davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-04-04
Crimson Clover Short

The supply of crimson clover seed is extremely limited and no more seed will be imported, according to a statemen, given out by pr. Peters, of the seeds stocks committee. and Professor Piper of forage crop investigations. The supply already imported is quite small as com pared with that of former seasons.
 Crimson clover is valuable crop for the south. both for producing forage and improving the soil. The acreage should be increased The Alabama extension service is therefore stressing the impor- tapce of saving seed from this spring. crop. The plant will soon reach the stage at which it is usually turned un- der, when intended for soil improvement In view of the seed shortage farmers are urged to wait until seed are harvested before turning the crop under.
 MT. Bradford Knapp of the state rela- tions service, in a recent letter to Prof J. F. Duggar. director of extension, stat ed that the news letter would soon con tain an article giving detarS as to how to harvest the seed. Such information may be obtained from farm demonstra- tion agents
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-04-04
Give the Cow a Rest

If we expect a COW to freshen once a year, it is a matter of course that we ought to prepare her each year for the next year; in other words, that we ought to give her sufficient time and rest to prepare herself. Therefore. the COW ought to be dried up a snort time before calving. If this is not done, we may not expect that she will do as well the next year.
 [. It sometimes occurs that the COW is hard to dry up. She keeps on giving too much milk to leave in the bag How can we now dry up such COW?
 If COW is only producing five to six pounds of milk, the milking can be stopped at once. If she is producing lV or l2 pounds, the milk quantity would cause injury, and we then follow this method: For two or three days we do not milk the COW dry. Then we milk her for few days once day
 Later, once every second day, and if necessary once every third day. During this drying-off period we put the COW on a hunger ration. That is, she gets only little hay and water, without any other feed
 It is matater of course that cows with such milk producing capacity should be fed well again as soon as they are dried up She has to be prepared for the big work again, and if she is in good flesh condition she is able to do so- Farm Life.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-04-04

In reporting the progress of the worh heinz done in Texas to prevent the snread of the pink bon worm, the state entomologist says that Gov. William F. Hobby issued proclamation declaring certain cotton fields in southern Texas a menace to the cotton industry of this country on account of the presence there of the pink boil worm.
 This proclamation covers Sections and of the pink boil weevil worm act of 1917 and controls the transportation of cotton in the infested area as well as giving to the commissioner Of agrl- culture of Texas and his agents author ity to destroy all infested and dangerous fields in the quarantined territory.
 The noncotton zone proclamation VIII be based upon more specific surveys and will run from five to ten miles from the extreme outer edge of the infested fields. The distance will depend upon the prox- imity of cotton fields, the pl evaliing winds. the natural barriers ani the like.
 Farmers are urged to withhold the destruction of cotton fields within the auarantined area. Because or tnelr uan- ger it has become necessary to nave them destroyed under government su' pervision.
 The quarantine area includes all or Chambers, Jefferson and Galveston coun ties except Galveston Island, and parts of Harris, Hardin, Liberty and brazonia
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-04-04
Value of a Farm Paper
By w. R. TAPP

! Farming is an art worthy of the best
 men. The farmer has two methods of learning his art--personal experience and the experience of others Since the l individual life is so brief, and the art is so long; the latter method of study is of the greatest importance What is the best medium from which to absorb the garnered experiences of others? Is it not the farm press? The greatest formative and distributive agent of the new gospel of agricultural progress is the farm paper. Its scope is broad, much broader than the work of the department of agri- culture or of the various agricultural schools. and it is the cheapest method
 of securing condensed and selected in- formation on every phase of farm en- deavor. The knowledge it conveys if studied with care is equivalent to an education second to none that may be had in an agricultural school in a year.
 Much of the matter found in a farm paper comes from the experience of real farmers. This is enhanced by the views and theories of scientists, each an expert in his special sphere Of thought.
 Through the medium of advertise ments. the farm journal brings it's readers in contact with honorable buy CTS and sellers; educates him in i'm proved implements, and puts him in close touch with better and cheaper
 merchandise.
 Brother farmers, we cannot afford to
 neglect so great an opportunity.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-04-04
nv MRS. CENA S. CoRNMAN

have tried nearly every recipe for war bread that 1 have seen published, since Hooverism has been the rule Some have been very good, some in different but I have one of nay very own, which suits us best of all. l can- not claim it is original, for it is. as near as I can remember, one that my mother followed in the good old pio- neer days when white bread was hnorc for less of a delicacy. It serve@ then, as now, to piece out flour and give a meal, so we could. after a meal of it. go back to mush. pone and other corn dishes with relish. Here it is:
 Put one quart of eornmeal into the utensil in. which you "set" your bread. We useEa gallon milk crock because it holds the heat. Pour over the meal enough boiling water to wet it well. Stir so every grain of the meal will be scalded. It takes about two quarts of water. It is now a. very stiff musli. Do this early in the e,morning, and after scalding the meal, set the vessel con- taining it away. we'll covered, to steam until lukewarm. In the meantime have your yeast soaking It will be very light by the time the mush is cool enough to mix with it. Put the yeast into the mush and stir or bea. thor oughly. Cover and set, in a moderate ly warm place to rise When it is light, it will seem to be twice as much as you started with. So far we have used no flour.
 Now sift and warm two quarts or 1iour: add half teaspoonful soda and one tablespoonful salt, two tablespoon fuLS of sugar and the same quantity oi lard or meat drippings. and beat as
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-04-04
Wade's Letter

Ordinarily, it is not good for one to
 indulge too freely in criticism, unless
 it is presented in a purely psychological.
 self-conscious and kindly manner. A
 critic is always in danger of becoming
 self-righteous to the extent of finding fault with everybody but himself. Such critics never accomplish any good by
 their criticisms. To accomplish results with criticism, the critic must employ
 good logic, abstain from sef-conceit and personal abuse. Some criticism of our habits and present tendencies is neces-
 sary and should be taken seriously and corrected before it is too late.
 Statistics gathered from the farms of
 the acreage planted to cotton Is per cent, corn per cent, peanuts 15 per cent, velvet beans 15 per cent, and all other crops about the same as last year Last year was dry and crops were easily cul- tivated Labor is scarcer and higher this year. therefore these crop increases can
 not be successfully maintained through
 wet seasons. It is a mistake to increase
 the cotton crop to this extent in the
 face of the war and economical condi- tions. If the dry weather now prevail ing should extend several weeks further into the season, stands of cotton will be seriously belated. Extreme wet weather may follow this dry spell With belated stands and wet weather in May and June, cotton in southern and central Alabama would hardly make half a crop. This illusion is a form of Crossing the bridge before we get to it,' but certain signs, possibilities and probabilities must be taken into consideration. When ap- preaching an area of bottoms, it is evil dent that stream is not far distant, and that the bridge must inevitably be approached, if the journey is con tinued. Again we repeat, that too much cotton planting is contemplated under present conditions
 The country people who do not read papers extensive and who do not have the opportunity of visiting cities or hear ing the best informed speakers do not realize why this country is at war. They do not know how dangerously near we are to the loss of liberty and what the loss of this struggle would mean to this country and themselves am con vinced that this country would have re- ] maned out of the war if it could have done so and retained it's security, rights and the respect of the nations of the world. We have got to win this war. Criticizing, boasting or buffing will not win it. Food, fight and finance is the slogan. Since food is the first and big gest item it is incumbent upon the farm CTS to produce it in the greatest possi- ble abundance. Your house is not on fire but your country is under fire by the most brutal. feudalistic and cruel enemy the world has ever known. Wake up. my countrymen, and contribute your best
 services on farms. battlefelds and invest all you can spare in War Stamps and Liberty Bonds. If life is worth living, it ia worth living we'll Democracy and liberty must be preserved at any price. J. A. WADE, Commissioner of Agriculture and In- dustres
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-04-04
MAKING OUR OWN WAR BREAD

much flour into it with spoon as you
 can. Then work the rest of the flour
 into the mass, which will be stin enough to mold. Make into loaves working only enough to make the sur face of the loaves fairly smooth. after all the flour has been incorporated Let rise till the loaves are almost I,twice as large as when put in the paEs.
 The oven should not be at its hottest when the bread is first put in, as it is better if the loaves finish rising from the oven heat. At no time have the oven so hot that heavy crust will form, for this becomes very hard when cold. We grease each loaf light ly all over before we put in the pans This makes them separate easily anu the crust is moist and tender. Our family relish this bread, when warm as well as cake. and for my part, l never eat butter with it from choice because in this way I get the full flavor of the bread.
 Our bread, you see, is one-third corn We also use brown bread, which is part corn, mush both with milk as a supper dish, or with cream as the main dish at breakfast, or fried mush as part of our dinner, if we do not have some form of cornbread Onr war bread makes the most delicious toast. also any crumbs or left-overs make the best kind of dressing for fowls and thickening for tomatoes. For all the purposes named it is su- perior to all-white bread. I believe the bread is most delicious when warm, though very palatable at all times When we want warm loaf, just put cold loaf in a paper sack set it in the oven, and in a short time we have
 warm bread
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-04-04
Asparagus and Rhubarb
By E. E. RUSHING.

Rhubarg gets ready for table use at time when we are just hungry for something fresh and green, and it is very appetizing and healthful as well When eaten in moderate quantities in the spring. 1t is almost as good as a tonic
 Rhubarb is very easily grown, and enough should be grown for home use at least It can either be set in the fall or early spring and will come on and furnish eatables the season it is planted.
 To grow fine rank rhubarb, the soil must be well incorporated with routed stable manure Holes should be dug about IS inches deep and three feet apart for the rhukarb. These should be filled with routed manure mixed with the soil. Set the roots in this and keep down the weeds and grass and the large, red stalks will soon shoot up, and can be thinned out to give the smaller stalks a chance to grow every week or two, if the season is not too dry.
 If lots of manure is not used, the rhubarb stalks will be slim and sickly In the fall, the manure can be spread over the plants. Chicken droppings is fine for this. This will keep the plants from freezing so hard this winter, and will also insure an extra early growth in the spring
 Asparagus should find place in every garden. It is a perennial plant and will thrive on most any soil, but the richer the soil. the better. This also comes on ahead of any other gar den vegetable and is very valuable spring diet.
 The asparagus bed may be started from seed, but it is best to secure strong, one year~oId roots These car be procured from any nurseryman.
 The soil must be i'll good condition before the roots are set. Deep blowing with all the clods pulverized, is essen tial. After an asparagus bed has got ten start, it is there for a lifetime if it has ordinary care. We have one on our farm that has been furnishing spring eatables for over 40 years
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-04-04
FIGHTING THE PINK BOIL WORM

counties and a special zone around the city of Hearne.
 While the state of Texas is doing all that is possible to hold the pest in tha area alrea dy affected, the rational gov- erament has supported the state ard has sent expert entomologists to work in the infected district, and <l recent re- port srGm Washington says that the ans nuaI agricultural appropriation bill, fe| ported to the House by Chairman LevIs ] carries an item of s100,000 to be used in conducting the war on the pink boil worm in Texas and in Mexico, the is,t- ter country cooperating with the United States in this work.
 The bill also carries the usual items forI tick eradication, farm extension work and all the items related to the usual work of the department in Texas and Oklahoma.
 Secretary Houston asked for sSo0,000 tel be used in the work of exterminatinsl the pink boil worm. but the committed reduced this estimate to the amount car ried in the bill.
 At a recent meeting called by Gov. T c. Bilbo of Mississippi. leading officials of nine Mississippi. Texas, Ala bama, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Missouri Georgia, Tennessee and Florida--voted tdI unite in a determined effort to fight thS pink boil worm Legislatures will beI called upon to pass laws and money vii be asked for to carry on systematid | can1paien
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-04-04
The Hunters RemOrse
,harles T. schermerhorn, in the Detrcit

Charles T. s.chermerhorn, in the Detrci Times. In the pink of sunsets fall, Hear the plaintive lover-call
 Bob White!
 Bob White. Sad-eyed wooer of the stubble; Heart in jus a heap of trouble; Jus a crying all inside For the lover still denied; Oh, so short time a bride. Calling in the shadowed fields As the day to nighttime yields:
 Bob White.
 Bob White. 'Fraid he's too far from your whistle. Bare the bcugh and blown the thistle. Since he heard his love and tried Bleeding, to be at thy side. Twas for love of thee he died Gain the somber night shades dwell; Faithful vet. and calling still:
 Bob White,
 Bob White. Up and down the drowsy meadow Calls the gallant lovers widow. Solace in reply denied. Calling in the hines beside, Answerless for time and time.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-04-04
Girls on the Farm

A ereat deal is said about keeping the hox, on the farm: not so much about keeping the girl there. Yet the latter IS quite as important as the former' lne country needs fine. competent women lea cers in community life fully as much as if needs men who will lead in first class farming.
 The home and it's surroundings are what count in keeping the girl interested in rural life. Every girl, as she grows ID. wants attractive, interesting things. If she cannot find them at home' sne will find them elsewhere
 It is not an expensive matter to mage things attractive for the growing girl Tt is more a matter of thought than of ccst She wants, first of all, pretty room.
 Some good magazines will interest her. Her teacher can tell you what she will like Magazines make good presents TOT a birthday or at any other time. Iney are surprisingly cheap. and each succeed ing issue acts as another rememprance of the Gonor.
 In summer, of course, any girl wants to spend sometime out of doors. Why moi let her take full charge of the flower garden? You want a flower garden, any way. and she will give it more time ,at- tcntion. and loving care than any other neember of the family would think Of giving. She will learn lot, too, by plannins q flower garden and keeping It eoing. Carinr for a flower garden IS not bad as preparation for caring Tor blgger community enterprises that may come later on.
 None of these things cost much money. Of course, they all cost something' put no more than a reasonably prosperous farm family can afford-no more than it would gladly expend II It rear ized that this meant the difference ue twaan the girls styaing in the commit nity and her going to the city to make her own way.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-04-04
Vegetable Chowder.

Here is mixed vegetable chowder that is good. It makes substantial dish Rice and okra may be substituted for DO tatoes and carrots or almost any vege- table may be used:
 Four potatoes. three carrots. three onions, one pint canned tomatoes. two ta- blespoons fat, or a piece of salt pork three level tabiespoonfuls flour, two cups skim milk. two teaspoonfuls salt.
 pieces, add enough water to cover and cook for 20 minutes Do not drain off the water. Brown the chopped onion in the fat for five minutes. Add this and the tomatoes to the vegetables Heat to boil ing, add two cups of skim milk, and ticken wich flour. Celery tops or green peppers give good flavor, too.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-04-04
Rupture Kills
 7,OOO Annual

Seven thousand persons each year aze ! away the burial certificate being mari "Rnpture." Whyf Because the uniortun ones had neglected themselves or had bl merely taking care of the sign (swelling) of
 atiiiction and paying no attention to the cas
 What are. you doing? Are you neglect yourself by wearing truss, appliance, whatever nnmo you choose to call its At b1 the truss is only makcshift "a false ps against Q collapsing wall - and cannot be pected to act as mere than mere mechani support: The binding pressure retArde b,i| circulation, thus robbirg the weAke1
 muscles of that which they need mos nourishment
 But science h,s found away, and every " su1erer in the land is invited to make tss3 test right in tho privacy of ther own hn3 The PLAPAO method is udouevtlonAb!y most scientific, logical and successful s] treatment for rupture the world has e2 known. The PLAPAO PAD when adhering. clos
 to the body cannot possibly slip or shift 9f place, therefore. cannot chafc or par
 Soft as velvet-easy to oapply-inexperNvo. be used whilst you work and whilst you ~
 No straps, buckles or springs attached
 Learn how to close the hernial openinf& nature intended so the rupture CAN'T cl down. Send your name today to rLAiX co, Block 2l8 St. Louis, No, for FREE q Piapao and tho instructive information ne}
 s
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-04-04
FRAUDULENT ACCOUNT BOOKS

agents are visiting the farm homes in the absence of the farmer and actually intimidating the good housewives into signing for the books.
 "This does not mean that the exten-
 sion service does not believe that farm
 CTS should keep books. but, on the other hand, we urge such practice We know that there ar9 several good systems on the market which may be purchased through local responsible book dealers or printers. If you wish to purchase such | systems look them all over and purchase the one best suited to your needs, but
 remember that there is nothing compul- sorry by either federal or state enact nents forcing farmer to open a system 1 of farm bookkeeping.
 | "Further, it is our opinion that through i the lack of farm accounts much very val 1 uable information is lost each year. We | Believe that the farmer could materially 1 increase his profits by keeping simple l accounts and records. To this end the extension service has lately entered into 1 a co-operative agreement with the office l of farm management extension work of | the United States department Of agrt- | culture. whereby we are assured or the | services for the state of farm manage ment specialist, whose business 1t IS to visit farmers and assist them, where | ever assistance is requested, Tn the mat- ! ter of keeping farm accounts.
 | I've already have a system and farm
 account book in print which should soon be ready for distribution. These will | be furnished through the county agent | to any farmer who will promise to keep l a record of the years farm business 1 Although we have gone to considerable | expense in printing these books we are going to put them out free of cost td those who will cooperate with us, re- ! auesting only that we have access to
 them that we may study the factors
 which contribute to successful farming.
 All information recorded in and taken
 from the books will be held in strict
 confidence, and will not be accessible for
 matters of taxation, or subject to in-
 spection by those having selfish in
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-04-04

Tn order that farmers may be warned asalnst fraudulent scheme to sell farm account books to them, Mir. Stevens, farm management specialist, United States de- partment of agriculture and extension service, has prepared the following state ment, which he sent to Prof J. F. Dug gar, director of extension It is the opin- ion of the director that the public should De informed as to the fraudulent nature or the scheme referred to, and also to the fact that farmers may obtain farm account books free of charge through farm demonstration agents by agreeing to keep record of the years farm busi- ness. The statement by Mir Stevens fol- lows:
 "A recent issue of a prominent Ala bama paper carried an advertisement for agents to sell farm account books to farmers. This advertisement reads as though a law had been passed recurring farmers to keep accounts. The matter seemed of sufficient importance as to re- quire some investigation by the extension service of the Alabama Polytechnic in- stitute. The following facts have been uncovered:
 '.That no such federal law has ever been contemplated, much less passed.
 That the firm is already working in several of the northern states.
 'fThat they intend as is evidenced by the advertisement, to work in Alabama as soon as they are able to obtain men to represent them.
 'The agents claim to be representa- lives of the federal government, and threaten to report any farmer who does not subscribe to their book, for which they ask the moderate sum of B.
 'It is the desire of the authorities at Auburn to forestall the working Of any such scheme upon the farmers of Ala bama, and we wish to caution them against being forced by irresponsible par ties into buying any system of farm bookkeeping whatever from any one claiming to represent the federal gov ernment. Further, caution your tami- lies against signing for any such in your absence.
 We learn that in New York state the