davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-05-18
TR5r CROP OF OgrS WITH ASEcdNp CROP OFcoRN TAINTED
BETWEEN TIE. Rows ON The EfCAIL EAFf

his soil had reached it's maximum rich
ness. Finding that the addition OF
fertilizer brought no visible increase
In crops. the negro ceased to use it.)
In other words, this ex-srave, Who cam
not read or write, and who probably
never heard of any theory Of fertility.
has accomplished thing which is impos-
sible of explanation by the prevailing
theories His experience controverts the
text books. From the standpoint Of ortho-
dox agricultural science, it is miraculous.
Only one theory today can explain 1t.
according to natural causes. and that one
is a theory which is condemned with
harsh words and branded as heretical by
the great body Of soil chemists Of tine
United States and abroad. It is the
theory held by Milton Whitney. chief of
the bureau Of soils Of the Department of
Agriculture, and his chief assistant.
Frank X. Cameron.
Whitney and Cameron maintain that.
instead of being the container OF fertility.
soil is fertility itself: that as long as
there is any soil left on earth 1t Will
continue to bring forth plant life In
abundance-if man will apply intelligence
to its cultivation. 1t is difficult for the
layman to realize how bitterly this theory
is attacked by other soil chemists. or the
intemperance Of some Of the denuncia~
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-05-18
AccIimatizing Stucco.

~HERE is an exotic look about many
! stucco and plaster houses buiit In
MANY parts of the world today; and 1t
is because the plaster house is really
a nroduct Of the tropics transpianted.
When it is built in colder climates II
lacks the environment which 1t was
made to fit, and therefore lacks some
thing essential.
Take a plaster cottage on the bleak
New England seacoast or stucco
cabin in a western desert, or plaster
and stucco house in any OF hundred
suburbs in temperate climes. They do
not look as If they belonged where
they are. And this is the reason:
They look bare.
In their native home. the tropics. they
are covered with vines and hidden with
shrubs a few months after they are
built, and the comfortable covering
which Mother Nature gives them soon
cloaks their baroness. They Immediate
ly become a part of the landscape, just
as frame houses merge with the trees
about them. The stucco bungalows OF
covered with roses and
shrubs. look as il they had
stood where they stand since the be-
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-05-18

found young Ktnkead a valuable lieu
tenant.
He was a fluent speaker. possessed an
unerring political Judgment and was one
of the most popular youngsters in Hud-
son county. Their intimacy grew apace
and was ended only by the death Of the
little boss" as Davis was called. Kin
kead. who has all of an Irishman's love
for a good story. told one to some of his
New Jersey constituents the other day:
1T was shortly after Mr.. Taft's cleo
ton and he sent letter OF cOngratula-
ton to the republican organization In
New York. thanking them for their aid.
In the letter he made use Of the phrase:
'Forsan ct haec dim meminisse juvabit.'
'The phrase caused some CONSERVATION
in the democratic ranks OF Jersey City
and there was much doubt as to its
meaning. To settle it they called on Bob
Davis, as they did In all things, and
Bob tried to solye the problem in Virgil.
HE finally translated 1t. There's only
few of US left There were some
skeptics In the ranks. though. and they
took the phrase across the river and sub
mitted II to Tim Sullivan. then repre-
senting the Bowery district In the New
York senate.
Tim heard the phrase and said, You'll
1t a second time and without a moments
hesitation Tim declared:
Il don't know that you're pronOuncing
that Dago's name right. but I'll take my
oath he didn't vote In my district last
FALL"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-05-18
SSS

depths Of the ocean. So much for the
theory.
How. then, can one explain the case
Of Sam Mccall. an aged. il1iterate ex-
slave of Wilcox county, Ala? And
does 1t answer in the affirmative the
question, us 1t a waste of time and
money to put fertilizer on land?
Within the past few weeks the De-
partment of Agriculture has issued a
bulletin setting out facts in Sam Nc
Calls farming experience which seem
to be at variance with the theory of
soil fertility held and taught by the
agricultural colleges, not only of this
country but also of the world. In
half a dozen pages of type the bulle-
this ignorant black man, using only
nature seems to have endowed GER
tain of the southern negroes. took two
acres of side hill' land. washed and
eroded and totally worn out" and
brought them to the highest state of
fertility ever observed by the depart
ments agents in the south.
The bulletin carefully avoids making
revolutionary statements (for the quar-
rel among soil experts today Is one
of the bitterest contentious of the
scientific world), but, nevertheless. un-
obtrusively the statement is made that
Sam McCalPs land was brought to its
extraordinary degree of fertility with
out the addition of an ounce of fer
tinzer. Ut is true that Mccall has
used commercial fertilizer on his land.
but he did so as an experiment after
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-05-18
Senate buildir

Senate building at the gruesOme hour OF
half-past seven in the morning, all led.
shsven and eager for the days work. the
elevator was still asleep The only thing
around to represent the majesty Of the
United States was the antique negro
Waterman.
The senator's office was two flights up
and he was in a hurry.
Here. you.' he exploded upon the soil
tary darby, "can you run this elevator
up to my Officer"
No. boss. can't" replied the startled
attendant.
Then l cam" raped out Senator
Jones. "Open that door!"
The old darby, bewildered at the whirl-
wind methods of the western senator,
opened up the elevator. The senator grab
Sed the levers, there was a jolt and q
whirr-and they had arrived!
Every morning since Senator Jones
steers that FESTIVE elevator along its de-
yious course from the basement to he
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-05-18

$4,000 square miles Of land below Cairo.
and made a river forty miles wide.
In the case of the recent floods, figuring
fertile soil at the common market price
OF 81 per cubic yard, the water cut away
and carried off 6Oo0.ooo cubic yards OF
farming land. or. in other words. 100000
tons, a cubic yard OF rich earth weighing
just about one ton. Spread O one yard
deep. this amount would cover 1.224l
acres. OF piled up yard on yard IL would
make a pillar 3.409 1-6 miles high. To
attempt to compute the amount of edibles
that might have been grown on il is lit
tie short of impossible, but IL IL were all
devoted to wheat. by allowing the aver
age OF AL bushes to the acre-the figures
come from the Department OF Agriculture
the total loss would be 17,25S45 bushels
OF wheat, or roughly speaking, 1885 bar
rels OF flour. And these, accordin to one
OF Washington's bakers. would make the
staggering sum OF 1.19610O loaves or
bread. Food for an army-and all from
only one CROP
So when it is all figured out. the ordi-
narily computed financial loss caused by
flood. huge though IT IS. is after all a
small portion Of the real total. Pract-
cally all the conservationists are agreed
that IL the highway robbery OF the soil
could be stopped the nation would save
not less than $1O0.OO0.0o0 year.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-05-18

tag with the same data to the chickens
legs and keep an accurate record.
"Bills hired man. however, was In
clined to sco1 at any new-fangled meth
DDS. There was no trouble at first, but
Bill soon found that his hired man was
negligent about properly inscribing the
eggs. One day not an egg was marked
and Bill summoned the hired man to read
him the riot act.
The hired man listened in sullen silence
until Bill finished. Then he turned to
him and said:
''See here, Bill. You'll have to get an
other man"
why, Jim, you're not going 20 ave
me after working for me six years!
Yes, / am returned the hired man.
1--WE done all sorts Of odd chores for
you BIZ. without a whi,nper but I'm
burned If I'm going to stay on here and
be secretary to any burned hen!'
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-05-18

tional man and thought he had grown
callous to these entreaties-until. the
other day, a letter sent him into col
lapse that took his secretary. stenogra-
pher and a glass of cold water To bring
him back TO normal political life This
was It.
Opening his morning letters. he unfold
ed one from Elwood. and read:
My Dear Mr.. Pepper: ! hear certain
parties have written YOU urging me for
the postmastership here. / desire to pro-
test against any such appointment, and
70 say that under no conditions would l
accept such a position or any other
But at this point sir. Pepper slid down
in his chair-overcome.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-05-18
Painting the House.

THE odor OF fresh paint indoors WIN
last for many days and even weeks.
especially If the weather is not favor.
able for drying il. Rooms should be
heated to assist the drying process. and
buckets of water should be placed in ala
rooms to absorb poisonous gases. as Wa
ter quickly absorbs all impurities OF the
air.
be freshened IL sugar is burned I'm them.
1t fs preferable to disinfectants. espe'
cially when the latter 10 really not es-
sential. 1t has long since been learned
that sugar smoke Is death-dealfng to
microbes. and il is recommended for
use also in a house where there Is dis
ease.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-05-18
Final.

and. forthwith dismounting. sought to
engage his interest in the burning ques-
ton.
The farmer, however wrapped in his
fall blowing, was cold and Indifferent to
the tottering condition of the country,
and at length Mr.. Hughes, plodding
alongside. to enlist his attention. offered
to take the p1ow.
Grasping the handles and stumbling
along the burrows. he queried:
What sort of a plow's this?'
"A Jo-Harrer,' from the farmer. Mac
idly whiting alongside.
What did 1t cost?' asked the states
man.
''Three'n half"
IF we didn't have this outrageous
tariff. exclaimed the crusader, You
could buy it for pretty near half what
you"
II wouldn't do 'thout a Jo-Harrer ef
It cost twlct ez much!' interrupted the
farmer-and the crusader dropped the
plow handles and fled to his steed.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-05-18

yate secretary. That reminded Senator
Dillingham; Of farmer up in the Green
Mountain state who had Just adopted
scientific poultry-raising methods
BILL" said the senator. decided 10
keep an accurate record OF his feathereo
iocks and hit upon the scheme OF mark
ing each egg with certain data in IN
deIible ink His idea was to find which
variety Of chickens laid best and then.
when the eggs were Matched. attach a
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-05-18
Two Queer Fads.

Samuel H. Untermyer Of New York. the
lawyer who conducted most Of the quiz
zing In the Pujo money trust" investi-
cations at the Capitol. says he is prouder
Of the fact that he can grow the finest
orchids in America than he is of his as
signment as chief prosecutor against the
money evil. He appears daily with a
fresh orchid in the buttonhole Of his over
coat and another in the lapel Of the Eng
lish walking coat he wears.
Il have my man bring me a fresh sup
ply from New York every week." he
said in explanation.
Another thing he is proud Of is that he
is styled the Collie King of America
y. p. Morgan" he said. used to be
the big collie dog man OF the world but
I went after him. When I got started
Morgan's kennel never had a chance.
They never got better than fourth; and
At the last show at which q Morgan col
lie was entered his dogs were withdrawn
before the p-izes were distributed"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-05-18

A N amazing mass OF calculations,
~ both scientific and freakish. have
followed the declaration Of the
state secretary OF agriculture OF Ohio'
that the recent floods which swept over
that state in such torrent of death and
destruction wrought in addition to the
destroying of home and life more than
sc 600 600 in damages to the SOIL In Otner
words. the state official estimates that
the flood cut $1,000. 900 worth OF good
farming land from the earth and carried
1t down to the ocean.
r is difficult to realize how much rich
Garth is picked up under our very noses.
carried Off and dumped in the ocean day
hv day. even under ordinary circum-
stances. And once realized, the total
seems unbelievable. Nature, even at her
best daily makes the farmer, and hence
the entire country, the victim OF just
about the most gigantic highway robbery
conceivable. For instance, 1t has been
estimated by one authority, John l..
Matthews, who proves his statement
with figures. that in the case OF the Mis-
sissippi river alone enough soil to cover
half the farms in the whole United
States Is stolen every year.
sIf there were one hundred thousand
men standing on its banks. with shoveis.
and an unlimited supply OF flCn 0dTlH dt
hand" he says. in a highly technical
book on the subject, land II they toiled
twelve hours every day. three hundred
and sixty-five days out of the year. they
could not throw into the Mississippi as
much soil as it carries annually out into
the Gulf OF Mexico. This Is taking 1t the
wear round, too. In flood time, OF course.
conditions are far worse"
x
x*
It is as a result of facts like these that
some Of the greatest conservationists of
the nation are literally burning the mid
night oil, seeking a means not only OF
protection from the robbery but even OF
tanning the floods, Harvesting them and
making them work for man instead of
against him. The whole problem and
the pressing needs OF its solution has
been briefly summed up by Matthews
author Of an exhaustive work on floods
He says:
lover the whole United States there
falls in a single year an average OF
thirty inches Of water. That is to say,
that IL the water lay where 1t fell. not
running down hill. seeping into the soil
or evaporating, 1t would form an average
cover over the whole region thirty inches
deep, in some place more than eight feet
deep, in others but five or six inches.
This total rainfall. in a year. amounts
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-05-18
Sure Of It.

X e p r g sentative
Eugene F. Kinkead
Of New Jersey has
succeeded to- the
mantle Of Adam
Bede as the humor-
list Of the House OF
r e pr e sentatives.
When he entered
politics Bob Davis,
the leader Of Jer-
sey City. and one
Of the most saga
clio U . politicians
that New Jersey
has ever known.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-05-18
Not His Job!

About the time
when the subcom-
nittee OF the Sen
ate headed by
Senator William 4.
Dillingham; of Yer
mont was invesu-
eating the dis
turbances connect
ed with the sunra-
gette parade IN
w a 5 h 1 n g tor q
number OF senators
W ere discussing
I n . qualifications
necessary in a pri-
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-05-18
His Own "Going Upi"

Senator Jones OF
Washington Is the
earliest kind OF a
bird. Just when
the other dignitaries
OF the Senate are
turning over in
their morning beds
for forty winks
more he's down at
his desk, already
elbow-deep in the
days FORK.
The first morn
ing Senator Jones
appeared In the
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-05-18
"Tell 1t to Sweeney"

irwin >. Pepper.
though young in
years, is the wheel
horse of the Iowa
democratic delega-
ton in Congress.
and since last cleo
ton has received
about 194.8S appli-
cations, in d orse-
ments and fearful
appeals for APP
pointment to post
masterships in his
state.
He isn't an emo
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-05-18
FULD Or coTToNJUsT BEYoND
McCALGS RAcE.MELD. ONE-y,
FIFTH OLA BALE PERAcRE (

- starvation to be the ultimate fate of
the human race? Starvation, gradual
but sure, due to the accepted TACT
that cultivation and the growing Oh
crops, no matter how scientifically
done. slowly exhaust the elements OF Ter
tility in the earth's soil?
There can be no other conclusion 10
anv line Of reasoning based upon the
present theory of soil fertility. During
the last century of scientific study OF
agriculture the theory has been evoived
and commonly accepted that fertility Is
but an impregnation of soil and not a
constituent element of it, and that every
plant which grows takes away from the
soil q portion of this store of fertility.
As evidences OF the truth of this theory.
the scientists point to the abandoned
farms Of New England. acres which once
produced in abundance. but which now.
due to the continuous cropping of two
centuries. will not support the farming
population. And the boundary or So
called WORKOUT lands continually ad-
tivation by the pioneers who went west
ward from New England become ex-
hausted Of their feStility- The deep
prairie loan Of the Dakotas once pro-
to the acre. but the greedy grain has
sucked so much of the fertility out OF
the loan that 1t can now average only
about twenty bushels to the acre
To Illustrate the modern theory OF fer
tility. scientists apply the word mining
to careless methods of farming-that is.
the store of plant food in the soil is
likened to the deposits Of coal and other
minerals in the ground: there is a def
mite, limited quantity of them. and the
creation Of new beds Of minerals just as
the creation of new fertility, has ceased.
Exhaustive cropping robs the soil Of fer
tility, just as exploitive mining robs the
earth of its minerals. and the soil parti-
cles Of WORKOUT land become but sterile
husks which once contained In chemical
form the food first of plants. secondarily
OF animals.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-05-18

During the last
campaign r e p re-
sentative bud lev
M. Hughes, wide
awake, wide-acred
farmer Of Georgia,
went forth upon a
crusade ag-.nst the
Ubiquitous and un-
speakable enormi-
ties Of the tariff.
r | d ing militantly
along the big
road" he espied a
farmer blowing in
a moi oh hnA-D An1l
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-05-18
The CORN Is NATURE. AND COTTON Has BEEN -
s-@ PLANTED .BETVNEEN The Rows

through his patch and breaks down the
cotton stalks and plows them under.
When the oats are knee high he plants
corn in rows five feet apart and between
corn is knee high the oats are ready for
harvesting. This is done simply by cut
ting off the oat heads. leaving the straw
in the field.
Then the oat straw Is plowed under
and the cotton is planted In rows be-
tween the corn rows When the cotton
is knee high it is harvest time for corn.
The ears of corn are plucked from the
stalks, which are later trampled by the
cotton pickers and finally plowed In when
preparing for the oat sowing in the fall.
Amazing as the crop records OF Sam
McCall's two-acre farm are. their inn
portance is nothing compared with
that of the bearing OF his feat OF
bringing worthless land up to such
fertility upon the problem facing hui
mainly at the end Of the ages-wheth-
er or not the earth Will cease to pro-
duce food
One of the most eminent economists
in the Department Of Agriculture.
Prof w. J. Spillman. who has charge
OF the farm management work of the
department. believes that McCalfs
story is the concrete example proving
the truth of Whitney's and Camerons
theory that the soil particles contain
plant food in their organic compost
ton, and that they release this food
continually until, in the course or CEN
turtles. they finally dissolve away to
nothing.
"Of the three elements Of plant food
potash, phosphorus and nitrogen
we know that potash and phosphorus
are usually found in all soils. while
nitrate will disappear from soil and
continually has to be added to soil.
saws Prof. Spillman. I'VE have always
been taught that if you take potash
and phosphoric acid out OF the SOIL
Won rob it, while. IL you take nitrogen
out. you ruin it. The soil is usually
regarded as a bank, with the plant
food the deposits in the bank.
"Sam Mccall has been robbing his
hank for fifty years. and 1t is fuller Of
fertility than ever before. The widows
cruise Of oil which kept full no mat
ter how much she used was miraculous.
But is Sam Mccall the beneficiary OF a
miracle? If,so. what is the miracle?
I'VE have on the earth's surface q
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-05-18

OF course. even under the modern theo-
rfes. this fertility can be restored. Com
mercial fertilizers can be added, and care
full farming can put back on the land
most OF the fertility taken out by the
crops But this is only a conservation Of
the fertility; at best some of II is mined
and lost forever to the soil. Moreover,
the great fertilizer deposits of the earth
the nftrates OF Chile. the potash Of Ger
many and Nevada-have limits. Some
day they will be exhausted. no matter
how carefully they are conserved: and
the scientific Imagination can foresee the
coming age when the earth will be peo-
pied by weak. dying skeletons. engaged
in fierce struggle for the survival of the
fittest- starving by millions because all
fertility-which means food supply-will
have been deposited as sediment IN the
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-05-18
ginning of civilization.

ginning OF civilization.
So the thing for the owner OF
stucco or plaster house to do is to
plant quick growing vines and shrubs
about IT, and SO acclimatize 1t. Hardy
evergreens banked at the corners will
help make the house look comfortabfe
in the winter: In the summer honey
suckle, rambler roses. hollyhocks. wei
CELIA and other Quick-growing vines
and shrubs and plants can be used 10
make the stucco house feel ut homo
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-05-18

to the staggering sum of 2OO,OOO.CSoo-
600 cubic feet. Having fallen upon the
earth. it escapes in various ways. one
fifth of it finds its way to the sea IN run
ming streams, enough to make six rivers
the size Of the Mississippi. Some or 1t
sinks into the earth. is absorbed by the
roots Of trees and plants and escapes
through their leaves into the air by the
process called the Transportation, or
breathing OF plants. Some OF it, and this
is a very large amount is taken up into
the trees and plants and goes to form
the greater part of their cells and their
that evaporates into the air. Yet. despite
all these outlets, rarely a spring passes
but that enough Is left to make devas-
Eating flood.
X
"And no other element in nature plays
SO profound part in our existence az this
deluge. The whole surface of the CONT
nent, mountains. meadows, plains and
river courses, have been shaped by it dur
ing the long centuries 1t has sought the
sea, eroding, carrying on and dropping
sand, silt, gravel and even huge bouiders;
cutting gorges through mountains, filling
up depressions, making habitable lands
uninhabitable and turning sandy deserts
into gardens.
This enormous amount OF water. Wnlcn
now runs worse than to waste. this six
fold Mississippi. pouring its idle and un-
utilized flood into the sea, carries with
it, annually, more than one billion tons
Of our richest soil. The whole nation
suffers, for the soil it carries off can
never be replaced.
but could this flood be penned and
harnessed, treated not as an element of
danger, but rather as a resource, penned
in reservoirs and used when needed for
crops, 1t would produce an addition to the
natural wealth OF the country so vast
as to be almost inconceivable. A farmer
stricken with poverty would be unknown.
for it would be impossible for his crops
to fail. And this. by the way. would
have no inconsiderabl BILE effect on the high
cost of living"
AS it Is now. however, 1t Is estimated
that instead Of helping the farmer, even
q small flood will carry away more soil
than would be consumed by the crops in
four years. Looking at these facts cold
ly and reckoningiy, 1t can readily be seen
that, unless something is done, 1t is only
q question Of time until ala the more fer
tile loose lying soil will have been dump
ed into the Gulf of Mexico, and only clay
and similar soils less amenable to wash