The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-05-06
Agricultural Department
CONDUCTED BY FULTON S. WHITE.


are producing grain to make bread for
the people of the world We are glad to
be able to say that we find a few of this
class of farmers In every community.
'"rhey are the salt of the EARTH They
spend their spare time In attending the
winter courses of agricultural lectures
and in reading up to date agricultural lit
erature They have learned from these
that there are certain luminous plants
that have the power of extracting nitro
gen from the atmosphere and storing 1t
in the soil: they have also learned that
nitrogen is the most important element
and, too, that 1t is the most costly; they
have learned that plant food must be
balanced and how to make this balanced
ratio. They know how to prepare their
seed beds for the different grains. and
, have made a study of their soils until they
know what they need. They know when
the soil needs drainage, subsoiling, mulch
ing and fertilizing. They have cleared
their farms of stones. stufnps thorns,
, brush and briars, grubbng out the small
, err and blasting out the larger. clearing
the land of all Instructions. so that when
they start in to pillow a field they can
drive from fence to fence without falling
! into a ditch or stumbling over stones and
stumps.
Work Is Pleasant.
When these farmers get ready to sow
seed they hitch fat well fed team to
one of the latest improved press drills
and the work of seeding is one of pleas
ure. Then when the golden grain Is
ready to harvest they hitch on to a self
binder and the soil, having been pre-
viously prepared for the binder. the work
is performed quickly and with scarcely
anv loss of grain. Soon after the wheat
is harvested 1t Is threshed, and as golden
grain apours from the great machine the
farmers heart is glad as he thinks OF
the golden dollars that await him as
reward for his seasons labor.
Nor is this ALL for this class of wide
awake farmers is unlike the Providence
farmer. who Is often forced to sell MS
grain from the machine. The better
farmer who attended the farmers lnsti-
tute learned how to build bins 10 care
for his wheat so that he might hoio II
until such time as the price suited MN
TO sell. He learned by experience that
there were certain insects which wouio
get into his wheat bins and greatly dam
age the grain so that 1t might not pe
safe to hold his wheat for higher
price. He also learned from bulletin on
Chronology that by proper use Oh pisulph-
ide of carbon he could keep insects from
his grain bin ana in this way ne eouiu
hold his grain indefinitely rms vice.
awake farmer keeps posted on the mar
kets of the world and generally khows
when to sell his grain. Nor is TINS an
It's class of farmers who SOW seeo oh
good ground have learned tnat 10 II,
crease the Yield also increases the quar-
ity. 900 +h,s
WE recently had a chance TO see inns
f,,1lv- demonstrated The writer hakins
a round of visits among the ga ins
of the country, went into ihih anu VIC"
being very courteously shown tnlousn'
In passing the proprietor wouio sup es
al attention
hin of wheat remGrking at every ~.
,la. .~rhere Is farmer VINO mas Ju''
commenced hauling in his wheat anu he
will he here soon and | want you ~ 20
~ ,beatv Soon we looked out ana sa"
four wagons all being drawn oy neaYy'
fat mules and the wagons loaoeu wiz
ior,a sacks of wheat. The miller re-
Ial -. "rhere comes the farmer now
49, hos the fine wheat" On the front
MO con sat 24O pound German ana next
oaroa in line his three sons, all large
healthy farmers. As the FARMER uroFe w
to the door there was broad sihie wv,
HE face The miller said: pull OH ana
omen one of your sacks, this gentleman
wants to see H.
Profit in Good Wheat.
Tho sack was opened and the miller re-
aal,od NOW all that wheat ! showed
10, naid from 60 to 6 cents busnei
To-, hut T am paying this man sl.Vl TOT
NE wheat and this is not all. The farm
ers who furnish the cheap wheat grew
from ten to fifteen bushels per acre
while this man produced twenty-five pusn.
-, ~ core - The reader can figure out
The difference. The miller said to the
GARNER. "This gentleman is here to give
ne lecture on agricultural matters.
wheat among other things. will be given
ottartion'' The old gentleman smiled
and said: This Is a very busy time. but
am always willing and anxious to learn
and I will come TO the meeting, and II
this man can tell me how can make
NV land produce even one more bushei
Of wheat per acre / will be we'll paid FOR
my time"
When the meeting was called the father
and his sons were right there How
thoughtful 1t was to bring along me
bovs. for II is the young men who need
to know these things rather than the
older ones. Upon questioning we found
that this farmer. like most Germans thai