St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1905-06-17
ABOUT ALFALFA.


has been a guest at the ST. Charles,
New Orleans, for the past few days,
having come as president OF the
Texas division Of the Southern
Cotton Association TO attend the
meeting of the State presidents In
the tabulatlon of the acreage reduc.
tion statement.
Smith is known everywhere as
the "Alfalfa King" More lately
he has also become known as the
potato king, as he raises the largest
crop of potatoes perhaps farmed by
any one man IN the United States.
1t has been said that the man
who makes two blades of grass
grow where only one grew before
is a benefactor of the human race.
This being true, Texas can boast
of the greatest philanthropist Of
the twentieth century.
A jealous evangelist i'll behalf of
the gospel of grass, which he be-
lleves is destined to redeem the
South from agricultural degen-
eracy, he has voiced his views
boldly from the platform, and
through the press at large, until as
a result of his preaching hundreds
of Improbable acres have been re.
claimed and made fruitful with the
king of all forage crops.
Mr.. Smith has long believed
that upon scientific aud we'll direct.
ed farming the future greatness
and prosperity of the entire South
depends, and willingly lends his
support to any movement that may
tend to lessen the drudgery Of
farming and raise it to more prof
liable plane.
He is close and conscientious
student of agriculture in every
phase. Aware of the difficulties
that preclude success, he has delyed
and learned, and generously filings
broadcast to the world the results
of his Investigations and expert.
ments.
Mr.. Smith is a Mississipplan by
birth, a Texan by adoption and
preference, moving TO Sherman in
1877, where he has resided ever
since, coming there direct from the
University of Virginia, from which
institution be graduated IN the
same class as Congressman John
Sharp Williams, of Mississippi,
and Governor Charles Culberson,
of Texas. He has now been twen-
ty.nine years in the Lone Star
commonwealth and expects to live
the remainder of his days there and
be buried there.
His big farm of many thousand
acres has been represented in pic
,ure and story in every magazine
in the country. A photo that has
most generally been seen Is that
which shows 1900 head Of fine
blooded livestock, aggregatlng sew
eral hundred thousands of dollars
in value. His bloodcd stock con-
sis,s of cattle, horses, sheep, hogs
and Angora goats. He seldom has
less than 500 head of cattle and
1000 head of hogs on his farm at
one time.
AS for his little alfalfa patch of
1000 acres, it has been estimated
that his annual sales for that one
product run pretty we'll up over
sloo,ooo
Throughout Texas wherever Mr..
Smith goes he is greeted with the
widest enthusiasm by the people
and the press. As he moves about
over the State his track is plain
through the columns of the news.
papers, who send out their best
men to interview HIM about mat
ters that may be of special lmpor.
tauce for the time being. Besides
being farmer, MIR. Smith is
one of the leading lawyers at the
Texas bar, and has many and va
ried interests besides the big farm.
Mr.. Smiths farm is located
seven miles out of Sherman, at
station called Choctaw. Thlthe1
experts from the Agricultural De-
partment at Washington make
yearly pllgrimages, like faithful
Mohammedans TO Mecca.
He Is logical and forcefu
speaker, talking IN a plain ant
practical way. His speeches hay'
constant flow, sparkling will
rare humoI, which enllvens and de
lights his audiences. The article
of but few contributors TO the news
; papers and periodicals. of the da,
have been more widely quoted an
commented upon. His writing
are lucid and to the point; stron
with sound suggestions, and yet
smooth and entertaining. wlths
that he is constantly besieged wit
letters begging contributions.
Here is one Of the famous thing
! he has SAID about alfalfa, that show
the character of the man IN b
speeches and writings:
"Alfalfa is the first crop TO p,
on its beautiful coat In spring an
the last TO lay 1t aside in the fal
The sheep bleat for 1t. The catt
low for 1t. The goats cry for