Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-05-18
On Alabama Soil Once More

I gathered a few-'just enough, auntie,
for you to say that you had ripe black
berries in Florida" The crop promises
to be abundant. But methinks we must
can them this year. for sugar has fol-
lowed the example of Hour and is out OF
sight.
There is a hundred-ton silo on that
Florida farm, and when | learned that
$3.50 had been paid for the hoops and
doors and that the pine lumber of that
state made it splendid affair with lit
tie cost. | wondered why theer are not
more of them. One season pays the cost
of one in the increase of milk and good
fat stock.
| saw white turkeys, white guineas
and all colors of pigeons besides the big
black chickens that l have already men,
toned. A fine sow got killed in jan
uary. Her pigs were not three weeks
old, so they were taken to the house
and raised on cows milk. While I was
there they showed their piggishness by
eating twenty of the Leghorn chickens in
one morning. They were Immediately
taken over to the field, where there were
a hundred others their own size.
l found cotton and corn doing as well
as can be expected" This cold weather
reached Florida, and John said that he
ing heavy coats. He was with those
that were poisoning the tobacco, so as
10 get ahead of the worms. Florida to-
bacco is grown under shades, and Ne
said that he was tempted to send you
his overcoat.
This is the 14th of May and L am sit
ting in room that is warmed by a good
fire. Crops here are suffering for rain.
and some are talking of blowing their
cotton land, l can't say blowing up the
cotton, for it is not yet out of the
ground. although it was time for that
when l went away. There are forty
seven varieties of cotton just in front
of my sisters home. The United States
department of agriculture has rented
twelve acres and has an expert there to
watch it. He certainly is on his job. 1t
is cultivated just as any good cotton
grower does his. for the main object is
to see what kind will best stand general
conditions. And I regret to say that
Mr.. Boil Weevil is there, too. That was
planted March 10 and is growing fast
| for it had several good rains on it while
was there. A good thing about Florida
soil is that 1t can be plowed the same
day ii rains.
Now you want to know something
about the chickens j found at home.
left only a very few young ones, but
! the hens Matched splendidly, and not
one hen had lost any, except the hen
that The Farmer forgot TO grease with
the carbolated vaseline, and forgot to
put a warm box in the big coop for her
to roost in. These cold nights and
frosty mornings are not going to help
anyone raise chickens. One hen is in a
box two feet wide and four feet long. 1t
is three feet high. The open end is
| boarded up at least twelve inches, then
wire is used She has thirty as pretty
as You ever saw. They are two weeks
old and have never been out of the box
There is plenty of sand on the moor and
L give them buttermilk. lettuce, rape
and onion tops every day, as well as lit
tie chick feed. They would be in the
wheat if the weather would get right
L set three hens today. and shall con-
tinue to set hens as fast as the eggs
accumulate. | will not sell eggs over
a week old, but have put them under my
own hens twice that age and | had all
of them to hatch. | hear of so many
saying that their young chickens are
dying of white diarrhoea.
1t is the cold weather Those little
| things get chilled and that causes the
diseases Keep them dry and warm
and fed on dry food and you will not
| cared for, not allowed to scratch fol
living when scratching brings no re-
suits Two letters are before me. One
SAYS: 81 think the twenty baby chicks
you promised me will be due soon. Car
| you make it forty? l always have az
good results in May as in any Other
| month" The other letter says: Sorry
you could not send me the chicks IL
April. but 1 have no luck with MAY
| chicks"
Ny ADVICE to all chicken owners 1!
| this: Put your time and attention OF
your flock Food is high. but If you USE
| good Judgment the chickens will pa!
| for themselves two or three times in
year. This winter is going to see {
| big demand for eggs, as they have beer
| scarce all this year, there will be nj
| vast surplus for the cold storage PEG
pie. Feed your chickens nux vomica
A teaspoonful to a pint of meal, ant
| kill the. 'possums we'll as hawks
That will also Kill the tiny fieas tina
| cling to the heads of your fowls. There
is no danger to human beings in eatinG
the eggs. It is a good tonic when com
bined with other things. so eat the egg:
and chickens with an easy mind.
| Next week l shall give you canning
| letter So many have asked me to write
to them on this subject But a lettel
! in The Journal will have ample instruc
| ton. We have our club organized ant
| I'd like to hear that there Is one ir
every community. The cold pack method
| is so easy and entirely practical. NJ
chemicals are needed. just cleanliness
and common sense. A clock is as nee
| essary as the material The reason 81
| many have failed has been because
they guessed" at the time.
Get busy, waste nothing, and remem
Der to give the good God His tenth.
Faithfully yours,
| LIZZIE o. THOMAS.
| Tuscumbia, Ala.
!