davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Fort Sumner review., 1911-05-27

thrives best on a rich sandy loan
with permeable subsoil. The
old saying, that alfalfa will not
stand wet feet" is very true as
many have found to their sorrow
in attempting to grow it upon
wet, soggy land. Alfalfa will
stand some flooding while the
plants are in the dormant state,
but sheets of ice invariably kill
out the crop.
Land intended for alfalfa must
be thoroughly prepared by good,
reasonably deep blowing and
narrowing and should be precti-
cally free from weeds. 1t is a
waste of time and money to at
tempt to grow alfalfa upon poor
weedy land, as the the young
plants are Very tender and a
poor stand is usually the result.
1t is an excellent plan to prepare
the land the year previous to
sowing the alfalfa by growing a
cultivated crop such as corn or
potatoes, the latter preferred.
Here is where the good plowing
and thorough tillage should be
practiced. By thoroughly cult
waiting the land, many of the
weeds are destroyed and a large
amount of moisture is stored in
the soil to be utilized by the
young alfalfa plants. Upon old
land, liberal application of we.l
rotted manure before planting
the cultivated crop will prove
very beneficial in stimulating
vigorous growth while the plants
are young. Before sowing the
alfalfa the following spring, the
land should be double disked by
Iapping half and then thoroughly !
narrowed. 1t is highly impor-
-ant that the sci! be put in the
oest possible ply. al condition
before sowing the seed.
Alfalfa should be sown in tie
spring after the danger of heavy
'rost is past. In the dr:er sec
ions, better stands are generally
obtained when medium carly
seeding is practiced. Usually,
,etter stands are obtained by
sowing the seed broadcast and
lightly narrowing the ground
lfter sowing, More seed VIII be
The Fort Sumner review., 1911-05-27
Interesting Things
ABOUT ALFALFA
[Campbell's Scientific Farmer ]

[Campbells Scientific Farmer. ]
In the April number of the
Scientific Farmer we gave de-
tailed information in regard to
the growing of alfalfa on the
upland of the western plains or
where the rainfall is less than
twenty inches and the sheet
water is below the depth to
which alfalfa roots will go for
water. We give below a sum-
mary of the essential facts that
must be known and followed to
secure the best results from al
falfa under irrigation, as we'll as
under the conditions obtaining
in the humid sections.
If you follow in a general way
the instructions found in these
alfalfa articles you can not go
far wrong. Of course conditions
vary and you must use your
judgement in applying principles
to the conditions under which
you are operating.
Alfalfa will Go well on nearly
all well drained soils, but it
The Fort Sumner review., 1911-05-27

required from broadcasting than
when a drill is used. Eighteen
to twenty pounds of good seed
is the usual amount used when
sown broadcast. Twelve or fif-
teen pounds viii be sufficient if
sown with a drill. There are
various makes Of cheap hand
seeders on the market which
are very practical for sowing the
seed broadcast. The seed may
be sown with a common grain
drill with the disks SCI to SOW as
shallow as possible. When a
grain drill is used the seed may
be mixed with ground meal
using one-third of seed to two
thirds of The meai or ground bar
ley; then sowing the resultant
mixture at the rate of three and
a half to four and one-Lalf pecks
per acre. Shoull sufficient mois-
ture not be present in the soil
for rapid termination of the
seed, it is best to defer planting
to a more favorable time, or if
need be, until next season.
The first year is largely spent
by the alfalfa crop in establis-
ing the plants in the soil and full
crops are not secured until the
second or third season. During
the first season it is advisable to
mUw the alfalfa once or twice,
with the sickle bar of the mower
run high, in order to keep down
weeds and prevent them from
going to seed Young plants
must not be cut too late in the
fall OF the first year, for if allow
ed to form at least five or six
leaves before cold weather sets
in they will withstand the rigors
Of winter much Better.
If the weather conditions in
the spring are especially favor
able and plenty of moisture is
good stand of alfalfa
may be secured on land that
grew a cereal crop the previous
but as che cost of seed is
great it will not usually pay to
sake the risk. In this case it
will be best to early fall plow
The stub5le land, subsurface
pack in the spring, thoroughly
narrow then use a planker or a
The Fort Sumner review., 1911-05-27

fitting drag run fiat to improve
the physical condition of the soil
before sowing the seed. Alfalfa
should not be sown with nurse
crop as all the moisture and
sunshine is needed by the young
plant.
When manure is applied to the
land, it may not be necessary to
resort to artificial inoculation of
the soil. which in the major por-
ton of the state appears neces-
The Fort Sumner review., 1911-05-27

A good way to fill up chuck
holes in wagon road is to cut
bear grass and tie each plant
into a roll with one of its own
stems, and lay them in the holes
with enough dirt thrown in be-
tween to keep them in place.
Constant travel with the heaviest
loads can not wear out a bunch
OF bear grass.
The Fort Sumner review., 1911-05-27

sary in order to obtain healthy
growth Of the alfalfa. Excellent
results have been obtained bv
inoculating the land with soil
taken from an old alfalfa field
where it was known that the
bacteria was present in abund-
ance. The soil sown broadcast
by hand at the rate of one, two
and three hundred pounds per
acre and narrowed at once. This
Continued on page 81
The Fort Sumner review., 1911-05-27
SATURDAY, MAY 81

The Bureu of immigration has
compiled statistics which show
71S,000 acres under cultivation by
dry farmers in New Mexico in
1911. Guadalupe County is cred
tied with a dry farm area of
100000 acres with 20, under
cultivation this year. These fig
ures are based on an estimate
made by Professor ]. D. Tinsley,
agricultural demonstrator for the
Santa Fe railway and while the
Professor has ample means of
observation throughout the terri
tory, we are inclined to disagree
with him, in so far as this end
of the county is concerned. The
majority of farmers within a
radius of ten miles have increased
their acreage from Is to 60 per
cent since the professors last
visit here about two months ago.
The Fort Sumner review., 1911-05-27

The Melrose Enterprise has
changed hands, and is nov under
the able management of W. G..
Hawley, who announces the pa
per will be a live wire from now
on, and proceeds to hand our old
friend, Beckwith, of APPENDIX"
fame the following bunch:
Our geniel contemporary,
the Index man, attempted to
write our obituary in his paper
this week, but as we have come
back, " guess he will have to do
it over"
The Fort Sumner review., 1911-05-27

With the glorious Fourth six
weeks away. the time is appro-
pirate to arrange for sane and
safe celebration here.
For the past two or three
years the principal amusement
here, has been for some simple
witted guy to get about half
picked on sheep-dip, invest in a
bunch of Roman candles and
stand off and shoot at pa5sers
by. Of course a burning ball
from a Roman candle would feel
fine, no matter what part of your
anatomy it landed on, and epec-
tally so down the back of ones
neck; also one of them could
start a lively fire among all these
shacks.
1t is both easy and safe to cell
ebrate without being foolish.
The Fort Sumner review., 1911-05-27

Russian thistle is weed we
Should organize a crusade a.
gainst. We must fight it at
once, before it spreads all over
valley. There are many varie-
ties of weeds but the thistle is
the worst enemy the farmer has.
The Fort Sumner review., 1911-05-27

It's all right for Mr.. Taft to
keep that ton of ice under his
desk with the thermom eter up to
100, but here's hopin' he won't
get cold feet on the statehood
situation.
The Fort Sumner review., 1911-05-27
MAKING FARMING At
TRACTIVE

To ignorance and consequen
prejudice chiefly is due the ten
dency of boys and girls to leav,
the farms and drift toward tn,
cities where their returns il
money, and enjoyment are mucl
less. And the ignorance anC
consequent prejudice are largely
if not wholly due to the failure
of educational methods in rura
schools to take account of the
need Of a scientific and practica
basis if the youth are to be in.
duced to turn their attention tc
farming. Under prevailing con-
ditions the idea of drudgery is
uppermost in the minds of the
youngsters on the farms, and
before they can be led 20 adopt
modern methods and look upon
farming as a profitable and en-
jcyable profession, they must be
taught in modern fashion the
scientific basis of profitable agri-
culture.
Boys and girls respond quickly
to the stimulus of practical in
struction and wisely directed
creative effort. When they do
things themselves, and under
stand why things happen, they
instantly drop the notion OF
drudgery and become interested
in the underlying principles. To
the question, Shal. be a farmer?
a lecturer of the government
bureau of plant industry recently
Yes, if you have the
brains if you haven't, you'd
better be lawyer. a doctor, a
statesman, or merchant.
This same man sent circulars
to "a county schools in Iowa,
early in spring, asking the reach
ers to ascertain how many of
the boys expected to be farmers
or were at the time interested in
agriculture in rural life. OF 164
older boys enrolled, 157 replied |
that they would never have any
thing to do with farming if they |
could help it. After a short |
course in agriculture had been |
carried through in these schools,
with lectures by experts and |
some practical demonstration in
scientific farming, the same
question was asked again, and
all but II of the boys declared
hat they expected to manage
arms when they grew up.
1t is a lamentable fact that
Notwithstanding the drift is
lway from the farms, and farm
acreage diminishing, and average
'eild per acre tends to decrease,
md our surplus for export is
teadily dropping, and staple
arm products per. capita are be-
oming less and less, yet practi-
ally nothing is being done in
he schools, city or rural, to
ring to the children a practical
nowledge of modern farming
nd its great opportunities.
While this condition prevails,
iscontent With rural life will be
he rule. and the drift to the
tiles will not be stayed. Ell
'aso Herald.
The Fort Sumner review., 1911-05-27

'Tis said the fly you killed last
summer, if allowed to live, would
have had 1881, 223 decendents by
this time. If you doubt this ask
some bald-headed man.
The Fort Sumner review., 1911-05-27

The statehood question is not
bothering our New Mexico
farmers not so as you can notice
it just at present.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-10-01

ly disturb the trade or feelings of the world. Tripoli will be better gov erned by Italy as Morocco will be better governed by France. The Turk would have been driven out of Europe iong ago if England had not inter- fered, and Germany's interference on account of some concessions in Asia Minor will not keep Italy from seizing Tripol.
 Cyrene is described as small island eight miles from the coast, situated, says the esteemed cyclopediaists, be- tween Alexandria and Carthage. As Carthage was built about 20 miles from the present city of Tunis in the French province of that name, and ss Alexandria is in Egypt at the south of the Nile, it is not easy to locate Cyrene. It is probably near the city of Tripoli
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-10-01
IN HOTEL LOBBIES
Regarding Telephone situation.

T am glad the Southern Bell Telephone l company stands ready to purchase the Peoples company" said Robert Jemison Jr. As every one must know. there arc certain public utilities that come under the head of natural monopolies, and the telephone is one of them. A rival tele- phone company means greater expense to those Of us who wish to be in touch with all who have a telephone. There is cer- tainly no good reason why we should have to pay for two telephones. con soidation of the two companies will result in more satisfactory situation in every way.
 As to the Bell company's advance in rates, it would seem, from the show ing recently made, that the increase was justifable. If- the company's earn ings have not been sufficient to yield reasonable return on it's enormous invest ment, it would be a poor business policy that would continue the old low rates We should not ask or expect any eorpor- ation to operate here at a loss.
 Birmingham should welcome and en- courage outside capital. It is the iniluN of capital that makes Birmingham. II ls fine advertisement for the district when large investments are made to pay. On the other hand, it would be a positive injury to the district if the attitude Of the community was unfriendly to capi- .ta1 't
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-10-01
Dr. Wiley and the Pure Food Law

The President wisely and correctly decided that Dr. Wiley should remain in the government service as chief chemist. As soon as the decision had been rendered MT. Taft began his long tour. This tour is to last until No- vember.
 In the meanwhile Dr. Wiley is chief chemist in name only. If Dr. Wiley finds transgressors of the pure food law he is as powerless as he was be- fore the President decided to retain him. Solicitor McCabe is at hand to decide who shall and who shall not be prosecuted. The Remsen board stands ready to reverse Dr. Wiley's findings. The head of the department upholds McCabe and the Remsen board.
 In other words, the decision 0f the President is null and void in the de- partment of agriculture as things stand there. The decision was widely commended, but when it is feen that neither McCabe nor Wilson propose to resign or to change their general pcl- icy it becomes plain that the com mendation of the people was nasty, for the President has no influence with his own administration. The President plainly indicated that Dr. Wiley, as chief chemist, should be en- trusted with the enforcement of the pure food law. As a plain matter Of fact, McCabe continues to administer the law, protecting this or that inter est in acordance with the plans of Secretary. Wilson, including the con. cerns that put benzoate of soda in articles of food. The Presidents de- cision stands nullified and the country will soon demand to know if the firm of Wilson 6 McCabe outranks the President himself in authority.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-10-01
Language and Manners

T have read several things in The Ase-Herald recently about the unre- strained youth of today and marked tendency to rowdyism on the part of young men, especially in the east" said an old man of the world.
 New York is the scene or more rowdyism, perhaps. than any other place in the world. I know this by ] reading the New York papers and by talking with New York police officials in my frequent sojourns in the great metropolis.
 'I was born and reared in the south, and have lived south>of the Mason and Dixon line all my life. 1 was brought up very strictly so far as decorum and morals were concerned. l was taught that profane swearing was not only sinful from "a religious point of view. but that it was coarse and indefensible from any point of view. I have seen a great deal of the world in the last 35 CT 40 years, but With all my faults l | have never used a 'cuss' word; this as l q result of early discipline. I not only was required to go to church every l Scripture and the Yves minister stand ards Yes, l was brought up d Presby tcrian, and while l became too worldly to feel at home in the Presbyterian communion, I owe whatever good ] might lay claim to in the way of decorum to GodIy Presbyterian parents and to early religious affiliations. l used to hear Calvinism preached Sum day after Sunday for when was a regular attendant of 9the Presby yterian church doctrinal discoufses were great ly in vogue; as much in vogue in our southland as In Scotland.
 Thousands of our young men arc brought up nowadays probably as strictly as I was and arc as clean in their speech as l was taught to be, but a very much larger percentage of bcys
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-10-01
Fields Reprcscntatiye

T. D. Bonneville, until recently sport nS editor of the Richmond News Leader is at the Hillman. He Is representing Al G. Field, so well known to all Alabamans and a general favorite in Birmingham,
 ''The veteran minstrel man is on the way here with his splendid aggregation of gloom-dispellers and with a corkologi- cal entertainment that Is said to be the best that has been on tour in the south ern country in many years,' said Nr. Bonneville. "The Greater Minstrels make their annual bow to local followers of minstrelsy next Friday and Saturday nights and Saturday matinee.
 MT. Field has for more than decade held the inside track in the running of minstrelsy events in Dixie, but it is said that with this seasons show he has sur- passed the most elaborate of his earlie. productions. From what can be learned of this years production it has been staged and mounted by the veteran pro- ducer on a scale whose magnitude is unprecedented on the minstrel stage.
 Al G., as he is familarly called throughout the south, is now making his twenty-sixth annual tour of the country and comes to Birmingham with the prom ise of the usual warm welcome He has large number of personal friends here. people with whom he affilates upon each yearly visit. Although no plans have been announced, it is likely that several social affairs will be arranged in honor of the veteran who may well be called the city's guest.
 Reports here are to the effect that Fields Greater Minstrels are making 6 triumphal tour of the south, playing to packed houses In every city They played in Atlanta Thursday, Friday and Satur- day, the Shriners taking advantage of the occasion to do honor to Field. who is high up in Masonry. The entire lower floor was purchased by the Shriners for the first night
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-10-01

An Atlantic City special to the last Record, says:
 President Maben of the Sloss Steel and Iron company of Alabama, who is l in Atlantic City. in discussing the iron situation and the question of reduc- 1 tion of freight rates on iron while prices continue as low as at present, said to the Manufacturers Record: Regarding the iron market, there is but little to be said. It is surprising how the production has kept up, with the low prices prevailing. the curtail- ment of consumption and the large ac- emulation of stocks on furnace yards. The railroads are large consumers Of iron, and there is no reason to be- lieve that they will become more liberal buyers until the mass of the voters, who control the politicians, can be brought to realize how closely their well being and prosperity is allied to that of the railroads. This should be kept before the people for the good of the country. The present price of pig iron, when the lower prices are taken into account, is scraping on the rock bottom of cost even at well located furnaces, whereas it is below the cost at a great many furnaces. How long can these conditions con- tinue?
 Tt would seem that many furnaces must be driven out of blast, and in this sharp curtailment of production is to be found the only hope for an improve ment in the price of iron in the near future. We cannot hope for any ma terial increase in consumption until the nation drifts back to saner moor ings.
 That the freight rates on southern iron should under existing conditions, be reduced does not admit of debate, There is not a consumptive demand in the south for the iron produced there, and the furnace companies must either pile the iron, still further sharply cur tail production, or find market in the north and east. This latter alternative Is impossible with the present high ex- isting freight rates, so that the fur
 mace companies arc suffering and the
 railroads arc losing profitable busi- ness which they might enjoy. When iron advanced the southern railroads
 very promptly made two advances oi 50 cents each in the freight rate but now, with iron selling at about the low
 est price in number of years, and
 the south kept out of large territory
 which it formerly enjoyed, by the eX-
 cessive freight rates, when the rail
 roads are asked to aid the furnace companies in cnlarging their marke and thereby benefiting themselves b, making q somewhat lower freight rate into a certain territory, they refuse tc consider the request, giving as q reason simply that if the rate is reduced il will be impossible ever to advance il
 again, which is very lame excuse, j. any at all. The southern roads shoul,
 reduce the freight rates on iron, an,
 that promptly, if they wish to foster and build up the iron trade in tho
 south"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-10-01
MclIOw'd by the stealing hours of time
 king Richard III.
Value of Platform Pledges

Platform promises are well illus trated in New York, where both parties stand pledged by their plat forms of last year to the enactment of statewide direct primary law. Neither party has attempted in the legislature to keep its pledge. The democratic party is the guiltier of the two, because it elected a governor, and the pressure by it of a state wide primary bill would speedily be- come law. But neither party has at tempted to redeem it's pledges. This is simply a bald record of political dishonesty.
 Governor Dix has tried in two mes sages to hold the democratic party up to it's pledges. His plain words pre- sent the issue wildly, and if the leg islature adjourns without needing his honest words the people will be heard from in November, when a new lower house is to be elected.
 Men like Boss Murphy of the demo- cratic party and Boss Barnes of the republican party want no real pri- maries, and they will continue to de- feat all such propositions until the people wake up and then they will submit like whipped spaniels.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-10-01
GETTING RICH QUICK

New York Correspondence Cincinnati
 Times-Star.
 Want to get rich quick? Come to New York and open really good restaurant. That advice goes, if you know what a good restaurant is and how to run it. 1t doesn't go if you think that good res taurant is merely an establishment
 trimmed up with red plush and electric
 lights, in which the walters do not stick
 their thumbs in the soup. Seven res
 taurants out of 10 in New York charge
 their patrons too much'' said the stew ard of one Of the biggest eating shops. "'rhey stint their service, they try to squeeze an extra dime out by the hat check extortion, they permit tip greedy walters to reserve the best tables against the coming of the best tippers, and when complaint is made the head walters are permitted to uphold the walters in their discourtesy or bone headedness. Some oi | these restaurants flourish because of ad- vantage of location. Others live on after l a fashion, and some die because even New York can't be jobbed forever without get 1 ting on."
 lie went on 10 give ilStdHctS eo P'oN ' | his contention that the restaurant keeper who succeeds is the one who gives ms pa | tlons the nearest q dollars worth in re- turn for the eagle bird. There's chop 1 house down in Greenwich village--away | off the line of travel-which not one New Yorker in 800 has ever heard of. But il
 was established by the grandfather of the l old man who now runs 1t, and is handing
 down to his grandson knowledge of good
 meats and clear ale and mealy potatoes | That's about all one can buy there. An upper Broadway restaurant has expanded out of all knowledge very recently be-
 ceuse customers are treated courteously
 art not pursued by hat devils or robbed
 by walters or poisoned by cooks. It is
 anything but cheap restaurant, but il | gives the worth of the money paid it Within sight of it Is another restaurant
 which was opened not long ago by mai
 with a bank roll, experience and hearty l greed. 'It was closed" said the speak CT, because the proprietor was a New ! Yorker-and tried to operate on the New