The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-04-09
Hundreds Gathered Yester- day to Hear Her Practical Talk on Farming in Alabama
DELIGHTFUL VISIT
 IS PAID TO SCHOOL
Coming Up Through South Alabama Mrs. Mathis Has Had Unusually Cordial
 Reception
By NETTIE M, BEALL

Montevallo, April S.-(Special.) ) Hundreds gathered in MontevaIlo to- day to hear Mrs. G. H. Mathis. who has travelled across eight counties in the past week and left thousands of friends, who came and heard and were conquered by the enormous power of this remarkable woman.
 She has implanted the gospel of bet ter farming in thousands of hearts during the past month and minds and hearts are working together to carry out her teachings and to make Ala abma foremost in the list of states satisfactorily as well as alphabetically.
 She spoke at the schoolhouse and the auditorium was packed to the doors with earnest farmers and citizens and school children who sat for an hour and listened with intense inter est to the solid, common sense of farming that Mrs. Mathis knows so we'll
 The we'll ordered garden plots that uurrounded the school indicated that there were many farmers there in em- bryo and that they would tuck away their knowledge in some convenient corner of their brains till the proper time to bring it into use for their gardens.
 The luxuriant growth of burr clover and vetch, two of the most important ieguminous plants. proved what could be done in that section to store nltro- gen in the soil, and the green acres of oats and other early crops that surrounded the town give indication oIr the most of their knowledge
 CONTINUAL APPLAUSE
 The applause that was accorded Mrs. Mathis every few minutes was the ex- pression of cooperation that she finds all over the state. However, in Monte- yallo. so interested and enthusiastic was the audience, that after the meet ing was closed several rose to their feet, commenting and suggesting and thanking Mrs. Mathis for her talk.
 Its -nct that what she says Is so new or so fine" said one of the farmers, but it's just plain, common sense that all of us ought to know and don't"
 The audience was with her from start to finish, and when she ended with an appeal to the patriotism of the men ana women, the applause was deafening
 Many of you people would offer your selves to die for your country" she said
 
 live for your country, and work while you are living. Can't you love Alabama as much as others love their native states? Can't you do for old Alabama what others are doing? An, when you do Alabama will blossom like a rose and will be the loveliest section in the land!
 Mrs. Mathis gave practical lessons in soil building, having on the platform burr clover, vetch and melolotus plants to il- lustrate the growth and accumulation of nitrogen on the roots. She said that the melolotus root is the greatest sub- soiler in the world, for 1t goes down more than 20 feet into the ground and eX- tracts food from and breaks up the sub soil.
 She urged the cooperation of all Shel- by county people In raising and market ing farm products, and pointed out to them the futility of sending to far dis tant states for products that are grown ln Alabama. As an example of com munity cooperation, she gave Cullman and its marketing plan, and explained the advantages of working together.
 She was told at the close of her lecture that Montevallo had already formed CO., operative association which is to enroll every man, woman and child in town, and was to have as it's purpose the general helpfulness of the citizens. This organ ization already has made many plans, and has on foot a plan to solve market Ing as well as many other problems.
 WELL KEPT AIR
 I'he Montevallo schoolhouse had the well-kept air that comes with prosperity and great interest, and the symmetrical