The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-09-06
WADE's LETTER

Now that the rainy season is probably over for few weeks, it is time to cut and cure hay A luxuriant growth of all hay crops such as sorghum, cowpeas, soy beans, peanuts. Sudan, Johnson grass and many wild grasses exist all over the state. If all the hay now in the state could be saved it would carry all the live stock through the winter and leave 8 fine surplus for sale to other states. As a general rule, much hay is never cut and a great deal that is cut goes to waste for lack of proper care in cur ing, stacking and storming. This is one of the times that every pound of nay should be saved in the best possible con dition. It will save much grain for the cash market that would otherwise be fed away where hay is not available for a substitute. People in the dry districts of Texas and Oklahoma are all ready inuuiring about Alabama corn and hay.
 Hay should be cut and allowed to lay broadcast about two sunny days. It should be raked the third morning and cooked the same evening. The cocks should be built around 8 pole set in the ground and two cross pieces nailed about a foot from the ground. As soon as the hay is thoroughly cured, it should be collected, baled, stored or stacked in a large stack with a covered top. Much good hay is damaged or lost by trying to cure it in little piles flat on the ground This method usually causes the hay to absorb moisture from the ground as fast as it dries from the top. Labor is too scarce and high to cut and stack hay to rot later in the stack. If storing is lacking and stacking is the only de- pendence, the stack should be large and some kind of cover or shelter placed over it. Hay grows entirely too coarse in this country and our winters are too wet to expect it to pass through the win ter in good condition in unprotected stacks.
 Many people act as though there is nothing to be gained in seed selection, and few have the ignorance and nerve to say it is not worth while. If this conclusion be true, then all cattle are just cattle irrespective of breeding. Short horns Herefords, Angus, Jerseys, Gurn- seys and scrubs are all the same thing. Then hogs are just hogs. Duroc, Berk shire Hampshire, Polan China and piney woods rooters are all one and the same thing. Any man with half sense knows better These breeds of cattle and hogs are the result of years of breeding and selection that established their color, type, quality and superiority over the general average of the scrub.
 The same natural laws that govern the improvement of animal life holds true in plant life. The type of corn you would like to grow next year must be in the seed you plant These very plants are in your field now. Will you go select and save them for seed In order that your crop next year will be more nearly like them?
 You will be raising sand next winter and offering big prices for early prolific cotton seed to plant to beat the boil weevil. The early prolific plants scat tered around in your field that beat the weevils this year are the very ones with which to do it next year. Will you go now and select the seed from them while they can be easily found? I am select ing my seed today for the eleventh time
 I am not writing just to keep my job going. I am trying to get action, MT Reader. that will help you and the whole state Have you selected your seed for next year? If not, will you be so kind and thoughtful to do it right away?
 J. A. WADE, Commissioner of Agriculture and Indus
 tries.