PAKT 1. 



INd LAMBS IN ALABAMA. 



By DAN T. GRAY and J. W. RIDGWAY. 



When one rides through the State of Alabama and sees 

 the thousands of acres lying idle, growing up in brush 

 and fine grasses, one wonders why there are not more sheep 

 produced in the State than there are. It is usually stated 

 that only 40 per cent of the area of Alabama is being culti- 

 vated or used to return wealth to the State. In some coun- 

 ties no more than 15 per cent of the total area is under 

 cultivation. The other 85 per cent is lying idle. Money 

 is tied up in the whole amount, but the farmer, on the 

 average, is making use of but about 40 per cent of his whole 

 capital invested. If sheep and other kinds of live stock 

 were more generally introduced the usable area could be 

 greatly increased, as these animals would make use of the 

 present waste places and hill sides and help develop the 

 pns/ture side of our farming operations. Even now thousands 

 of acres under cultivation should be put down to perma- 

 nent pastures and stock placed upon them. Hill-sides which 

 wash should be put down to grass. This could be done 

 without at all decreasing the cultivated area. The sheep 

 need not occupy one foot of our already cultivateable area ; 

 lie would but be a means of putting more of our land capi- 

 tal to work. The Alabama farmer can surely farm in such 

 a way as to use more than 40 per cent of his land capital. 

 What would we think of the business ability of a banker 

 who used but one-half of his available capital, or the mer- 

 chant who sold goods from but one side of his store? 



Then, in addition to the fact that the sheep is probably 

 the best animal known to put our waste areas to use, Ala- 

 bama is just suited to sheep production. In any HUP of 

 live stock production pastures must be made th base, and 



