The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-08-21
Agricultural Department
CONDUCTED BY FULTON $. WHITE.

round ana where Gays may NC wei ofNht
in studying the characteristics of these
plants.
Time for Servings.
The time Is nearly here when all these
tame elovers and grasses should be sown
and there Is no time now to loose In pre-
pairing soils for this seeding II we expect
to succeed Fine seed beds should be
prepared at once and kept In condition
until seeding time. Ny book on alfalfa
will give In detail Instructions for pre-
pairing soils for all eloyers and grasses,
and l will take pleasure in mailing any
of our readers copy free Of charge who
will write for II. Address me at the Frisco
Building, St. Louis, Mo. This subject OF
clovers and grasses will be continued next
week, with description of other valuable
varieties.
Many Farmers Taught.
l desire now to call the attention of
the reader to my eight weeks itinerary,
and few things accomplished during
this time In the way of general informa-
ton. This is the eighth week we have
been on the line with our educational,
grain and exhibit car delivering from
one to three lectures a day, these lee
lures ranging from one to three hours in
length. Besides this work, l have had
to do an immense amount of talking at
the car In way of explanation of the
various grains and grasses. Thousands of
farmers as we'll as many business men
have attended the lectures. Ladies at va
rious places have also come in good
numbers. The lectures have reached more
than fifty thousand farmers through the
press. The great agricultural truths
taught and the lessons iearned will be
transmitted from father to son for ages
to come. The car being equipped with
grains, cloyers, grasses. forage crops and
seeds of varieties suitable for every soil
on the Frisco line gave the farmers a
rare opportunity to become acquainted
with many new and valuable plants suit
ed to their farms. II also gave them ar
opportunity for learning how to plant and
grow these crops.
The main feature of this itinerary has
been to induce farmers to grow more and
better wheat and corn for milling purs
poses and for export trade. To this end
thousands of bushels of pure seed wheat
Will be obtained and sown this fall The
amount of seed wheat that will be i'm
ported and sown this fall should make a
great Improvement in next years crop.
Not only have the farmers agreed to sow
newer and better wheat, but new methods
in soil culture will be adopted. The corn
crop too Will be greatly improved The
encouragement of growing clovers and
grasses as a preliminary to grain growing
has had good share of attention and
hundreds of farmers are convinced Of
the fact that clovers and grasses are the
safest crops for them to build their foun-
dalton upon
Interest In Alfalfa.
have aroused great interest in alfalfa
and farmers have been fully instructed
in alfalfa growing. have found num-
Der OF farmers who are making a sue
cess of alfalfa. My audiences have been
taught the value of nearly all our lead
ing varieties of clovers, grasses and for
age crops. Winter pastures and the plants
suited for this have had their share of
attention for ell stocks. Not only are the
farmers securing better seed wheat and
corn, but they are looking for large
line of seeds of all other grains, clovers
and grasses Horticulture, too, has come
In for a large share of attention, the big
red apple and the strawberry being in
the lead.
and keeping stock have had attention
also. The dairy industry was talked of
and many farmers have been convinced
that nothing will pay better on a farm
than a well managed dairy. They have
been shown how much more butterfat is
worth than beef. Beef sells for about
two cents per pound while butter fat sells
for eighteen and this is low price, this
being the season when butter is cheap
est The grass required to produce one
pound of beef will produce two pounds
of butter fat worth, at the present low
prices, thirty-sx cents. When the beef
is sold the COW is gone with the two
cents per pound. When the butter fat
is sold for thirty-six cents, the COW Is
left to go In business on the farm. These
are some of the many practical things
to which the attention of my hearers
have been called. But this is not all
that has been accomplished. A more
kindly feeling and a better acquaintance
has been brought about between the
railroad and the people. Farmers have
been made to realize that the railroad
is anxious to assist them In all indus
trial Lines and the better class Of farm
ers fully appreciate our efforts in this
educational movement. This is not writ
ten to convey the idea that our intinerary
is at an end. for we have but fairly
started. We stop now for a few weeks
so can go east to secure, inspect and
ship the seed wheat and other seeds
wanted by the people along our line On
Sunday, August 49, I left for Pennsyl-
vania. Maryland and other points where
hope to be able to find all the pure
Our readers may expect to hear from
me from some of these points. On my
arrival home I expect to resume work
again on the line delivering lectures and
distributing our bulletins which are high
ly appreciated by the farmers. These
bulletins will also be the means Of ac-
complishing great reforms In both ag-
riculture and horticulture.