The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-04-06

shortly includes the higher education of
the farmers and grain growers in the
raising of the principal cereal crops of
the region-wheat, corn and oats.
The Frisco railroad viii cooperate ac-
lively In the movement A special car
will be furnished the representatives of
the millers, who will be accompanied by
Fulton s. White. agent of the industrial
department of the road. Lecturers will be
In the party who will hold meetings some-
thing on the order of farmers institutes
wherever the car makes stop. Seeds
of the best quality plenty Of good prae-
teal literature furnished both by the
Frisco and the mill men, and everything
necessary for practical demonstration of
the instructions of the lecturers will be
used
The keynote of the whole campaign will
be Seeds of better BREED and so bet
ter soil, better methods of cultivation and
most important of all in results, better
products and profits.
Milers Will Help.
TO show their zeal and good faith In
the work the millers announced that
they will buy up such grades and varie-
ties of seed as should be sowed and dis
tribute 1t among the farmers at actual
cost. If this is not inducement enough
get their returns in the crop.
An effort will be made to secure the
cooperation of the st. Louis millers in
this enchanted movement though the To-
cal millers, and they through the south
west association, are Its promoters.
While the grain interests are being dis
eussed the dairylng industry will also re-
ceive a large share OF attention. The CO.
operation of the agricultural department
of the government will likely be secured.
Mr.. White goes to Washington In May
to take up the matter with the officials
there. The arrangements will all be com
pleted in time to get in active touch with
the farmers before planting time next
fall
To Develop Grain Tes..tsry.
The attached clipping from the SPRING
field Leader gives an account of our great
meeting March 2S of the Southwest Mis-
souri, Millers' association. The main OBJ
ject Of this meeting as outlined here Is to
encourage the farmers to grow more and
better grains, more profitable crops. and
In particular a higher grade of corn and
wheat for milling purposes. The mi1ers
say that grain, especially wheat. has de-
Perforated at such an alarming rate that
1t Is now hard to procure samples that
will grade higher than good No grade.
The millers say that new and improved
seed are needed, and must be introduced
in order to improve the quality of the
wheat; also that campaign of educa-
ton along the lines of tending the prepa-
ration of seed bed fertilizers, rotation of
crops, the care and building up of the soil
etc. must be started The milers and the
Frisco railroad will cooperate in this
work, and a special car provided with
samples of grain and bulletins on all these
subjects will be provided and course of
free lectures delivered. The bulletins will
be distributed free This work will COM
mence early in July and continue for
several weeks The work of preparing the
bulletins the writer will take up at once;
also the matter of good seed Will be looked
after Immediately. To this end the writer
has taken the matter up with Hon. John
Hamilton, who is at the head of the
farmers institute work OF the United
States, and also connected with the de-
partment of agriculture, Washington.
have arranged for meeting Mr.. Hamilton
in Washington early in May.
| have just received letter from Mr..
Hamilton, assuring me that he Is more
than willing to lend us every assistance
in the work, and It is from him and the
department that we expect to secure valu-
able data for our publications.
What we need for this and all sections
south, is a soft, red winter wheat. The
writer will visit several sections where
such wheat is now being grown in order
to select and procure pure seed Some OF
the sections to be visited are In Eastern
Tennessee, up in the French Broad winter
wheat growing belt, points in Maryland.
Pennsylvania and Ohio. The idea is to
procure this seed from mountainous dis
tricts and from a high altitude.
great amount OF attention will also be
given to the selection and distributing of
better grades of corn, especially varieties
of pure white corn suitable for highest
milling purposes. The foundation of all
this work and the success of the enter
prise will depend upon thorough prep
aration of the soil so that the questions
of soil building soil care, and soil pro-
lection, as well as the questions of fertill-
zers and rotation Of crops will come In for
a large share OF our attention both in our
bulletins and In our letters.
Why Not Alabama?
The thought came to me today while in
this great meeting, Why can we not carry
this work beyond Missouri and Kansas.
and have just such meetings along our
line between Birmingham and Memphis.
The farmers on this line need this in
formation and could be greatly bene-
fitted by 1t. They can have 1t all free Of
charge. The only condition being that
they cooperate with us In the work. We
may not want to encourage the growing OF
wheat In this section for export purposes
but as stated in my last letter 1t should
be added to well defined rotation of
crops for this section and part at least of
the bread used here should be made from
homegrown wheat. All the food products
that are obtained from corn certainly
should be grown at home on the farms
along this line. The question is, will the
farmers let us help them7 If so, let the
mllers of Memphis and Birmingham take
this matter up with me, and We will ar
range a great meeting either at Birmng
ham or Memphis. invite the millers from
all over this territory and arrange for
campaign along this line. The matter
should receive the attention of business
men and millers at once. and the WORK