The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-11-21

while the salary came and went regular, we had a "coming" place, as improve ments were coming from town "out our way" The fruit trees were doing their best, and the grapes were due to bear a few punches. We ferciiized them all good. according to the best dope ob- tainable. but if we had forowed all the advices the vines would have had to be trained up into trees instead of on an harbor. By the way. we put out nice strawberry patch the first year, and when, one warm, early spring day, some hCdy discovered a bloom on one of the plants everything was commotion on the hill Really. there was as much excite ment as when the first Leghorn egg was d d4scoyered Well, spring was coming around again. now, and the sap was ris- ing in the members of the family just as it was in the trees. The good wife decided to get busy with the incubators and soon 10th machines were grinding away. Luck was with us But right here let me say I must change the word we" in the chickenralsing department to the singular word ssne"-my wife, for she watched the machines like two chill dren; she read up on ''how to- and ''how not to" from every poultry journal ob- tainahle, and by putting two and two together and forming her own conclu sions has made success in raising poui- try, having the past year raised almost 30ao White Leghorns..
 We had a we'll started on the brow of the hill near the house. The nigger that dug Cor attempted to do so) had trouble with his wife. who run the windlass while he dug. After gong down some distance-he was digging so much in dirt ana SC much in rock-of course it was my luck to have him strike rock, which called for double price We agreed to pay 50 much for every 10 feet And these 10 feet came around with awful regularity. But we wanted water The nigger had an argument with his wife, attempted to throw her in the we'll, and Mrs. Moses came to the rescue with her gun by telling the nigger to "cut it out" The next day he came back with his sister," But this sister" turned out to
 another woman." Along about the mid- dle of the day the aforementioned wife appeared, and business again picked up. Family affairs were finally patched up; we had put almost S100 in that well. The next day the nigger had to make another blast in rock. but it was fatal blast; the well caved near the bottom-70 feet down and we could never get anybody to finish 1t. But we still had that sal ary coming every week, and thought our selves lucky. Well, We struck another trade With a reliable nigger' for a well further down the hill. We were lucky and got water at about 30 feet-good, soft water, and it has been good and cold ever since. l might add here that we had water hauled and ''toted" before this last well gushed forth.
 We were now thoroughly established lon the farm,' and few city folks came out to see us-and eat chicken.
 Marketing the Product
 The next year We raised about 1000 Leg horns Mrs. Moses had not failure yet with her ,nschines or in the raising of the chicks We began to advertise in the Sunday and Weekly Age-Herald Poul- try Column with wonderful success. We shipped eggs and day-old chicks to all sections-Texas. Oklahoma. Ohio. and many places in Alabama. The business was beginning to get interesting. We needed more machines. We got two more, each holding 250 eggs. We bought the best machines. as it don't pay to fool with cheap ones
 Summer time was nor far off now, and the berries were putting out thick Danger of frost was past-we thought SC we put out an early garden. But we reclSoned wrong. It was nipped ''in the bud" But we had that salary to buy a little more canned stuff. We planted again and made it. The grapes, now 8 years old. were budGing nicely, and soon the small punches of fruit began to form We were going to have our first good grape "crop." It came. We ma Ie wine, jelly. jam and sold a few. We also got at least peck of fruit off our trees this year; the blooms were caught in the late frost. But the trees were growing so what did we care And we had money coming every week at the office. We raised plenty of green stuff this year to feed the chickens, which they needed. We also planted a good garden that fall The chickens were new source of revenue, after much hard work by the good wife. Or ,lers came in for 100 eggs, 100 day-old chicks, a single sitting, trio of this age and pen of that age We were now in the poultry business I took the shipments to the express office, and the next day some other poor soul was made happy with his start in the ''poul- try business" Of course, we wished them well. but. Let us hope they suc- ceeded, rany way.
 Trying Truck Garden
 The next year the Chamber of Com ,nerce decided that Jefferson county need ed 800 more truck farms. We decided to put on'' a wagon that year. We went in on the buddy" game with old Uncle Jack Tkormby, an old slavery negro. but the best worker nearby. We were to split all profits. furnished everything. He did the main work. For remember