The Green Forest tribune., 1917-05-11
LOOK AHEAD ADVICE

Little Rock, Ark, May 3rd, 1917 = There has been great amount of agi- tation about raising more food stuff to meet the war situation. You will re- member that l have always told you that the farmer is the dependence of the Government, both in peace and in war. The present condition and agita- tion verities that statement. The na- tion must be fed and clothed by the farmer; and if we win this war, we must go even further and help to feed and clothe the allies who are fighting the battles at the front. In the pres ent agitation the cry is to produce more food stuff. Some have ill-advis- edly undertaken to tell the farmers what to raise and how to raise it. This was mistake. The farmers know the best crops for their land and how to raise them. It is not so much a matter of better farming and diversi- ticatlon as of food supply. What 1 want to say is that we must take this thing seriously. The condition con- fronting us is serious but not frightful We must produce our living in our own state, and we must produce the feed for our live stock, and we must keep our live stock at home for our own use. To produce our own living, we must grow what we can keep through the winter months when no food stuff can be grown. It is well to provide ample gardens and truck patches to feed ourselves through the summer, but not to produce perishable products in geart abundance to rot and waste Small home canning outfits should be bought to take care of the surplus gar den vegetables and fruits that can be canned and preserved.
 It is well to look af ter supply of sugar in advance, for there may be a shortage and you may not be able to get enough to can and preserve your fruits and berries. The tomato is an easy vegetable to produce and can-do not let any go to waste. Sweet pota- toes can be kept by housing, banking or canning. Turnips can be banked and kept for winter use Turnip greens are easy to preserve by canning, and make good diet through the win ter. Pumpkins can be canned and kept for winter use. Kale makes good greens late in the fall and early in the spring. Collards make good vegeta- ble diet for winter use. Winter onions, or multiplying onions, are valuable. Fall beans are fine and grow well, and besides bring good price on the market.
 Every farmer should plant a few acres of dwarf Essex rape early this fall. Rape makes good pasture for hogs until late in the fall and comes out early in the spring. Rape also makes good greens for table use.
 Plant corn field beans or peas in all of your corn and along all fence rows, turn rows and ditches. The best pea to plant is the white. blackeYed Cali fornia pea. It natures early and makes fine dish all through the win ter. They are sold in most all grocery stores and are now retailing at the rate of seven to eight dollars bushel. Pick and shell your peas and you will find ready sale for this variety.
 Give good attention to your corn crop. Cultivate it well, and buy fertil- izer for it if necessary. It will pay this year. Corn is a surer and better m oney crop than cotton at the present Arkansas will furnish market for all the corn you will raise, and the price will not be under dollar bushel. It is more profitable than fifteen cent cotton.
 Keep all your brood sows, COWS, heifers and mares and breed them. Then raise feed for them. You can not lose on this proposition.
 If you need held to buy home can- hing outfit or cans for your fruits and vegetables, apply to your local mer- chant and banker; they will finance you. Jno. H. Page,
 Commissioner of Agriculture.