davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Iuka vidette. (Iuka, Miss.) 1894-1912, 1909-07-29
Among the Corn Club Boys.

A large number of letters received by
the department of agriculture tell of the
growing interest of the corn club boys.
AS the year gets older their interest in
creases and few counties that have made
start will fail of successful termina-
ton. 1t is safe to say that 80 of the
SO at least will come through all right,
This is mighty good time to begin
work in counties where no organization
has been perfected for next year. 1t is
never too early to make beginning.
Let's resolve that fifty is the number to
be striven for and that the number of
boys will go to $4,000 and the girls to
5000.
Here is sample of the letters written
by the boys. 1t is old, but interesting,
as rejecting the interest manifested by
the boys. 1t was written by Ohio Tabb
of Webster county:
Gas am sitting down and resting aft
er blowing my acre of corn, l decided to
write you short article for publication,
although l never before made such an
attempt. Boys, Mr.. Blakeslee is giving
us some fine papers on corn and crops in
general, and l read all of them with in
terest. have just finished blowing my
acre of corn the first time, and it looks
The Iuka vidette. (Iuka, Miss.) 1894-1912, 1909-07-29

"Hey, there, Jack! You there! Look
at him, fellers. Amt he plumb
crazy?"
Wentworth Livingston, recalled to
realization of his surroundings by the
uproarious laughter of his companions,
looked down at his limbs. Wrapped
in sheet, which did duty for spirit
ual embodiment, he was declaiming the
shines of the opening speech in which
the ghost makes his debut before
Hamlet.
Hastily, to the accompaniment of
the subsiding jeers, he put off his
sheet, clad himself in a short toga,
and hurried to his place. Livingstons
part was that of Third Citizen in
Julius Caesar"
Night after night he performed
these mental parts in the little Shake
spearean company that was spell
binding the inhabitants of the coun-
try town. Sometimes he was Third
Citizen, sometimes he took the part of
of Roman army, spectral figure in
1.-The Tempest" At times he lent a
hand to the scene shutters.
But he endured these humiliations
in silence. Some time the chance
would arrive that would boost Went
worth Livingstons name among the
stars of the stage. Secretly he had
understudied all the principal Shak-
spearean parts played by that matinee
magnet. Cyprian st. Cyr. But the
part in which he felt that he was des-
tined to be immortalized was that of
the Ghost
Waiting forlornly in the wings while.
in his multitudinous roles, Cyprian
st. Cyr gyrated and gesticulated to the
thunderous applause of his audience.
Wentworth Livingston lived, in mag
nation, through those triumphs he
was to achieve. And always, in every
interval of leisure, he rehearsed the
ghost scene. Some day Cyprian would
fall sick or fall and his own star would
rise above the armament. Livingston
smiled; he could afford to wait.
cit move on there, you'll" shouted
the stage manager, breaking into his
Macbeth and one of the sailors in
reverie. Don't you see the Roman
army's falling into line? Git busy.
you duffer.'
The Roman army had marched and
counter-marched, and once again Lfv-
ingston was alone in the wings, watch
ing Cyprian St. Cyr minueting before
the footlights. His whole soul rose up
in revolt. Was this acting. this over
done pantomime. this tearing Of pas.
sions to tatters? II Cyprian would
give him his chance!
| And suddenly his chance came.
The Iuka vidette. (Iuka, Miss.) 1894-1912, 1909-07-29

The people of this country" said
Addison Spriggs, ARE going crazy
over baseball. 1t is disgusting. Now
here is your own case, Williams" he
went on, glancing across the table at
the youngest boarder; baseball is of
great deal more Importance to you
than your own future. You make a
rush for the paper when you get down
stairs in the morning, so that you may
didn't stay down town to find out the
night before, and you're in the dumps
all day IL the club from your home
town got beaten"
WELL" replied Ferguson, taking UP
the argument for Williams, its bet
ter to take an interest in baseball
than to keep busy poking into other
peoples business
Who's poking into other peoples
business. Mr.. Ferguson" Addison
Spriggs inquired after he had almost
broken one of his teeth on cherry
stone and kept his temper only by the
exercise of great will power. Did
anybody file an application to get your
opinion?. Has there been any popular
demand for light on this subject from
you? Since you've felt called upon to
project yourself into the argument
permit me to say that what / said to
Williams a moment ago applies also
to you. One might suppose, judging
from the deep interest you take in
baseball, that you had money invested
in one Of the clubs, and l guess you
have, at that, only you're not drawing
any dividends on it. If you thought
as much about your employers inter.
The Iuka vidette. (Iuka, Miss.) 1894-1912, 1909-07-29
Wheat.

For many years the farmers in Mis-
sissippi have manifested no interest in
the wheat crop and its culture has prac-
tically been abandoned. With wheat sell
ing at $1.35 per bushel and flour at over
$500 per barrel, it would seem that
farmers could not neglect this valuable
crop in their mad rush after cotton.
Under the one-crop system of the
South the lands are becoming annually
less productive, profits smaller and the
cost of production greater for all crops.
What our soils need to make wheat grow
ing profitable is more humus, better
drainage and better preparation of the
seed bed before planting. Cow peas are
the best source from which to get the
humus. All the land now in oats should
be sown in COW peas as soon as the oat
crop is harvested. The land should be
thoroughly broken and from 200 to 400
pounds of high grade acid phosphate APP
piled broadcast per acre and narrowed
in. This will insure good pea crop and
also greatly help the wheat that might
be planted on this land this fall.
1t is common knowledge to all farm
ers that crops of every kind mature
later and are more susceptible to attacks
from insects and diseases on undrained
The Iuka vidette. (Iuka, Miss.) 1894-1912, 1909-07-29
Plant Hay and Food Crops.

Four weeks ago the Department of
Agriculture, through its official meegs Of
communication with the people,. Eh a
summary of crop conditions inff tis-
sippi that might have been termerf FATHER
gloomy, and that was the only way in
which it could be sensibly viewed. Three
weeks of incessant, and in many local
tiles enormous, rains had fallen, and the
crops were in an especially bad condi-
tion. This was followed by few days
of good weather, and then came the rain
again; not in such quantities as before,
but local showers that scarcely missed
section of the state, which condition
prevails at the time this is written.
Crops are small today for the season
of the year where worked out and gen
orally grassy. A considerable portion Of
the cotton has not been worked, and
will not be, having been necessarily aban-
doned. Some of the older corn has been
lost for lack of work, becoming hard
and round and beyond the stage where it
can recover and even make half a crop.
We are in a pretty bad shape, and no
amount of persistent work can or will
make good the losses sustained; then it
behooves our people to do that which is
next best--look well to food and forage
crops for use next year. Mr.. r. L.
Murdoch, of Carroll county, gives some
pertinent advice along this line which is
here reproduced:
"You ask me If I could suggest any
thing that would probably be of benefit
and interest for the general good of the
country. l think can. We are having
one of the most disastrous years in the
history of the country for growing crops.
Rain, rain and more rain. Crops are
choked up in the grass, and if we hat
dry weather from now on there would
be no possibility of making and harvest
ing full crop. What | want to say
is this: 1t seems that the day of cheap
foodstuff for both man and beast has
gone by, never to return again, and that
The Iuka vidette. (Iuka, Miss.) 1894-1912, 1909-07-29

room and play penny ante once in
awhile"
What is penny ante, By?"
Poker"
do you mean by penny ante that
you played for money!"
"Sure; there isn't any fun in play
ing for fun. But you see penny ante
is not really gambling"
Isn't it?"
mo; you see, the penny is just to
make the game interesting at penny
ante you could not win or lose enough
in a week to make any difference.
used to win enough to buy me hat
occasionally"
well, wasn't that lovely? What
else did you do with your evenings
"Oh, sometimes went calling"
ION some girl, By?"
well, there was a while that
called on girl nearly every night"
did you like her?'
81 loved her desperately"
you br-r-ute! Why d-d-didn't y-y-you
m-marry her if you Flowed her SC
much?'
II did,
you did not! You married me-Oh
BY! You didn't mean me all the
timer"
"Of course l did; who else could
have meant?"
You are just an old tease, and
am going to bite your ear for that
There."
couch! Lego! There goes thu
'phone."
'swho was 1t Bv?' asked Mrs link
The Iuka vidette. (Iuka, Miss.) 1894-1912, 1909-07-29
A Ghost Misplaced.
By n. M. EGBERT.

y
Was it the telepathic effect Of hi&
desires? Cyprian st. Cyr. white as Il
corpse, came staggering on the STAGE
Gimme a drink" he muttered IN tn
wings, and collapsed.
With one swift bound he was upon
the stage. He halted. wrapped the
garment around himself, and glided
forward with the soft, even gait made
easy by his long practice. Then. rails
ing his hand, with solemn, funereal
voice he began his defamation:
81 am thy fathers spirit, s IS.
Doomed for certain time to walk tho
night 3
But in the day confined to Fast ip<0s4
Till the foul crimes done in my daya ~
nature tl +!9<'
Are burned and purged away u ".
He stopped. So realistic had be5n
his dramatic appearance that the other
The Iuka vidette. (Iuka, Miss.) 1894-1912, 1909-07-29

Mrs. Jinx, as Jinx tried to crawl be.
tween the covers without disturbing
her.
Eyes, had very good time; Mad
dox was there, and you know what
josher he is. always have good
time when am with him."
did you get enough to buy me that
bonnet?" v
mo, dear; l lost rs cents"
Now, By, know that that game ID
gambling!" s.
Il believe Maddox did say some
thing about its being shame to take
my money. But never mind, dear, you
shall have the bonnet"
Il don't care about the old bonnet;
l don't want you to gamble. The next
time you lose l shan't let you play
any more!" n
Copyright, 1909, by w. G. Chapman)
The Iuka vidette. (Iuka, Miss.) 1894-1912, 1909-07-29

A gain of over two bushels of corn per
acre in three years and 35 pounds of cot
ton to the acre in five years is going
some for old Mississippi. Let's deter
mine that the next five years will show
a gain double this amount. 1t will be
done. Mark this prediction.
The Iuka vidette. (Iuka, Miss.) 1894-1912, 1909-07-29

when Jinx had returned from answer
ing the phone.
1.-THE old boarding house gang; they
are having a sort of reunion, and want
me to come over and play penny ante"
you can come home early, and we
must make some sacrifices for appear
ances' sake"
"Of course not and be sure and
win enough to buy me new hat"
Sure, that's an easy bunchl al
ways did have the Indian sign on
them"
That's so. Well, good-by, dear;
don't be nervous"
"Have you had good timer" asked
The Iuka vidette. (Iuka, Miss.) 1894-1912, 1909-07-29

me 10 me. appreciate Jne opportunity
of joining the corn club and think it
a fine thing for the boys of old Missis-
sippi.' Boys, take advantage of this
great opportunity, for it will learn us
something about farming and farm in
a pleasant community is the best thing
in the world, think. My father is a
farmer and l enjoy working with him.
expect to make a farmer, possibly only
"a piece but l am going to do my best.
Now, you boys who expect to make
farmers, let's get Mr.. Blakeslee to add a
little to his space and give us a chance
to write something. 1t would be great
help to us, | think"
A Covington county boy IL years old
says: my corn is doing all right, and
/ hope to be one of those who go to the
State Fair and enter the judging ring. l
know we will learn lot there in day
or two that will be worth great deal
through life." A Tippah county boy
writes: please send me all the books
you have on corn. l got The Bulletin and
have read and studied every word. l am
so glad that we can begin now to learn
how to farm SO that we will get the
most out of it. | am fertilizing now and
my corn is pretty good" A Tate county
| boy says: please send me another pa
per with score card and judging instruc-
lions for neighbor who did not get his.
/ want to see you during the fair and ask
you to help us little more next year."
And they come from all over the State.
These are only extracts. 1t is great
work that deserves all the encourage
ment possible. Who would deny to these
young minds the knowledge they are
seeking so industriously? 1t means more
to Mississippi than any movement inau-
gurated in the past decade.
The ordinary COW pea will be worth
/ multiplied millions of dollars to Missis-
sippi during the next few years in re-
building our worn and exhausted lands.
More of them are being planted from
year to year, and the movement has only
had reasonable beginning.
|
| Wide tires go long way toward solv-
as subscribers to tear up the road. How
ever, to make their use practical it would
be necessary to require everybody to
use them instead of the narrow tire.
The proposition to establish packing
houses in Memphis, Baton Rouge and
New Orleans is of interest to the people
of Mississippi Next to having them il
our own State, we should want them in
nearby towns,
The county, district or state fair that
pays $500 for bang-tailed pony that
can run quarter little faster than
the others, and only SIS for the best mule
colt shown, is on the road to failure
and it ought to be. We must not for an
instant forget that the agricultural, hor
ticultural, livestock, poultry, ladies
work, and such exhibits are the sinew
and backbone of the fairs, and when
these are neglected, failure is bound to
come.
There is too much thistle in our State
and the people do not attach the impor
|tance to its eradication that they should
Better dig it up and burn the seed heads
if they are anything near maturity. Othel
4 States have expended thousands in get
ting rid of it. Why not spend little
time and attention here in preventing it,
getting a startf
The Iuka vidette. (Iuka, Miss.) 1894-1912, 1909-07-29

land. The early ripening varieties are
more likely to escape damage by rust,
and rust is less liable to attack wheat
on well drained soils.
A good crop of COW peas will frequent
ly increase the wheat crop from five to
ten bushels per acre. If COW peas are
planted for the purpose of increasing the
wheat crop, and not for hay, they should
not be plowed under before sowing the
wheat, but should be cut into the soil
with disc harrow. If the vines are
turned under the soil will be left puffy
and loose, and it will be impossible to
get firm seed bed which wheat requires,
and if the pea roots are turned on to the
surface much of the nitrogen will be
lost. We have gotten best results from
planting from October Is to November
Is.
The last census gives the average yield
of wheat in the United States as eleven
bushels. The same report shows the av-
bushels We should not be discouraged
by the very low average yield in Mis-
sissippi. A few years ago, when there
was more interest in wheat growing, the
writer made a number of experiments at
THE Mississippi Experiment Station with
wheat, and the yields secured were very
encouraging. In one of the tests the
wheat was planted Nov. IA on well
drained sandy loan soil without fertiliz-
'ers. The yield of the best variety Ian
caster) was 24S bushels. The yield of
the poorest variety (Eclipse) was 1911
bushels per acre. The average yield of
twelve varieties for that year was 1911
bushels.
In another test with five varieties sown
on well-drained' sandy loan soil Nov. 81,
no fertilizer, the best yield was from
Purple Straw, 24.1 bushels. The five
varieties made an average yield of 1873
bushels per acre. On another piece of
land where fertilizer was used, the yield
was 81 bushels.
These experiments extended over a Pc
Rod of three years, and if we exclude
some fertilizer experiments made on poor
hill land, the average yield for three
years was 21.3 bushels. This is not a
bad showing for Mississippi as a wheat
growing State, when we consider the fact
that the average yield per acre in Min
nesota, the best wheat State in the
Union, was, according to the last census,
14.5 bushels.
If there is any interest in the subject
we may have something more to say
about wheat growing in Mississippi.
E. r. LLOYD.
A considerable number of silos have
been constructed in Mississippi this year,
and they will soon prove valuable ad-
iunct to many other of our farms. Prof.
Lloyd says they are the cheapest and
best sources for food that he knows of,
and he has tested everything offered in
later years.
The prevalence of scale and other tree
pests is causing great loss to orchards in
the State, and it is high time that the
new law on such matters was being rigid
1y enforced. There is a remedy that will
prevent and it should be applied-by
force of law if not otherwise.
A gain of over two bushels of corn per
acre in three years and 35 pounds of cot
ton to the acre in five years is going
some for old Mississippi. Let's deter
mine that the next five years will show
gain double this amount. 1t will be
done Mark this prediction.
The Iuka vidette. (Iuka, Miss.) 1894-1912, 1909-07-29
With the Worlds
Great H1ln1oriSfS
Selections from the H,rfinSS of
Makers of

don't you think it's just bit childish
of you to get so blue every time the
Clevelands get walloped simply be-
cause you used to live in Cleveland?
1t doesn't make Cleveland any bigger
or brighter or better to have a win
ming baseball team that is made up OF
a lot of fellows who are hired to go
there and play, does it? And look at
them, anyhow. They couldn't win a
pennant in the Texas league. Why,
Wagner of the Pittsburgs could play
the whole infield himself and beat that
Cleveland bunch"
What do you know about it? Wag-
ner's with the Detroits."
Wagner with the Detroits? Say.
I'm not just in from Jayyille."
I've got money in my pocket that
says know more about baseball right
now than you do. happened to win
new hat on the worlds champion
ship last fall"
Then Addison Spriggs rose up, took
season ticket out Of his pocket and,
shaking 1t under Ferguson's nose, ex-
claimed:
"There That's the kind of man
am. l help to support the game.
haven't missed one this season. and
don't expect to. You cheap skates
who read the scores in the papers and
chew the rag about the merits Of
players you've never seen make me
weary"
Then he put on his hat and went
out. A moment later he came rush
ing back, with a paper in his hand
and yelled:
Boys, Ed. Walsh shut out the
Washingtons and didn't let man get
past second base. Wh-e-e-e! That puts
us up another NOTCH"
Copyright. 1909. by W. G. Chapmanl
The Iuka vidette. (Iuka, Miss.) 1894-1912, 1909-07-29
Addison Spriggs and the Foolish Fan
BY S. e. kiSER.

est as you think about baseball your
income might be bigger than it is to-
day. Have you any idea how much
money you waste going to baseball
during a season."
"Oh, about the same amount it
The Iuka vidette. (Iuka, Miss.) 1894-1912, 1909-07-29

costs you for chocolates and soda wa
ter"
"Ha, ha! Laugh, everybody. Awfully
funny. Keen wit. Say, Ferguson, you
ought to save up your humor and
write it out. Some publisher might
pay big money for it. But, honestly,
The Iuka vidette. (Iuka, Miss.) 1894-1912, 1909-07-29

you would be doing the country SER
vice to warn our people of the impend-
ing danger that threatens, and urge the
people, through the excellent means at
your command to begin at once the
preparation for sowing a bumper crop of
fall oats and the gathering of all hay
possible. Also the putting up and caring
for food crops for themselves. Give the
alarm and sound note of warning"
1t should not be necessary to add any.
thing to the suggestion made by Mr..
Murdoch. The matters he proposes
should be taken care of every year, and
more especially this. If our regular
money crops are not up to the standard,
more is the reason that every precaution
should be taken against the necessity
of buying the following year. Missis-
sippians have always handled such prop
ositions in sensible manner, and it is
safe to predict that this will not be an
exception.
The Farmer Should Quit Growing Cotton
to Buy Wheat.
1t has been said, "For big money, breed
horses; for sure money, cattle; but for
quick money, hogs" think we might
combine all three sayings in the latter,
and the breeding and feeding of swine
will most assuredly pay the general
farmer in Mississippi better, surer and
quicker profits than any of our domestic
animals. 1t has always been mystery
to me why the farmers will grow cotton
to buy pork, rather than grow cheap
crops to raise pork. While corn is one
of the best hog feeds, it is not necessary,
nor is it best to feed corn exclusively in
growing or fattening hogs. Hogs can
be grown with very little corn, and this
grain need not be fed longer than is
necessary to finish and harden the flesh.
believe the erroneous idea held by so
many farmers, that hogs cannot be sue
cessfully raised without feeding corn
from weaving time to killing time, has
had much to do in preventing farmers
from raising hogs for home use and for
sale instead of buying meat.
| suggest the following plan for
hog pasture to furnish grazing the whole
year:
Oats and Vetch-Planted in Septem-
Der, will furnish grazing December, Janu.
airy, February, March and part of April.
Alfalfa and Red CONGRATULATED in
August or September, will furnish graz
ing May, June, July and August.
Cav Peas and Peanuts-Planted in
April or May, will furnish grazing July,
August, September, October and Novem-
Der.
rtichokes-Planted in April and May,
will furnish grazing December and Janu-
airy.
Dwarf Essex Rape-Planted in Febru.
airy and March, will furnish grazing May
and June.
Dwarf Essex Rape-Planted in August
and September, will furnish grazing De-
cember and January.
Bermuda grass, with white or burr
clover, will serve as permanent pas
ture, and furnish grazing greater part
of the spring, summer and winter
e. r. LLOYD.
The Winston County Fair Association
has recently issued comprehensive pre-
MUM list that speaks well for the enter.
prise OF those behind the movement. This
is another of our fairs that began from
colt show and has been enlarged into a
regular county fair. They are good in
stitutions and worthy of the support Of
all good citizens.
Mexico Missouri message., 1909-12-30

We used to go to school with Dick.
He is an energetic fellow all right.
VIM. Rankin, out in Prairie Lea
neighborhood, bought two fat hogs
from George Irion, paying $3S. 40.
Jas. B. Weaver has a mare that
has made him some great money.
He bought her IL years ago at
Molino, paying $42.50 for her and
has sold $3.50 worth of colts from
her and a mare raised from her he
has refused $3.50 for. The sire
of all the colts is his noted horse,
John Bull. Weaver knows how to
raise horse stock.
Mexico Missouri message., 1909-12-30
Mrs. Clanton Dead.

Mrs. Laura Clanton, n years Of
age, died at her home just north
west of this city, last Saturday
morning. She had been i'll for
some time past. Eight children
survive her-Mesdames H. r. Gil.
bert, J. T. Coleman, I, ]. Ellis, j
w. Wilson and Miss Ida ClantOn
and j. R. and w. NJ. and j. u
Clanton.
Mrs. ClantOn was woman OF
great faith in God. She lived =
beautiful Christian life, and she
will be missed in the home and IN
the community.
The funeral was held at the resi-
dence Monday morning, at 1890
conducted by her pastor, Rev. H
/. Cobb.
Mexico Missouri message., 1909-12-30
Washington School.

Though it was a very cold night.
there was a large attendance Of
patrons and visitors at the Christ
mas entertainment in Washington
district last Saturday night, Miss
Zola Beal, teacher. The young
people did splendidly in their
recitations, essays, songs and Il
Christmas play in which all joined.
Chas. Newkirk, independent of the
school, presented a play in four
acts of his own composition.
They had a real Santa Claus who
remembered everybody with
candy and other gifts. A pleasant
hour it was for everybody.