The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-07-05

I safras bushes are growing away unois- turbed. l wonder if these farmers ever stop to think of the vast amount or ] plant food and moisture these bushes rob crops of. Does not the Age-Herald every week tell it's readers mat July and Au- l gust are the months that determine the cotton crop in this country This being i true how important 1t is that the crop should enter July clean and with tne soil in the very highest state of cuitiva- tion so that the plant instead of haVlns to struggle against weeds and grass Tor moisture and existence will have nothing to do but to put on its front.
 Does not the Age-Herald also teach tnat the dry weather of May and June is the time to push the cultivation of cropsg Why. there should never be any let up | in cultivation because of dry weather keep the soil stirred, keep fine dust de- posit to gather and hold moisture.
 Plainness Needed.
 sopoa of our readers nay think that I am rather plain in my writings. This l is needed to meet the conditions as we l find them and to try to help all who need this help. This is an educational work and our people-many of them-need 10 be started right in agriculture.
 I made an add. ess before a great far mer's institute out here in Texas, They accused me of having talked four hours, 1 pouring a constant stream O. the need of this primary work, and practical sug- gestions in agriculture. The press of the town complimented mo ve,y highly, say ing that I had made the greatest agricul- tural speech ever delivered in the coun- | ty. Yet a very successful farmer, who was present came to me and said: Tt is | plain to be seen that your work and your ! lectures have been to- for and among be- ginners Some of us,'' he went on to say, have passed over most of the ground you covered. years ago
 I said to him, Why, my dear sir, l know what kind of an agrieulturist and l horticulturist you are your farm, your orchards, your gardens your I-ome all show the master hand of ---e rue farmer but how many farmers were there in l that great meeting that are willing to pattern after your example, or now many were there that you would be willing to exchange conditions with
 Why" he said, T never thought of it. l that way and coming to look the mat ter over there was but one farmer there that I would swap conditions with to- day"
 why. take the farmers in the great state of Pennsylvania, where the last legisla- ture set apart the va sum of $300,OO0 for this educational farmers institute work and yet thousands of farmers In Pennsylvania need this primary agri- cultural training Just as much as does i the Texas farmer Take the great, In l fact the greatest of our agricultural states, Iowa, the state that has furnished more great agricultural educators than any other state. The graduates ol her ] A. and M. college are to be found in such great states as Texas and Alabama, where how 1aa lore in various professions A state that can produce such giants in agriculture as our Honorable James Wilson, secretary of agriculture-whom we once knew as | Jim Wilson-and such prominent horti- culturists as the old professor of horti- culture, J. L. Budd and then there is the great professor in dairy industries, the honorable Henry Wallace, whom 1 am glad to say, will assist me the pres ent season in some of my farmers insti- ute work.
 Yet after all, this great state of Iowa with all her great educators and with all her great agricultural wealth. has thous- ands of farmers who need this primary agricultural education just as badly as it is needed in Alabama. .
 l Proud of Work.
 am proud of the fact that I am en- 1 continue to help develop the great agri- cultural interests of this country. l want I to help bring about the time in this coun- 1 try when our farmers will not only have bank accounts but improved farms and : when each years farm operations Will leave the farm better improved and the soil richer and in a higher state of fertili- 1 ty when they leave it than it was when they began with 1t. This is the only sort
 .f eriean homes ard the only kind of ex- ample in farming that any father should be willing to teach his sons This pri- mary education in agriculture reminds me of my boyhood days, when 1t was the custom in our schools to take class of l little fellows, give them Webster's old 1 blue back speller and start them of in their A B C's. When we got over to baker" we thought we had made great headway in our education. N hen we got over to 'horseback' we were well ad- vanced-way up but when we got over 1 to ''incomprehensihlity" we thought we were almost graduated ana ready TOT college.
 l We have many farmers who have not yet reached baker, others wno are as l far as horseback and some as far over | as 'inoomprehensibilty." When we come to think how little we know of agricul- ture it is then that we are ready to be- l gin our agricultural education I hone l that such of our readers as need these timely suggestions may treasure them | up and that they may profit in the fu ture by their present and past mistakes. for it is only in this way that we can make our mistakes of any value to us. Remember, that of the many valuable lessons that may be learned from the weather extremes of the season the first and most important is to do the things at the proper time and in the proner manner. Never regard the weather hut | push ahead Never wait until a thing IS needed before preparing for It. When Farm work is performed at the proper time 1t saves much in time labor and morey.
 There is one right time to strike to make crop, This chance neglected and a crop Tor that season wiu be- at the hest you can hope for, partial failure Crop Acreage.
 | l started out to have something to say Of crop acreage, but have taken up my l space for this time and will defer this for another time. However I want to l say that we have an acreage sufficient to give us a great harvest, and also that crop conditions have improved wonder fully since my last report. On this date, June 25 conditions over large section of our country for crop development are | almost perfect. I am making up a crop report for the first of July and hope to make this of great interest.
 I My time from now to September Is pret- ty well spoken for. On Monday, June g. 1 am to address the farmers at wetumka,