The interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1912-1984, 1917-02-23
Kidd's Store

wall for butter is swelling to a roar.
The Kentucky farmer is loath to leave
the ruts in which his father and
grandfather ran. He promptly adopt
ed the double shovel which doubled
work of the standard bull tongue, and
that murderous implement is today
the standard of many in cultivating
crops.
The stomach, the worst abused or
gan of the human system is recogniz-
ed the essential to life and health by
the many. Few know that the roots
are the plants stomach through which
nourishment is derived, and the
masses continue ruthless, murderous
mutilation of the plants only provi-
sion for it's assimilation of its food.
And, though well aware of necessity
of thinning corn, how few apply the
rule to other crops, especially in gar
dens? How many Kentucky farmers
ever thinned a patch of Irish pota-
toes, for instance?
Oldest farmers declare present
plague of rats worst ever known.
Where contents of cribs have been
consumed, pits Of vegetables, es-
pecially potatoes, have been invaded
and the corn shocks at late shucking
were found covering a honey comb
of rat burrows. Confederate prison
ers who supplemented quarter ratious
with rats pronounced that rodent
savory as a squirrel, and avowed a
fat dog which was kidnapped and
eaten one of the most delicious
meats ever tasted but war over, hog
and hominy, chicken, rabbit, quail
and squirrel never admitted hank
ering for rat or dog. However, three
quarters a century ago Olney's geo.
graphy, a standard school book, had
picture of a Chinese rat peddler,
a light pole on shoulder from which
were pendent strings of rats he sup
piled the trade. The rat is a succulent
comestible, daintily neat of habit and
of fastidious diet in contrast with
the popular staples, pig and chicken,
so why not a campaign of exploita-
ton of a present worst and most eX-
pensive pest the husbandman harbors
and convert the prolific consumer
into a profitable ASSET. 1t is only
needed to pooh, pooh, senseless
sentimental prejudice, and few
sensible housekeepers publish com
nonsense processes of dressing and
cooking the It'd bit. Let the rat be
quickly added to the 'possum, coon,
grounding and kindred meat deica-
cies, supplying banquets to hungry
thousands who can't pay the price
for staple meats.
Roads and rats have been the alb
sorbing themes since adjustment to
the erratic, eccentric operations of
Nature, and abrogation of all estab-
lished precedents, rules and signs re-
sultant from mysterious and mex
plicable slip of cogs in some part of
the machinery.
That our mail carriers can, with
out regard for schedules, make &C.
sional landings at ends of their runs
and exist within bounds of rcdemp-
ton from sin of profanity, as natur-
ally produced as cold by zero tenn
perature, surpasseth understanding,
yet there are growls about dereliction
of delivery.
Unless commerce of early future
shall be aerial, Casey must revert to
primitive OK teams and pack horses
over byways, for she seems not inoc-
ulable with virus of good roads.
The Ground Hog Brotherhood had
thorough housekeeping at last an
niversary conclave. The den was dis
mantled, all mural notices, memoir
ial tablets canonized, portraits dis
carded and a statue of Henry Ford
ordered-a replica of the Colossus
of Rhodes-astride facade of the
den, and a double memorial window
placed in honor of the worlds mob
lest philanthropist-after he had
been elected an honorary member by
reclamation.
In defiance of greedy, predacious
stockholders, he increased capacity
of his plant to furnish increased en-
ployment of poor and needy and now
that the war seems imminent, has
rendered the government service of
his works at cost Of operation and his
gratuitous supervision of efficient,
economic work.
A mad dog panic has been added
to our winters woes, and slaughter
of furnishing ours has been almost
indscrimnate. During present call
! ed session Of legislature, let some
philanthropist and statesman win i'm
mortality by framing "A law which
j will rid his state of the curse of dogs,
which restricts sheep raising, one of
4 the farmers most profitable hocks,