused
very largely by the passing of the
county and State stock laws abolishmg open ranges.
Alabama is now in the transition
stage between the production of
range sheep and the more profitable
farm sheep flocks. Sheep production
is of some importance on the ranges
of Washington, Mobile and Baldwin
SWINE
_ ,l 9 4,.:,
0_' _,.-_-,
re
MAP 11
-Estimated number on farms on January 1. 1940. based on Census and A'MA reports.
Hog s
MOST Alabama hogs are in areas
which produce concentrate feedstuffs, especially in the old and n ew
peanut areas, and in the Tennessee
Valley. (See Map, No. 12.) Greatest
expansion in recent years has been
in the peanut producing counties.
Quality of Alabama hogs has increased greatly in the last decade
through the widespread use of purebred boars. These boars have been
introduced largely through 4-H Club
pig chain projects. The carcasses of
many Alabama hogs, however, are affected by serious infestations of internal parasites.
This makes large
numbers of livers, kidneys and loins
unfit for human consumption.
Hog numbers have increased irregularly in recent years in Alabama.
This irregularity has been due to the
MAP 12
-Estimated number on farms on January I, 1940, based on Census an d AMA reports.
20
�Missouri and sold to Alabama farmers by regular mule dealers. (Map
13 shows the number of Jacks and
Stallions reported to be in Alabama
in 1941 and reflects the areas where
colts are produced.)
JACKS AND STALLIONS
1941 •
•••
· 0
•• ~t-::~
••
Areas for Expanding
Production
-V_
. 0
00
••••
••
T enn easee Valley: Increased acreages of pasture, forage and concentrate feedstuffs in the Tennessee Valley area offer an excellent opportunity for expanding all classes of livestock production. The valley is well
adapted to the growing of grain as
well as forage and pastures.
Cattle numbers are increasing in
this area. Many farmers are producing beef calves on pasture and forage
and finishing them on grain in the
• ••
••
0 . 00
0 0
~ 0
TOTAL FEED UNITS PER SQl..W1E MIl..£
(iNCLUlINGMNOROU'S ).
1939 •
MAP 13
-Reports from county agents.
Counties. The largest concentrations
of farm sheep flocks in the State are
in the Black Belt and the T ennessee
Valley. Much is being done to improve the quality of sheep and many
purebred rams have been brought
into the State in recent years.
Work stock
WORKSTOCK numbers are closely
associated with the number of
farmers in an area, ranging from 1.8
head per square mile in Mobile to
16.6 in Marshall County. Machines
have displaced many workstock but
at present farmers have more money
invested in workstock than in all
other classes of livestock combined.
They are buying large numbers each
year for replacements. Some colts
are produced in the Black Belt and
Tennessee Valley, but most of them
are shipped in from Tennessee and
MAP 14
-E stimates based on Census nnd AMA
reports.
• ·One reed unit represents the amount ot
total digestible nutrients in one bushel of
corn or its equivalent.
21
�•
There is some promise of farmers
HARv'ESTED Fa'tl>GE FEED UNITS PER SQJA.RE ML.£ utilizing surpluses of both corn and
1939 •
cottonseed meal for feeding out
cattle. Hogs appear to be the class of
meat animal which should be in ere ased most in this area.
Piedmont: The Piedmont is suitable
for growing small grains, lespedeza,
kudzu, and alfalfa. It has some smaH
good pastures but very low yields of
corn and peanuts. Livestock expansion in this area should be centered
around the types of feedstuffs. which
can be produced. Sheep are efficient
users of the types of feedstuffs grown
in the Piedmont. Cattle may be increased some but the size of farms
is not conducive to a large mcrease
in beef cattle production.
LE GEND
"'"IT'S • •
Do~'-.OO
TOTAL GRAN FEED WITS PER SQ. MILE
(INCLUDING MINORCR:lPS).19~9 •
~ ""'-'"...,o.oo
•
MAP 15
.Estimates based on Census and AMA
reports .
•• One feed unit represents t he amount of
tota l digestible nutrients in one bushel of
corn or its equivalent.
feed lot. With the successful introduction of peanuts and increased
yields of corn, the Tennessee VaHey
may develop into a major hog producing area. Feedstuffs produced in
this area are conducive to profitable
use of a limited number of sheep on
many farms. Sheep numbers are now
increasing in the VaHey.
Sand Mountain : Farm production
on Sand Mountain is centered largely
around cotton and corn which produce r elatively high yields. The
farms are generaHy very smaH. Consequently, the farms are not weH
adapted to extensive systems of farming like beef cattle production. There
is a very definite trend toward the
production of hogs which require less
space and are efficient users of corn.
LEGtND
c=::J
Vfoun ....
l_1OO~""OI.2JOO
~1OI~ _2.lOI-VOO
MAP 16
*Estimatcs based on Census and AMA
reports .
• • One feed unit represents the amount of
tota l di gestible nutrients in one bushel of
corn or its equivalent .
22
�Upper Co as tal Pla in : The Upper
Coastal P lain, extendin g from Elmore
and Autauga Counties northwesterly
to Franklin County and bounded on
the south by the Black Belt, contains
a large variety of soils and farming
practices. Beef cattle production in
this area is largely confined to the
more fertile bottom lands. There is
opportunity for more expansion of
beef cattle production on more farms
with good bottom land.
Many farmers who have increased
their corn yields by the use of winter
legumes are producing hogs for market. There is a great need for increased yields of corn marketed
through hogs in this area.
Bla ck Belt: The Black Belt is considered by many authorities as one
of the best beef cattle producing
areas in the Nation. It has been reported that there are more beef cattle in the Black Belt than in any
area of equal size in the United
States. This development has taken
place over a period of years but has
been accelerated during the past decade by the development of more improved pastures. Not only has there
been an increase in numbers but a
great improvement in the breeding
and quality of the cattle.
Crops produced in this area are
conducive to the production and sale
of beef calves rather than to the finishing of cattle in the feed lot. In
the past few years cattle producers
have been feeding their cattle better
during the winter and giving them
more winter care but there IS still
room for much improvement in this
part of the program.
Many cattle producers are increasing their income by the addition of
a small flock of sheep to their farm
operations. This area is well adapted
to sheep production and producers
report substantial profits. There is
room for a large expansion in the
sheep industry in the Black Belt .
Systems of farming practiced on
t he clay lands of t h e Black Belt offer
little opportunity for expansion of
hog production. However, those with
sandy soils are producing hogs for
market; there is room for additional
expansion on these farms.
Sou theast Alabama: Southeast Alabama is operating largely on a cotton-peanut-hog economy supplemented with some beef cattle. Past trends
indicate that peanut-hog and beef cattle enterprises will be expanded, however, expansion of beef cattle will be
limited by the extent to which it supplements peanuts and h ogs. With a
large amount of peanut hay produced,
comparatively good yields of corn,
and available supply of cottonseed
meal and peanut meal, there is an
opportunity for more farmers to feed
cattle for the market. The Black Belt
offers an opportunity to supply large
numbers of good quality feeder cattle for Southeast Alabama producers.
Sou thwest Alabam a : Its large size
farms, its abundance of bottom lands
with lime out-washings from the
Black Belt, and its large timber
tracts make Southwest Alabama well
adapted to production of more meat
animals. During recent years there
has been an increase in number and
improvement in quality of both cattle
and hogs. With this trend, together
with a development of near-by markets, there is a greater appreciation
among farmers for the opportunities
offered in this section.
Packing Plants
ALABAMA has 18 packing plants
which use Alabama livestock so
long as volume and quality are available for supplying their demands. In
addition, the plant at Columbus, Georgia, buys about 88 percent of its cattle and 51 percent of its hogs in Alabama. Most of them import livestock
during slack seasons and small vol-
23
�ume of better quality livestock at
regular intervals throughout the
year.
Swift's packing plant at Montgomery imports from three to four cars of
good to choice steers from the MiddleWest each month because the number
of steers of good to choice quality offered on State markets is not sufficient to meet its demand for highquality meat. Other plants are
forced to import livestock in slack
seasons in order to obtain a volume
sufficient to keep their plants in operation.
In rush seasons, Alabama livestock
are' placed on the market in such
numbers that many of them ar~
moved to plants in adjoining states
for slaughter. Alabama cattle and
hogs are killed at such places as
Ocala, Tampa and Marianna, Florida;
Moultrie, Albany, Tifton, Thomas-
ville, Rome and Atlanta, Georgia;
and Nashville, Memphis, and Chattanooga, Tennessee, Some are shipped
to points as far away as Jersey City,
N. J.
Markets
MOST AREAS of Alabama producing
a volume of livestock are serviced
by some type of market. Marginal
areas where there is insufficient volume are served by livestock dealers.
(See Map, No. 17.)
Terminal Markets: Alabama has
one terminal livestock market. It is
the Union Stock Yards, Montgomery,
where five commission firms sell livestock for farmers. One order-buying
firm operates on this yard. It is the
largest firm in the United States and
provides a continuous and daily widespread outlet for all classes of livestock in unlimited quantities. This
yard is considered to have the largest volume of cattle sales in the
Southeast.
LIVES TOCK MARKETS
1942 '
, .4
Auction Markets: Alabama has
about 40 small stockyards where cattle are sold and traded. Usually
from one to two auctions are held
each week at each yard. (See Map,
No. 17.) In addition, there are about
17 producer cooperative hog sales in
the peanut areas.
Most of the small stockyards have
been built since 1938. It is estimated that these cattle were worth
$12,958,384 and the hogs worth $11,846,542, a total of $24,804,926 to
Alabama producers. In addition to
these figures, there was a considerable volume of livestock sold directly
to packers within the State and to
yards and packers outside the state.
•
•
•
•
•
•
.6 6.
.
II
l:J.
"
(). 6
...
•
LEGEND
®
Tt~t.! rKAL
•
,"v alle STQCII.YAI'I.D$
Sale. Point. : The marginal areas
are served by livestock traders and
dealers who use either the packing
plants, the auction markets, or the
Union Stock Yards as outlets for
their purchases.
IoIAAII,cn
.... .....clUNG "U.HTS
•
LIVUTocr; OUJ..tllS
6.
COOI"(ItAT IY [ HOG SALlS
MAP 17
.. Based on marke t reports and reports
of in s pectors.
24
�one auction is necessary to market the
cattle in anyone county. In some
counties markets are being established which cannot expect to draw a
volume sufficient to maintain an efficient market.
Cooperative hog sales in the peanut
area handle approximately 25 percent
of the hogs going to market in the
State. They have had a favorable influence on the quality of hogs produced.
Many of the packing plants have
located in Alabama and adjoining
areas since 1933. As a result, many
farmers sell direct to the packer.
Marketing Practices
ALABAMA FARMERS have several
methods of placing their livestock
on the market. They sell through a
commission firm on the terminal market, through one of the auctions, to
a livestock trader, or directly to a
packer. Generally the method used is
influenced by both proximity to market and the volume to be marketed.
The auction market is relatively
new but it is a very popular market
with farmers. Farmers get satisfaction from seeing the actual sale of
their cattle and from the opportunity to sell near home. The livestock
at these auctions are bought by
packer buyers, traders, order buyers
or other farmers.
,
Prices
Seasonal Variations:
There is a
very definite seasonal variation in the
volume and prices of livestock sold
on Alabama markets. The indexes
of seasonal variations of prices are
given in Table 1.
Some of the counties have from
two to four auctions. These handle
a comparatively small volume of livestock. It is doubtful that more than
Table I-Sea50nal Price Variations of Meat Animals as Indicated by Annual
Averages of Past Ten Years (1931-41)"
Class
Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec.
Hogs
Beef Cattle
Veal Calves
Sheep
Lambs
91 92 94
90 93 97
92 94 98
97 101 103
94 96 97
94
104
101
101
101
94
105
102
98
102
97
104
101
98
104
105
105
101
99
103
109
102
102
97
102
113
103
105
100
104
109
102
104
102
100
103
99
101
103
99
98
99
98
104
99
• Mahan, J. N., and Mars h. J ohn F .. "Prices Re ce ived by Alabama Farmers lor Farm
Products. Au g us t 1909-Augus t 1942", Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station Bulletin
26 8, Auburn , Alabama.
Based upon receipts at the Union
Stock Yards, the bulk of the hogs is
sold in December, January, February
and March with the extreme low
movement of hogs for market in May,
June and July. Bulk of the cattle
and calves is marketed from August
through November with large quantities carrying over into December
and January. The lowest movement
of cattle and calves for market is in
the period from April through Jun e.
Generally speaking, it will be noted
from the above table that the prlces
on beef cattle and calves are relatively high during the peak months
of movement. During such months
there is a sufficiently large volume of
livestock offered to permit the fulfillment of substantial orders to distant markets. This results in more
or less stabilized prices. However,
during the late spring and early summer when there ar e light offerings
of cattle, the market is generally
good. It will be noted that during
25
•
�the months of peak movement, the
prices of hogs are considerably lower
than they are during the months of
light movement.
The livestock programs of the Peanut and Black Belt areas are organized in such a manner that many
farmers find it difficult to change the
season in which their livestock must
go to market. But farmers in the
Tennessee Valley and portions of
other areas can arrange their feed
crops and livestock enterprises so as
to take advan tage of seasonal variations in prices. They should be encouraged to do so.
Price Diff er enti als : A very controversial subject is price differentials
between markets for animals of comparable grade and weight, especially
as between Alabama markets and
markets in the Mid-West. It is a
known fact that there are differences
in prices for livestock of comparable
grade and weight in the two areas.
The debatable subject is whether or
not the existing differentials are justified.
It is commonly believed, and area
differentials tend to support the belief, that livestock prices in Alabama
are Mid-west market prices less
transportation cost from Alabama to
the Mid-West. People having this
opinion contend that, so long as Alabama is a deficit producing area and
livestock are being shipped from the
Mid-west to supply present demands,
livestock prices for comparable grades
and weights in Alabama should be
Mid-west market prices plus transportation costs to the area.
Livestock buyers from the Midwest and packing companies deny the
Mid-west plus contention. Instead,
they justify the differentials on the
basis of quality and dress-out percentages of livestock as compared
with those in the Corn Belt. It is
claimed that slaughter steers of comparable grade and weight produced in
Alabama yield less meat and are not
of as high quality as those from the
Mid-west.
Many Alabama peanut-fed hogs
produce soft hams and bacon which
shrink when cured. The soft bellies
and fat backs do not have a wide outlet, and a high percentage of the casings and livers are unfit for human
consumption because of parasite injury. Consequently, many Alabama
hogs have a lower dress-out percentage, shrink badly and have a higher
loss of by-products than Mid-west
hogs. Various cuts of soft pork sell
at prices less than hard corn fed
pork. Packers also contend that hard
hogs in Alabama have more parasite
injury, a lower dress-out percentage
and lower quality cuts than the Midwestern better-bred corn fed hogs.
Neither group has shown sufficient
reliable data to completely substantiate their argument. Objective research is needed to reveal the facts
so that both groups may know what
adjustments are needed to make livestock enterprises in Alabama more
successful.
Price margins on Alabama markets
between different grades and weights
of the same class of livestock have
been insufficient to emphasize the
importance of producing quality livestock. For example, barrows and gilts
are sold on many Alabama markets
by weight groups and very little attention is given to whether or not
they are choice, good, medium or cull .
A 180-240 pound barrow or gilt is
considered a top hog on Alabama
markets and little emphasis is given
to the degree of excellence in relation to the entire range of excellence
possible for such animals.
Consumption
EVEN THOUGH there are marketing
peaks when Alabama produces a
temporary surplus of some classes of
meats, there is considerably more
26
�a study be made of methods for controlling diseases and parasites of cattle.
4. Generally speaking, most areas
of Alabama have sufficient near-by
outlets for all animals produced.
Most areas have outlets for much
more production.
5. Alabama and adjoining areas
have sufficient killing plants to absorb a substantial increase in production if marketing is more evenly
distributed throughout the year.
6. There is a demand in Alabama
and adjoining states for much more
meat than is now being produced
with an almost unlimited market for
feeder cattle in North and Southeast
Alabama and in states to the North
and East. To these markets Alabama
producers are many hundreds of
miles nearer than Western feeder cattle producers.
7. Compared with other Southern
States and quality considered, Alabama producers are apparently receiving a fair price for their livestock.
8. Research work should be done
on transportation costs and price differentials
between markets and
grades of the same classes of livestock to determine the comparative
level of prices received by Alabama
farmers for their livestock.
9. Believing that increased sheep
production would be profitable to Alabama farmers, it is recommended that
the Alabama Experiment Station do
additional sheep work at the sub-stations located in the Black Belt, the
Tennessee .valley and the proposed
station to be located on the Piedmont
plateau.
beef, veal, pork and mutton consumed
in Alabama than is produced in the
State.
One packer operating a killing
plant in Alabama imports annually
about 50,000 hogs, 8,000 calves and
3,000 cattle to enable him to use his
plant the entire year. In addition,
he imports 23,000,000 pounds of beef,
4,000,000 pounds of veal, 3,000,000
pounds of lamb and 69,000,000
pounds of pork. All of this meat is
consumed in Alabama and adjoining
states and is a potential market for
Alabama producers. This condition
has proved true with the other packers operating in Alabama.
Based on figures supplied by the
packing industries, Alabama consumes about 185,000,000 pounds of
packing house meat annually. It is
estimated
that this 185,000,000
pounds would provide a market for
about $37,000,000 worth of Alabama
livestock if all of it were supplied by
Alabama producers. This does not include meat killed by local butchers or
raised for home use.
Summary and Recommendations
1. Greatest needs in Alabama are
for larger production of all classes of
meat animals, pastures and feed, with
improvement in the quality of animals
produced.
2. Changes are needed, especially
with hogs, in systems of production
which will permit a greater distribution of marketing throughout the
year.
3. Better hog production practices
are needed to control parasites and
diseases. It also is recommended that
27
•
�POULTRY AND EGGS
Historical Background
CENSUS FIGURES of 1920 show
that the yearly production of each
Alabama hen was only 47.5 eggs, a
production far too low for poultry to
be an economic factor in Alabama
agriculture. To help change this picture the Extension Service of the
Alabama Polytechnic Institute on
June 1, 1923, appointed the first fulltime extension poultry specialist.
During the early twenties the State
was so engrossed in a cotton economy
that little thought was given to the
possibilities of poultry in a sound agricultural program.
A forward step in bringing about a
realization of the importance of poultry in Alabama agriculture was the
establishm ent of the Alabama National Egg Laying Contest in 1924,
the first egg laying contest in the
South. The 1000 hens entered in the
contest produced an average of
153.23 eggs each, the highest of any
contest in the country up to that
time. Soon, egg laying contests were
established in Georgia, Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas. In
these contests hens· consistently produced more eggs than hens in contests in other sections of the country. Results showed that egg production can be maintained on a satisfactory level in Alabama and the
South.
Since the poultry department of the
Alabama Polytechnic Institute was
established and combined with poultry research in 1925 the staff has
been enlarged and the scope of research work broadened. This has
been of great value in expanding the
poultry industry.
Records reveal that from 1937
through 1941 a total of 1,077 farmers, with 178,509 hens, in 65 Alabama counties, conducted poultry
demonstrations and kept an accurate
record on production, expenses, and
income. All these producers made a
profit except 84. A summary of the
results from the 1,077 farms fo llows:
Average number of eggs per hen per yeaL __ ____ _ ___________ __ _
170.3
Average sale price per dozen eggs _ ____ __ __ __ _ ____ __ __ _ _______ _
24.7c
Gross income per 100 hens per year __ ___ __ ___________________ _ $342.51
Income above fe ed cost per 100 hen s ____ _ ___ _________________ _ $153.51
Average sale price of cotton per pound (same period) ___________ _
10 .lc
Pounds of cotton to equal gross income of 100 hens __ __________ _ 3459.8
(Approx. 7 bales)
Average sale price of corn per bushel (same period) _ __ __ ___ ____ _
65c
Hen market per bushel of corn after paying $3.50 for supplem ent
$2.55
Gross daily income per 100 hens _ ____ __ _ _____________________ _
93.4c
ber of birds increased each year until
1930-31 when 51,937 birds were involved. A gradual decline in number
of birds was noted until a low of
30,277 birds was reached in 1934
when an improved program was perfected. The following comllarison of
1935 and 1942 tells the story since
that time:
Poultry Improvement Program
IN 1925 the State Department of Agriculture, Montgomery, and the Extension Service, Auburn, started a
joint breed impr ovement and pullorum (B.W.D. or Bacillary White
Diarrhea) testing program. During
the first year approximately 10,000
birds were on the program. The num28
�Number counties having hatcheries _______ _
Number official hatcheries _____ _________ _
Number birds pullorum tested __________ _
Hatching egg capacity ____________ ._____ _
Number certified flocks __ ______ ___ _____ _
Number certified birds ___ ______ ____ ___ _
Objectives of the project are:
1. To encourage the use of hens of
known values and livability for the
purpose of obtaining desirable males
for breeding purposes, which will
NATIONAL POULTRY IMPROVE~NT
PLAN HATCHERIES 1942'
•
••
LEGEND
.... c.wcm
if~-"'-=-~T2-=e", - e48 -~
-
-------200_ 267
_~~'j~il
o
o
(1-1936)
(13-1936)
1942
57
93
198,361
2,855,600
370
71,058
affect the economy of egg production
by lowering flock mortality.
2. To encourage and assist poultrymen in breeding of birds capable of
economical egg production over a
period of years, which will affect the
entire poultry industry in Alabama,
including the three definite recognized groups-home flock, farm flock,
and commercial flock.
3. To encourage and assist in progeny testing, to isolate and distribute
males of known superior breeding
ability to hatcheries producing and
selling commercial chicks.
4. To secure accurate data relative
to the egg production ability of fowls
of different breeds and from different
sources during their pullet, yearling
and later years, for study and research.
As an integral part of the Alabama
poultry improvement program, 13,491
individually wing banded chicks
were produced and distributed from
this project in 1940-41. Records also
r eveal that in 1936 there was only
one flock of 13 hens in Alabama
mated to R.O.P. males. In 1942 this
number had jumped to 370 flocks
with 71,158 hens mated to R.O.P.
males.
The following, quoted from a letter from the Alabama State Hatchery and typical of what is happening
in other sections, illustrates the farreaching effect of the Auburn R.O.P .
project:
"From the 1,855 wing-banded
chicks you shipped me from my two
pens of birds, I have selected 484
males. They are mated to 6,000 females from which I will secure my
hatching eggs for 1943.
On September 13, 1937, the Auburn Record of Performance Project,
the first of its kind in the United
States, was started. This is a co-operative breeding project conducted by
the Alabama Poultry Breeders, cooperating with the Alabama Extension Service, State Department of Agriculture and Industries, Alabama Experiment Station, and United States
Department of Agriculture.
•
1935
17
19
32,509
118,574
32: ' )
MAP 18
Report of State Dept. Agr. & Ind.
29
�mortality are expected real contributions to farmers and economy of the
State."
The following figures give some
evidence of the influence of Ala.bama's poultry program:
"On the basis of my last year's
operation these 6,000 hens will produce 180,000 chicks that will be distributed to 1,800 farmers. From this
increased egg production and lower
1920
Number chickens on farms ___________________ _ 5,915,429
*Egg production per hen ______________ _______ _
47.5
Average egg production per hen in Auburn R.O.P.
Project _________________________________ _
1942
7,525,000
85.9
189.3
·From Bureau Agricultural Economics.
During 1942 Alabama hens produced 30,451,218 dozen or 2,537 'h
carloads more eggs than they did in
1920. At 24.7c per dozen, (the five
year average 1937-4 1 inclusive) this
increase in production meant $7,411,450.84 for the Alabama farmers.
Hatching Eggs
FIGURES from the Alabama State
Hatchery, Dothan, Alabama, show
that 19 farmers in Henry County increased their cash income in 1942 by
$254.00 each from the sale of U. S.
Alabama Approved Pullorum tested
hatching eggs.
CHICKENS ON FARMS
CHICKENS RAISED
1942 •
•
1942 •
~-r'
•
•
•
LEGEND
LEGEND
1000 .......
1000 .......
-- ~'1I2-~1
*-3;,
128-19;
MAP 19
MAP 20
-Estimates based on Census and AMA
reports.
·Est imates based on Census and AMA
reports.
30
�Value of Alabama Poultry
Industry
EGGS PRODUCED
1942 ·
ACCORDING to 1940 census the
value of the poultry industry (poultry and eggs) in Alabama was $12,134,000. With the increase in number of hens, larger egg production,
and increase in prices the 1942 value
is well over $16,000,000.
Egg Production
A STUDY of the map (Map No. 21)
reveals the fact that egg production is distributed throughout the 67
countries with heavy production concentrated in the area north of Jefferson
County and in Baldwin
County. The census shows that 46.4
percent of all farms in Alabama receive some cash income from the sale
of poultry and poultry products. The
distribution of this income by counties is shown in (Maps No. 22 and
23).
PEKENTI>GE Of FARMERS SELLING
POULTRY AND POLLTRY
MAP 21
- Estimates based on Cens us and AMA
reports.
It would take a hatching capacity
of at least 6,700,000 eggs to adequately supply Alabama's needs for
high-quality baby chicks. At present
the 93 official hatcheries in Alabama
have an egg capacity of 2,855,600 at
one setting. It is estimated that
about 25 percent of all hatching eggs
used are imported.
The mild winter climate would enable Alabama farmers to produce and
ship large quantities of hatching eggs
to the Northern hatcheries. The Poultry Improvement Program of the
State should be expanded to make it
possible for Alabama farmers to receive this additional income from exported chicks. Already we have a
program recognized as outstanding
in the Nation but it is expanding.
MAP 22
-1 940 Census.
31
PFIDJ:::TS. 1939 •
�PERCENTAGE Cf" AYERK£. ALABAMA
EGG PRICE F¥>.ID BY DEAlER·
MAP 23
The problem of egg marketing in
Alabama is serious. On a twelvemonth basis, an insufficient number
of eggs is being produced to fill the
needs in the state.
A glance at Chart No. 5 reveals
that during the fall and winter
months the production of eggs in
Alabama is very low and is below the
rate of consumption in the state. On
the other hand, production is high
during the early spring and summer
months and exceeds the state's rate
of consumption.
This means that for one period of
the year eggs are imported into Alabama to meet consumption requirements while during the remainder of
the year there is not a satisfactory
market outlet for the excess production. It is this uneven distribution of
production that complicates the marketing problem.
It is almost impossible to get an
increase in egg production during the
period when there is an unsatisfactory market. It is equally as difficult to establish a market for eggs
unless there is a relatively steady
source of supply throughout the year.
It is estimated that five percent of
all eggs produced in Alabama is a
total loss due to careless handling and
inadequate marketing facilities. In
dollars and cents this means that
Alabama producers lost approxImately $795,000 in 1942 .
Reports from Montgomery indicate
that approximately 500 cases of eggs
are handled by jobbers each week.
Local production takes care of this
requirement from February to September. From September to the following February the local production is approximately 30 percent
short of market needs.
Birmingham markets con sum e
about $2,000,000 worth of eggs annually.
It is estimated that between 40,000
to 50,000 thirty-dozen cases of Alabama produced eggs are sold in Birmingham annually.
In addition
large quantities of eggs produced in
other states are shipped into Birmingham. This means that Birmingham
offers a tremendous market for Alabama eggs.
In 1942, an egg drying plant with
a capacity of 2,000 cases of eggs per
day was established in Birmingham
primarily to produce dried eggs under
Government contract for Lend-Lease
purposes. This plant buys eggs during the surplus season and places
them in cold storage and dries them
on a regular schedule throughout the
year.
Through the dehydration process,
(only water removed) a 30-dozen
case of eggs with a net weight of 45
pounds is reduced to a 10-pound
package. This dried product, which
can be kept for a long time under
32
�EGGS-SEASONAL VARIATION OF PRICES AND PERCENTAGE
PRODUCED BY MONTHS'
160
I
I
",
I
150
\
/
I
,
,
I
oZl40
';(
14
13
\
I
'
I
I
:§
:
II
,
PRODUCTION\
I
;t 120
12
\
/~\
II
crl30
"
AVeRAGE: 1925-1934 \
I
Z
o
If)
\
I
I
<110
\
\
I
w
\
I
If)
'
90::
8
,,
,
7
' ..................... ,
/
/
.... ....
/
70
/
"
JAN.
W
,
~90 //
80
VARIATION
w
U
0..
,
I
t5
10~
A"eRAGE: 11U2-19 41
,
I
l)100
~
SEASONAL
!
fEB.
,
MAR. APR!.
,
MAY
•
!
JUNE JULY
•
AUG.
t
I
SEPT. OCT.
6
....
..... ....
....
I
NOV.
5
"-
.....
•
DEC.
CHART 5
·Mahan, J. N. and Marsh, John F., "Pric es Received by Alabama Farmers for Farm
Products, August 1909-August 1942," Ala. Agr. Exp. Bul. 268 and "Crop s and Markets ,"
U. S. D. A .• April 193 8.
average weather conditions, is being
shipped to our fighting force s and
allies all over the world. Plans are
being develop ed for using this plant
after the war to take care of the surplus production during the spring
and summer months. It can handle
about 20 percent of Alabama's present production.
Mobile has used approximately 40
tons of frozen eggs per month. The
quick-freezing plants at Camden,
Selma, and Grove Hill processed eggs
in this form in 1942. Here is an example of how this plan works:
About the first of May, 1942, eggs
were selling in Clarke County from
lIc to l8c a dozen, mostly in trade
at country stores. The Central Refrigeration Cooperative of Grove Hill
worked out an arrangement with the
Malbis Bakery in Mobile to deliver
them frozen eggs. The co-operative
paid the farmers 24c a dozen for
standard weight eggs of "standard"
grade, one cent per dozen premium
for each ounce over 24 ounce, and
lc per dozen less for each ounce
under 24 ounces. Immediately eggs
all over the county advanced to 24c
per dozen.
Frozen Eggs
EST ABLISHMENT of local quick
freezing plants in Alabama has provided another way of relieving congested egg markets during the spring
of the year. At the same time the
plants provide farmers with an outlet for their eggs at a higher price
than they would otherwise get. Handling the eggs also increases the income of the plants.
For several years one bakery m
33
�From May 1, to July 1, the Central
Refrigeration Cooperative shipped
the Malbis Bakery of Mobile 129
cans (40 dozen each) of frozen eggs,
a total of 5,160 dozen eggs. In addition to raising the price to farmers
from llc and 18c a dozen to 24c, a
nice profit was made on the transaction.
A program of t his kin d is of value
to the farmer and sharp freezing
plants alike. It would help for some
system to be worked out for concenb'ating the frozen eggs in the central
markets to attract larger buyers.
Small bakeries in interior points have
expressed an interest in buying locally
frozen eggs. An advantage of this
system is that it requires a relatively
small amount invested in equipment
and little expense to do the job.
uses about 50,000 chickens per week
valued at $25,000 to $30,000.
Broiler production in Alabama has
grown very rapidly during the past
few years. In 1942, 21 Monroe
County farmers produced 68,000
broilers which brought $40,000 . In
Lowndes County, 10 farmers sold 40,000 broilers for $22,000. The Tallapoosa County Exchange handled 91,438 broilers and paid the farmers
$51,870. An additional 25,000 broilers were produced in the county and
sold to independent dealers. It is
conservatively estimated that Cullman County produced 200,000 broilers in 1942.
Expansion of the broiler production
in these and other areas is being
planned to meet Alabama's requirements.
Broiler Production
Turkey Production and
Marketing
OFFICERS of one killing and dressing plant in Montgomery state that
they kill approximately 10,000 pounds
of broilers each week. Local production takes care of the requirements
from April to July, but during August, September, October, November,
December, January, February and
March, they buy about 3,500 pounds
each week from Georgia and Tennessee.
In Mobile there is one dressing
plant that kills 12,000 pounds of
broilers per week. About 90 percent
of them are produced in Alabama;
the other 10 percent comes from
Georgia and Mississippi.
To take care of the needs for the
boats leaving Mobile it requires about
12,000 pounds of frozen broilers per
week. At present this requirement
comes from out of the State, graded
and properly packed.
A large poultry plant in Birmingham kills approximately 25,000 broilers per week, 98 percent of whicn
comes from Georgia, and 2 percent
from Alabama. Birmingham alone
34
TURKEY production in Alabama is
largely within the area known as
the Blackbelt, with heavier concentration in Hale, Sumter, Greene, Marengo, Perry, Montgomery, Lowndes,
and Russell Counties.
There are a few large producers
in other parts of the State. (See
Map, No. 24.)
Until a few years ago turkey was
thought of as a Thanksgiving and
Christmas delicacy. It is now being
served in many leading hotels and
cafes every day in the year. Six leading hotels in Chicago in 1941 carried
,
turkey on the menu from three to
seven days each week, thus increasing consumption of turkey meat in
Chicago 4,000,000 pounds that year.
The present emergency is creating
demands for turkeys, which should
stimulate production. At present it is
the most economical meat obtainable,
replacing high-quality steaks that are
unavailable.
There has been a change in the
system of marketing turkeys. Until
�I
keys sold his "live" basis at an average of 22c per pound. The man who
sold on a dressed basis said his shrinkage and additional cost was 5c per
pound which was equivalent to 28c
live weight, or 6c more per pound by
killing and dressing. This is an additional income of $1.20 on a 20pound turkey. He sold 500 turkeys
which brought him $600.00 more than
if he had sold them on foot. The
other grower sold 2,000 turkeys at
22c per pound. Had he marketed
them "N. Y. dressed" he would have
received $2,400.00 greater income.
Lack of proper facilities is a big
problem in handling dressed turkeys
in the concentrated production areas.
It is believed that this could be
solved by shipping to large storage
plants in Mobile, Montgomery, and
Birmingham in ice packs, dry cold
packs, refrigerated trucks or cars, or
by establishing cold storage holding
rooms in local storage plants.
All turkeys should be sold on a
grade basis. As farmers become acquainted with the value of quality
they will appreciate and profit by a
grading system. Official grading is
necessary because Government regulations now require packers and distributors to sell on graded basis.
TURKEYS "RAISED
1942 ·
•
•
•
• •
•
•
LEGEND
MAP "24
·Es timates based on Census and AMA
reports.
recently they were all marketed alive.
Leading markets are now on a "dressed basis". Due to this change and
the fact that there are no turkey
killing and dressing plants in the
State, larger dealers have been forced
to secure much of their supplies out
of the state.
•
Offering dressed and graded turkeys would increase the number of
buyers on local markets, which would
result in higher prices. The present
marketing system (live basis) interests only a few buyers. This means
that farmers have no advantage of
competitive prices.
One Russell County producer and
shipper who follows good production
methods sold his turkeys dressed at
an average of 33c per "N. Y. dressed" (bled and feathers removed)
basis, while another produc\!r and
shipper with comparable quality tur-
Recommendations for Improving Poultry Production
and Marke ting
IT IS DIFFICULT to separate problems involved in marketing from
those in production, therefore, the
two phases will be considered together.
I. Since the Poultry Improvement
Program now in operation in Ala,..
bama has proven its value, it is recommended:
(a) That an official hatchery be
established in every county or closely
accessible to it. This has proved to
be the best method of stimulating
interest in getting increased produc35
•
�tion of quality products. These hatcheries also may assist in marketing
poultry and eggs.
(b) That the present breeding and
disease control program be enlarged
to help meet the requested increase
in poultry and egg production.
II. Standardization and grading
being essential in any sound system
of marketing, it is recommended:
(a) That at least one or more limited licensed egg graders be made
available to every county producing
eggs in quantities greater than local
consumption.
(b) That a full-time State-Federal
egg grader be placed in each of the
three central markets at Montgomery,
Birmingham and Mobile. These graders would operate under the existing
marketing agreement of the State
Department of Agriculture, Alabama
Extension Service, and United States
Department of Agriculture.
(c) That a plan be formulated to
expedite the movement of eggs from
interior points to the central markets.
(d) That the two activities of
standardizing and grading of poultry
and eggs and conducting improvement
work be combined and the Poultry
Division of the State Department of
Agriculture, co-operating with the
Alabama
Extension Service, and
United States Department of Agriculture, be responsible for the combined
program.
(e) That adequate cold storage facilities be maintained at central markets to care for the increased poultry
and egg production and to provide a
better
distribution of
surpluses
created during seasons of peak production. It is desirable to encourage
the system of financing whereby producers of eggs during seasons of peak
production can retain their equity in
them until they are sold. At the
presen t time this system is actually
in operation by some banks, cold
36
storage plants, and private operators.
(f) That egg production be increased to make it possible for the
Birmingham egg drying plant to secure sufficient eggs in Alabama for
continuous operation.
(g) That present quick-freezing
plants offer opportunities for processing eggs for market, and that additional quick-freezing plants be established when materials are available.
III. Since it has been found that a
large number of broilers is imported
each year to meet Alabama's requirements, it is recommended:
.
(a) That expansion of broiler production be on a community or area
basis so that sufficient volume will be
produced to attract large buyers.
(b) That volume of production in
these community areas be planned
to meet seasonal requirements.
(c) That community poultry killing and dressing plants be established to prepare broilers for market.
(d) That broilers be properly packed and officially graded to meet U. S.
Standards.
IV. Believing that turkey production has a bright future, it is recommended:
(a) That increased production of
turkeys be done on an area basis.
(b) That killing and dressing
plants be established to take care of
area production.
(c) That the turkeys be properly
packed and officially graded to meet
U. S. Standards.
V. It is further recommended that
appropriate legislation or regulations
be passed to make "U. S. Grades" of
turkeys, eggs, and broilers, the "official grades" in Alabama. This will
enable Alabama turkeys, eggs, and
broilers to enter all competitive markets on equal basis.
VI. It is also recommended that a
State-wide poultry and egg market
news service be set up for keeping
producers informed daily on prices.
�FIELD CROPS
Cotton
COTTON is, and for more than 100
years has been, the backbone of the
economic system of Alabama. In
1942 Alabama farmers produced
883,056 bales of cotton which sold
for $78,026,828. The cotton industry has directly or indirectly furn ished employment and income for
a. big proportion of the population .
Out of a total cash farm income of
$137,254,000 in 1941, $64,462,000
came from sale of lint cotton and
$11,356,000 from sale of cottonseed.
Nearly 40,000 people earning $27,799,213 in wages were employed in
1939 by 103 textile manufacturing
plants, largely engaged m cotton
manufacturing
of various kinds.
These establishments used $68,000,-
000 worth of material, fu el and electric energy, and manufactured products valued at $123,979,606.
The Black Belt was the principal
cotton producin g area in Alabama up
to the advent of the boll weevil in
1914. The heavy producing areas a r e
now the Tennessee Valley, San d
Mountain and Wiregrass while the
Black Belt has shifted lar gely to cattle and hay crops.
For generations much of Alabama's cotton crop went to foreign
markets. Several foreign countries
have become strong competitors within the last fifteen years, especially in
quality and uniformity of packing.
This, plus disturbed economic conditions, practically closed foreign cotCOTTON ACREAGE •
COTTON YIELDS ·
MAP 25
* AMA and AAA reports.
MAP 26
• AMA and AAA reports .
37
,
�\
ton markets to Alabama before
World War No.2.
Furthermore, the cotton acreage in
Alabama in 1941 dropped to 1,760,000 acres, the lowest since 1876. The
average acreage 1909-1914, just before the invasion of the boll weevil,
was more than 3,500,000 acres.
Military requirements are for better quality and longer staple cottons.
The supply of short cotton is far in
excess of needs.
Whether for military needs during
the war, for meeting requirement of
domestic consumption in war or
peace, or for regaining foreign markets after the war, high quality, good
staple cotton, properly ginned and
packed must be produced economICally in Alabama.
COTTON
1941·
--,,---,
•
•
Bales
6,580
1,040
8,330
2,610
19,680
4,330
6,710
5,320
5,950
17,390
5,030
2,950
1,850
3,890
3,410
13,470
22,530
5,720
1,030
10,330
7,370
36,240
7,670
18,350
42,250
12,610
5,420
14,590
6,620
11,360
14,800
5,820
11,030
12,680
•
• •
B ales of Cotton Produced in 1941
Alabam a By Counties
County
Autauga
Baldwin
Barbour
Bibb
Blount
Bullock
Butler
Calhoun
Chambers
Cherokee
Chilton
Choctaw
Clarke
Clay
Cleburne
Coffee
Colbert
Conecuh
Coosa
Covington
Crenshaw
Cullman
Dale
Dallas
DeKalb
Elmore
Escambia
Etowah
Fayette
Franklin
Geneva
Greene
Hale
Henry
•
County
Bales
Houston
22,620
Jackson
23,940
Jefferson
2,530
Lamar
8,010
Lauderdale 24,770
Lawrence 31,740
Lee
6,580
Limestone 39,830
Lowndes
6,690
Macon
11,040
Madison
49,710
Marengo 11,120
Marion
8,280
Marshall 43,150
Mobile
1,140
Monroe
7,950
Montgomery 7,960
Morgan
27,500
Perry
8,440
Pickens
11,530
Pike
9,300
Randolph
7,780
Russell
6,290
St. Clair
5,250
Shelby
2,960
Sumter
6,470
Talladega 6,440
Tallapoosa 5,100
Tuscaloosa 11,730
Walker
5,130
Washington 820
Wilcox
6,170
Winston
7,070
LEGEND
100 IIALU
MAP 27
·AAA records.
Percent age S taple L e n gths
A labama
Year
7/8
1928
1929
1930
1931
1932
1933
1934
1935
1936
1937
1938
1939
1940
1941
1942*
24.1
44.8
38.3
9.9
14.7
8.7
21.0
34.7
5.2
17.1
4.9
1.9
2.9
.2
1.2
7/8 and 15/16 and
29 / 32 Longer
69.5
52.7
55.5
75.4
70.4
73.0
61.3
51.7
60.3
46.9
33.6
23.7
20.8
7.1
13.9
6.4
2.5
6.2
14.7
14.9
18.3
17.7
13.6
34.5
36.0
61.5
74.4
76.3
92.7
84.9
• Agricultural Marketing Administration
Report released December 8, 1942.
Penalties of some $10,000,000 were
inflicted on Alabama cotton growers
in 1929 and 1930 because a high
percent of the cotton averaged less
than % inch due to the planting of
38
�short staple varieties. Domestic mills
and foreign markets did not want
Alabama cotton because of its short
staple length and inferior quality.
By practically eliminating short
cotton and producing largely 15 / 16
and longer the reputation of Alabama
cotton for better quality and longer
staple has been r estored and farmers
no longer suffer heavy pen alties.
Consumption and Production
1000 8,t,L[5
THE CONSUMPTION of cotton in
Alabama during the season 1939-40
exceeded, for the first time in history, the production of t otton in Alabama. For the season 1940-41, the
excess of consumption over production was very materially increased. A
total of 1,124,700 bal es was consumed in t he State as compared with a
production of 768,500 bales.
srAI"U: LLI'IGTHS
/""""""-_.--_- ~ ~~
" s \J
V ~ ...,.. D LLSS
- ,. W -\t-1l
~~L- _ _ W
' INCH ANtI CW£R
MAP 28
• AMA and AAA reports .
PERCENT.A.GE OF CarTDN BY STAPLE LENGTHS.ALAEWv1A.l928-41 ..
-x•
-J.:-
•
CHART 6
• AMA report s.
39
�1939-40
Growth and staple
length (inches)
Consumption'
Upland:
Minus 7/8'\
7 /8 & 29 /32
15 / 16 & 31132
1 & 1-1132
1-1116 & 1-3 /3 2
1-1 /8 & 1-5 /32
1-3 / 16 & 1-7/32
1-1 / 4 & longer
Total
1940-41
Produc- Consumption'I
tion'
1,000
bales
P er
cent
1,000
bales
1,000
bales
Per
cent
7.1
87.4
362.3
329.0
74,7
3.8
1.3
.2
1
10
42
38
9,
14.7
182.6
379.6
183.4
8.2
.8
.4
,
10.1
147.3
476.3
398.0
84.9
4.5
2.2
1.4
1
13
42
35
8
1,
769.7
1,124.7
865,8
,
,
100
,
100
1941-42
Produc- Production 2
tion'
1,000
bales
1,000
bales
25.2
160.3
318.2
251.1
13.4
.3
,
1.5
54.6
289.3
407.8
16.2
768.5
769.4
,•
,
,
lEstimate based on data obtained from cotton mills, adjusted for classification according
to the official cotton standards.
!!Dased on pubHshed reports of Agricultural Marketing Se rvice.
3Compiled from preliminary report of ginnings through November 30, 1941.
4.Include s cotton, 'w hich, becau se of characte r defects , is clas se d as "no staple" .
IILess than 0 .5 percent.
eLess than 50 bales .
U ,S.D ,A. - A .M ,A. -
March, 1942.
Cott on, Uplan d : E s tima t e d S upply, D isa ppearance, an d C a rr y aO ver, by Sta ple
L e n g th, Un ited S t a t es, 1 9 4 1-42 Seas on
Staple
length
Inches
E stimated
Carrydomestic
1941
over Produc- Total
disapAug. 1
supply pearance
tion
1941
of
American l
1,000
bales
Shorter than
7 /8
704'
7 /8 and 29 /3 2
2,855
15/16 and 31/32
3,254
2,779
1 and 1-1 /32
1-1 / 16 and 1-3 / 32
1,688
598
1-118 and 1-5 /32
1-3 / 16 and 1-7/32
84
49
1-1 / 4 and longer
Total 1-1 /8" and longer 731
Total
12,011
1,000
bales
1,000
bales
1,000
bales
Probable carryover
August 1, 1942
Total
P ercent
of disappearance
1,000
bales
Percent
,
436
1,213
2,263
3,857
1,955
487
138
79
704
1,140
4,068
5,517
6,636
3,643
1,085
222
128
1,435
330
1,340
2,910
3,980
2,330
865
160
85
1,110
810
2,728
2,607
2,656
1,313
220
62
43
325
245
204
90
67
56
25
39
51
29
10,428
22,439
12,000
10,439
87
IDomest ic consumpt ion and exports (including lend -l ease s hipm ents) .
.2Includes cotton re ported as "n o staple" .
Cotton Divi s ion, A.M.S., and est im ates of Cotton Goal Committee of the D epartment,
January 12, 1942.
Southern Divi s ion , AAA.
July 6, 1942 - NEA.
40
•
�of longer staples. This is far more
important than ever now since the
Military requirements demand longer
staple and better quality.
COTTON MILLS
1942 •
o
Non Wilt Soils
FOR THE VALLEY section of North
Alabama, the DPL variety leads;
with Stoneville second and other varieties developed from Stoneville,
such as White Gold and Coker 100,
following .
The Sand Mountain Section of
North Alabama IS predominantly
Stoneville with the exception of
Jackson County which is DPL.
For the upper Coastal Plain and
Piedmont Area, the DPL variety
leads, with Stoneville second, and
Cook 144 in isolated wilt spots.
o
00
o
o
o
Wilt Soils
IT IS ADVISABLE to plant only a
wilt-resistant variety of cotton in
Central and South Alabama on account of the prevalence of wilt in
those areas. The planting of such varieties will tend to check the spread
of the disease and will help promote
the one-variety program. There are
several wilt-resistant varieties that
compare favorably in yield and other
qualities with the best of non-wilt
varieties.
Some of the leading wilt-resistant
varieties are: Cook 144, Sand C Big
Boll, Early Wilt Cleveland, Cokers 4
In 1, and Coker 100 Wilt.
MAP 29
·Records of Extension Agronomist.
Cotton Varieties
USUALLY the greatest return from
the cotton crop is obtained by
growing varieties that will produce
staple 15 / 16 inch and longer in
length. The production of cotton
shorter than 15/16 inch exceeds the
consumption of such cotton within
the State. On the other hand, consumption now greatly exceeds production for 15 / 16 inch cotton and all
of the longer staples. For the season 1939-40, the production of 15 / 16
inch and 31 / 32 inch cotton slightly
exceeded consumption. During the
following season, however, the production of cotton of these staple
lengths decreased somewhat, whereas
consumption was very materially increased, making it necessary for Alabama mills to go outside of the State
for a considerable quantity of this
kind of cotton as well as for cotton
One-Variety Communities
A ONE-VARIETY community is a
group of farmers in a fairly well
defined natural community or larger
area, who organize to increase the
yield and improve the quality of their
cotton crop. One-variety growers
agree to follow the latest improved
methods of production necessary to
produce high yields, maintain the
purity of planting seed, and preserve
the quality of lint.
41
�,
Increaaed Value from One-Vari e ty Prog ram
Year
..""
1938
1939
1940
1941
1942
(5)
Aver.
Average Av.
State inc. in
yield lint per
lint per acre
acre
Ibs.
Ibs.
10 0/0
251
182
190
216
261
1100
220
25
18
19
22
26
A
Av.
Av.
Value
premium Amt. rec'd
inc.
)'Ie
points as premium
market
price
yield 6~~~~:. received on qneper lb. per acre c tton
for
VarIety
lint
lint
I·nt
One-Varcotton
I
cotton
·ld
8.4
9.4
9.2
16.0
18.5
$2.10
1.69
1.75
3.52
4.81
276
200
209
238
286
1,209
242
40
40
30
30
20
$1.10
.80
.63
.71
.57
Total amt.
r ec'd for
extra
yields
a!1d premIUm per
acre
$3.20
2.49
2.38
4.23
5.38
17.68
3.53
Total
One-Variety
cotton
acreage
Total
increase
yield.and
premIUms
rec'd.
170,282
111,587
234,943
424,508
513,485
$544,902.00
277,852.00
559,164.00
1,795,668.00
2,752,589.00
5,930,155.00
1,186,031.00
•
~
___________________________ ..________
~
-= ~
______________-=======a
�One Va rie ty Prog r e ss R e port
Extra yield of lint per acre from
the adopted varieties in the organized
communities is estimated as 10 percent of the state average yield. This
extra yield is undoubtedly much
higher than thls in most places.
Estimated premiums received on
the one-variety cotton are very conservative as it is realized that not
more than one-half of the one-variety
growers get anything like the market
premiums on their one-variety cotton, and some of them get no prem-
In
Ala bama
No.
Comr CounYea
ties muni- Acreage
ties
1931
1932
1935
1936
1937
1938
1939
1940
1941
1942
1
2
16
31
33
49
57
63
53
56
21
74
66
110
132
181
232
254
Bales
Classed
10,000
40,000
69,127
170,2 2
111,587
234,943
420,341
513,485
40,000
80,000
171,877
192,162
IUm.
Growers outside the one-variety
communities are receiving extra yield
and premiums as a result of the onevariety program.
Smith Doxe y Act
THE SMITH-DOXEY ACT which
was passed by Congress in 1939
provides for free classing service for
members of regularly organized onevariety cotton improvement associations.
Marketing On Basis of Staple
Length and Grade
ONE VARETY c.ont:N c.otvM.NTES
1942 •
,..--,
,...
LEGEND
~
--------"-2.
_ II _ I a
~ .
- _____ :'-\0
,-
-w-..........
, COTTOH CLU$N:)
KllVU
MAP 30
*Records of Exte ns ion Agronomi s t.
43
THE BIGGEST problem in improving the quality and staple length
of cotton is the feeling among farmers that little or no consideration is
given staple length in the price they
receive for their cotton. It is difficult
for markets to refl ect staple values
when many different varieties of
varying staple lengths are grown in a
trade territory.
When a community builds a reputation for commercial quantities of
quality cotton, buyers are attracted,
competitive bidding is stimulated, and
growers are in position to bargain for
premiums on their better cotton.
In order for farmers to secure additional marketing advantages, they
should produce improved one-variety
cotton in large even-running lots
which can be made available to the
trade from year to year.
Through a cooperative educational
program conducted by the Extension
Service of the Alabama Polytechnic
Institute and other agricultural agencies, cotton buyers, Alabama Gin Association and cotton mills, remarkable
progress has been made in Alabama
in the last 10 years in obtaining rec-
�lowest percent of roughly prepared
cotton.
ognition of staple length and grade
values on local markets where quality cotton is produced in volume.
When the importance of grade and
staple lengths is fully understood by
both farmer and local buyers it is
believed that this problem will be
largely eliminated.
Staple Production Problems : Use of
"gin run" seed, seed from irresponsible seed "peddlers" and many different vari ~ties being planted in same
community, make it impossible to produce uniform quality and staple.
Some communities are kn own to have
been growing a dozen or more different varieties or strains. The ginner
cannot do a good job of ginning if
he must gin mixed varieties and a
uniform cotton in quality cannot be
put on the market.
Summary of Lint Problems
GINNING: War demands are for
longer staple and better quality
cotton. The trend for years has been.
to better staple and higher quality
for civilian needs.
Good gin preparation is essential
to quality. Rough ginned cotton results in the farmer being penalized.
Up to four or five years ago much of
Alabama's cotton crop was "rough"
in preparation. This has been improved to where Alabama ranked first in
the Southeast in 1940-41 with the
S tap I e Recognition Problem. :
Grade, staple length and gin preparat ion should be well recognized cotton
marketing factors by farmers, cotton
buyers and others. The grade and
staple length of each bale should be
definitely established while the cotton
is still in t h e farmer's possession.
Quality cotton should be so identified that it can be followed easily
from producer to mill. Some form
of metal tag should be used to identify bales. Each bale carrying an
identification tag showing grade and
staple length and sold on its merit
would do much to assure production
of high quality cotton.
NUMBER OF GINS
1942 •
Cottonseed Sold
IN 1942 ALABAMA farmers produced 603,001 tons of cottonseed
which brought $29,167,153.
The question of quality is not generally recognized, especially on the
part of farmers, in marketing cottonseed. Farmers realize that they are
docked for damaged and high moisture content at some seasons. The
importance of selling cottonseed
strictly on the basis of grade is not
well understood. In f act, it is questionable wh ether the present system
of cottonseed grades reflect fully the
economiC gain of farmers.
o
LEGEND
NVWIIOt
~
----'7: 2 & -- 29 _44
. J-_- 7 -- 6-10
-
-- --1-2
MAP 31
-Records of Extension Agronomist.
44
•
�COTTONSEED SOLD
1941 •
cotton is dried before being packed
in wagons or storage the danger of
moisture damage is reduced. It is essential to have proper operation of
dryers or else both the lint and seed
may be damaged.
Corn
IN 1942 ALABAMA produced 43,961),000 bushels of corn valued at
$40,443,200.
Since the annual corn production in
Alabama is not sufficient to meet
needs, corn is not considered a cash
crop for Alabama. However, there are
many localities in which corn is of
considerable importance as a cash
crop. Total corn sales in the State
amount to more than $5,000,000
some years.
High yields being made in the Sand
Mountain and Limestone Valley areas
enable many farmers to sell some
corn. Observations at the elevator at
Guntersville show that a considerable
•
MAP 32
COTTON DRIERS
1942 •
-Estimates based on AAA records of cotton produ e ti o n and current reports o't the
Bureau of the Census on quantities of cotton s eed crushed.
...r.......
o
o
Composition of a ton of Cottonseed is as follows:
300 Pounds oil
900 Pounds cottonseed meal
600 Pounds hulls
100 Pounds linters
100 Pounds waste
Swapping cottonseed for meal is
practiced in many localities. This
practice, when done fairly, is good
business for both the farmer and the
purchaser. In too many cases, however, farmers do not understand the
values involved and they trade at a
heavy loss to themselves. A definite
regulation setting forth the basis for
trading should be in effect so that
farmers and purchasers would make
sound business transactions.
Much can be done to improve the
quality of cottonseed by proper
methods of picking and handling. If
, g g go~
0
0
00°0
0
0
0
o
o
0
0
0
00
0
00
00
00
0
M A P 33
-Records of Extension Agronomist.
45
�manufacturer of grits and meal is
the prevalence of mixed and colored
corn. Yellow corn is preferred by
livestock feeders on account of high
carotene con ten t. Those who are
producing corn for the market need
to grow a pure white corn for the
meal and grits trade.
OIL MILLS
1942 •
o
o
o
o
o
•
Bagging: Corn selected on the
farm for marketing should be packed
in uniform bags.
How Sold: Here are the ways most
corn is sold in Alabama:
a. To neighbors and local grist
mills.
b. To local merchants who assemble small lots and sell in large lots
to mills.
c. To elevators.
d. To large mills manufacturing
feed, meal, or grits.
e. To large livestock feeders on ton
basis. This practice is common, especially in South Alabama.
o
MAP 34
CORN
1939'
-Recorda of Extension Agronomist.
volume of Alabama-grown corn, especially from Sand Mountain, is handled at this point. In the Birmingham area a number of manufacturers
make meal and grits. Then, there is
the feed business throughout the
State.
Weevil Damage: A serious handicap to the marketing of Alabama
corn, especially in the Southern half
of the State, is the heavy weevil damage. The lack of storage facilities results in corn frequently being offered
for sale which has been practically
destroyed by weevils. In South Alabama much of the corn is damaged
seriously by weevils before it is harvested. Weevil control through the
use of weevil resistant varieties and
the use of carbon disulphide are essentials to marketing corn.
Grading: Much corn IS poorly
graded; frequently it is not graded
at all. A serious problem for the
..
LEGEND
1OOO1IJ5HEL.S
1.2 4 1_L!l3 1
7!i1 _ ~
384 - !I!l1
136 - 24!1
MAP 35
-1940 Census.
46
�largely to the southern half of the
State. By using good varieties, proper
cultural methods, and proper rotation,
high yields of sugar cane are obtained.
The following will help Improve
market conditions:
1. Growers in whole communities
or areas plant and produce single
varieties so that each syrup mill can
make a uniform product.
2. Plant syrup crops on the proper kind of land and use the right
fertilizer.
3. Use equipment that removes all
foreign matter and manufacture to
reduce sugaring; pack in uniform,
neatly labeled glass or tin containers.
Sorghum production is confined to
North and Central Alabama. The
multitude of varieties makes uniform
manufacturing impossible and the
SWEET SORGHUM SYRUP
1939 •
LEGEND
1000 o.o.LLOHS
SUGAR CANE FOR SYRUP
MAP 36
1939·
-1940 Census.
Syrup
IN 1942 ALABAMA farmers produced 2,645,000 gallons of sugar
cane syrup valued at $2,116,000 and
1,767,000 gallons of sorghum valued
at $1,325,250.
Production of high quality sugar
cane and sorghum syrup offers considerable opportunity to Alabama
farmers. Experience shows that urban
consumers like to buy high quality
syrup direct from farmers. Too often
syrup is packed in various types of
containers and may contain foreign
material. For several years a group
of farmers in DeKalb County has
placed high-quality sorghum syrup' on
the market in neat uniform containers. This syrup has been very popular. Farmers in other sections are
finding a ready market at syrup
plants.
Sugar cane production is confined
MAP 37
-1940 Census.
47
�¥
/
War needs f or vegetable oils became so acute that a goal of 810,000
acres for Alabama was set for 1942.
Peanut production for oil had to be
expanded to all counties. War needs
for oil were such by the close of 1942
that a goal of 850,000 acres of peanuts was assigned to Alabama for
1943.
The peanut industry was badly upset in 1942. To meet the production goal for oil, farmers in the commercial peanut area of the State made
big increases in their acreages. Many
other farmers planted peanuts on a
commercial scale for the first time.
For several years a government
production control program had been
in effect in the commercial peanut
area. Extra peanuts for oil in 1942
were known as "excess" peanuts because they were in excess of the peanut acreage allotted under the government control program.
PEANUTS
o
o
•
=L:-'-_'---'::.
1943 Go.oJ..S
MAP 38
*1939 acreage adju s te d on basis of Census
and AMA reports and 1943 goala fr om State
War Board.
PEANUTS
1939 •
•
small areages per farm and small
mills seriously limit uniform large
scale commercial production. Sand
Mountain sorghum is very popular
on the markets.
•
•
•
Peanuts
PEANUTS are second to cotton in
impor tance in Alabama as a cash
crop.
The average acreage of peanuts in
Alabama from 1929 through 1938 was
449,000 acres with an average of
231,000 acres picked. In 1940, total
plantings were 540,000 acres with
310,000 acres picked and 195,341,000
pounds sold for $5,860,000 .
Peanut production for harvest and
for hogs has been confined largely
to Southeast Alabama up to 1942,
when Alabama farm ers produced
189,000 tons of peanut s which sold
for $19,656,000.
•
• •
•
•
•
• •
• •
•
'00''''''_
!8,497 -2Q241
lI,tillg-I2j54
f.061 - 7.2H1
-
MAP 39
*1940 Cens u s .
48
~I_
810
�(4) Placement of pickers in counties was delayed .
(5) Operators of pickers in new
producing areas failed to receive adequate training in operation of machines .
(6) Many counties had inadequate
warehousing facilities.
(7) Scarcity of pickers and inefficient routing of pickers delayed the
completion of picking.
(8) There was a wide difference
between price of "excess" peanuts
and quota peanuts. This gave rise to
widespread dissatisfaction. Growers
felt that peanuts for oil, if essential
for the war effort, should sell for as
much as peanuts for any other purpose.
No doubt most of these problems
can be worked out in 1943. It is necessary that they be solved to enable
farmers to produce ample peanuts to
meet war needs.
PEANUT PICKERS
1942 •
o
o
o o
•
~-.,..L-l--L.. 0
o
o
•
o
.-1---(
•
o
o
,
MAP 40
PEANUT BUTTER MILLS
• AAA records.
1942 •
To effect the program for increased acreage for oil in 1942 the government projected a program of distributing seed, pickers, weeders, and
providing grading, warehousing and
marketing facilities.
Many difficulties naturally will
arise with a big program affecting
so many individual farmers. Some of
the problems wer e:
(1) Many
seed of the recommended small type white Spanisb had
mixtures of improved Spanish and
other varieties. This was contrary
to explicit information given farmers
as to variety standards.
(2) Seed was delivered too late to
permit shelling before planting.
(3) Labor shortages and limited
supplies of weeders made rapid and
cheap cultivation of peanuts necessary.
I
- Recorda
49
or
MAP 41
Extension Ag ronomist.
�Oil Content
nut grades has been made in Alabama within the last five years on
proper time and methods of digging,
correct stacking, proper curing, picking and cleaning.
A TON of Spanish peanuts produces
approximately 600 pounds of oil
and 900 pounds of meal, and runners
570 pounds of oil and 850 pounds of
meal. These yields vary somewhat
with seasons. The average yield of
peanuts in 1940 was 725 pounds per
acre.
Soybeans
SOYBEANS is one of the main war
crops for oil and livestock feed.
Yields of soybeans for oil were too
low to justify Alabama farmers in
growing them prior to World War
Number Two.
The present war has made the need
for oil so great that many farmers .
with machinery and large acreages
can afford to grow soybeans.
Problems with soybeans for oil in
Alabama are largely production problems. First, yield s of most varieties
are low. This is shown by the following tests:
Marketing
NORMALLY, markets are readily
available to Alabama farmers producing commercial lots of peanuts
sold on basis of Federal grades.
Grades and values are established
while the peanuts are still in possession of the producers. Most farmers
are familiar with the grades and factors which determine grades.
Outstanding improvement in pea-
M a in Station -
Yield
Variety
Ogden
Volstate
Tenn. Non- Pop
Mammoth Yellow
Clem son
Hayseed
Arksoy
McCoupin
White Biloxi
Charlee
Auburn
Bushels
1940
1941
1942
3 yr. avo
28.8
26.8
14.3
11.2
14.9
Failed'
Failed'
8.2
11.6
11.8
Failed'
Failed'
20.3
7.0
11.8
Failed'
Failed'
12.8
12.8
8.6
Failed'
8.5
25.3
7.0'
11.8'
4.8
3.7
12.0
12.8'
8.6'
3.5
6.8
l Only 1 y.ear average.
2Destroyed by w orms.
Sand Mounta in Statio n
Yield - Bushels
Variety
Ogden
Mammoth Yellow
Clemson
Hay Seed
White Biloxi
Charlee
Palmetto
1940
1941
1942
3 yr. avo
Shattering
resistance
20.2
15.8
11.8
11.6
15.8
9.6
10.4
22.8
14.8
10.3
15.6
13.0
8.8
11.1
21.6
29.1
'20.1
22.8
20.0
20.8
18.7
21.5
19.9
14.1
16.7
16.3
13.1
13.4
Good
Poor
Poor
Good
Fair
Fair
P oor
50
�from other states. As a result of a
seed producing project in Baldwin
County and in the Piedmont area,
Alabama not only produces enough
O-too-tan for its own needs but the
bulk of the O-too-tan seed for the
Nation. In Baldwin County O-too-tan
seed is produced after spring truck
crops. In the Piedmont area the seed
is interplanted in corn. Frequently
the cash income from these seed
amounts to as mu ch as farmers in
these areas get from the sale of other
crops .
Through the one-variety cotton improvement community program normally ample cottonseed of good varieties are available to farmers at
fair prices .
Ample peanut seed is available.
Men experienced in commercial peanut business point out that the small
type runner and the small type Spanish grown in Alabama are more UTIl-
SOYBEANS HARVESTED
1939 •
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
...........
•
LEGEND
_______ 181_222
...
- --~
- =--
..
1 7-~e
-""10- ,,- 3.
Q..:....: .3- II
1_
WINTER LEGUMES
MAP 42
1942 •
-1 940 Cenlua.
Second, shattering, with many varieties, r esults in heavy losses. Most
farmers do not have sufficient equipment to harvest soybeans when they
mu st be harvested. A few promising
shatter-resistant varieties have been
developed.
Third, volume of production, except in two or three counties, has
been too low to establish a market.
See ds
ALABAMA is rapidly changing from
a seed-buying to a seed-producing
State.
Approximately $1,250,000
worth of legume and pasture crop
seed was saved in Alabama in 1942.
Seed production is rapidly becoming
a considerable source of supplemental cash income in a number of counties in the State.
Fifteen years ago Alabama bought
all of the O-too-tan soybean seed
MAP 43
-Reco rd s of Exte nsion Agronomi st.
51
•
�vetch, and Williamette vetch and
crimson clover in the northern half
of the State. Monantha vetch is successful in most sections. This combination will go a long ways toward
solving the winter legume seed program in Alabama.
Production of white Dutch clover
seed was practically unknown until
seven years ago. White Du tch seed
saved in 1941 amounted to nearly
$150,000.
Anoth er crop, lappacea
clover in the Black Belt, is a valuable
pasture crop n eglected until five
years ago.
Harvesting and re-cleaning machinery is being purchased in increasing amounts. Records show that
in 1942 there were 1,515 combines
and 202 re-cleaning machines in the
State.
The following figures for 1942 indicate volume of seed production in
Alabama:
WHITE DUTCH CLOVER
HARVESTED 1942'
•••
•
LEGEND
10001"OUI'Cl)
MAP 44
•
COtvitilNES
194'2 •
-Records of Extension Agronomist.
form and more desirable for the
trade than In most other producing
areas. Only In a few localities IS
the mixture of varieties a problem .
It will mean much to the State to
continue the present varieties and
avoid bringing in any new ones until
they are proved by Experiment Station tests and peanut trade to be
superior.
Blue lupine, a winter legume
which produces seed abundantly, has
been introduced In South Alabama.
Caley pea (Lathyrus Hirsutus) has
been developed into a standard winter legume of the Black Belt. Monantha vetch, hairy vetch, and cnmson clover are being produced In
volume, especially in North Alabama.
The winter legume seed program
In Alabama IS based on production
of: (1) Blue lupine In South Alabama, (2) Caley pea In the Black
Belt, (3) Monantha vetch, hairy
o
o
o
0
0
o
o
~ 0"--'10
o
o
•
o
o
o
LEGEND
'''1;101Il0l
~
- "' -'n
------30-""
- II - 29
-------- 57 _ 0 1
-------
1_
7
MAP 45
-Records of Extension Agronom ist.
52
,
�Winte r Leg umes
..,
Pounds Harvested
Hairy vetch
Monantha vetch
W iIIamette vetch
Austrian Winter peas
Crimson clover
Blu e lupine
Caley peas
TOTAL
Value
1,814,573
231,164
298 ,438
36,240
1,352,133
599,295
338,200
$199,603
21,961
23,875
2,174
141,974
59,9,29
33,820
4,670,043
$483,336
Othe r Leg um es
Pounds Harvested
White Dutch clover
Lappacea clover
Kudzu
Sericea '
Annual lespedeza
Crotalaria
Valu e
92,596
15,400
8,914,000 crowns
696,500
2,749,659
1,011,360
TOTAL
13,479,515
SEED RECLEANERS
1942 •
$ 55,557
7,700
75,769
104,475
412,448
151,704
$807,653
SEED SCARIFIERS
1942 •
/--.-'--t--'" 0
o
o
LEGEND
NUIoI!I[A
o
~:~~:l.~
- 9 - 16
-
o
r---~~-L-----L---J
o
3- 8
I - 2.
MAP 46
-Rec ord s of E x te ns ion A g ronomi s t.
MAP 47
-Records of Extension Agronomis t.
53
I
�with planting and harvesting equipm ent.
4. There is an insufficient number
of harvesting and re-cleaning machines.
5. There is n eed for better gl"ading.
6. Bagging is a big problem.
CROTALARIA HARVESTED
.
1942'
Hay
•
THE BIG hay problem in Alabama is
to increase hay production to meet
present needs of the farm and to
provide for expansion of the livestock
industry. In 1942, Alabama farm ers
produced 829,000 tons of hay valued
at $9,525,210. In general, hay produced in Alabama should be marketed through livestock.
Alabama is on a deficit hay basis .
This is partly due to weather conditions and partly to a lack of perennia l hay crops. Less than 23 percent
of the total hay acreage in 1934 was
• •
•
•
0 ------·. . .·
-
:.... !2:)~ _~
2-8
MAP 48
*Records of Extension Agronomi s t.
ANNUAL LESPEDEZA SEED HARVESTED
1942 •
Expansion of seed production In
Alabama depends upon the type of
educational work in the future and
the financial returns to the farmer.
Fundamentals in seed production are:
1. Seed must be produced in sufficient volume to establish markets.
There will always be an opportunity
for the farm er to produ ce seed for
his own needs. Conditions in Alabama
are such, however, that cerj;ain groups
in some areas will likely never find
it economical to produce seed.
2. Charges for harvesting, recleaning, bagging, warehousing, and
marketin g must -he reasonable. Excessive profits at any point between
producers and other consumers handicap or destroy seed production program. Failure to keep this principle in
mind has defeated seed producing
programs as a source of cash.
3. Many farmer s are inexperienced
,
•
•
•
LEGEND
1000 fi'OUlC>S
--- - - - -
-()e8 - 13~
. ~08-:411_ISI_2fS1
_== B _~ ~~_ 18- (17
--
MAP 49
-Records of Extension Agronomist.
54
•
�adequate to take care of large quantities of hay.
(4) Weather conditions make it
difficult to cure high quality hay.
SERICEA SEED HARVESTED
1942 •
•
I
Tobacco
•
IN 1942 ALABAMA farmers produced 235,000 pounds of tobacco
valued at $61,100. For the year tobacco allotments for Alabama were:
•
Bri gh t Toba cco
Autauga _ .. _.
1.0
Butler
24.4
Conecuh _____. _______ 30.7
Dale
14.5
Geneva
14.7
Henry _. ____ .____ 2.0
Houston ____
53.6
Covington
131.3
Total
.272.1
_._00_00_ _ _ _ _ _
0 0 _ . _ . _ 0 0 _ 0 0_ _ _ _
•
• •
•
00_00_00.
00 _ _ 00.
00
_'_00_
•
•
Acre
Acres
AcreS'
Acres
Acres
Acres
Acres
Acres
Burle y Tobacco
Lauderdale __._.____
Limestone
Madison
Marshall
Winston . _____ .. __.
Total
•
1.7
6.4
.69.4
1.4
.6
79.6
00 _ _
000000000000""' _ _ " ' _ 0 0
LEGEND
00"_ _ _00""_00._ _
0 0 " " 0 0 " ' _ "_ _ _ " , , _ , _
00.
Acres
Acres
Acres
Acres
Acre
0 0 " ' _ 0 0 0 0 _ ' _ '_ _00_. _ _
MAP 50
-Records o! Extension Agronomist.
•
,
ALL HAY OTHER THAN ANNUAL LEGUMES
1939·
accounted for by perennial crops, but
perennials have been materially increased in recent years.
Hay needs in industrial areas have
dropped to a very low figure . Many
livestock farmers, especially dairymen, are producing a high percentage
of hay requirements compared with
20 years ago . The Black B elt formerly
sold a considerable volume of hay
but the trend has been to more grazing with less dependence on hay as
a source of cash.
Some problems in commercial hay
production in Alabama are:
(1) Volume of production is too
small to justify use of machinery essential to saving hay on a commercial
scale.
(2) Volume at marketing centers
is too small to establish a market
that will attract buyers.
(3) Warehousing facilities are m-
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
LEGENO
IOOTONS
MAP 51
-1940 Census.
55
�ANNUAL LEGUME HAY
---.-:-'9 3 9 •
Tobacco marketing problems are:
1. Lack of volume at any given
point.
2. In experience in prop er curing
and grading.
Small Grain
•
•
•
•
•
. •
)
LEGEND
IOOTOMS
•
ALABAMA is a deficient small grain
producing state. The problem with
small grain in Alabama is increasing
the acreage and production to meet
present feed n eeds and to provide
for n eeded livestock expansion. More
small gram is n eeded to furnish
grain, grazing, and erosion control.
Increases in small grain should be:
(1) Oats througho ut the State.
(2) Barley on the more fertile
soils to use as a supplement to and
a substitute for corn.
(3) Wheat for food, grazing and
poultry, especiall y on the h eavier
soil s of the State.
BARLEY THRESHED
MAP 52
1939 •
-1940 Census.
•
All of this allotment was not
planted. In Houston County only
five or six gr owers planted 15 to 20
acres in 1942.
A f ew farmers in Covington and
Geneva have been growing bright
tobacco sin ce World War No. 1.
Bright tobacco was tried out in
sever al sou theast Alabama and Sand
Mountain counties from 1937 to 1941.
Results indicate that good yields of
high quality tobacco can be produced
in these areas.
Under
pre-war conditions the
United States had a surplus of tobacco so a government acreage control program was put into operation.
Thi s prevented expansion of tobacco
acreage in Alabama. Labor shortage
prevents expansion during the war.
After the war the crop should be
fully considered .
)
•
LEGENO
1000 MlSl4l.S
\
'i.--r:r.r -
MAP 53
-1940 Census.
56
I ~- ~:.
�..
OATS THRESHED
FL OUR MILLS
194 2 •
1939 ·
-~~
•
•
MAP 54
- Records
-194 0 Census.
WHEAT THRESHED
1942 ·
•
•
MAP 56
Extension Agron omi st.
COMMERCIAL FEED MIXING PLANTS
1939 •
•
or
o
•
...........
LEGEND
n °'
1 -I "
MAP 57
MAP 55
-1 940 Census.
-R ecord s of Exten s ion Agronomi s t.
57
•
�Problems with small grain for sale
are:
1. Limited acreage resulting in
volume too small to establish good
markets.
2. Low acre yields and high production costs.
3. Lack of harvesting machinery.
4. Inexperience with planti!,g and
harvesting machinery.
5. Inadequate facilities for cleaning and grazing.
During 1942, Alabama produced
4,800,000 bushels of oats worth $13,312,000 and 169,000 bushels of wheat
worth $201,110.
--------*--------
58
•
�•
FRUITS AND VECETABLES
Introduction
in Alabama. The group around Birmingham takes in the lower end of
the Sand Mountain territory with
Birmingham and Tuscaloosa counties
added . In the Montgomery area there
are four counties. Some of the products grown in this area are marketed in the Birmingham area, but
a large part of it is used in Montgomery and elsewhere. Southeast
Alabama has three counties growing
large amounts of vegetables but has
no nearby large consuming centers.
This area is dependent upon more
distant markets to take its products.
Large amounts of vegetables are produced in four counties in the Baldwin
and Mobile area. Wilcox County is
COMMERCIAL fruit and vegetable
industry in Alabama returns to
growers approximately $10,000,000
annually. Of this amount, general
truck crops bring in about $1,500,000,
fruits and nuts about $4,000,000,
Irish potatoes about $3,000,000 and
sweet potatoes about $1,500,000.
These are from all sales by farmers,
including everything from small lots
on local markets to car and truck
lots shipped out. All statistics used
in this report, unless otherwise
designated, are based on the 1940
census.
In making a study of the commercial fruit and vegetable industry in
Alabama a number of trends are of
special interest. The 1939 commercial vegetable acreage of 38,000
acres was about 2500 acres over the
1929 total. At the same time farms reporting dropped from 18,587 in 1929
to 11,634 in 1939. This indicates
that fewer farmers are growing vegetables but that these few are increasing their acreages.
Another point of interest is that
the value of vegetables harvested for
sale in 1929 was $2,540,000 while
the returns from the 1939 crop was
only $1,335,000. This shows a tremendous decrease in returns from a
7 per cent larger acreage. Returns,
of course, are determined by a large
number of factors but efficient marketing can mean a great deal to
growers in making their business
profitable.
VEGETABLES HARVESTED FOR SALE
1939 •
-• •
1--""-+---';..
- •
•
•
•
.-J--(
•
.
-
-
-.
Producing Areas
I T WILL be seen from the accompanying maps that there are four
areas of major importance in the
commercial production of vegetables
M AP 58
-1940 Cens us.
59
�products. Farmers, unless they are
NJvf3ERCf" FARMSAN)PERCENlJIG(GROWf\JG TR..JC:I<. large independent operators have
CROPS. 1939 •
,
rT\
been forced to concentrate their proU
duction operations.
The accompanying map. No. 61,
shows the locations of the various
concentration markets or outlets for
the products which are now being
grown in Alabama. These markets
range all the way from the small
farmer cooperatives to the large markets which ar e operated by independent individuals. As might be expected, these are located almost entirely within the areas where the
important commercial production is
found.
A clearer understanding may be
had of the entire problem of production and marketing of perishables
In Alabama when it is observed that
1---10
o
FRUITS AND VEGETABLES 1939'
MAJOR AREAS, vot...J.JME PRODUCED A"" RAIL
~
MAP 59
*1940 Census.
,
rather set apart because it has a
canning plant which takes a large
part of the produce grown in that
county.
Of these four groups there are 10
counties with 1000 or more acres of
vegetables per county. There are
eight counties with 500 to 1000 acres
per county. Other counties in the
State have 500 acres or less per
county in general truck, exclusive of
sweet and Irish potatoes.
These maps also show where the
various fruit and vegetable pr oducts
are grown in quantities. Of much
interest is the fact that production
of these various products is concentrated in one or more of the counties
in the general heavy producing areas.
Such developments have usually been
brought about by the problems involved in marketing these perishable
CAIILOADS
~--<..
-
2 21111-2.&00
- 1.313-1 ,1 92
449 - 100
"T'
000_.
ts:s:I
IWt. YOYtl.C:W'T
)0 _II II
~ 1 00~0.QI
MAP 60
·Unpublished data (rom files of the Department of Agricultural Economics which
were based on 1940 Census, AMA reports
and data Cro m county agents.
60
�the heavy producing areas are located in sections with suitable soils,
climate, people, and markets. Each
area has some advantage.
In the Birmingham area, Birmingham is the market place for a large
part of the produce from the six
counties surrounding it. Jefferson
County, with le ~s advantR g e in the
way of soils, grows rather large
quantities because it has professional
truck gardeners who understand the
science of vegetable growing. It also
has the advantage of being near to
the markets.
Counties such as Cullman, Blount,
Etowah, and St. Clair have the advantage of excellent soils, some advantage in weather conditions, and
close proximity to a ready market in
the Birmingham area.
Some counties still further back
have th e same advantages as Cullman, Blount, and Etowah, except
that they are far enough away from
the markets that the farmers to the
south of them are in a more advantageous position with reference to
market. Tuscaloosa County is in the
heavy-producing column. It has a
rather satisfactory outlet in Tuscaloosa and Birmingham.
In the Montgomery area the counties of Chilton, Autauga, Elmore, and
Montgomery have special advantages
in soils. Chilton has a large population skilled in the production of perishabl e crops. Montgomery furnishes
a ready market for a large portion
of the goods produced in this territory but many of them are trucked
to Birmingham and other points.
Good highway systems and railroad
facilities make transportation of
minor imp ortance compared with sections.
In counties like Houston, Geneva,
and southern Dale, the exceptionally
fine soils account for the commercial
development. Large sections of these
counties are admirably suited to the
FRUIT AND VEGETABLE MARKETS
0
1943 ·
O""TTAI'II()();3A·
• •
•
o
Al'"\..ANTA
••
""
o
I
.""
LEGEND
()
(5
rAII.IoI[I~S '
WHOU:Ul.C
~ns
r AII.'UII.S · 1.I ... 'UI,Cf'S
•
CU"'I IoO"''IIUT'S
..
C"''''''' I No. I"\...,IoIT5
COLO-I'I\.CII. AND sO, "'-'NT'S
1'1[11.1..11010 I'L ... NTS
t:,.
eUYCAS ' IoIAAII.CT S
o
•
MAP 61
·Re cords of E x te nsi on Hortic ulturi s t.
~
production of vegetables. They have
considerable advantage in earlin ess
as early spring weather permits the
starting of crops quite early.
Earliness, naturally fine soils, and
predominance of people experienced
in vegetable gr owing, make Baldwin
County an ideal spot for the production of early vegetables. Good
highways and railroad facilities are
adequate for moving the crops. Also,
an efficient marketing system has
been developed.
In Mobile County is found the advantages in earliness, mild temperatures, fairly good soils, experienced
growers, and a ready market in Mobile for a large part of the produce
grown .
Developments in Wilcox County
may be attributed to the lo cation of
a canning plant which packs largely
okra. This crop is especially well
61
�TURNIPS AND TURNIP GREENS
1939 •
•
•
•
•
•
•
burgh will form a 30 0 triangle in
which about 85 to 90 per cent of
Alabama's export products are marketed. See Charts 7 and 8. Convenient
diversion points in cities like Cincinnati, which is the beginning of
the real consuming area, makes it
possible for those who move produce
into that area to direct it into the
cities where there is greatest demand. This is true of truck movements as well as of car lots. Of
course, it is necessary for those marketing fruits and vegetables to keep
up with the current demands in consuming centers.
Another reason for the movement
of this produce into the Great Lakes
section is the fact that the large producing states on the Eastern Seaboard supply the East, the largest
consuming center in the country.
Those states have the advantage of
near ness to Eastern consumers. AnCOLLARDS
1939 •
MAP 62
*1940 Census.
suited to Wilcox and Black Belt farmers and soils.
Peaches are grown in commercial
quantities in Chilton, Elmore, Autauga and DeKalb counties. Facilities for
handling the present volume seem to
be qdequate.
Truck Crop Markets
WITH REFERENCE to outlets or
consuming centers, the bulk of su rplus produce moving out of Alabama goes naturally into the densely
populated section south of the Great
Lakes. Railroad and highway Charts
No. 7 and 8 show that this is a natural movement. These heavy consuming centers are located nearby
compared to eastern markets and are
well served by transportation facilities.
Lines drawn from Birmingham,
Alabama, through Chicago and Pitts-
•
LEGEND
"'CII[i
M A P 63
·1940 Census.
62
�RAILWAYS OVER WHICH ALABAMA PRODUCTS MOVE TO MARKET
CHART 7
. ..
HIGHWAYS -OVER WHICH ALABAMA PRODUCTS MOVE TO MARKET
,
.
.
,
"'--J1-~~r-\\-u
i,
,
:...... .......
i .
:
1' ........... ".
!r~;:j2·~·
..
r········,
"1~Eh""~H
c.."c, ~
~~"
!
--
- . ---~
100
__ ._
t5
'"
CHART 8
63
"-W
•
�•
BEANS (LIMA)
WATERMELONS
1939 •
1939'
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
LEGEND
•
"' CfllC~
•
MAP 66
MAP 64
* 1940 Census.
*1 940 Census.
PEAS (GREEN)
PECANS
1939 '
1939 •
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
f--,L-+----L" •
LEGEND
"' CRt ~
________ 1ISg _Q72
~
-
- 43.3 -~
30
432
:=:I~{=J~: '~i:'~~
--
I_! 2
MAP 6 7
MAP 65
· 1940 Census .
* 1940 Census.
64
•
•
.--J--f
�•
formation includes location of each
market, present volume of goods
handled, potential capacity of the
markets, what increases or decreases
in production might be expected
with assurance of satisfactory prices,
advantages and disadvantages, physical facilities, and things needed to
make
operations more efficient.
Other facts give a clear picture of
the future of these or similar markets in their particular areas. This
study should enable anyone or any
group to understand more fully the
recommendations made with reference to locating markets or supplementing those already established .
CUCUMBERS
1939 •
•
•
•
•
Blount County: Blount County To-
• •
mato Growers Association handled
17,500 bushels of tomatoes during
the 1942 season. Association membership increased from 68 in 1941 to
186 in 1942. L. J. Vogel, manager,
reports that its present capacity IS
LEGEND
•
...CIIICS
• - - - - - - - - 863- U:'2
CORN (ROASTING)
1939 •
MAP 68
*1940 Census.
other factor of considerable Importance is the mountain range barrier
running from New York State into
Georgia and Alabama. Mountains
rising to a height of 5000 feet are
quite an obstacle in the paths of
trucks and railroads hauling from
the East to the Middle West. Hauling heavy loads over the mountains
is difficult. At certain seasons of the
year it is dangerous. So the area
just south of the Great Lakes is not
only most convenient but less competition is found.
Competing states to the west move
large quantities of their goods into
the cities west of Chicago. This is
natural and most economical in distribution.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
LEGEND
4 ell[S
Market Facilities
DETAILED information of the market set-up in Alabama has been
compiled and is given here. This m-
MAP 69
*1940 Ce ns us.
65
..
�OKRA
1939 •
POTATOES
1939 •
• •
•
•
•
•
LEGEND
.con
MAP 72
MAP 70
·1940 Census.
'1940 Census.
CANTALOUPS
1939 •
CABBAGE
1939 •
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
LEGEND
LEGEND
ACI'IU
r
- - - - - - - -481-(100
- 217-2i4
... CIIICS
- - - - -1~1-21(1
9"_
r-:""CC_
..:. _~.:-=-_~4__ 2~-_ ~4If
MAP 73
MAP 71
*1940 Census.
*1940 Census.
66
�tinue to grow. The volume obtained
for the sh ort season of operatio n
makes it possible for the association
to employ good sales help and to operate efficiently and profitably.
An obstacle lies in the fact that
some growers prefer, for various
reasons, to adhere to the old method
of selling field-run fruit to local
dealers. Possibly some of this is due
to financial arrangements which reduce the freedom of action of individ ual growers.
TOMATOES
1939' .
•
•
•
•
•
Cullman County: United Strawberry Growers of Cullman has h andled up to 65,000 crates of berries
per season. In 1942 it h andl ed 35,000 crates. Capacity of the association's facilities is about 150,000
crates. Even if satisfactory prices are
assured, the serious labor shortage is
expected to cause a slight reduction
in strawberry acreage this year.
•
•
LEGEND
AC
~
,,~s
• - _ _ _ _ _ 1,"1':'9 - 1,900
1«'3-288
19_ 12
COWPEAS (GREEN)
1939 •
MAP 74
·1940 Census.
about 30,000 bushels with the sizing
machine now in u se. It has ample
shed space and facilities to take care
of any expected increase.
With normal prices assured an increase of 10 percent might be expected in acreage.
The association is fairly close to
market outlets with much of the crop
moving to Atlanta, Jacksonville,
Tampa, and
other Southeastern
points. Most of the crop is moved
by truck.
The area has advantages in climate
and soil which enables it to produce
good yields of superior quality tomatoes. This quality, together with
the fact that the higher altitudes and
plateau formations in the Sand Mountain section usually cause t h e tomatoes to frost out later than in surrounding regions, probably means
that this project will endure and con-
•
• •
•
LEGEND
A,CllltS
MAP 75
·19 40 Census .
67
,
�... .
duction problem is the failu r e of
growers in the Cullman area to follow practical recommendations which
would improve greatly the quality of
their fruit.
Lack of grading enforcement has
made it possible for farmers to topoff ungraded fruit with berries of
fair size and quality. Enforced grading regulations will prevent this inferior fruit from being used to depress the market for better quality
ber ries. Failure to regulate per mits
enough freedom of action of individual growers and the unscrupulous
buyers to demor alize the whole thing.
BEANS (SNAP)
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Conecuh County: In the Castleberry area about 26,000 crates of
strawberries are sold annually. Three
groups have been handling the crop
at Castleberry through auctions and
consignment selling. Some berries
are marketed at Evergreen while
•
LEGEND
"'CItCS
SWEETPOTATOES
1939 •
MAP 7 6
-1940 Census.
This market IS located very favorably to outlets. Most of the bernes move over a truck-line railroad
and highway to large consuming centers south of the Great Lakes. The
association has ample shed space,
warehouses, sidings and loading platforms to handle the present volume
very efficiently.
Chief competing areas are Tenn essee and Arkansas which place berries
on the market immediately following
the Cullman crop. Some years the
crops are marketed at the same time .
Their combined acreages are possibly
10 times that of Alabama and offer
truckers greater opportunities for
getting immediate loads. Stricter
grading in Tennessee and Arkansas
and near ness to market cause many
truckers to move out of the Alabama
territory as soon as the other berries
come on the market. A serious pro-
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LEGEND
. V.lMtLS
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MAP 77
'1940 Census.
68
--- 8202og..~~
�which may be expected to r emain
about as it was in 1942 . B ecause of a
shortage of la bor a nd supplies the
trend in vegetable crops will be
downward. The 1943 production of
general tru ck crops is expected to be
very small.
These markets are all well located
with reference to transportation facilit ies. They have the advantage of
earliness. Most of the crops move before the competing section s to the
north start t h eir h arvest.
Possibly the biggest obstacle in the
way of ord erly h andling of t h ese
crops, especia lly strawberries, is the
lack of volume. It is difficult to attract truckers to handle the major
port ion of th e crop. After berries are
available in sections to the north, or
where t h er e is a larger volume, the
truckers desert the small markets because it is difficult for them to obtain sui table loads without con siderable delay. If producers in all of
these small producing sections could
incr ease their volume by 300 or 400
percent they would be in much better position to attract and hold buyers and pay the expense of any
n eeded marketing organization. Better assembling and grading of the
product would be a help to the industry.
Combining the efforts of the various agencies and individua ls now
handling t h ese berri es would be beneficial. There is ample sh ed space and
other faciliti es to take car e of a 100
p ercent increase in volum e of berries.
Chilton Coun ty: J emi son Strawberry Association handles annually
3,000 to 3,500 crates of berries. They
could handle 100 p er cent more with
present facilities.
The Thor sby Strawberry Association handles annually 3,000 to 3,500
crates of berries and could increase
this 100 p ercent with present facilities.
STRAWBERRIES
1939 •
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LEGEND
A C 1'1£$
MAP 78
*1940 Ce nsu s .
berries from 60 acres In northern
Co n e c u h County are marketed
through the associations at Garland.
Ther e is a serious n eed for assistance
in organi zation and selling on the
Castleberry market.
With satisfactory price assurance,
improved labor conditions, and efficiently operated mark ets, a 75 per
cent increase of strawb erry acreage
might be expected for Conecuh
County. This also h olds true for general truck grown in the vicinity of
E vergreen.
About $60,000 worth of sn ap an d
lima beans, squash, tomatoes, fi eld
p eas, English peas, and corn was handled on the Evergreen market in
1942. Physical facilities are very poor
at t his point. Strawberries are handled in the open.
During the present emergency an
attempt is b eing made in Conecuh to
maintain the strawberry acreage
69
�The Clanton Strawberry Association handles 20,00.0 to 25,000 crates
annually and could handle double
that amount with present facili t ies.
These markets are ideally located
with reference to railroad and highway outlets and the consuming centers to the north. This section normally has a ten days to two weeks
period when berries move without
competition from sections further to
the north. When other sections start
moving berries there is usually a
sale for the remaining berries to
processing plants in Birmingham and
Mon tgomery.
Strawberry production could well
be increased 300 percent in Chilton
County. Facilities for handling such
a crop are now available or could
readily be supplied by these a ssociations. However, with assurance of
satisfactory prices and necessary
labor a 50 percent increase may be
expected. Larger volume of berries
would have the effect of attracting
buyers as well as r educing the perunit cost of market ing the crop.
The Clanton Peach Association
handled 4,000 bushels of peaches in
1942. It has equipment and facilities
to handle 150,000 bushels. The county
crop sold for $750,000 with various
individual methods of marketing
used. Principal competing areas are
Georgia and South Carolina, where
large acreages are found. Chilton
County produces peaches of quality
as good as any other section. With
the proper market set-up and fair
prices, producers can operate very
profitably.
Present production and marketing
problems are: Lack of trained labor,
scarcity of f ertilizer and insecticides,
n eed for better marketing facilities
for the minor crops, reduced expense
of marketing for individual growers,
educational work on grading and
packin"', and a workable state law on
compulsory federal-state inspection
on selected crops entering or leaving
the State.
Lack of proper facili ties for handling the $340,000 worth of minor
crops grown in Chilton County offers
a considerable probl em.
Records
show that in 1942 each of 12 crops
brought: roasting-ear corn $38,780,
peas $13,560, beans $25,480, turnips
$29,020, tomatoes $158,600, watermelons $31,360, cantaloupes $3,980,
okra $8,280, lima beans $3,880,
squash $12,500, cabbage $1,252,
potato es $13,580. For an association
to profitably handle these crops there
would undoubtedly have to be an increase in the volume of certain items
to justify the operation of a market
over a period long enoug h to handle
them. With normal transportation
these crops are trucked away by individuals to nearby markets of their
choice.
Coun ty : Last year two associations at Garland and one at Georgiana in Butler County handl ed 51,750 crates of strawberries-15,000
as fr esh berries and 36,750 as processed fruit. The estimated capacity
for these associations is 150,000
crates. They have satisfactory shed
space, warehouses, and loading facilities.
If labor becomes available and satisfactory prices ar e assured, an acreage increase of 50 percent may be
expected. Growers are trying to maintain their present acreage.
These markets are well located with
refer~ nce to transportation and outlets. They have the advantage of relatively early crops and usually experience good demands and prices.
Their soils are suitable and people
experienced. Louisiana is their chief
competitor.
Chief obstacle to production of perishables in this area is lack of faith
that crops can be disposed of at a
profit. The farming system can be
Butl e r
70
•
�changed if this assurance is given.
The big problem at present, as with
other small areas, is failure to follow
recommended practices in producing
quality products, lack of standardization and grading, lack of sufficient
volume to attract buyers, and inability to pay for the operation of an
efficient selling organization.
Escambia Coun ty : About 25 cars of
general truck (except Irish potatoes)
are handled from Atmore, Brewton,
Canoe, and Pollard. Apparently the
facilities are unlimited for handling
all that can be produced in the
county. Undoubtedly facilities used
in handling the Irish potato crop can
be employed in the preparation and
handling of other crops. One association is operating at Atmore where
general truck is produced and assembled.
With assurance of satisfactory
prices, an increase of 10 percent may
be expected in acreage. With plentiful labor it might reach 25 percent.
While this section enjoys some advantages in soils and climate, competition of the Carolinas and other
states nearer to market may be a
handicap. Transportation is quite
ample with two railroads and a good
highway serving the area, but markets are at a distance.
surrounded by the wholesale districts
of Birmingham. Good highway and
railroad facilities are available. It
serves, as do most markets of this
nature, as a place where truckers
meet from various sections of the
country to exchange goods 01' to buy
and sell. It naturally serves the local
demands, and is used as an outlet for
much of the produce from the counties surrounding it.
In addition to other services performed, the association makes available supplies such as fertilizer and
containers to those who use the market.
Baldwin Coun ty: Practically all
markets in Bald,vin County are operated by individuals and are commonly
known as buyer's markets. These are
operated independently of any help
from the State or any other public
agency.
Mobile County: The Mobile Farmer's Market, star ted at Mobile in
1939, serves principally Bald,vin and
Mobile counties. Last year it handled
$2,000,000 worth of products. Present facilities are adequate for handling as much as 50 percent more. It
has the advantage of being located
between the Florida and Texas trade
areas. With assurance of normal
prices it appears that an increase of
25 percent may be expected in production for this mar ket. One of the
principal pr oblems encountered is in
the grading and preparing goods
handled through it.
J efferson County: T he J efferson
County Truck Gr owers Association
owns the facilities of the 23-year-old
Birmingham Farmer's Market which
handled $2,000,000 worth of products
last year. Present lot and buildings
serve farmers from all points in Alabama. The association has additional
space which is ample to take care of
expansion as it may be needed. Farmers from anywhere can sell on this
market by paying a nominal fee assessed all itinerants.
This market is located in the center
of the shopping district of Birmingham, Ensley and Bessemer and is
Houston County : Markets in Ashford, center of the vegetable growing
section of Houston County, handle
15,000 to 20,000 tons of vegetables
per year. This is exclusive of the
watermelons and tomatoes handled
through the local markets. The addition of these two prod ucts would
double the initial figures. The facilities there consist of one shed, 25 by
50 feet, operated by the farmers, and
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71
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berries during the 1942 season and
stor ed these in Montgomery.
three or f our private temporary sheds
or warehouses operated by local
buyers or brokers. These facilities are
entirely inadequ ate for the volume
handled during the h eight of the season.
Local farmers believe that the
acreage might be increased 100 percent if an adequate market were established to get the farmers full value
f or their goods. Lack of information
on the current value of perishables
and established efficient meth ods of
handling leaves most farmers with
distant markets or local buyers as
their only outlets. Distance to market
is a serious handicap for this section.
Greatest needs in t his area are increased han dling capacity of the
farm ers' market, assistance in grading and packing, latest market news
f or all, competent sales assistance to
h elp in locating best outlets.
There were about 18,000 crates of strawb erries put up at
Georgiana by the sulphur dioxide
method in 1942. These w ere put up
in barrels for lend-lease u se.
A n ew quick-freezing plant with
a capacity of 7,500,000 p ounds of
various products is being installed at
Geor giana. Thi s plant will offer the
n eeded marketing faciliti es in this
area.
G e org i a n a:
For a number of years one
operator h as been packing strawberries by the cold pack method at Garland. During 1942 he packed approximately 10,000 crates. The capacity
of his plant would permit the packing
of doubl e that amount.
G a rl a nd :
A canning plant
at Roanoke packed abou t 18,000
cases of miscellaneous goods in 1942.
This came principally from Randolph,
T allapoosa, and Chambers counties,
with a small amount from n earby
sections in Georgia .
Different items packed were about
as follows: pimentoes 3,8 00 cases,
snap beans 3,400 cases, okra 5,000
cases, blueberries 2,800 cases, blackberries 600 cases, field peas 1,70 0
cases, turnip greens 2,000 cases. All
of these crops are grown in the count ies mentioned with t h e exception of
a portion of the pack of blueberries
which comes from extreme South
Alabama and N orth Florida.
Present capacity of this plant, with
possible additions, will undoubtedly
permit a reasonable expan sion of
acreage. Such needs will be dared for
by the owner as demands increase.
Difficulties of such plants are increased by obstacles thrown up by
the large canning concerns which
d ominate the industry in the North
and West. Small southern packers
have an uphill fight against these
R a nd o lph County:
Processing Plants
AT SEVERAL points in Alabama
there are facilit ies for processing
vegetables or fruits grown for processing plants. These plants are located as follows:
During the 1942 season processors in Birmingham packed
700,000 pounds of strawb erri es principally from the Cullman and Chilton
areas. They also han dled 100,000
pounds of blackberries. They state
tha t they could pack triple the
amount packed last year if t h e fruit
w ere available.
B irmin gham:
About 17,000 crates of
b erries were put up in barrels with
sulphur dioxide for lend-lease use.
This outlet could have handled 35,000 to 50,000 crates. Formerly many
of these berries have b een shipped to
Birmingham for cold packing.
Cullma n :
One concern coldpacked about 12,000 cr~tes of strawMont g om e r y:
72
�Expanding Production
large interests, and certain natural
disadvantages found in this section.
MAP 60, Pg. 60 shows the present
heavy fruit and vegetable producing areas with their r elative importance. These section s are located with
r eference to certain advantages of
soil, climate, people, and markets. In
view of the fact that these areas are
not operating at capacity it goes without saying that wise expansion might
first take place in these areas where
people are already accustomed to the
production of these crops and have
the necessary equipment. Since scient ifi c facts must be followed in growing, handling, and marketing of perishables it is extremely dangerous for
new hands to attempt such work without close supervision . Producers in
most areas have indicated that if th ey
are assured normal price levels r easonable increases in production may
be expected. Increases would materially lessen vegetable marketing problems. On the oth er hand, increased
acreages in new areas might create
problems similar to those in other
small-producing a r eas. Lack of facilities and unfamiliarity with perishables might create problems very difficult to handle.
Commercial vegetable production
in the United States has increased
about 200 percent since 1919. With
large developments in the W est, improved transportation facilities and
r efrigeration, competition has become very keen between the various
sections. With the return of normal
times those producing perishable
crops will have t o do so in competition with well-equipped and highly
train ed producers in other sections.
Unless producers in n ew sections can
show that they have advantages and
will employ r ecommended practices
in producing and handling they might
do well to leave this job to those who
are experienced and have set-ups for
handling such crops.
W ilco x Coun ty: A company operat-
ing a canning plant at Catherine had
a pack last year of 90,000 cases, all
okra, except 2,500 cases of blackberries.
This plant has a capacity of 150, 000 to 200,000 cases, and is very well
equipped. Th e government's refusal
to permit the packing of okra in tin
will apparently close down this plant
for the duration of t he war. The company's set-up in land and labor is not
suited to the production of other
products which might be canned.
A dehydration plant is n ow being
installed in Alabama by the King
Pharr Company, Camden, to dehydrate sweet potatoes. It will have a
capacity of about 1,000,000 pounds
of dehyd rated potatoes per season if
operated at full capacity. Thi s will
require about 100,000 bushels of raw
potatoes.
Any program involving processing
plants should not overlook t he possible future development of the sweet
potato for dehydration as a stock
feed, hum an consumption and starch
manufacture. This crop, typically
south ern , produces more food per
acre than any other now grown in
this section, has a food value 50 p ercent greater than the Irish potato and
contains as much Vitamin A as carro ts. The dehydrated sweet potato
has proved to be as good as sh elled
corn as a feed for most classes of
livestock, and will give, with equal
treatment, three times the feed per
acre as corn. An excellent human
food product is derived by dehydrating it. Dehydration reduces the transportation problem and enhances the
sweet potatoes' keeping qualities.
Pickling plants are operating in the
vicinity of R ed Level, River Falls,
Hartford, Samson, Slocomb and Dothan .
73
�Old and New Markets
Some qualifications of a satisfactory manager are : (1) a general fundamental kn owledge of local farming
conditions and people, (2) know
grades and values of products, (3)
be able to contact buying agenCIes
and keep up to the minute on market conditions and furnish a daily
market news service to shipping
points, (4) be a salesman, (5) be
honest and always firm with sellers
and buyers, (6) be able to direct a
field force, (7) kn ow more about the
business than the average buyer and
be able to tell them the market value
rather than be told, (8) be known in
the business and by the trade. Handling an effective market service job
is no fly-by-night business. Those who
have been most successful have been
in it for long periods of years and
their standing in the profession has
been establish ed t hrough l ong con tacts.
IN LOCATING markets two things
are absolutely essential: (1) volume to pay expenses, and (2) good
management to see that the products
are handled most advantageously for
the farmer. To begin with, some free
assistance in the form of personnel
and equipment will be necessary
through early stages of development.
Programs worthy of the attention of
public agencies should in time become self-sustaining. Exceptions to
these rules may be justified provided
wholesale markets are established to
use these out-lying smaller markets
as feeders in supplying them with
fruits and vegetables. If the large
wholesale markets are able to support the small ones it might not be
considered a direct subsidy.
It is evident that markets will have
expenses which must be paid by someone sooner or later. These expenses
include pay for a manager or a manager-salesman, shed and platform
help, inspectors, machinery for grading, news service, telephone and telegraph, correspondence, and depreciation on equipment. To take care of
these expenses it is necessary that
volume be handled on the market.
If these precedents of self-sustainment are not set then the question
will logically arise as to who is to be
given the available service and why.
It will create a problem for any market service which will be a constant
source of trouble.
A state representative of an effective market organization has a f ulltime job. It carries a large respon sibility and demands good pay. He
should be responsible to or directed
by a designated board which helps
decide policies and leave the successful operation of details to the manager.
Most of the perishable business in
Alabama and the country is operated
on a seasonal basis. Within two
months the Irish potato crop in Baldwin County is moved . Activity moves
on to other sections or to other crops.
Sheds are busy as bee-hives during
the potato ' season and absolutely deserted at other periods. Equipment
and crews are again recruited to handle other crops such as sweet corn,
cucumbers, and sweet potatoes which
usually come and go in periods of 30
to 60 days. Outside of these seasons,
sheds are entirely closed down.
Management of M arke ts
EFFICIENT and honest service to
farmers and buyers, not good fellowship or painted buildings, makes a
market. One authority with wide experience in handling markets in the
Southeast states that 75 percent of
the success of a market is due to good
management.
Tomatoes in Blount Coun ty are
handled by the association for only
74
�Inspectors of the Alabama Department of Agriculture would work in
conjunction with these local managers. In some cases one man might
be a combination manager and inspector.
Activities of these local managers
would be closely supervised and directed by the manager of the entire
system, who would keep in daily contact with them and supply them with
needed information.
Physical facilities and equipment
necessary for the operation of most
small markets need not be very expensIve. About all that is required is
shed space, platforms on which to
handle the products, parking lots and
stalls where the truckers may be
served, and suitable office space. If
the commodity needs to be graded at
the local market it will be necessary
that suitable grading machines be
provided. Of the 64 auction markets
operating along the East Coast over
70 percent of them have physical facilities costing less than $500.
In supplying services it might be
necessary or advisable that the State
provide movable grading machines to
be carried from one spot to another
to serve small markets unable to buy
their equipment. There are spots in
Alabama where seasonal help and
adequate machinery might lead to the
building of self-sustaining markets.
two months in the year. Cabbage in
Mobile County is handled over a period of about 4 to 6 weeks. Strawberry marketing at various points
may not last over 30 days. A peach
crop may be disposed of within 2 or
3 weeks. Watermelons in Alabama
are handled mostly in June and July.
Pecans begin to move in the fall and
are sold by the first of the ensuing
year.
Exceptions are found in the large
wholesale markets which receive varieties and volumes of products
throughout the year to enable them
to stay open for twelve months.
A problem in helping market Alabama products is found in small
areas with more goods than the local
market will consume but not enough
to attract outside buyers or to justify
the expense of assembling and sending them away to large consuming
centers. This always has been and
always will be a disturbing situation.
To meet these situations, an effective market· set-up must begin with
increased volume to justify a marketing program. To get increased production it will be necessary for those
interested in better markets to get
producers together and agree to grow
the same varieties and to increase
their volume of production to justify
a marketing system .
In view of the apparent important
position occupied by the manager or
supervisor of a system of state markets, first consideration should be the
selection of a good man. It is important that he be adequately paid
so that he will be interested in con tinuing with the markets. The manager, ,vith suitable assistants, should
see that help is directed to seasonal
markets when needed. Generally the
continuous employment of a manager
in anyone small market would not
be justified. This means that the local
managers would move from one place
to another as marketing needs arose.
Curb Markets
DURING 1942 total sales on 20 Alabama curb markets were $578,591.90. The Gadsden and Montgomery markets do an annual business of
near $200,000 per year each while
the annual business on the Tuscaloosa
market totals about $100,000. Pertinent facts about the markets are
reported by county home demonstration agents:
1. Most of these markets seem to
have ample facilities for the present
business and considerable expansion.
75
,
�2. The biggest need is for more
sellers to support the market. This
would mean a 'greater volume of
products sold with more efficient
operations.
3. Greater varieties of goods are
needed.
4. Better preparation needed of
products sold.
Market masters indicate that financial assistance could be used in improving the facilities of some of the
curb markets. Boards of directors of
some markets find it difficult to employ market masters and to keep them
operating efficiently on low salaries
they can pay. This problem parallels
the case with small markets which
find it difficult to pay for services
they need. Some markets need refrigeration equipment for handling meats
and other perishables.
Throughout the history of the curb
market movement in Alabama many
small markets have failed because of
lack of support from those for whom
they were organized. The following
comments on the individual markets
have been gathered from agricultural
workers in the various counties.
Gad sden: The Gadsden curb market
is one of the oldest. It was established in 1923 and has operated continuously since that time . The market
building, 30 by 120 feet, is very inadequate and is in poor condition. It
accommodates nearly 300 farm families throughout the year. The cash
business during 1942 was $167,000.
This market needs assistance in
building a new market place. This
would have to be subsidized until increased business made it self-sustaining. Assistance is needed in grading
and standardizing products offered
for sale.
It is believed that this area needs
a wholesale market which would
serve as an outlet for large quantities
of farm produce.
Tuscaloosa : The present curb market in Tuscaloosa is operated on
property belonging to the county and
is adjacent to the county courthouse.
The 1942 business amounted to about
$80,000. It has about the capacity
needed to take care of its present
business. There is no room for further expansion on the present site. It
has the advantage of a rather large
population to serve and could use an
increase of about 50 percent in products marketed. It is felt that a new
addition could be profitably erected
in another part of the city to serve
people not now conveniently located
to the present market. Assistance is
needed in the construction of this addition. The market has found it difficult to pay the market master an
adequate salary.
Selma: The Selma market has a
space of 1,875 square feet which
seems to be adequate for the present
business. In 1942 cash sales amounted to $9,932. The market serves an
area wjth a population of about 20,000 people. An increase in physical
facilities might be accompanied possibly by an increase in business.
There is a need for a greater variety
of products and more sellers.
A thens: This is a new market organized in the fall of 1942. Present
capacity seems to be entirely adequate for immediate future needs.
This market needs financial aid in
buying and installing refrigeration
facilities.
Aubur n : The Auburn market is operating in a new building put up by
the Kiwanis Club about 1940. It has
a capacity of 20 stalls. During 1942
sales were $8,555.
The need here is for more sellers
and more products. A need is . also
expressed for refrigeration, better
quality products, and more fruit, especially in the fall.
76
�operation of peddlers, who go on the
street an ... peddle their produce from
house to house rather than bring it to
the market where they could receive
better prices for it. Help is needed
for improving the physical facilities
of this market. Financial assistance
is needed in paying a market master.
Dothan: Physical facilities for this
market seem to be good and to be
ample for all expected expansion in
the immediate future . Last year $9,393 worth of produce was sold on
this market. The present market
could well use a 50 percent increase
in volume of goods sold. One of the
biggest needs here seems to be in the
improvement of the grade and quality
of the products for sale.
Tuskegee: A nice building of 20 by
40 feet houses the Tuskegee market
which did a cash business of $7,000
in 1942. At present there is a much
larger demand Qn the curb market in
this n eighborhood than can be supplied.
The Valley Roadside Market: This
market opened in Lanett in 1940 and
did a business last year of $37,577 .
It has a . building 42 by 120 feet
which could accommodate 60 sellers.
It serves about 20,000 people and
n eeds a 50 percent increase in products offered. There is need for an
improvement in the facilities to make
\
the market more comfortable. It also
needs help in paying a mark et master
and in advertising the market.
Wedowee: Physical facilities of the
Wedowee market seem to be adequate
at present. Only about $250 worth of
farm products are sold here per
month. There is a need for a 50 percent increase in produce offered.
Talladega and Sylacauga: The market at Tallad ega has a building 8 by
30 feet which seems to be adequate
for present sellers. In Sylacauga the
building is 16 by 30 feet, which is
sufficient for the present volume of
business. Last year 26 permits were
issued in the two towns and a business of $3,350 was done. There is a
population of 25,000 at present in
the two cities. A 50 percent increase in sellers and products would
be to the advantage of the market
and community. Assistance is needed
in providing more comfortable and
convenient quarters and in paying the
salary of the market master.
Mobile: The Mobile market has 100
stalls, in which $31,403 worth of produce was sold last year. The capacity of the market seems to be ample
for present conditions. It serves an
area with a population of 150,000 to
200,000 people, but has the disadvantage of being rather poorly located. The inaccessibility of the market to a large part of the consumers
in the area, as well as serious competition from several large groceries
in the immediate vicinity, has seriously handicapped it. There seems to
be a need for help in rearranging it
and providing adequate space for its
operation. The city has been requested to improve the streets and provide
better approaches to the market.
Montgomery:
The Montgomery
market has 215 tables over which a
business of $167,876 was transacted
in 1942. In addition, an undetermined amount of farm products was delivered out in town from orders
taken on the market. It is operating
at capacity. Needed expansion is impossible on the present site. The area
served has a population of 129,000
people.
Clayton : This market, space 20 by
40 feet, does not seem to be equipped
with facilities to make sellers comfortabl e while they operate the market during certain seasons of the
year. In 1942 their total sales were
only $3,239. It seems to be handicapped by poor buildings and by the
77
�Commercial Production of Truck Crops by Counties, 1940·
Montgomery Area'
Autauga
Potatoes'
Sweetpotatoes'
bu.
T
bu.
crate
bu.
bu.
bu.
Grand
total
6,360.0
1,664.0
226.1
138.2
2,710.7
216.4
2,389.7
45.0
238.0
645.5
917.2
94.2
1,069.3
293.8
12,872.0
9,453.0
1,056.7
301.0
5,080.0
1,445.5
4,724.2
272.6
468.0
2,577.3
3,727.5
733.2
10,539.5
738.8
3,082.7
6,042.0
763.6
125.7
780.0
1,229.1
1,029.4
109.7
2,300.0
1,299.0
67.0
12.3
1,205.3
554.5
2,765.5
566.9
1,376.3
311.2
1,090.9
44.8
38.1
7,027.2
14,417.1
1,271.4
4,545.5
135.7
12,175.7
574.8
58.2
472.9
22,291.4
202.7
6,074.6
608.6
50,232.8
2,793.8
193,433.3
10,911.1
481,577.8
878,500.0
1,293
5.7
3,357
294.3
27,367
6,011.0
4.2
3,354.0
309.5
22,060.0
1,617.0
2.8
5,334.0
52.4
12,531.0
6,954.0
18.0
1,754.0
42,461.6
65,458.0
15,875.0
30.7
13,799.0
43,117.8
127,416.0
7,673
53,794
7,607.0
86,772.0
4,209.0
128,926.0
20,336.0
88,132.0
39,825.0
357,624.0
1,129.3
bu.
Lima beans
448.0
Snap beans
bu.
bu.
Beets
24.8
Cabbage
T
384.0
Cantaloups, etc. crate
Carrots
bu.
827.2
Collards
'h crate
Roasting corn
25.5
T
230.0
Cowpeas
bu.
286.4
Cucumbers
bu.
Okra
bu.
34.6
Onions
cwt.
1,066.7
Peas, green
bu.
Peppers
bu.
133.8
Radishes
bu.
Spinach
bu.
327.3
Squash
bu.
1,348.6
Tomatoes
bu.
Turnips
bu.
744.9
Turnip greens
bu.
Watermelons
melon 192,577.8
Apples
Grapes
Pears
Strawberries
Peaches
Elmore Montgomery Chilton
1,143.6
477.9
92.4
·Unpublished data from files ot the Department of Agricultural Economics, which were
bas ed on 1940 Census A.M.A. reportlil and data from county agents.
Ilnelud es counties or Autauga, Elmore. Montgomery, and Chilton.
'Includes thnt used on farms (total production).
Needs are for financial assistance
in repaIring present buildings and
building a larger place. State h elp
has been available but has been discontinued for scale testing and egg
candling. This service is badly needed
and would be most useful.
embracing 18 counties where the
commercial production of fruits and
vegetables is of major importance.
These areas are found to have advantages in soil, climate, people and markets.
Eighty-five to 90 percent of Alabama products moving out of the
State are marketed in the area covered by a triangle from Birmingham,
Alabama, to Chicago and Pittsburgh.
Reasons for this are: closer proximity
to these markets than the heavy consuming centers of the East, good
transportation, similar advantages for
the eastern producing areas marketing in the eastern cities, and the natural barrier formed by the m ountain
Summary and Recommendations
FRUITS, vegetables, nuts, and sweet
and Irish potatoes bring about $10,000,000 annually to Alabama producers.
Returns are dependent on price
and efficiency of markets serving the
grower.
In Alabama there are four areas
78
�Commercial Pr,oduction of Truck Crops by Counties, 1940'
-
Dothan Area'
Lima beans
Snap beans
Beets
Cabbage
Cantaloups, etc.
Carrots
Collards
Corn, r oasting
Cowpeas
Cucumbers
Okra
Onions
Peas, green
Peppers
Radishes
Spinach
Squash
Tomatoes
Turnips
Turnip greens
Watermelons
Apples
Grapes
P ears
Strawberries
Peaches
Potatoes'
Sweetpotatoes'
bu.
bu.
bu .
T
crate
bu.
'h crate
T
bu.
bu.
bu.
cwt.
bu.
bu.
bu.
bu.
bu.
bu.
bu.
bu.
melon
Dale
Geneva
Houston
5,862.7
754.0
22.7
73.9
22.7
36.4
1,268.0
805.0
114.8
16.6
317.3
9,590.7
2,001.0
69.4
6,745.5
62.1
Grand
total
50.7
1,932.0
81.8
16,721.4
3,560.0
137.5
141.2
2,272.0
118.2
5.9
71.0
146.3
16,818.2
253.8
1,269.3
14,713.6
88.3
18.8
10,808.8
38,277.3
150.4
272.6
29,834.2
2,372.9
221.1
484.3
31.3
63.6
1114.7
6,681.4
974.1
63 .6
104.7
9,538.6
1,226.5
41,800.0
78 ,500.0
153,522.2
273,822.2
bu.
T
bu.
crate
bu.
816.0
3.2
3,899.0
62.6
9,433.0
180.0
3.5
3,058.0
78.3
10,602.0
99.0
4.1
3,069.0
215.4
9,684.0
1,095.0
10.8
10,026.0
356.3
29,719.0
bu.
bu.
4,251.0
74,340.0
10,089.0
78,439.0
18,143.0
128,111.0
32,483.0
280,890 .0
17,756.1
*Unpublis b ed data from files of the Department of Agricultural Economics, which were
based on 1940 Census A.M.A. r eports and data from c ounty agen t s.
lIncludes counties of Dale, Geneva, H ouston .
!lIncludes that used on farms (total production).
range which offers an obstacle to both
sections attempting to cross it.
There are 25 established seasonal
outlets for fruit and vegetable products grown in commercial quantities
in Alabama. Some of these markets
handle more than one produ ct. In
addition there are nearby markets in
other states such as the state market
at Pensacola, Florida, the wholesale
municipal market at Columbus, Georgia, the wholesale market in Atlanta,
Georgia, and the markets at Rome,
Georgia, and Chattanooga, Tennessee,
which offer good outlets for many
Alabama products. Added to these are
the 20 curb markets scattered
throughout the State.
Physical facilities at most points are
adequate f or present volume and considerable expansion. Some points
which seem to n eed special help in
this respect are Ashford in Houston
County, and Evergreen in Escambia
County. There is possibly a n eed for
the establishment of a seasonal market at spots like the Chandler Mountain section in St. Clair County,
where a rather large volume of produce is grown with no local set-up
to help handl e it. The conversion
of melon acreage to needed crops in
areas like Clanton will demand some
aid in handling these crops which
cannot be disposed of in markets now
used. This may apply to other sec79
�Commercial Production of Truck Crops by Counties, 1940'
Mobile-Baldwin County Area'
Mobile
5,420.0
bu.
Lima beans
6,375.0
Snap beans
bu.
922.7
bu.
Beets
3,096.4
Cabbage
T
8,720.0
Cantaloups, etc.
crate
13,120.0
Carrots
bu.
724.3
Collards
Ih crate
424.4
Roasting corn
T
184.0
Cowpeas
bu.
10,768.2
Cucumbers
bu.
Okra
bu.
1,628.3
Onions
cwt.
74.2
P eas, gr een
bu.
3,119.3
P eppers
338.8
bu.
Radishes
bu.
Spinach
bu.
367.3
Squash
bu.
378.3
13,494.3
Tomatoes
bu.
Turnips
bu.
2,598.0
Turnip g r eens
2,172.0
bu.
Watermelons
melon
399,611.1
44.0
10.9
3,440.0
555.6
1,129.0
Apples
Grap es
P ears
S tr a w berri es
P eaches
P otatoes'
Sweet potatoes'
bu .
T
bu.
crate
bu.
bu.
bu.
Baldwin
344.0
2,427.0
65.9
220.4
1,578.7
380.0
878.7
4,703.6
178.0
244,200.0
737.2
101.9
1,537.7
85.0
Escambia Conecuh
829.3
7,248.0
151.1
19.5
3,556.0
5,501.0
134.8
145.8
390.9
58.6
57.7
643.0
3,214.9
Grand \
total
336.4
62.0
1,262.9
2,491.2
527.7
67.3
-385.3
968.6
1,059.2
390.0
2,643.5
281,811.1
8,777.8
2,177.8
10,149.3
21,546.0
1,139.7
3,353.8
10,298.7
13,500.0
1,603.0
5,408.6
362.0
255,359.1
2,424.1
233.8
8,514.9
423.8
527.7
771.0
825.6
16,115.8
8,791.9
2,172.0
692,377.8
71.0
33.3
5,335.0
65.6
2,577.0
705.0
5.7
2,543.0
15,025.7
7,835.0
4,691.0
6.0
5,154.0
11,703.1
20,937.0
5,511.0
55.9
16,472.0
27,350.0
32,478.0
119,688.02,664,213
70,756.0 221,99.2.0
399,486
59,508.0
17.5
6,709.0 3,190 ,096.0
97,812.0 450 ,068.0
·U npublished data from files of t he Department of Ag ricu ltural Economics. which were
ba se d o n 1940 Census A .M.A. report s and data from county agents .
l l ncThdes counties of Mob ile . Baldwin, Escambia. and Cone cub.
2Includ es that used on farm s (total production).
tions of the State for the duration.
The greatest n eed at establish ed
markets seems to b e increased volume
to enable t h ese ma rkets to operate
more effi ciently. Along with this is
n eeded educational h elp in grading,
in spection to certify grade, market
n ews service and sales h elp.
Curb markets at Gadsden and
Montgom ery need aid in enla r ging
physical facilities. Nearly a ll others
are adequately equipp ed for present
and expected volum e. Sellers and volume are needed for t h e markets to
operate most efficiently.
Processing plants are taking products available in attractive quantities and have capacities for any ex-
pected increases. Most important of
t h ese are canning plants at Camden
and Roanoke, cold packing plants at
Birmingham, Montgom ery, and Garla nd, and pickling stations in Covington, Geneva and Houston counties.
Any expansion of production should
be considered first in the areas where
t h ere are advantages in soil, climate,
people and markets, and especially
where established markets need increased volumes for greater efficiency
in handling their products.
Production and marketin g programs sh ould b e very closely related
and considered j ointly.
Small producing areas with volumes
above t h e local demand and less than
80
•
�Commercial Production of Truc k Crops by Counties, 1940 ·
Birmingham Area'
00
....
Lima beans
Snap beans
Beets
Cabbage
Cantaloups, etc.
Carrots
Collards
Roasting corn
Cowpeas
Cucumbers
Okra
Onions
Peas, green
Peppers
Radishes
Spinach
Squash
Tomatoes
Turnips
Turnip greens
Watermelons
Apples
Grapes
Pears
Strawberries
Peaches
Potatoes'
Sweetpotatoes'
Blount
Cullman
Etowah
Jefferson
St. Clair
16,532.0
30,126.0
14,213.3
10,200.0
54.5
19,754.7
21.6
382.7
746.7
4,070.0
63.6
20.1
1,773.3
50.9
7,274.7
7,372.0
1,884.1
146.8
7,006.7
1,558.2
3,325.7
161.5
2,282.7
12,607.0
33.0
9.2
172.0
bu.
bu.
bu.
T
crate
bu.
'h crate
T
bu.
bu.
bu.
cwt.
bu.
bu.
bu.
bu.
bu.
bu.
bu.
bu.
melon
982.9
96,970.0
837.4
284.9
138,311.1
54.3
5,304.3
321.1
930.9
929.5
7,352.9
412.9
26,088.9
bu.
T
bu.
crate
bu.
33,5.49.0
39.9
4,928.0
4,550.2
36,867.0
bu.
bu.
52,996.0
86,267.0
-
62.5
60.5
1,779.0
1,940.9
4,043.4
63.5
5,422.8
753.8
-
-
--
9.6
--
522.7
44.1
13.8
1,544.7
-
-
--
84.5
380.0
418.2
115.2
912.3
614.0
285.0
--
7,109.1
1,505.5
645.0
4,882 .5
2,352.5
172.8
9.1
194.0
536.4
24.1
44.6
377.2
Tuscaloosa
Grand
total
2,421.3
3,272.0
1,062.5
153.3
1,281.3
514.5
197.1
170.3
303.0
1,027.3
374.5
426.2
2,611.4
228.8
43,470.7
67,647.0
3,043.2
405.5
30,370.7
2,123.6
3,758.1
495.5
2,656.0
11,554.6
6,106.8
2,105 .4
15,452.6
3,620.1
294.5
262.8
17,352.9
1,153.1
13,455.7
884.4
63,844.4
8,549.1
820.2
24,320.0
10,817.7
584.9
39,311.1
7,688.9
59,866.7
9,774.5
3,049.7
164,755.8
14,426.6
869.8
335,111.1
38,802.0
121.8
7,862.0
139,789.8
49,972.0
18,553.0
21.9
3,947.0
2,033.8
19,822.0
21,745 .0
26.0
5,21 1.0
730.4
22,829.0
17,013.0
24.4
5,571.0
135.0
20,279.0
12,985.0
10.8
4,789 .0
621.3
32,676.0
142,647.0
. 244.8
32,308.0
147,860.5
182,445.0
206,549.0
765,762.0
40,342 .0
62,472.0
24,813.0
98,125.0
22,677.0
45,625.0
32,370.0
150,569.0
379,747.0
1,208,820.0
--
--
·Unpubli s hed data from files of the Department of Agricultural Economics, which were based on 1940 Census A.M.A reports and data from
county agents.
lIncludcs counties of Blount, Cullman, Etowah , J efferson, St. Clair, and Tuscaloosa.
2Includes that used on farms (total production).
�enough to justify a set-up to help dispose of it are big problems in marketing. Such developments in perishables should be discour aged.
Efficient management by a trained
leader is absolutely essential to the
successful continued oper ation of any
market system .
V olume of goods to give financial
support to any market is most essential to successful operation.
Physical facilities need not be expensive to insure a successful market.
Money spent on good supervision and
service is much more desirable after
such actu al needs are met.
----*----
82
•
�FORESTRY
Introduction
ALTHOUGH ranking third in the
nation' in 1941 and leading the
South in the production of lumber,
Alabama forest lands (58 percent of
the total land area) are producing
(according to the Southern Forest
Survey) only 109 board feet per acre
per year. Under good management
and fire protection they could produce 300 board feet per acre per
year.
The 1941 lumber cut in the State
was 2,000,000,000 board feet (Table
1) which had a rough green lumber
f.o.b. mill value of $25 per thousand
feet or a total of $50,000,000. It is
estimated that the cost per thousand
of cutting the timber and delivering
to the mill in the form of logs was
approximately $7 or 28 percent of
$25. Approximately $14 or 56 percent of the $25 went into the cost of
operating the sawmill. This $14 is
further broken down as $12 for cost
of sawing and operating mill, management, risk, insurance, labor, etc.,
and $2 profit per thousand feet .
This leaves ($25 - $7 - $14) $4 per
thousand for the portion paid for
the standing timber. Applying the
percentages to the $50,000,000, it is
estimated that $28,000,000 went into
the operation of the sawmill, $14,000,000 to get standing timber cut
and delivered as logs to the mill, and
$8,000,000 to the timber owners.
Thus, after waiting 40 to 60 years
for the timber to grow, producers
received only 16 percent of the value
of rough green lumber f.o.b . mill.
During the 40 to 60 years they paid
taxes on the land, ran the risk of fire,
disease, wind damage, timber theft,
and failed to receive interest on their
investment.
83
As rough green lumber is further
processed, the value increases rapidly
and the timber grower's proportionate return decreases.
The $50,000,000, it must be remembered, did not include the value
of poles, piling, veneer, banel stocks,
cross ties, fuelwood, pulpwood, naval
stores, and many other products of
Alabama forests, but the price paid
the timber owner is at least equally
as disproportionate as in lumber.
The real value of forestry to Alabama cannot be properly measured
by the value of tbe stumpage or the
value of the raw material alone . It
can be properly measured when consideration is given to all values to
people and industry. The value of forestry in the over-all economy of the
State includes the value of the labor
and investments involved in cutting,
bucking, hauling, and processing,
whether the process be sawing into
lumber, converting into pulp 01
paper, or into boxes or Cl·ates. It in·
cludes the business given to railroads, industries created, returns on
investments, etc. When consideration
is given to all of these values, forestry constitutes one of the maj or
industries of Alabama. Data are
given to indicate these values.
In 1939, 75,000 people were given
full-time employment by Alabama
forest industries; in 1929, 21.7 percent of all wage earners were employed by forest industries; in 1937,
130,730,000 man-hours of labor were
provided by the forest industries of
the State.
In 1937, 35.71 percent of the net
tonnage of commodities moving out
of the State by rail and water consisted of forest products. In 1928, the
•
�57.46 percent 'Of the value 'Of the
net out-of-State movement 'Of all
ccmmodities. Fcr nc year was it less
than 38 percent, and in 1928 it
represented 98 percent 'Of the tctal
value of the net cut-cf-State movement 'Of all ccmmcdities.
If nc consideraticn is given tc the
value 'Of thcse ccmmcdity grcups
which had a net intc-the-State mcvement (excess mcvement intc the
State 'Over mcvement out 'Of the
State) and ccmparisons are made
only between the value 'Of forest
products and the value 'Of other
ccmmodity groups which had a net
out-cf-the-State movement, it will be
seen that the net value 'Of the forest
products fcr the seven years of the
study was 29.92 percent of the net
value of all ccmmcdity groups which
had a net cut-cf-State mcvement.
Comparative values are often more
LUMBER CUT
1941 •
• •
LEGEND
IoII.l..JOfI;
1ID,rT.
- -,,- - ~I _IS
-:-~--:45 ,-"1=,
"-- - - '-'- --
~
IS~-a9
35 -~O
1<1-22
2 - IS
PULPWOOD CUT
1941 •
MAP 79
• Unpubli s hed data from Sou t hern For.e s t
E x perim e nt Station, New Orlean s, La.
value 'Of the net out-of-State mcvement 'Of fcrest prcducts was $81,438,000.
The impcrtance 'Of fcrestry tc
Alabama's trade with 'Other states
and the 'Outside wcrld is shown in a
study made by the Alabama Industrial Development Board 'On the
movement 'Of different classes 'Of commodities intc and cut 'Of the State.
The final values are expressed as the
value 'Of the net mcvement 'Of each
ccmmcdity either intc 'Or out 'Of the
State. In a sense the values represent the State's balance 'Of trade with
'Other states and the 'Outside wcrld.
In Table 2 is given the value 'Of
the net 'Out-of-State movement 'Of
fcrest products as compared tc the
value 'Of the net cut-cf-State mcvement 'Of all ccmmcdities. The value
'Of fcre st prcducts ccnstituted, 'Over
the seven years ccvered in the study,
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
LEGEND
IOOOCOROS
- - - - - - - - - - 114-139
-_~-!oJ=1l-8-- 31S- 50
_,?.::..l~
_
- I .=[.;J
__
_
,
14 _ 22
2- II
MAP 80
.Unpublished data from Southern For.est
Experiment Station, New Orleans, La.
84
�,
seven years reported was 85.92 percent of the value of cotton. It should
be emphasized that these figures do
not represent the value of products
consumed in Alabama.
It is interesting to compare the
year by year value of the net outof-State movement of cloth and fabrics, the most important processed
commodity class coming from cotton,
with paper bags and wrapping paper,
the most important commodity class
coming from forestry. Paper manufacture was an infant industry at the
time of this study.
The State imported $5,872,336
worth of paper and paper bags in
1928. By 1932 its export value was
$15,133,344, as compared to $18,565,768 for cloth and fabrics. In 1937,
these values were $25,620,687 for
paper bags and $34,408,634 for cloth
and fabric.
NAVAL STORES PROOUCTDN
1941 •
•
•
LEGEND
100 UNITS· ·
-------04-78
- 29 - 38
:"''''=19- 20 - 2 8
-"._-.,-- a - 12
r-.
:: } =-'f- 8- ;)
• • I UNIT:' BII\. . TURPCNT INe +31/3 1IEn.S- 110511'1
PERCENTI'GE OF LAND AREA IN FOREST
1940 •
MAP 81
·Unpublis h ed data from Southern For.es t
Experiment Station, New Orleans, La.
impressive than absolute values. Cotton throughout the years has been
considered the chief product of Alabama lands. A comparison of the
relative value of forest products and
cotton as reported in the same study
of the movement of commodities into
and out of Alabama is most enlightemng. In Table 3 the total value
by years of all forest commodity
classes showing a net out-of-State
movement for the seven years is
given, and in Table No. 4 the corresponding values of cotton are given.
It should be noted that all products
raw and processed are included. This
takes into account cloth and fabrics
as well as cottonseed meal and oil.
It likewise includes paper bags and
wrapping paper, turpentine, etc. The
value of all forest products having a
net out-of-State movement for the
~Clt
con
CJ 2tl-43~tlO- 1S
~ 44-S9 _ 7tl-92
MAP 82
.Unpublis hed data from Southern Forest
Exp erim en t Station, New Orleans. La.
85
�A similar comparison may be made
of the value of net out-of-State
movement of cotton in bales and lumbel' .. shingles and laths, each representing a single commodity class in
the study. Cotton in bales in 1932
had a value of $20,050,485. Lumber,
shingles and laths had a value of
$11,829,187. In 1937, these values
were $34,408,634 for cotton and $42,229,415 for lumber, shingles, and
laths.
T able 1 -
County
Autauga
Baldwin
Barbour
Bibb
Blount
Bullock
Butler
Calhoun
Chambers
Cherokee
Chilton
Choctaw
Cl arke
Clay
Cleburne
Coffee
Colbel't
Conecuh
Coosa
Covil)gton
Cren shaw
Cullman
Dale
Dallas
DeKalb
Elmore
E scambia
Etowah
Fayette
Franklin
Gen eva
Greene
H ale
Henry
H ou ston
J ack son
Jeffer son
Lamar
The Forestry Situation
TABLE No. 1 (data furnished by
Southern Forest Experiment Station - unpublished) shows by counties the p ercent forest land, number
forest industries, lumber cut (amount
sawed by mills), pulpwood cut, and
naval stores produced from lands.
The base survey was made by the
U. S. Forest Service in 1935-36 and
brought up to date by a mill-to-mill
survey.
Fore st Pro ducts D a t a by C o unties -
194 1.
Number Forest Industries
Naval
P ercent
Lumber Pulpwood stores
forest - - - - - - - - - - - cut
cut
producland
Saw - Pul p- Other Total (M bd. ft.) (Cords)
tion
mills mills
units'
61
83
51
75
52
30
63
55
33
51
65
79
82
63
74
47
56
66
68
63
55
46
48
47
50
43
78
49
65
61
44
53
47
45
32
69
73
61
13
23
31
19
28
27
22
38
24
37
50
32
17
87
66
21
42
24
33
28
20
53
32
20
124
27
19
61
59
78
22
33
19
10
16
108
69
79
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
*O ne Naval Stores Production Unit
o
5
1
o
3
o
1
1
1
o
o
1
33
12
29
88
67
21
44
25
1
1
o
2
1
o
4
o
11
1
2
6
o
4
1
2
5
3
1
1
o
o
2
6
2
=
13
28
32
19
31
27
23
39
25
37
50
33
32
20
64
33
22
130
27
23
62
61
83
25
34
20
10
16
110
75
81
1 barrel turpentine
86
12,440
12,170
45,940
35,270
6,300
23,660
59,790
15,370
20,030
24,950
34,070
41,980
78,600
31,840
37,450
5,170
14,690
20,130
32,200
48,340
17,290
40,780
22 ,180
41,030
25 ,730
19,570
45 ,29 0
17,650
53,110
19 ,220
10,960
15,990
21,960
15,540
3,650
28,690
58,490
38,090
+
1,450
139J 397
82
10,100
5,750
135
11,040
o
1,685
o
4,900
26,967
27,651
o
o
8,113
o
12,078
o
5,912
1,700
o
652
894
o
1,050
22,174
o
o
850
1,521
1,600
6,000
1,370
11,841
o
o
250
3 ¥.3 barrels ros in.
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
50
o
5
o
7,760
526
19
o
o
o
o
o
1,896
o
o
o
356
o
o
o
948
o
o
o
�Table 1 -
Fore st Produc t. Data b y Countie s -
1941.
(Continued)
County
Number Forest Industries
Naval
Percent
Lumber Pulpwood stores
forest - - - - - - - - - - - cu t
cut
producland
Saw- Pulp- 0 h
Ttl (M bd. ft.) (Cords)
tion
mills mills
t er
0 a
units.
Lau derdale
Lawrence
Lee
Limestone
Lowndes
Macon
Madison
Marengo
Marion
Marshall
Mobile
Monroe
Montgomer y
Morgan
P erry
Pickens
Pike
Randolph
Russell
St. Clair
Shelby
Sumter
Talladega
Tallapoosa
Tuscaloosa
Walker
Washington
Wilcox
Winston
35
46
42
26
48
50
30
44
62
45
78
70
42
33
51
60
44
49
45
61
70
46
50
50
72
70
89
50
74
39
38
38
23
30
26
42
13
78
51
30
13
20
43
17
44
20
60
24
38
37
18
31
51
44
98
22
14
67
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
4
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
Total
58
2,580
5
o
1
o
2
o
o
1
2
39
39
38
25
30
26
46
14
81
54
42
15
25
45
18
44
22
61
25
41
38
19
31
52
51
98
23
15
69
6,850
5,210
24,470
3,830
47,510
12,970
4,930
46,120
41,960
9,790
88,210
45,620
48,370
15,800
14,750
73,210
20,280
17,280
41,010
12,510
34,960
55,830
10,810
31,120
56,970
45,720
26,060
57,330
28,050
133
2,718
2,023,140
4
1
3
3
8
2
5
2
1
o
2
1
1
3
1
1
o
o
o
1
o
o
o
o
1
6
o
1
·One Naval Stores P roduction Unit::: 1 barrel turpentine
Data taken from Forest Survey - U. S. Forest Service.
It will be noted that Maps No . 79,
80, 81, and 82 show graphically the
data presented In Table No. 1. It
may be readily seen where lumber,
pulpwood, and naval stores are produced in the State, and the percentage of forest land for each county.
Map No. 83 gives a picture of the
sawmill industry for the State. It
should be noted that where much of
the land is in forest the large mills
will be found. This was taken from
"The Forest Situation in Alabama",
U. S. Forest Service and State CommISSiOn of Forestry of Alabama, December 1938 .
+
o
o
o
o
2,127
900
o
11,696
o
o
38,039
6,538
31,090
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
1,990
639
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
140
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
3,368
o
o
547,359
17,697
o
3,000
10,800
6,308
o
o
6,250
12,500
13,942
o
o
58,200
o
25,161
15,646
3 % barrels rosin .
Since much of the information included in this report came from the
results of the Southern Forest Survey, it was necessary to follow their
system of survey unit areas. In some
instances, these data were listed by
co un ties. In making the survey the
State was divided into SIX survey
units. The date for units 1, 2, 3,
and 4 was 1935; for units 5 and 6,
1936. Survey units 1 and 2 are sometimes listed in this report as Southwest Alabama. Unit 3 is Southeast
Alabama, unit 4 West Central Alabama, unit 5 North Central Alabama,
and unit 6 the Tennessee Valley of
87
�Table 2 - Value of th e Net Commodity Move m e nt Out of Alabama of F o res t Products as Compare d to th e Valu e of tbe
Net Out-of-State Moveme nt of All Products a nd to the Value of the N e t Out-of-Sta t e Move m e nt o f Only
Those Commodity Gro ups Having a N e t Out-of-State Move m e nt *
Value of all commodity g r oups
Year having a net Outof-State movement
modity groups
havin g a net Intothe-State movement
Value of the net
Out-of-State
movement of all
commodity
groups
Value of net
Out-of-State
movement of
forest
products
Percent value of
n et Out-of-State
movement of for est products to
value of all commodity groups
h aving a net
Out-of-State
movement
V al ue of all com-
00
00
P ercent net
value of forest products
to the net
value of all
commodities
1932
1933
1934
1935
1936
1937
70,190,000
77,693,000
75,814,000
85,820,000
150,272,000
134,480,000
47,982,000
37,754,000
43,518,000
31,323,000
44,062,000
47,353 ,000
22,208,000
39,939,000
3Z,325,000
54,497,000
106,210,000
87,127,000
16,157,000
21,144,000
19,453,000
21,988,000
39,919,000
44,262,000
23.02
27.21
25.66
25.62
26.56
32.91
72.75
52.94
60.1 7
40.34
37.58
50.80
1928
223,675,000
140,133,000
83,542,000
81,784,000
36.56
97.89
Total
817,944,000
392,125,000
425,848,000
244,707,000
29.92
57.46
·Report of Alabama Indu strial Development Board, J anuary 19 39 -
"Net Commodity Movements Into and Out of Alabama" .
�T a ble 3 -
V a lue of All Forest Product Cla sses, R a w and Processed, S howin g a N e t Out-of-Stat e
Wate r T ra ffi c - Ala bama - 1928 a nd 1932-1 9 37 , Inclus iv e'
'"
R a il and
1937
1936
1935
1934
1933
1932
1928
Lumber, shingles and laths
Paper bags, wrapping paper
Products of forests
Box crate cooperage
Rosin
Veneer and built-up wood
Turpentine
Posts, poles, piling
Millwork
Ties, railroad
Pulpwood
Paper board
Logs
Wood fuel
42,229,415
25,620,687
2,436,591
2,242,557
1,827,013
764,242
737,392
512,491
480,387
301,734
197,537
138,275
134,331
28,494
34,041,860
24,596,073
2,118,710
1,987,553
1,241,386
2,512,846
984,608
363,250
16,863
318,302
18,735,975
18,358,235
15,723,713
17,468,906
16,297,267
18,868,503
11,829,187
15,133,344
1,899,414
1,205,288
591,655
748,533
283,868
70,720
68,608
2,083,565
799,668
261,229
844,530
290,343
1,664,118
687,331
417,364
639,478
160,779
991,087
663,446
255,130
588,956
209,365
71,562,488
Minus
1,689,712
1,963,384
1,412,276
99,488
189,316
222,820
33,305
34,416
Minus
163,984
188,456
24,978
295,916
196,089
30,596
171,621
110,817
243,817
250,004
28,695
260,851
37,203
90,517
28,283
1,939,727
Total forest products
77,651,146
68,558,869
42,484,897
38,276,908
39,321,698
30,045,440
79,858,579
Forest
00
M ov e m e nt .
·Report of Alabama Industrial Development Board, January 1939 -
T a ble 4 -
"Net Commodity Movements Into and Out of Alabama".
Valu e of All Commodity Classes of Cotton Pro ducts Showin g a N e t Out-of-State Mov e m e nt '
Cotton
Cloth and fabric
Cotton in bales
Cottonseed oil
Cotton -linters, oils and resins
Cottonseed meal and cake
Cottonseed
Total
1,065,419
191,157
1937
1936
1935
1934
1933
1932
1928
34,408,634
21,068,847
7,550,896
1,922,872
901,333
113,331
39,983,133
25,807,200
6,161,992
1,585,550
840,962
337,705
26,598,377
26,733,112
8,182,304
1,610,745
1,044,274
282,867
23,994,906
22,280,184
4,183,920
1,153,298
699,571
24,864,910
19,065,160
2,625,030
659,873
279,718
18,565,768
20,050,485
2,791,361
780,889
519,333
25,094,501
56,481,120
5,237,860
3,360,842
Minus
Minus
65,965,913
74,716,542
64,451,679
52,311,879
47,494,691
42,707,836
90,174,323
·Report of AJabama Industrial Development Board. January 1939 -
"Net Commodity Movements Into and Out of Alabama".
�SAWMILLS AND PULP MILLS
1935-36 •
North Alabama. Map No. 84 shows
these units.
Unless stated to the contrary all
data presented by SU1·vey units in this
report originated in the following
publications:
..r,,",.L
"Forest Resources of Southwest
Alabama" (Survey units 1 and 2),
Forest Survey Release No . 35.
"Forest Resources of Southeast
Alabama" (Survey unit No.3), Forest Survey Release No. 47.
"Forest Resources of West Central
Alabama" (Survey unit No.4), Forest Survey Release No. 48.
"Forest Resources of North Central
Alabama" (Survey unit No . 5), Forest Survey Release No. 50.
"Forest Resources of the Tennessee VaIley of North Alabama" (Survey unit o. 6), Forest Survey Rel ease No. 49 .
·.0 ....
•• v •
• • •
• •••
.
•
••
LEGEND
_
I"UU' t.lILLS
C"""'CITY, 1000 IIQo\IU)
ra:T
'01,11\.1.. 51-'.
1
I 1,111..1.. 20-3'
IWIL.I.. 40_7.
I W' UO 'O~OIo'U
•
All published by the U. S. Forest
Service, Southern Forest Experiment
Station, New Orleans, La.
Table 5 -
MAP 83
· "Th e F o re s t Situ a tion in Alabama," U. S.
Fores t S e rvice and Commi ss ion of Forestry
o f Ala bama, December, 193 8 .
Class ification of Rural Land Own ership by Busine .. Group s, 1935 "
Business Group
Percent Area Owned by Survey Units
North- Tennessee
South- South- WestVaIley
East
Central
Central
West
Farmer Owner-operator
41
Merchants
3
Professional Men
2
4
Administrators and Executors
Banks and Mortgage Companies 3
Real Estate Agencies
3
Wood Using Industries
27
Farming Companies
1
Power, Railroad, and
Farming Companies
Mining Companies
Mining, Power, and
Railroad Companies
1
Mining, Power, Railroad
and Farming Companies
AIl Other Businesses
3
AIl Other Businesses, including
Farming Companies
Unknown
10
Governmental Agencies (publicly owned land)
~
Total
100
66
4
3
3
6
3
1
56
4
3
6
3
2
5
58.5
3.4
2.4
2.0
2.7
3.9
3.0
68.0
2.3
2.0
1.4
2.8
0.6
1.4
1.1
9.2
1
7
5
· See footnote. page 91
7
8
5
4.8
8.8
1
100
1
100
3.8
100.0
2.6
100.0
•
90
5.2
0.9
9.2
�•
Classification by Size·
Survey Unit
Southwest
Acres
....
<D
Less than 100
100 - 259
260 - 499
500 - 999
1000 and over
Total
Counties
Covered in
Study
Unit 1
Southeast
Unit 2
West
Central
%
No.
%
Area
%
No.
%
Area
%
No.
%
Area
%
No.
%
Area
69
20
5
3
3
14
15
9
10
52
60
24
8
5
3
13
17
14
15
41
52
31
10
5
2
13
25
17
15
80
54
32
9
3
2
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
4 of the 5
counties
All but
Russell
5 of the 7
counties
All
North
Central
Tennessee
Valley
%
No.
%
Area
%
No.
%
Area
13
25
17
13
32
68.6
23.5
5.0
1.9
1.0
22.9
27.3
13.1
9.8
26.9
65.6
25.1
6.0
2.3
1.0
23 .8
30.1
16.0
12.0
18.1
100
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
All
All
*Original stud y conducted by BAE and WPA in 1935-Reported in U. S. Forest Service Survey Releases 35, 47, 4 8. 49. 50, Southern Fores t
Experiment Station, N ew Orlean s , La. Values shown here exactly as c1aasified in Survey Rel eases .
,
�Table 6 -
Product
Southwest
Cords
•
<0
'"
Lumber
1,275,400
Cross Ties
60,000
Poles and Piling
40,000
Veneer
56,300
Cooperage
20,100
M iscelJaneous
14,400
Manufacture
Pulpwood
166,000
Fuelwood
464,900
Fence Posts
11,300
Miscellaneous
58,100
Farm Use and
Land Clearing
Total
2,166,900
Drain (Use) by Type of For es t Product, 1935-1936
Southeast
West Central
Cords
**North
Central
Cords
%
* *Tennessee
ValJey
Cords
%
%
Cords
%
58.8
2.8
1.8
2.6
0.9
0.7
995,600
51,600
5,600
29,800'
0
4,900
53 .8
2.8
0.3
1.6
0.0
0.3
634,300
64,300
28,100
20,300
8,800
88,300'
57.2
5.8
2.5
1.8
0.8
8.0
897,800
64,600
17,400
1,400
72,100
94,100
59.2
4.3
1.1
0.1
4.8
6.2
233,300
20,400
3,300
12,600
17,200
7,200
7.7
21.5
0.5
2.7
95,400
523,400
24,900
119,300
5.2
28.3
1.3
6.4
0
201,100
5,100
58,100
0.0
18.2
0.5
5.2
18,300
281,200
8,000
60,100
1.2
18.6
0.5
4.0
100.0
1,850,500
100.0
1,108,400
100.0
1,515,000
100.0
%
State Total
Cords
0/0
36.3
3.2
0.5
2.0
2.7
1.1
4,036,400
261,300
94,400
120,400
118,200
208,900
55.4
3.6
1.3
1.7
1.6
2.9
2,700
203,700
12,300
129,700
0.4
31.7
1.9
20.2
282,400
1,674,300
61.600
425,300
3.9
23.0
0.8
5.8
642,400
100.0
7,283,200
100.0
llncludes Veneer and Cooperage.
Pulpwood.
See explanation for Fig ure a-A. ·-For North Central and Tenness.ee Valley. a converting factor for cords and cubic feet was obtained from
totaJ cords and total cubic feet.
~IncJudes
•
�Table 6 shows simply the drain
by survey units by commodities
in standard cords. The standard
cord is used in this table because it
is the only unit available that is consistent for all survey units in the
State by types of commodities. This
table not only shows the number of
cords that go into a given product
such as lumber, crossties, etc., but
also shows within the survey unit
what percent of the total drain goes
into each given product. For example, the percent of the timber used
Table 7 -
Survey Unit
1
2
3
4
5
6
State Total
in the Tennessee Valley of North
Alabama for
cooperage (barrel
stocks) is 2.7 percent of the total
drain for that unit, or, 17,200 cords.
The following table shows the
number of board feet in standing pine
and hardwood saw-timber as of January 1, 1937 by Survey units. Because
of the magnitude of this survey it
was impossible to show the results on
the existing stands of timber for as
small a unit area as a county. For
this reason this material is presented
by survey units.
Standing Saw Timbe r ( Growing Stock ) , J anu ary 1, 1937
Pine
Thousand Board
Feet*
Hardwood and Cypress
Total
Thousand Board
Thousand Board
FeetFeet*
3,347,300
4,748,200
5,913,900
3,055,700
6,526,700
1,533,600
1,211,600
2,825,100
3,984,500
1,962,500
1,684,300
1,760,700
4,568,900
7,573,300
9,898,400
5,018,200
8,211,000
3,294,300
25,125,400
13,438,700
38,564,100
·International -% -inch rule (calculated to allow for -% -inch saw thickness).
Data taken from "The Forest Situation in Alabama" Commission of Forestry of Alabama. December 1938.
Table No.8 shows the comparIson
of growth (or increment) and cut
(or drain) for the year 1936. Table
No. 7 was taken from this table to
emphasize the amount of timber that
was calculated to be standing at the
end of the year 1936.
The term "growing stock" simply
means the standing timber. The term
"mortality" here refers to the amount
of timber that died during 1936.
"Mortality" is
subtracted
from
"growth" to give the figure for "net
increment" (growth) . From this is
subtracted the amount of timber cut
for all uses (or "commodity drain")
to give the "net change in growmg
stock". The "net change in growing
stock" is either added to or sub-
U. S. Forest Service and State
tracted from the growing stock calculated at the beginning of the year
to give the growing stock at the end
of the year. In other words, in this
balance sheet growing stock and
growth are credits; mortality and
commodity drain are debits. Net
change is negative if the balance
sheet is in the red.
It will be noted that for all survey
units the net change in the growing
stock of pine is a negative change.
And for all units (except units 2 and
6) the net change for hardwoods is
positive.
This means that pine is being cut
faster than it is growing, and hardwood is growing faster than it is being cut.
93
�T a ble 8 -
Species
Comparison o f Inc re m e nt w ith Commodit y D ra in, 1936
1
Survey unit
4
3
2
5
6
State
Thousand bd. ft. (International 'A.-inch rule)
to
"""
Pine
Growing stock, Jan. I, 1936
Growth
Mortality
Net increment
Commodity drain
Net change in growing stock
Growing stock, Jan. I, 1937
3,356,600
236,800
51,400
185,400
194,700
-9,300
3,347,300
4,818,800
326,500
25,500
301,000
371,600
-70,600
4,748,200
5,937,600
418,400
58,200
360,200
383,900
-23,700
5,913,900
3,117,100
243,500
28,000
215,500
276,900
-61,400
3,055,700
6,657,000
391,600
90,900
300,700
431,000
-130,300
6,526,700
1,545,700
112,500
19,800
92,700
104,800
-12,100
1,533,600
25,432,800
1,729,300
273,800
1,455,500
1,762,900
-307,400
25,125,400
Hardwood and Cypress
Growing stock, Jan. I, 1936
Growth
Mortality
Net increment
Commodity drain
Net change in growing stock
Growing stock, Jan. I, 1937
1,213,500
63,600
12,600
51,000
42,900
+8,100
1,221,600
2,830,200
136,800
17,900
118,900
124,000
-5,100
2,825,100
3,903,500
230,400
34,000
196,400
115,400
+81,000
3,984,500
1,941,300
109,600
14,000
95,600
74,400
+21,200
1,962,500
1,662,800
91,800
16,900
74,900
53,400
+21,500
1,684,300
1,762,900
92,000
28,200
63,800
66,000
-2,200
1,760,700
13,314,200
724,200
123,600
600,600
476,100
+124,500
13,438,700
Total
Growing stock, Jan . I, 1936
Growth
Mortality
Net increment
Commodity drain
Net change in growing stock
Growing stock, Jan . I, 1937
4,570,100
300,400
64,000
236,400
237,600
-1,200
4,568,900
7,649,000
463,300
43,400
419 ,900
495,600
-75,700
7,573,300
9,841,100
648,800
92,200
556,600
499,300
+57,300
9,898,400
5,058,400
353,100
42,000
311,100
351,300
-40,200
5,018,200
8,319,800
483,400
107,800
375,600
484,400
-108,800
8,211,000
3,308,600
204,500
48,000
156,500
170,800
-14,300
3,294,300
38,747,000
2,453,500
397,400
2,056,100
2,239,000
-182,900
38,564,100
Data f o r 1936 taken from "The Forest Situation in Alabama" cember 1938 . Data presented came from the U. S. Forest Service.
U. S. Forest Service and t he State Commission of Forestry of Alabama -
De-
�SOUTt-£RN FOR£Sr SURVEY UNIT BOUNDARIES ' must be pointed out that this was not
a typical year for dr a in. For example, lumber cut alone for 1936 was
only 56 percent of the cut for 1941,
and the average yearly lumber cut
for the period 1907-1930 inclusive
was 35 percent above the cut for
1936. If this is considered, the State
was in the red for growth and cut
for pine alone by 609 ,00 0,000 board
feet, or cut for pine lumbel· alone
was 42 percent greater than the
growth. The credit of hardwood
would similarly shr ink from 124,500,000 board feet to 23,500,000 board
feet in a normal year.
Com parison of P ine and Hardwood Lumber Cut in 1936
LEGEND
U IT I
TABLE No.9 shows the commodity
drain by pine and hardwood for
each Survey Unit. This was taken
from figures listed in Table No . 8
opposite that classification. It is presented here to show what percent of
the total cut is made for pine and
for hardwood. These percentages
show again that by far the greatest
demand is for pine.
UIIIIT IAN02-sovn"wUT
U"'T
3
- SOUtH!"'S'!'
UHIT
•
- WUT CC\lTlVoL
","IT
UHIT
"
•
-
~ Cl.HTI\AL
TtHNUSU
w.l,£Y
MAP 84
· Ba sed
on
Southern
Forest Survey.
1935-36. Southern Forest Experiment Station,
New Orlenns, La.
However, data for 1936 are presented here because it is the only
complete balance sheet available. It
T able 9
Cut in T housand Board Ft.
Cut Expressed as Percent
Survey
Unit
Pine
Har dwood
Total
Pine
Hardwood
Total
1
2
3
4
5
6
194,700
371,600
383,900
276,900
431,000
104,800
42,900
124,000
115,400
74,400
53,400
66,000
237,600
495,600
499,300
351,300
484,400
170,800
82
75
77
79
89
61
18
25
23
21
11
39
100
100
100
100
100
100
1,762,900
476,100
2,239,000
79
21
100
State total
Data taken from "The Forest Situation in Alabama" Commiuion of Forestry of Alabnma. December, 1938.
95
U. S. Forest Ser vice and the State
�part of the total volume of pine maSAWLOG MATERIAL AND UPPER E3fW\O-£S
terial is in wood of high valuation.
IN TREES OF SAWLOG SIZE (iNCLUDING BARK) •
On the other hand, hardwood
species is of low quality material with
markets and uses for it limited.
The greater demand for pine species throughout the years has meant a
removal of these species at a higher
rate than hardwood species. The result of this process has been a reduction in pine stands and an increase in
hardwood stands.
Some of these relationships are
graphically presented on Maps 85
and 86 and statistically presented on
Tables 8 and 9.
As shown in Table 10 the volume
of sawlog material in pine species
for the State at the time of the last
survey (1935 -36) was 56,166,000
cord s as compared to 32,404,500
LE END
IojIl..L I~ I;~~I~94 @
cords in hardwood species, a ratio of
~:§~~':'~:t~~
)AWI..OG """T(III 1AL..
•
•
•
I(,
:~~::
1. 7 to 1 of sawlog material
m
pmes
"'-'''' 0
to that in hardwoods. The volume of
~!!c'I!Z..:.::.::':::::'~-..:..:."-::....:::72 -,' UP'''''' 8"Al<tiCS material, however, in the upper
branches of pine species was only
MAP 8S
9,847,600 cords as compared to 17,*Based
on
Southern
Forest
Survey,
19 35 -36, Southern Fores t Experiment Station ,
986,300 cords for hardwood species,
New Orleans, La.
a ratio of 1.83 to 1 of hardwoods to
pine. The ratio is thus reversed.
There is a very limited value to maTrends In Timber Stands
terial in the branches, yet 35.7 perKINDS and quality of materials in cent of the sound material in hardAlabama forests and trends with wood trees of sawlog size was in
respect to quality are points of major branches, while only 14.92 percent of
importance in evaluating present for- the material in pine species was in
est conditions and in determining the branches.
future value of the State's forest
The quality picture is further deareas.
veloped by comparing the amount of
In the past pines have furnished the sound material in cull trees of pines
larger part of the income derived and hardwood species. This material
from Alabama forests. Pines have h as a limited use and is of low value.
furnished about 80 percent of the The volume of sound material in cull
lumber cut of the State. This is most trees of pine species at the time of
significant when it is realized that the last survey was only 4,252,900
about two-thirds of the value of f or- cords; for hardwood this volume was
est products has been lumber. Mar- 34,509,400 cords or almost eight
kets also exist for practically all times the amount in hardwoods as in
sizes and classes of pines not suitable pines. The volum,e of material in
for lumb er. Furthermore, a large hardwood species, therefore, repre96
�wood stands, together with the fact
that pines are very slow in naturally
restocking areas already established
to hardwood, present one of the real
important forest problems. In brief,
the problem is this: Hardwoods are on
the increase; a large part of the material in hardwood species is of low
quality; there is only a limited economic use for this low quality material; consequently, it is not marketed. Hardwood, therefore, will continue to occupy the land. As long as
hardwoods occupy the land, pines will
not reestablish themselves satisfactorily. For pines to reestablish themselves on vast areas of the State,
hardwoods must be removed; for
hardwoods to be removed there must
be a profitable use developed for the
material which today has little economic value. The problem then is one
of developing profitable uses for hardwood material so that pines and
hardwoods will be removed from the
forests of the State in about the same
proportion.
Tables 10, 11, and 12 were taken
from the Southern Forest Survey.
sents material of low value and of
limited use.
These data convey an idea of the
character and relative value of material found in pine species and
hardwood species. Any trend, therefore, toward hardwoods holds much
in determining the future value of
forestry to the State. Some idea of
this trend is given in Map 87 and in
Table 12. It may be seen that (1)
the volume of sound material in
sound trees of sawlog size in pine
species was 66,013,600 cords and in
hardwood species 50,390,800 cords,
a ratio of pine material to hardwood
material of 1.3 to 1, and (2) the volume of sound material in sound trees
of under sawlog size was only 25,435,400 cords for softwoods as compared
to 43,098,000 cords for hardwoods,
a ratio of 1. 7 to 1 of hardwood material to pine material. This indicates
that the proportion of hardwood in
future stands will be larger than in
present stands.
These facts on quality and usefulness of pine and hardwood species
and the evident trend toward hard-
A.
QUALITY AND CLASS OF MATERIAL AS REL ATED TO PINE AND
HARDWOOD SP E CI ES .
1.
Character of present stand.
Table lO.-
Volume of S a wlog M a t e r ial and Uppe r Bra nche s in Trees of Sawl og S ize.
( Cords includin g b a rk -
s t andin g t r ees )
Sound material in sound trees of sawlog size
Pine Species
Hardwood Species
Forest Unit
Tenn. Valley
North Central
West Central
Southeast
Southwest
Total
Sawlog
material
Material Perce~t
in upper materIal
branches In upper
branches
3,492,400
14,628,500
7,034,600
13,068,800
17,941,700
398,300
2,326,200
1,195,400
2,574,800
3,352,900
10.24
13.72
14.52
16.46
15.75
4,597,000
4,405,000
4,714,500
9,281,000
9,407,000
2,610,700
2,475,000
2,579,600
5,099,600
5,221,400
36.22
35.97
35.61
35.46
35.69
56,166,000
9,847,600
14.92
32,404,500
17,986,300
35.69
97
Sawlog
material
Material Percent
in upper :natenal
branches In upper
branches
�5.AWLCX3 MATERIAL IN TREES a=- SAWLOG SIZE AND
SOUND MATERIAL IN CULL TREES
(INCLUDING BARK) •
2.
Character of present stand.
Table It.-
Volume of Sound Material
in Cull Tree s.
( Cord. includin g bark )
Forest Unit
Cords sound material
Pine
Hardwood
Tenn. Valley
North Central
West Central
Southeast
Southwest
Total
.,UU.IOH COfI05
_ _ _ _ _ __ 14~.J1114
~
~~-~':II~_~~
880~148
847-870
----~
288-448
@
83,100
1,119,600
692,600
1,199,900
1,157,700
4,031,800
7,291,600
6,301,000
7,500,600
9,384,400
4,252,900
34,509,400
SAWI..OO ......~
44{1.8AS
'1l_H"
0'"
-.-::-=====--"0',-,.-,,,'. ','
SOUI'ID ...... n::1tW..
I'" aA.\.. Tllt(S
MAP 86
·Bns ed on
Southern
Forest Survey.
1985-36. South ern Forest Experim e nt Station,
New Orlenns, La.
3.
Indicated trend in chara cter of f uture stands.
Table 12.-Volume of Sound Material in Sound Trees of Sawlog and Under
Sawlog S iz e.
( Cords including bark )
Forest Unit
Tenn. Valley
North Central
West Central
Southeast
Southwest
Total
Sound material in sound trees
Under sawlog SIze
Sawlog size
Ratio
Ratio
Hardwoods hd;;:d.
Pine
Hardwoods hdwd.
Pine
to
pme
pme
3,890,700
16,954,700
8,230,000
15,643,600
21,294,600
7,207,700
6,880,000
7,294,100
14,380,600
14,628,400
1.85
.41
.89
.92
.69
2,666,600
6,773,100
3,883,500
4,930,200
7,182,000
7,875,700
8,474,800
6,203,500
10,518,300
10,025,700
2.95
1.25
1.60
2.13
1.40
66,013,600
50,390,800
.76
25,435,400
43,098,000
1.69
98
�Processing Increases Value
THROUGHOUT its history the South
has supplied other sections with a
vast quantity of goods, most of which
has left in the form of raw material.
This means that it has had a relatively low value when it left this section . After receiving the l'aw material other sections have processed it
and realized most of the profits and
other values when shipped back as
costly finished products. Transportation two ways also has been added to
the cost. Any state receives the greatest value of its raw materials by converting them into finished products
wi thin that state.
The manufacture of paper and
paper bags as compared to lumber
offers a good illustration. In 1928 the
net cost to Alabama of paper and
paper bags was $5,872,336. In 1937
the net value to the State of these
manufactured goods was $26,620,687.
The estimated probable value in 1941
and 1942 will be about $45,000,000
to $60,000,000. Lumber will have little more value than this although the
drain from Alabama forests for lumber represents 55 percent of the total
commodity drain, whereas the drain
for paper, pulpwood, etc., will repr esent not over 8 or 10 percent of the
total drain from Alabama forests in
1941-42.
Calculations made in 1939, based
on prices and the costs of materials
and services at that time, show the
SOlN) MATERIAL IN SOUN) TREES cr SAWl..OG
AN!) UNDER SAWLOG SIZE (INCLUDING BARK) •
M A P 81
· Based
on
Southern
Forest Survey,
1986-86. Southern Forest Experiment Station,
New Orleans, La .
average values developing from the
use of equivalent quantities of wood
when sold as lumber and as pulp and
paper. Lumber is a product requiring
only intermediate processing. Bags
and paper pulp represent more highly
processed products. The relative value
for the two are shown in Table 13.
Table 13-A comparison of an av-
Table 13
100 small mills
1 pulp and paper mill
50,000 II1 bd. ft.
1,000
160,000
$350,000
2,000
Wood used (2 cords per 1 II1 bd. ft.)
II1en employed
II1an days employed
Wages paid
Taxes paid
Land owned and managed for
forest production
Capital invested
Sales value of finished
product f.o.b . mill
99
100,000 cords
1,000
276,000
$1,000,000
100,000
$300,000
o
100,000
$6,000,000
860,000
$3,500,000
�~--------------------------------------------------------
erage pulp and paper mill with small
sawmills to show the benefits to a
community through having wood processed into consumer goods rather
than sold with a minimum degree of
processing. These figures are approximate only.
Timber Marketing Problems
AS SHOWN in the introduction, timber owners receive only a small
fraction of the true value of forest
products. The chief reason for this
is selling timber by the boundary,
which is as illogical as selling cotton
by the field or hogs by the hog lot.
Only by an independent timber cru ise
can the owners know the quantity
and value of their forest products-whether they be logs, poles, piling,
pulpwood, or other products.
Without definite cutting plans,
farmers usually have sales only once
or twice during a lifetime and therefore are at a disadvantage as most
buyers have learned the timber trade
through years of experience. Sellers
may succeed in substantially increasing original offers by promoting competitive bidding, but lacking independent estimates, they n early always
fail to receive the true value of their
timber.
Sometimes a sale is concluded by
mill-tally, which means a value agreed
upon for each 1000 board feet as the
boards leave the saw. This is the
most accurate and equitable method
of sale, but is not desirable unless
provisions are made for the conservation of the owner's timber resources--either by specifying a diameter limit or by the owner marking
with paint or axe the trees the buyer
is to cut. Such provisions should be
included in the timber sales contract
which should be used in every sale.
The marked-tree method is by far
the best way to sell timber. Only the
maturer, defective, or crowded-out
trees are cut. This provides growing
space for the younger, faster-growing
trees that are left. Frequemtly young
pines double their volume in 4 to 6
years. This method not only provides for future crops, but furnishes
the owner with a timber inventory
which he takes by recording the size
of each tree as it is marked . Having
a record of these sizes by diameter
and number of 16-foot logs in each
tree, the number of board feet can
be very closely approximated.
Occasionally timber is sold by logscale. Under this method the owner
or agent uses one of the three log
scales in scaling each log as it is
hauled from his property.
In Alabama the most widely used
rule is the Doyle rule. This rule is
very inaccurate for small logs, particularly those that measure less than
20 inches in diameter. For logs 10
or 12 inches in diameter the log scale
reading may be only 40 to 50 percent of the number of board feet that
can be sawed from such a log.
The International rule is frequently
used in some sections of the country
but is not considered suitable for
southern timber where much of the
timber is sawed by small portable
mills. Extreme care must be exercised in using this rule, and it is
more applicable to mills having a
high operating efficiency.
The Scribner rule is probably the
fairest for buyer and seller of southern timber, where most of the timber
cut yields logs smaller than 20 inches
in diameter.
If proper adjustments are made in
price it is not so important which rule
is used. The discrepancies can be
offset by educating timber owners in
making these adjustments.
Many owners are unaware of markets for such special products as
poles, piling, veneer, and barrel stock.
Prices of all forest products are subject to fluctuation . This makes it important for t he grower to study the
100
�marketing situation in his locality and
the trees suitable for various uses.
By such a study he is able to profitably supply the markets.
As previously stated, quality of
timber presents a marketing problem.
It is affected by limbs, fire scars, decay, red-heart (pine), and the site
on which some species has grown .
When the market is active for timber of poor quality, timber growers
should supply the market to clean
out their stands to make room for
better species.
It has been shown that the trend
of Alabama timber is toward hardwoods, much of which is of inferior
speCIes. Increased attention should
be directed toward developing markets for these hardwoods to make it
profitable to improve stands by removing weed species and wolf trees
that suppress good timber.
Woods fires affect the quality of
timber in addition to killing seedlings
and impoverishing the soil. Fire
scars ruin the best lumber in the butt
log. It is to the advantage of operators of all wood utilizing industries
as well as timber owners to prevent
this waste. Many are doing good work
in preventing fires . Teaching timber
producers the value of timber and
how to trade on the timber market
will cause them to help prevent and
control fires. If they feel that timber is worth protecting they will voluntarily adopt fire prevention and
protection measures. This, however,
does not minimize the necessity of
state-controlled organized fire protection. It merely means that a realization of timber values by the public will result in public cooperation
without which no system of fire control can succeed.
Pulpwood
PULPWOOD should be marked with
a paint spot or axe-blade before
cutting just as saw timber should be
marked. This method provides for
future crops, and, since smaller trees
are used, it results in a profitable
thinning.
It is usually sold as stumpage or
by the standard cord or unit and
checked as the material leaves the
woods. A standard cord is a rick 4
feet by 4 feet by 8 feet. A unit is
a rick 4 feet by 5 feet by 8 feet and
is sometimes known as a long cord
(5-foot sticks). Either is satisfactory. The price should be 25 percent
higher for a unit than for a standard
cord .
Pulpwood is considered such a lowvalue product that a timber cruise is
not necessary. When it is marked it
is not necessary to record the sizes,
as a count of the cords or units as
they leave the woods is sufficient.
The pulpwood industry has been
criticized severely for wasteful cutting. Although this sometimes has
been justified, it should be remembered that the finished products are
manufactured in Alabama and the industry should be encouraged. The
need is for much more effort to be
directed toward conservation by the
timber industry and timber owners.
Most of the cutting is done by contractors and sub-contractors who will
cut everything usable as long as the
sale is concluded on that basis.
Many timber stands in Alabama
need thinning. Cutting the pulpwood
can be a profitable method of improving these stands. When young
timber has, for some reason, stopped
growing it should be removed . This
should be sold for as fair a price as
any other timber to stabilize stumpage prices for all timber products.
In the naval stores belt, the revenue from turpentine leases (usually
4 years) may be greater than from
clear cutting for pulpwood. Under
proper supervision such a lease results
In no trees under 9 inches in diameter (4 'h feet from the ground)
101
•
�being faced, better protection from
fire, and the title to the trees remaining in the hands of the original owner. At the end of a lease it may be
renewed or the worked-out trees can
be sold for pulpwood or saw timber.
The timber owner must learn which
market to supply to obtain the greatest returns over a period of time.
Naval Stores
•
PRODUCTION of naval stores is a
specialized field controlled by large
operators, factorage houses, and brokers. Prices are based on daily quotations from the Savannah market, and
the marketing is done on a worldwide scale.
The federal government buys naval
stores products to hold in stock pile.
There is such a market in Mobile for
finished turpentine and rosin, but
producers must pay distilling charges.
The nearest stock pile for crude gum
is located at Valdosta, Georgia, which
is too far from Alabama operators
to be attractive. Prices paid Alabama
producers would be higher if the federal government would arrange to
b1iY crude gum at Mobile or some
other convenient point in Alabama.
There is a federal inspector for
rosin but not for turpentine. One is
needed for turpentine to certify volume in gallons in each tank car as of
a given temperature at point of origin
of shipment. This would mean protection for producers.
Summar y and Recommendations
In 1941 the f.o.b . mill value of the
rough green lumber produced in Alabama was $50,000,000, of which only
$8,000,000 or 16 percent was received by timber owners. This does
not include poles, piling, cross ties,
fuelwood, and many other forest products. Approximately 2,500,000 cords
of fuelwood were cut in 1941 which
was valued at $4 per cord at the
house. This item alone, therefore,
was worth $10,000,000. But for all
products the grower fails to receive
a fair share of the returns of the
timber business. In the case of fuelwood the value represents the amount
saved by using home-grown firewood
instead of coal or other fuel.
More indicative of the proportionate wealth of the State derived fl'om
forest products is the average from
1928 to 1937 of 57.46 percent of the
total value of' net exports of all commodities.
There is some variation in land
ownership classification, but the fundamental principles of good forest
management practices apply to all
tracts regardless of size or ownership. Within a local area timber
grows on much the same soil, grows
under the same climatic conditions,
and is made up of the same species.
There is no reason to distinguish between types of ownerships in man aging the timber crop.
Since the 1935-36 survey was made
during a time when the timber cut
was far below that for average years,
it revealed a better balance sheet for
growth and cut than is actually the
case. In short, timber is being cut
faster than it can be replaced under
the existing system of cutting. More
attention must be given to a balanced
sheet of cut and growth. Many operators are giving this attention. Some
large sawmill operators in Alabama
are practicing selective cutting. By
marking the trees that are to be cut
these operators leave enough young
growth to replace their cut. Thus they
operate on a sustained yield which
means a large permanent industry.
These cases may be multiplied by as
many times as operators and landowners together become convinced of
the necessity for sound forest managemen t practices.
By availing themselves of specialized markets, timber owners can Im-
102
�prove their business. They should
become familiar with their markets
and with the trees in their stands
which can be utilized to supply the
needs. The comparison must be made
between the value of trees for lumber and their value for poles, piling,
veneer, barrel staves and heading,
etc. With the trend of stands toward hardwood this will become even
more important.
There is a notable lack of uniformity in buying and selling. No timber
sbould be sold by lump sum when no
estimate has been made of the volume and quality present.
Naval stores marketing is a very
specialized field, controlled by large
operators, factorage houses, and
brokers. Prices quoted on the Savannah market control all prices of these
products. Alabama operators are too
far from federal stock piles of crude
gum to avail themselves of that
market.
Pulp and paper manufacture is destined to become a major industry in
Alabama, but sound conservation
must accompany this development to
insure sustained production without
damage to other wood utilization industries. Producing finished products
means much to the State. Elimination of wasteful cutting practices is
equally important.
To solve Alabama's timber marketing problem No . 1 - proper estimating and evaluating standing timber
coupled with sound plans on each
tract for selective cutting for continuous crops - personal assistance,
expanded by education by demonstration, must be given timber owners. This must be planned so that
each specialist hired can teach the
greatest number of owners. The timber marketing specialist must assist
owners in selective cutting and timber evaluation in such a way that
each owner's neighbors will see the
necessity for handling timber in this
way.
In January, 1943, the Alabama Extension Service began such a service
in cooperation with the U. S. Forest
Service. Five forestry specialists in
timber marketing will work with
county agents in the five areas of the
State. The State Division of Forestry
has a specialist who is on call to all
parts of the State.
This is a small start in the only
sensible direction that can be recommended for the solution of this
problem. The service must be gradually expanded to adequately meet
the needs of the State.
This will take time, but it can be
effected. The results wiII be the voluntary adoption of sound cutting
practices based on the realization
that timber is a crop and a renewable resource.
It is recommended that the naval
stores industry be furnished with an
inspector for turpentine to certify
volume at point of origin of shipment.
The question of arranging for the
location of a federal stock pile for
crude gum in South Alabama (probably Mobile) should be further studied. This should be brought to the
attention of and handled through the
Commodity
Credit
Corporation,
Washington, D. C.
The U. S. Forest Service at the
Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, Wisconsin, has shown that it is
technically possible to utilize certain
low-grade unmarketable hardwoods
that grow in Alabama. Some research
agency in Alabama should further
study these experiments to determine
the applicability to local conditions.
This should be followed up by local
mills to determine the practicability
of these uses on a commercial scale.
It might be advisable to lend some
assistance to such a mill to effect this
developmen t. Such research should
continue to move forward to invest i-
103
\
�gate entirely new uses for these lowgrade hardwoods.
The use of sound material in cull
trees for construction of short panels
might be mentioned as the type of
manufacture which could use lowgrade material which today has little
value on the Alabama market.
Raw material leaving the state for
further processing elsewhere means
relatively low values to the State.
When this material returns in the
form of finished products the cost is
high and most of the profits and accompanying values of employment
and salaries go to other sections.
Therefore, inducement should be offered to wood utilization and processing plants to produce finished
products within the State.
---- *----
104
�MARKET NEWS SERVICE
TO BE OF SERVICE to the individual farmer, market news must
cover both supply and price. The
supply information is needed to aid
in intelligent marketing but the farmer's final interest is in price.
Many farmers are unable to interpret supply information intelligently,
particularly when it must be balanced
with demand information . Supply and
demand are usually built up over such
a wide area that farmers cannot judge
their significance in local situations.
There is no doubt that farmers need
more supply and price information
applicable to their own localities on
the farm products grown in Alabama.
Much supply information is made
available at stated periods through
the United States Department of Agriculture on a state, section, and national basis as rapidly as the Crop
Reporting Service can secure reasonably accurate estimates of acreages
and crop conditions. These data are
available through major newspapers,
through
radio
broadcasts,
and
through Federal reports. They are
ordinarily in the hands of buyers, but
seldom in the hands of farmers.
Demand information is made available through the Department of Agriculture and is released regularly
about the end of each crop season as
a basis for planning work of the following season. Supplemental current
reports, such as the Feed Situation,
Cotton Situation, Livestock Situation,
Fruit and Vegetable Situation, etc.,
are issued in season. These reports
cover, as a rule, both supply and demand information, but only large and
skilled farm operators are able to use
them effectively.
Price information is usable by the
farmer only if it applies to the quality of product he produces at a point
where he may sell it. Furthermore,
price information must be available
to him in order that he may use it.
Apparently, buyers in many small
towns have information about values
of products which the farmer does
not have. This means that much
price information is available locally
but not to most farmers.
It is the purpose of the next few
paragraphs to indicate as nearly as
possible the extent to which information known to be available applies to
the farmer's local situation. The extent to which such information is
available and applicable to the individual farmer varies a great deal with
farm products.
Cotton
Perhaps the most accurate information available on price applies to
cotton. Quotations are made daily on
cotton prices by class in Montgomery, Birmingham, and other important cotton markets of the State. In
addition, buyers frequently make
their own quotations available. Difficulty confron ting farmers in selling
their cotton is lack of knowledge of
the class of their cotton . Frequently,
when the class is known, buyer competition and customs are such that
buyers ,viII not pay full price for
quality cotton.
Farmers producing cotton in onevariety communities have classing
and market news services which enable them to determine the class and
value of their cotton .
Cottonseed
Cottonseed is ordinarily purchased
from farmers by ginners and other
local buyers. Occasionally the farmers swap seed for meal and hulls at
the oil plant. Regularly reported
prices on cottonseed are uncommon
even in the city newspapers of Ala-
105
�bama. Farmers must depend on information they get from neighbors
and friends in determining the value
of cottonseed. Little cottonseed is
disposed of on the basis of quality.
It seems that comparative prices for
several points in the State would be
helpful to farmers in determining
what they should receive for cottonseed.
Corn
Alabama produces less corn than
needed in the State. However, many
farmers in practically all communities
buy or sell corn during the year.
Federal reports quote COrn prices at
Atlanta and occasionally at Birmingham, Montgomery, and
Mobile.
However, official quotations are seldom available for the small local
markets. It is not uncommon for
corn to sell for 90 cents per bushel
in one section of the State and for
$1.35 in another at the same time.
Most corn sold from Alabama farms
is marketed in early winter. The
price spread between this period and
the following Mayor June ordinarily
far exceeds the cost of carrying corn
under good conditions for these few
months. It seems that some regular
reporting service giving prices by
quality would help to level out prices
throughout the State and throughout
the year.
Small Grain
Ordinarily farmers wishing to buy
small grains can get quotations from
feed dealers. During some seasons
farmers with these products for sale
have little difficulty in disposing of
them at a margin under the quoted
sales price. However, they have little
chance to compare the price they
receive with prices in other parts of
the State. The nearest prices by grade
may be quoted from Chicago or St.
Louis.
Miscellaneous Seeds
Legume seeds, sorghum seeds and
similar miscellaneous seeds are seldom quoted by official or semi-official
observers in Alabama. Farmers wishing to sell to or buy from their neighbors have a very poor basis for determining a fair value for their seed.
This type of product is frequently
advertised in the semi-monthly market
bulletin of the State Department of
Agriculture. It seems, however, that
this source of information is still weak
because it frequently fails to give
any indication of prices in many parts
of the state.
Purchased Feeds
Prices of purchased feeds are quoted in a number of the central markets by city newspapers and in Federal news releases. Alert farmers can
figure about what prices feeds should
be by comparing local prices with central market prices, but many farmers
must depend entirely on their dealers' statements to guide them in
their purchases.
Fruits imd Vegetables
Perhaps more fruits and vegetables
are wasted because of inadequate
market news than are any other farm
products.
Strawberry producers who handle
their berries through cooperatives
may get adequate information on
prices through the managers of the
organizations. Independent farmers
must depend more on hearsay, unless
their operations are big enough to
enable them to buy similar information.
The bulk of potatoes moving out of
the State are handled by dealers who
keep in very close touch with all
central markets. Probably they pay
prices corresponding to central market prices under pressure of competi-
106
�tion, but farmers have little means
of proving or disproving this point.
Sweet potatoes are sold to a much
greater extent in bushel lots than are
I rish potatoes. Apparently, the price
r eporting service on sweet potatoes
is less satisfactory in local communities than on the South Alabama crop
of Irish potatoes.
Most vegetable prices are quoted
in season through the federal news
service at Atlanta. Quotations may
be made also for Birmingham and
other large Alabama cities. These
quotations are broadcast over the
radio, particularly from Atlanta;
h owever, such quotations are of little value to farmers with surpluses
many m iles from these markets.
Farmers are often at the mercy of
itineran t truckers who buy vegetables at as low prices as possible.
Livestock
Price quotations by k ind and grade
of livestock are fairly complete for
t he Montgomery mal·ket. They are
fair ly complete, a lso, for the sou th eastern markets as reported fro m
Thomasville, Georgia. Information is
,ordinarily available m local a r eas
from auction sales. T hus , price quotations on livestock are more complete than for most other products.
Experienced livestock producers utilize the Montgomer y, Thomasville,
Memphis, Nashville, and Chicago market quotations to advantage. At present, however , many farmers do not
know the quality and grade of the
livestock they have for sale. T his
makes it difficult for them to use effectively the price information they
receive.
boring towns. This makes it impossible for them to accurately judge
the fairness of offers made for their
poultry. Cooperative organizations
ordinarily are in position to follow
market prices more closely than in dividuals.
Eggs
Egg prices promise to be supported
in 1943 through F .D.A . action. Only
eggs of acceptable quality meet t h e
requirements. Support of prices in a
community a lso depends upon the cooperation of one or more dealers with
the F.D.A. program in that community. If the cooperation is adequate,
farmers will be assured of avoiding
extremely low prices for their eggs.
This "floor" will be helpful to farm ers only when local prices tend to
fall below the "floor". Farmers have
li ttle effective means of estimating
a fair value for their eggs when
pl'lces are substantially above the
F.D .A . Hfloor."
Dairy Products
Prices paid for graded milk on local
markets are ordinarily known by interested farmers. Milk prices at Mobile an d Birmingham are regularly
quoted in Feder a l r eports. The State
Milk Control Board has its list of
prices on the markets under its j urisdiction. However, no comprehensive report sh owing prices of graded
milk throughout the State is regularly published.
Price information on u n graded
milk is even less easily obtained. The
basis for price determination also are
less uniform. Some degree of uniformity in the bases for price dePoultry
termination would be highly desiraPoultry prices are extremely var- . ble and probably h elpful to both buyiable over Alabama. Frequently, in- ers and sell ers.
dividual buyers quote prices but
The Alabama Department of Agrifarmers are unable to compare prices culture and Industries reports cream
offered with those prevailing in neigh- prices. In addition local buyers fre-
107
�fects the price they may expect.
Finally, quotations on forest products
are few and far between.
A program is now under way that
should give many farmers a great
deal of help in the disposal of their
products, as well as the handling of
their for est land. It calls for individual aid to farm ers by trained foresters. Neverthel ess, representative
authentic quotations would be very
helpful to farmers and fore sters.
Naval stor es prices are quoted
from Mobile. Only so uth Alabama
is vitally interested in these forest
products. Quotations on pulpwood,
saw logs, rough lumber and poles
should be quite helpful to the farm ers with forest products for sale.
POINTS FROM WHICH MARKET NE WS
IS OR MAY BE DISSEMINATED. 1943
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Summary and Recommendations
000
LEGEND
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WU,I.LY NlWS""'''U
• DA ILY N('I'I'S ....I'OI
11.11010 STA,noN
MAP 88
quently post prices they offer for
cream on a butterfat basis.
The southeastern states sell more
farm butter than any other section of
the United States. Yet, little, if any,
uniformity exists in prices paid. Apparently there is little, if any, attempt made to grade country butter.
The result is that most country butter, unless d elivered to regular customers, sells at minimum prices.
Forest Products
Probably farmers know as little
about the value of their forest products as about a ny product on their
farms. They are handi capped in being, as a rul e, unable to judge accurately either the quality or the
quantity of the product for sale.
Furthermore, they are d ealing in a
product of considerable weight in
relation to its value. Thus, its distance from the consummg point af-
The foregoing market news statem ents on quantity, quality, and price
of Alabama farm products indicate
th e following weakn esses :
While fairly complete price information is available for cotton lint
and most livestock, farmers are still
handicapp ed by not knowing their
grades. Prices of most other Alabama
farm products are quoted from official sources haphazardly, if a t all,
and give farmers, living considerable
distance from the point of quotation,
very li ttle idea of the valu e of their
products at their own markets.
The large number of products, the
variability in time at which they are
put on the market, the diversity of
factors affecting the supply available
f or the market, and the demand are
such that any comprehensive attempt
to give the farmers adequate market
n ews service would seem to call for
the full-tim e services of a capable
and experienced m arketing man.
Such a man would have to interpret
the news in such a way that the
farm er would understan d their m ean-
108
�ing. This task in itself is heavy.
Perhaps existing organizations could
be of very marked assistance to the
right man in both gathering and disseminating marketing information,
but apparently the greatest need is
for an organizer and interpreter of
farm market n ews, which could be
disseminated through daily and weekly papers, over radio and by mail to
county and home agents, cooperative
associations, cooperative officials, key
farmers, bankers and others. See
Map No. 88.
----*----
109
�CONCLUSIONS
THE TEXT of this report contains,
along with the descriptive matter
of each commodity group, a paragraph entitled Summary and Recommendations. Throughout these paragraphs are several points which are
common to all.
These points should form the foundation for first designing and then
building a sound marketing system
in the State of Alabama.
1. Production and marketing problems:Production and marketing problems are interrelated and must be
considered simultaneously because:
a. It is necessary to assemble a
marketable volume of a given product if producers are to receive a reasonable price for the commodity.
b. The marketable volume must
be assembled from farms within a
reasonable distance to minimize transportation costs and aid producers in
obtaining a larger share of the consumer's dollar.
2. Quality of product:Purchasers desire a uniformly high
quality product. This can be obtained through:
a . Educational demonstrations on
how to produce high quality products.
b. Concentration of production in
suitable areas to assure a marketable
volume of uniform products.
c. Expansion of inspection and
grading services to provide all producers an opportunity to know the
quality of products bought and sold.
d. Establishment of grades a n d
standards that correspond with the
official United States Grades and
Standards in order to facilitate the
free movement of products into all
market centers.
"Grades" provide a common language of quality for buyers and sellers. Grades not only make for more
efficient marketing but are essential
in buying and selling, especially in
price control operations such as
farmers are dealing with at the present time.
3. Market news :Current market information IS a
necessary public service and must include data on general supply, demand, market movements, distribution, prices, production trends, transportation, storage, processing, packaging, regulations, inspection, priorities, rationing, needed adjustments
in regulations and distribution, lendlease and other governmental purchases of food products, adjustments
in production and marketing goals.
The basic information for this service can be collected by interviews,
telegraphic reports, warehousemen,
market masters and managers of
markets, inspectors, and by numerous contacts with other groups, including the Market News Service
Division of the regional office of
Foods Distribution Administration,
Atlanta, Georgia.
This information may be disseminated through daily releases by radio,
State and county press, and by mail
to county and home agents, cooperative association, cooperative officials,
key farmers, bankers, and others.
The objective of a marketing system is to increase grower's profits by
improved methods of production, h arv es tin g, s torin g, assemb li ng, g r a d ing,
p ack in g, and s e lling.
It should be remembered that perishable crops are handled on a seasonal basis and certain markets do
not operate longer than a few weeks
each year. Therefore, physical facilities and equipment necessary for the
operation of most markets need not
be expensive. About all that is required is shed space, platforms on
110
�which to handle t h e products, parking
lots, stalls from which truckers may
transact business, and suitable office
space.
In formulating a marketing program certain definite principles of
marketing must be -recognized. The
most important of which is education.
The success of a market is not in
the steel and concrete of the market
place but in the organization and
minds of those who support the
market. A market cannot be built
over night. There is the long and
difficult process of educating producers to the necessity of proper methods of production, grading, packag-
ing, and merchandising. Education is
probably t h e greatest single market;ng problem in Alabama today.
Another great prin ciple of marketing is cooperation and or ganization.
Farmers cannot progress on an individualistic basis. Farmers can increase their income through planning
production and marketing activities
together. Through cooperation and
organization lie the opportunities of
having a voice in the markets, of
finding new outlets, and of increasing
farm income.
More effective marketing can be a
reality through education, organlza.
tion ,
and
coop e rat ion.
---- *----
•
III
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�
Dublin Core
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Title
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Frances Cabaniss Roberts Collection (Rescans)
Identifier
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Frances Cabaniss Roberts Collection (Rescans)
Relation
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<a href="http://libarchstor.uah.edu:8081/repositories/2/resources/121">View the Frances Cabaniss Roberts Collection finding aid on ArchiveSpace</a>
Description
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Dr. Frances Cabaniss Roberts was born December 19, 1916 in Gainesville, Alabama, a daughter of Richard H. and Mary (Watson) Roberts. She graduated from Livingston State College, earning her B.S. in 1937, and then the University of Alabama, earning her M.A. in 1940, then her PhD in 1956. Her 1940 M.A thesis was "An Experiment in Emancipation of Slaves by an Alabama Planter;" her 1956 PhD dissertation was "Background and Formative Period in the Great Bend and Madison County," 1956.
She began her professional career as a public school teacher first in Sumter County, Alabama and then in Huntsville, Alabama, 1937-1952. In Huntsville, Roberts taught history at Huntsville High School and then at the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), where she was a vigorous participant in the formation of that University. (The Extension Center, then at West Huntsville High School, opened in January 1950.) From 1955 to 1956, she was the only full-time faculty member.
Dr. Roberts served in many roles at UAH: instructor 1953-1956; assistant professor, 1956-1959; associate professor, 1959-1961; professor of history beginning in 1961 until her retirement on August 31st, 1980. In 1988, Dr. Roberts was honored with the dedication of Roberts Recital Hall. The University System Trustees issued this statement concerning the special day: "Dr. Roberts was one of the founding faculty of the University of Alabama in Huntsville, established the University History Department, and was its first full-time history professor. She devoted 18 years to the public schools and 29 years of dedicated service to UAH and accepting only the highest scholarly standards and inspiring generations of students to expand their academic horizons."
The collection of Dr. Roberts’ papers reflects her total immersion in the education, social, religious, musical, and literary life of the community as she led by doing. Frances Cabaniss Roberts died November 5, 2000 at the age of 83, leaving a legacy of leadership and dedication to the community.
Dublin Core
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loc_robf_000008_000121
Title
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"Farm Production and Marketing in Alabama: Committee Report on Alabama Farm Commodities and Appraisal of Marketing Facilities."
Creator
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Alabama Polytechnic Institute. Extension Service
Date
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1943-03
Temporal Coverage
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1940-1949
Subject
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Alabama Polytechnic Institute. Extension Service
Agriculture
Farms--Alabama
Type
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Circulars
Still Image
Text
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This material may be protected under U. S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S. Code) which governs the making of photocopies or reproductions of copyrighted materials. You may use the digitized material for private study, scholarship, or research. Though the University of Alabama in Huntsville Archives and Special Collections has physical ownership of the material in its collections, in some cases we may not own the copyright to the material. It is the patron's obligation to determine and satisfy copyright restrictions when publishing or otherwise distributing materials found in our collections.
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loc_robf_2018
Language
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en
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Frances Cabaniss Roberts Collection
University of Alabama in Huntsville Archives, Special Collections, and Digital Initiatives, Huntsville, Alabama