THE ALABAMA OPPORTUNITY. 113 



not as rich as that in its immediate neighborhood, and years of 

 cultivation by negro tenants had reduced to a degree of poverty 

 rarely reached by the Canebrake soil. This was considered all 

 the better by the experiment station, because the work of the 

 station could not be as instructive or as valuable, if the land on 

 which the agricultural problems' were worked on was the rich- 

 est in the Canebrake. 



It is a state work, this Canebrake experiment station. The 

 appropriation from the State of Alabama for its maintenance 

 is only $2,500 a year, but the farmers and planters in this section 

 of the Canebrake laud the work which the station is doing, 

 it is meeting fully the purpos'e for which it was established, 

 tiie demonstration of the possibilities of Canebrake soil and the 

 exploitation of the methods of farming that will bring in the 

 best results. It is under the general supervision of Professor 

 J. F. Duggar, the Agriculturist at the main experiment station 

 in Auburn. 



The State was fortunate in securing two practical and ener- 

 getic men to assume charge of the Uniontown station. 



The Director is' J. M. Richeson. Mr. Richeson was a practi- 

 cal and successful farmer in the Canebrake before he was called 

 to the head of the station. A course in agriculture at Auburn 

 had put him in touch with both the theory and the practice of 

 agriculture. His management of the station has been successful 

 and of value to his section. 



He has a most valuable assistant in the veterinarian of the 

 station, Dr. J. F. Conner, a graduate in veterinary science in 

 one of the largest colleges of the north. Dr. Conner, twelve 

 years ago came to Uniontown with th eexpress purpose of re- 

 maining only a year. He became so impressed with the country 

 and so attached to the people that the twelve months grew into 

 twelve years ; he married one of the fair daughters of the Cane- 

 brake, and has settled down for his life work in this rich agri- 

 cultural section of the state. 



Dr. Connor has materially assisted in the growing movement 

 in the Canebrake for high class cattle of every sort. He not 

 only gives instruction in veterinary science to the numerous 

 farmers who come to the station for instruction by which they 

 may combat the more common diseases to which horses and cat- 

 tle are heirs, but his services are to be had without cost to the 

 farmers for a wide radius about Uniontown. Numerous hurry 



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