The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-07-31
FARMERS SCHOOL
CLOSES SESSION
Petition to Legislature for a
Large Appropriation
$4,000 Is REQUESTED
Annual Appropriation of $4,000 Is
Also Asked for Maintenance-Inter-
esting Lecture BY Georgian
on Poultry Raising
$4,000 IS REQUESTED

cue spread on the college campus in
front of Langdon hall. Later, during the
afternoon, there was dance, which most
of the younger visitors attended. And the
eighth farmers summer school of Ala
bama is over, after having performed a
work for the education of the farmer
which the farmers themselves readily
acknowledge.
One of the most spectacular features
OF the school came just before the close
with a stump-blowing demonstration.
Loosening stumps for removal by explo-
sion was the process exhibited on the
college farm.
Forty-five prizes were awarded during
the morning in the various contests of
stock judging, corn growing, corn judg-
ing and domestic science. Twenty-one
of the prizes were In stock competi-
tions for the best animals.
The feature of Thursdays session was
the action of the farmers in unanimously
indorsing a petition to the legislature
requesting an appropriation of s65,oO0 and
$4,000 year for maintenance, to go to
Auburn for improvement and extension
Of its agricultural work and facilities.
The petition is in two sections, each
calling for separate appropriation. One
asks for $4,000 with which to carry on
the work of tick eradication, hog chol-
era determination etc. The other asks
for $4,000 to be used by the animal in
dustry department at Auburn, to build
barns and improve flocks and herds, and
also an annual appropriation of $4,000
for maintenance of the department
The resolution carrying the petition was
offered by Jesse M. Jones of Montgomery
county, who spoke briefly of the need
of agricultural education and of Au-
burns work in that line. An amend
ment was offered that 100000 be re-
quested, instead of the smaller amount,
but it was voted down after a speech
by E. L. Cunningham of Coffee county.
On Tick Eradication
The resolution was offered just after
spirited address on tick eradication by
DR.. Tate Butler OF starksville, Miss
DR.. Butler, one of the foremost advo-
Gates In the south of tick eradication,
was vigorous in his attempt to disprove
the skepticism and the opposition which
confronts the eradication work In Ala
bama today.
Southern farmers lose 100000 to $780,
100000 each year because of the ticks
he said. The need of eradication and
the comparative simplicity of the work,
he explained.
The depreciation in the price OF Ala
bama cattle for two years because of
the tick will be sufficient, II applied to
eradication, to drive the tick forever from
the state" he said. More cattle die
each year from ticks than from any
other five or six diseases together.
IT'S nothing but ignorance or indif-
ference which allows the tick to remain
and eat up the hard-earned profits of
Alabama farmers" he said.
One of the talks of the morning on
chicken raising drew the most intense
attention of the farmers. The talk was
that of a practical, successful chicken
raiser, Loring Brown OF Smyrna, Ca,
whose chickens are numbered by the
thousands.
Hen Cash Producer
The hen was characterized as the
cash producer Of the farm, as the
means of the elimination of credit and
bills That the advantages of chicken
culture Is interesting and profitably
so, the boy and girl and woman of the
farm, was revealed. The story, told
simply, was almost romantic and Mr..
Brown was called to speak again dur
ing the afternoon and at night. A few
Of his admonitions are:
"A good place to keep the chick
ems must be secured. Without that you
must not expect much. A chicken kept
in confinement and properly fed will
produce twice as many eggs as a chick
en- allowed to run loose and pick up
its own food. Also chicken is not
good to eat after being allowed to
run on a big open range.
You must keep your chicken house
clean, as clean as your own house.
There is no excuse for lice or mites.
which must have a bed to live In.
Never set hen. They are not made
to set; they're made to lay eggs" said
Mr. Brown, in advocating the use of
incubators.
Incubators, he said, are no trouble.
as some claim. Women and children
can operate them with ease.
Your wife and children can take
care of 500 hens in the winter and
don't make a nickel on your farm
he said.
There is always a market for the
good product, he said. If not, it is
simple matter to create one.
Eggs are a cheap food" he said;
Cheaper by half than bacon" He spoke
of the folly in the farmers sale OF
his eggs and purchase of ham and
bacon to eat.
good dry mash for food was pre-
scribed by Mr.. Brown. of which the
ingredients are: Bran 40 pounds, meal
Is pounds, shorts 15 pounds, alfalfa
meal is to 20 pounds, prepared meat
scraps 10 pounds, charcoal 2 pounds
and during the moulting season cot
ton seed meal pounds. A construc-
ton of hopper to hold the mash was
explained and 1t was advised to give
the chickens absolute freedom of the
fare. The hopper was constructed like
other bins for other unmixed feed. Mr.
Brown advised plenty of water for the
chickens.
The construction of the houses
fences, and other equipment of a chick
en- range was explained in detail and
drawings of the houses Of the speak
ers farm were exhibited.
AS to- the feed Mr.. Brown praised
alfalfa meal highly.
There's nothing" he said, that will
make eggs like alfalfa meal" Pea vine
leaves. also, he said, were good.
Mr.. Brown drew from mis- own rec
ords glowing promises of financial re-
turns from chicken culture. showing
its margin over dairying and other
Industries of the farm, with the ad-
vantage at either viewpoint of expense
or returns.
Prof. e. F. Cauthen Of the Auburn
experiment station spoke on cotton
growing. Every farmer, he said, should
find out for himself the variety he
wants by experiment and selection. A
number of varieties from which to Sc
lect he suggested: Long staple, cluster,
bell, intermediate.