davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-01-31
English Wheat Since 1259

The United States department Of agriculture has just published tho prices of wheat in England each year since 1259. We are not going to giva the prices each year. but will deal with them by centuries.
 From 1900 to 1400 the highest price was 4S cents per hushel. Only ono other year did It exceed 40 cents. One other year it sold for 35 cents and one other at S1 cents. During IS years of this century wheat was worth II cents bushel or less.
 During the following century 1t sold for 45 cents in 143S. In 1882 it sold for S1 cents and during the rest of the century ranged from II cents to 2S cents per bushel
 From 1500 to 1900 the price varied from 9 cents a bushel in 1909 to s1.Tl of this hundred wheat was worth less than 30 cents per bushel
 From 1900 to 1700 wheat generally ranged above $1 and Go cents was the lowest price during this century. The highest price was $1.SS in 1862.
 From 170o to 1900 prices were high most of the time. The lowest price for this period was 63 cents. The high prices were $2.39 in 1T96, s2.29 in 1795, and S1.99 in 1709 and ITO.
 From 1900 to 1900 prices were still higher. The highest was $3S5 in 1872. Wheat was worth from $3.24 to s3.s5 five of the first 13 years of that cen tury.
 From 1900 to 1915 the highest price in England was $1.61 in 1915. The lowest price for this period was si cents in 1901 and again in 1903.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-01-31
FARMERS MUST UNITE TO WIN

Farmers creameries and cheese fac tories and farmers elevators are the leading types of cooperative purchas- ing and marketing enterprises among farmers in the United States, according to a careful survey by the office of markets and ruarl organization, re- ported in Bulletin 547, "Co-Operative Purchasing and Marketing Organiza- tions Among Farmers in the United States, just issued by the United States department of agriculture.
 The number of farmers purchasing and marketing organizations in the United States Is placed at about 12, ,000 Of these. 5424 gave reports of their activities. The creameries and cheese factories reporting numbered 170S. They do an annual business of SS3,360,- GAS. and have an average membership of S3 farmers. The 1897 farmers grain elevators and warehouses reporting were located in 2S states. doing total annual business of s234,529,716. They have an average membership of 102 farmers. The S71 fruit and produce or ganizations do an annual business of $140.629,9iS. The annual volume of bus mess of 213 cotton organizations is S4.392.25s; of 25s cooperative stores. $14.552.725; of 43 tobacco organizations, $6.746.27o: of 96 live stock associations, $9,4S2,592. The gross volme of busi- ness for all organizations reporting was $625,940,44S.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-01-31
Live Stock Cuts Labor Bill
By c. J. HARDMAN. Commerce. Ga.

By c. J. HARDMAN, Commerce, Ga.
 At the present time when labor con- ditions are unsettled, one of the strongest points in favor of live stock production is the reduction in the la- bor bill. This applies especially to beef cattle, sheep and hogs. I am satisfied in my own mind that In the transition from an all-cotton farm to a we'll di- Versified live stock farm the labor bill can be reduced about one-half.
 At the same time one reduces his labor account. he increases his oy- portunities for soil improvement. This soil improvement does not all come about directly from the use of the manure produced by the animals. It Is hardly practical to keep enough live stock to afford sufficient manuHe for the entire farm. But to the value of the manure is added the growing of hay crops. including legumes, and grazing and forage plants.
 In this fact of our soils needing im- provement lies one of the greatest op- portunities for live stock production in our section. The water supply of the south is another asset. In the west adequate supply of good water is a problem. In our favored southeast the water supply is abundant. However. with all the good water, fresh air and mild climate the stockman in our sec tion will not get very far without plenty of good feed. To produce this is our problem, simply and solely be- cause we have not been in the habit of doing it. To be successful in live stock production it is essential that we get this habit.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-01-31
Overheard on the Farm

Soft corn does not spoil in silo. Successful dairymen are not lazy.
 Soft corn is most safely stored in a silo.
 The trail to prosperity is often a COW path.
 Food is coming to be thought of at it's true value.
 Land is too valuable to use for growing weeds.
 Dc you know that the corn you are depending on for seed will grow?
 It does not hurt corn to ear-test it but it will probably hurt you if you don't
 Planting dead kernel of corn is like shooting at duck with blank cart ridge.
 Milk produced and handled under present-day methods is one of our clean est foods
 Hills that are missing in the cornfield do not fill the crib. Dead seed makes many such hills.
 The most reckless gambler we know of is the farmer who is careless about his seed corn for next springs plant ing:
 silo in the north is equally mpor- tant as silo farther south-perhaps more so, for the silo is the great saver of immature corn.
 Some farmers have raised alfalfa for years-while their neighbors looked on Looking on does not help man any under those circumstances.
 Guessing rather than testing on the seed corn next spring will be risky There is so little corn that will grow that only careful search with the ear test is going to locate it,
 The calves and I have trained each other. one at either end of the halter rope" A good breeder makes this re- mark in speaking of his boyhood days
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-01-31
Good Farm Butter

The butter made the farms of the United States may be materially i'm proved in quality in most cases, if stand ard methods are employed and greater care is exercised in carrying out the necessary details The department of agriculture gives the following outline of the essential steps to be taken in mak- Ing good farm butter:
 Produce clean milk and cream. Cool the cream immediately after it comes from the separator. Clean and sterilize all utensils
 Ripen or sour the cream at from G5 to degrees F. until mildly sour. AL ways use a thermometer in order to knew that the right temperature is reached
 Cool the cream to churning tempera- ture or below, and hold at that terS- perature for at least two hours before churning
 Use a ehurning temperature-usually between B degrees and 66 degrees F. that will require 90 to 70 minutes to obtain butter
 Clean and scald the churn, then half m it with cold wate, and revolve un- til churn is thoroughly cooled, after which empty the water.
 Pour the cream into the churn through a strainer.
 Add butter color-from 20 to 8 drops to a gallon or cream-except late in the spring and early in the summer.
 Put the cover on tight; revolve the churn several times: stop with bottom up, and remove stopper to permit es cape of gas; repeat until no more gas forms.
 Continue churning until butter granules are formed the size of grains of wheat.
 Draw off the buttermilk through the hole at the bottom of the churn, using a strainer to catch particles of butter. When the buttermilk has drained out replace the cork.
 Prepare twice as much wash water as their is buttermlk, and at about the same temperature. Use the thermometer; do not guess at temperatures. Put one half of the water into the churn with the butter.
 Replace the cover and revolve the churn rapidly a few times, then draw off the water. Repeat the washing with the re- mander of the water.
 The butter should still be In granular form when the washing is completed. Weigh the butter
 Place the butter on the worker and add salt at the rate of quarters of an ounce to a pound of butter.
 Work the butter until the salt is dis solved and evenly distributed. Do not overwork
 Pack in any conconvenient form for home use, or make into one-pound prints for market, wrapping the butter in white parchment paper and enclosing In a paraffined carton
 Clean the churn and all buttermilk utensils.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-01-31
Don't Feed Seed Corn

Because they do not realize that Mich igan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, the Da- kotas Oklahoma, Texas, etc, are seri- ously in need of seed of adapted vari- cities, there are farmers here and there throughout the United. States who are feeding corn that would be more valu- able if used for seed.
 To the detriment of the 1918 crop such corn is being used to some extent in some portions of the states mentioned This is especially regrettable because the corn Is adapted to the conditions and is not a great distance from where it will be sadly needed next spring.
 : Ordinarily seed corn should not be ob- tained from distance. The incest look ing seed may be entirely unadapted and cause the loss of crop. As there is but little 'hold over" the frost-strick- 'en and drouth-stricken areas must get their seed from other points. It should be obtained from a locality having similar climate, and obtained now If you have large amount. or but few bushels of 90-day corn which germ mates well, let your county agent. your state experiment station. and the United States department of agriculture know about it. Prompt cooperation should prove profitable to all and prevent many failures next year.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-01-31
Feed as Usual

Feed as usual is Ohio Farmers sug- gestion to stockmen who want to do a welcome bit for their country. After call ing attention to the enormous crops Of corn, oats, rye and barley produced this year. having total of 5,lOs. .0oo. GOO bushels, it says:
 Here is a bast quantity of feed that must be utilized profitably. A small part of each of the grain crops can find . pay : ing market for human food purposes, but by far some other way. For the most part. there will be no better or more profitable method than to feed it to live stock. There is little prospect of materially lowered meat animal prices during the war, with it's gerat and ever growing demand for meats and fats, and many thing that it will be four or five years after the war is over, perhaps longer, before meat prices will decline"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-01-31

Cotton has as many insect enemies as any other American crop, and pos sibly more according to an entomol- og;st of the United States department of agriculture, who declares that an all-year anti-insect system must be employed by cotton growers to pro- tect this crop
 The boil weevil, bollworm, cutwornl, May beetle, cotton aphis. southern grass worm, leaf worm, grasshopper, red spider, square borer. cotton stain CT. and wireworm are only section of the category which w. Dwight Pierce of the bureau of entomology describes in recent publication, farm CTS bulletin ssc, How Insects Affect the Cotton Plant and Means of Com batting Them" The entomologist e&- plains that in a publication of the size of farmers bulletin it is im- possible to consider even briefly all the cotton pests.
 The aim of the publication mem toned is to explain how insects affect the cotton plant, to show how to dis tinguish the principal ones, and how to combat them
 Among other conclusions which the entomologist reaches in studying con trol measures for cotton pests are these:
 CONTROL MEASURES
 Since many pests come to cotton from other crops or from weeds around the fields. weeds should not be allowed to grow on the cotton farm.
 Rotation of crops Is of much assist ance. i'll controlling pests.
 An early crop which will bring the fruit to maturity before serious dam. age is done is necessary.
 Poisons rarely are needed except as used in baits for cutworms, grasshop. pers, etc, and as control measures against red spiders and worms when they threaten the crop in the spring
 Thorough fall blowing, winter cover crops, early spring preparation and re. peated cultivation during the season are other important measures of insect control.
 single system of control effective against most of the insects describea in the publication. may be given ac- cording to seaso mas follows: s COMBAT INSECTS IN THE FALL
 Pick the cotton as soon as possible
 Destroy the plants as long before frost as possible by blowing under or grazing.
 Where practicable. blow the fields and plant a cover crop.
 T feasible. follow a thiee-year ro- tation, with cotton following some crop other than corn.
 Following are some winter meas ures against cotton insects:
 Clean up all turn rows and fence rows.
 Cut and burn all weeds.
 Flow under all stuhble fields that are not to be used otherwise.
 Grub up old stumps.
 Try this method of combating cot ton insects in early spring:
 SOME SPRING WORK
 Keep down weed growths around the farm.
 Flow to break up the winter cells or insects in the ground.
 When necessary, put out poisoned balts Tor cutworms, grasshoppers, May beetles and so on
 Plant as early as it can be done safely to avoid killing frosts. Plant a variety which is found to be the best producer in your own locality and Wnicn mas the qualities of rapid and prolific fruiting
 Space the rows in accordance with the best local experience.
 Cultivate freuuently but not deen1v Some summer measures against cot ton insects:
 Continue cultivation until the crop Is made. or as long as possible.
 Watch for the first appearance of worms.
 Dust the cotton with powdered ar
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-01-31
Champion Butter Cow

purebred Holstein COW again breaks a record for butter fat pro- duction. Lady Netherland Pontiac with a31, pounds of butter to show for a weeks work, has displaced Wander meere Belle Hengerve1d as junior 4-year-old in the seven-day division.
 Lady Netherland Pontiac produced in seven consecutive days 577.8 pounds of milk containing 34.S17 pounds of fat equivalent to 43.52 pounds of but ter.
 His sire is King Pontiac Konigen and her dam is Dretka Netherland 2d Lass. She was bred by Julius V. Fredericks of Canaioharie, N. Y, and is now owned bv Oliver Cabana, IT,, of Ilma Center, N Y.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-01-31

about 11s pounds of cheese If the milk is sweet it should be placed in a pan and allowed to remain in a clean, warm place at temperature of about 75 de- grees Fahrenheit until 1t clabbers The clabbered milk should have a clean, sour flavor. Ordinarily this will take about 30 hours, but when it is desirab ble to hasten the process a small quantity of clean-flavored sour milk may be mixed with the sweet milk.
 As soon as the milk has thicl<ened or firmly clabbered it should be cut into pieces two inches square after which the curd should be stirred thor oughly with a spoon. Place the pan of broken curd in a vessel of hot water so as to raise the temperature to 100 Fah- renheit. Cook at that temperature for about 30 minutes. during which time stir gently with a spoon for one minute at five-minute intervals.
 ONLY UTENSILS NEEDED
 At the conclusion of the heating pour the curd and whey into a small cheese cloth bag Ga clean salt bag will do nice ly) and hang the bag on a fruit-strailer rack to drain. or the curd may be poured into a colander or a strai1er over which a piece of cheesecloth has been laid After five or 10 minutes work the curd toward the center With a spoon. Raising and lowering the ends of the cloth helps to make the whey drain faster. To complete the draining tie the ends of the bag together and hang it up. Since there is some danger that the curd will become too dry, draining should stop when the whey ceases to flow in steady stream.
 The curd is then emptied from the bag and worked with a spoon or a but ter paddle until it becomes fine in grain, smooth, and of the consistency of mashed potatoes Sour or sweet cream may be added to increase The smoothness ands palatability and nn- prove the flavor Then the cheese is salted according to taste, about one teaspoonful to a pound of curd.
 Because of the ease with which the cheese can be made it is desirable to make it often so that it may be eaten fresh, although if it is kept cold 1t will not spoil for several days. If the cheese is not to be eaten promptly it should be stored in an earthenware or glass vessel rather than in one of tin or wood, and kept in cold place.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-01-31

What shall we have for dinnerY'' The daily question that never grows old. Well, you want a good, satisfy ing meal which the whole family will enjoy. It must be cheap and easy to cook and must supply what your bodies need to help you grow, and to help you work or play and keep warm. And, If the spirit of war sacrifice abides in yonr household. the meal should reflect your food saving efforts
 People of all nations have used com binations of foods cooked together in one dish. Perhaps you can remember such dinners in your grandmother s home. Why not renew the custom and serve your family with a nutritious one dish dinner occasionally, for variety at least? For such a dinner you might serve a fish chowder. Here it is, a dinner in one dish, sure enough. This one, and the others that follow, makes enough fer five persons
 FISH CHOWDER
 One end one-half pounds of fish (cod. haGdock, etc) or three-quarters ofs a pound of salt or dried fish Nine po- tatoes. peeled and cut in small pieces: one onion, sliced: two cups carrots, cdt in pieces; one-auarter pound of salt pork; three cups milk; one-eighth tea spoon pepper; three tablespoons flour
 Cut pork in smal pieces and fry with the chopped onion for five minutes Put pork, onions, carrots and potatoes in kettle and cover with boiling water. Cook Crtl vegetables are tender. Mix three tablespoons of flour with one-halr cup of the cold milk and stir in the liquid in the pot to thicken it. Add the rest Of the milk and fish, which has been removed from bone and cut in small pieces. Cook until the fish is tender-about 10 minutes If salt fish is used, soak first Serve hot.
 This one dish makes satisfying meal served with crisp crackers or corn dodgers with stewed fruit or jam for the something sweet you like with your meals
 Now that meat is so high priced you like to make small amount go as far as possible A meat stew can be made very appetizing and with proper care
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-01-31
Pork Facts

Keep the brood sows. They mean more meat and profit ..
 The world is facing great meat shortage and every indication points to much advanced prices for pork in 1918.
 Thousands of profitable brood sows and promising gilSs are now being driven upon the market. whereas they should be kept in the breeding yard to furnish the much needed pork for the coming year. Americas swine herds have been decreased upwards of 15 per cent during the past year.
 The United States at present Is ship ping vast quantities more pork to Eu- rope than this time one year ago.
 Three-fourths of the worlds exports of pork come from the United States in normal times. This amount has largely increased since the war began.
 The allies are calling on us for more and more pork and we must furnish it to win the war. The allies herds have been greatly depleted since the war and it will take years after peace to restore them to normal production.
 More hogs will mean moro profits In 1918.
 The boys ana girls of the pig clubs have raised hundreds of good gilts dur ing the year. These valuable meat pro- ducers should be carefully fed and han dled throughout the winter in order to produce hearty filters next spring.
 The pork situation for the coming year is indeed serious. Thousands of valu- able stock hogs are being fed soft corn and rushed upon the market Many are light and of poor finish.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-01-31
Rabbit Veal Loaf

am sending my recipe for rabbit veal loaf for those who are trying to econ omize and live up to the rules of the food administration: Cut the meat from the bones of one rabbit and with enough suet to season well run it through dry bread, either white or dark. which have previously been moistened with cold water, small onion and F cup rich milk Pepper may be added if desired or sage in place of the onion. Mix thor oughly, form into a loaf and place in small covered roaster with pint of wa ter. Roast for 1h hours. and remove cover the last % minutes to let brown on top-Mrs. Frank Fuhlhage.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-01-31
Hogs of Great Weight

J. w. Bridges. Blakley. Ga. slausht- cred 26month- old Poland China hog that weighed 590 pounds net
 A hog that is said to have weighed 900 pounds dressed was slaughtered by Charles Guyton of near Plainsvills. White county, Ga.
 II. A. Deason, route s, Jasper. has Duroc-Jersey that will weigh 500 to 700 pounds net, it Is estimated. The hog measures six feet from the end of it's nose to the tip of the tall and its greatest girth Is six feet and one inch.
 r. H. Bass, progressive farmer who lives five and a half miles from Cochran, Ga, slaughtered Duroc- Jersey hog two and one-half years old that weighed 606 pounds net
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-01-31
Community Fairs

The educational and recreational bene- fits of community fairs may be had, in- expensively, by any community if the cooperative plan suggested by farmers bulletin S70 of the United States depart ment of agriculture is followed. The community fair Is described as a coun- ty fair with commercialized amusements omitted. The community fair serves as feeder to the county and larger fairs. One middle western county recently had a county fair composed of 72 communi- ty exhibits. There were no races or side shows, and the 10000 visitors spent their time in inspecting it's exhibits and in wholesome recreation.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-01-31
In the selection of the ingredients to combine with the meat you may make another one-dish meal.
 MUTTON AND BARLEY An English stew that is especially

An English stew that is especially good:
 One pound mutton: one-half cup pearled barley; one tablespoon salt; four potatoes; three onions; celery tops or other seasonable herbs.
 Cut the mutton in small pieces and brown with the onion in fat cut from meat. This will help make the meat tender and improves the flavor. Pour this into a covered saucepan. Add two quarts Of water and the barley. Sim mer for one and one-half hours. Then add the potatoes cut in quarters, season. ing herbs, and seasoning, and cook one half hour longer.
 This s also good served as shep- herds pie with mashed potatoes lining the dish and piled up on top for crust The stew Is better if thickened with a little flour in this case before adding to the mashed potato crust
 Or your one-dish meal might be of dried peas or beans instead of meat or fish combined with other vegetables Here is hearty dish made from split peas. Many kinds of dried peas or beans could be used in the same way:
 PEAS, RICE AND TOMATOES
 One and one-half cups rice; one pint split peas; six onions; one tablespoon salt; one-quarter teaspoon pepper; swo cups tomatoes (fresh or canned)
 Soak peas over night in two quarts Of water. Cook until tender in water in which they soaked. Add rice, onions tomatoes, and seasoning, and cook 20 minutes
 Such meals are a help to the busy housewife on especially busy days, as they are easy to prepare and make but few dishes to wash. With bread and butter and jam, perhaps, or stewed fruit. any one of them makes a well-chosen nutritious meal. If there are children in the family give each one glass of milk besides. Such a meal will satify the body's needs as well as a more elsn
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-01-31
PLACE YOUR ORDER NOW FOR NITRATE AT COST
Make Application Now

The government has 100000 tons of nitrate of soda to sell at cost. Anyone desiring to place an order for same should do so at once, as the time limit is February {. The fertilizer can be bought in amounts of 200 pounds up. Application must be made on blanks furnished by county agents throughout the state. In Jefferson county Hamlin S. Brown. with office at the court house, has charge. He has appoint ed the following committee to help issue applications c. F. Bell, A. NJ Reeves, o. P. Ford and C. B. Rog- CTS. Get busy as only four days re- main.