davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-12-12
Alabama Hogs Top Market

MT. l.. T. Wells of the Alabama ex- tension service and County Agent Frank R. Curtis of Marengo county, have just returned from St. Louis. where they carried two carloads of corn-fed hogs for 21 owners from Demopolis. Alabama. These hogs topped the St. Louis market on Monday, December 2. The best of the bunch brought IS cents. This was the highest price brought on that mar ket that day. Those hogs were magnifi- cent corn-fed hogs, the largest weighing as high as 300 pounds, and the whole bunch averaging around 225 pounds. They were bought by Morris & Co.,, who are big buyers of southern hogs.
 It should be kept in mind that those animals were not fed at any time on pea- nuts. but were grown and fattened almost entirely on alfalfa, corn, and buttermilk. The flesh was, of curse, firm, not being soft like the peanut fed hogs While, of course, it is presumed that it costs considerably more money to produce these animals than it does to produce peanut fed hogs, yet the price brought was considerably above what peanut-fed hogs would have brought.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-12-12
THE MILCH GOAT A BLESSING
By ROBERT SPARKS WALKER

and the Nubian, a native of Nubia, Egypt and Abyssinia. They have short hair, with a varying color; some black, some red, some tan, with or without markings. The wethers of this breed make handsome pets for children, talk ing the place of the Shetland ponies. This breed is much heavier than either the Toggenburg or Saanen, and the goat odor, to which so many people object, is absent in this breed.
 The Saanen is one of the leading breeds of Swiss milch goats, taking its name from the Saanen valley in Switzerland. This breed has short hair and the color varies from pure white to a creamy white. The Saanen goat was introduced into Canada in the year 1904 and has since then been introduced into the United States. They make dependable milkers.
 The Toggenburg completes the list of the three greatest breeds of milch goats in this country. It takes it's name from the Toggenburg valley, Switzerland. It is a very handsome animal and much re- sembles deer. They have white bars running down the sides of the face and the body is mouse, or fawn color. The Toggenburgs hold their ears erect, very much like the blooded horse They are fine milkers.
 On small suburban lots one or two  goats may be kept by each family. They are very healthy and besides eating the lawn cuttings and scraps from the table, they win not require much food.
 NEED EXERISE
 An exerciser which takes the place of a range, should be erected in the back yard for them to exercise over. They are the most gentle of all the animals, and the very essence of kindness beams from their eyes. They are very intelli- gent, and make the best of pets thus not only supplying milk for the family, but affording a natural pet, from which a child may learn to be kind to all liv- ing creatures, and at the same time secure the experience necessary for full development. Kids retail at about $25 each, and does from $40 to $75 each. If there was ever a propitious time for the Swiss milch goat to be introduced, it is now, to save America greatest asset-the coming generation that is to rule the greatest country in the world
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-12-12
Hog Sales Days

Hog sales days are now being held in many sections of the state and are be- coming more and more popular as the people learn more about the good re- suits secured from this method of mar keting, says l.. T. Wells, of the Alabama Extension service. Some of the sales that have already been arranged for are as folows::
 Tuesday, December 1T: Enterprise Banner, Headland, Ariton.
 Wednesday, December IS: Abbeville Ozark, Clio.
 Other sales in addition to these will probably be held during this period, but their dates have not been announced yet After Christmas the sales will again be taken up, and throughout the winter and early spring will be held in all sec tions of the state. Alabama is making rapid progress along the line of swine growing, and nothing has played more important part in the hog industry than these hog sales days.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-12-12
TART WITH ONE BREED OF CHICKENS AND KEEP TT UP|
Boosts Boys Club Work

In his letter to the county superinten- dents of education urging them to CO., operate and help make me boys agricul- t'iral club enrolment week of Decem- Der 9-14 great success. MT. Spright Dowell, state superintendent of edlr.a- ton. brings out some very practical points. MT. Dowell said that he consid- cred this work one of the most practical and valuable lines of educational work in progress in Alabama and that .the success of the schools of the future will be largely measured by it's capacity to be of immediate and definite service to the people in the community in an in- tersely specific and practical way"
 Some other strong points brought ouz in this letter are as follows: ssIn ag- ricultural possibilities, Alabama stands in the very front ranks A careful sur- vey of the development of our agricul- tural lands, however, indicates that less than half of our rich tillable land has
 been touched by the blow. You will see. therefore, that we have two large educational problems, first, to improve the farming of the lands now under cul- tiyation, and second, to develop in the proper scientific way the vast areas of fertile virgin soil. The school forces should claim a vital part in these big educational problems"
 MT. Dowell urges the county superin- tendents to look upon the boys pig, corn. calf, peanut and other similar clubs as a splendid means of disseminating in- formation which will better acquaint the
 people of the country with improved methods in agriculture He closes his letter by urging the superintendents and schools to cooperate to the limit with the farm demonstration agent in mak ing this enrolment week the biggest suc- cess possible. The extension service con- fidently expects the enrolment to be quite large.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-12-12
Order Fertilizer Early

Labor Is so scarce that unless the short handed fertilizer plants can have more time to manufacture the spring fertili- gers than is ordinarily required, the famers demands may not be met.
 Factories can make up and ship or ders now fairly quickly. Therefore, now is the time for the farmer to order.
 Later on when the bulk of the spring orders are placed, there will be trouble trouble that if even overcome at the fac tory, will fall upon the farmer on ac- count of the ver-burdened railroads.
 Remember that more army materials are being shipped over the railroads now than ever before, and the railroads must serve the army first
 Remember that 1t Is more important than ever to load cars to full capacity. to get the necessary rail service.
 The United States railroad administra- tion, realizing as it does, that it must have all the time possible to provide shipping service, urges ordering early.
 Therefore it Is up to all who are In position to advise the farmer to stress ordering now for early shipment.
 There is nothing in delay except danger.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-12-12
Use of Low-Grade Cotton

| Steps taken by the department Of agri-
 culture to secure the proper utilization 1 of ow-grade cotton, particularly through
 modification of government contracts. are told of in the annual report of the l Secretary of Agriculture.
 | Tt has been very difficult" says the | report, Ito obtain correct commercial
 differences for cotton during the past l season owing to the great demand for the l high grades and the falling off of that | for the low grades. To add to the diff | ficulty, the latter became contracted at I a limited number of designated spot markets. These markets endeavored to submit correct quotations for them, while other, markets were at loss as to how | to arrive at correct differences. This caused some markets to quote the very l low grades at much wider discount than others. The apparent result was l that the average differences for these grades were comparatively so narrow as | to make their delivery on future con- l tracts very profitable. A further result
 was that the parity between spot cot | ton and future cotton was greatly dis turbed, future contracts depreciating in
 value on account of the comparatively high prices at which the Iow-grade prod- Iuct was delivered on future contracts" The department realized that it was economically unsound for an appreciable portion of the crop practically to be- come dead stock, and believed it feasible l to use low-grade cotton without reduc. | ing the serviceabilty of manufactured
 fabrics. In addition to the effort for
 proper utilization, steps were taken. through cooperation with the designated spot markets, to assure accurate quota lions.
 "It may be desirable,'' the secretary l says, ''to amend the rules for obtaining
 differences in order to secure more near l ly accurate quotations for the grades 1 of which such markets may from time to | time become bare. The possibility of formulating a workable plan is being l considered"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-12-12

the secretary, seems to be that the field is one primarily for the states to oc- cupy through sound legislation. Under laws adopted in five states 125 person. al credit associations have been organ ized but the larger percentage of them have been formed by wage earners in urban centers.
 The attempt to develop strictly rural credit bodies has met with somewhat more success in North Carolina than elsewhere" the report states. 'In this state the work of promoting and su- pervising such organiza tions was placed in charge of an official in the division of markets and rural organization of the state College of Agriculture. The law of this state was enacted in 1915, and at present IS credit unions, all of them rural, are in operation. It Is noteworthy that the North Carolina law makes special provision for education al and demonstrational activities"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-12-12

Children in America are becoming
 anaemic. The one food that puts color
 into the countenances of children is sweet
 milk. The high cost of dairy food. the
 scarcity of labor and other problems
 have caused many farmers to abandon
 their herds and as consequence the
 milk situation in many parts of the country has become a serious one. Grow
 ing children must have milk but they
 cannot always get it. Some can get it,
 but the kind they get is of poor quality,
 too poor to put the blush in the cheek. There is a solution to this serious prob lem, and 1t lies in the introduction of the
 Swiss milch goat on small farms and
 suburban lots. For centuries the Swiss
 milch goats have been furnishing food to thousands of families in European countries, but ignorance and prejudice
 against the goat in the United States
 have prevented them from generally be
 ing kept in this country. However, in
 California they are gaining ground and in other states they are gradually but
 slowly being introduced. But if the people only knew that the goat is one of our cleanest animals, and that it's milk is almost tubercular proof and richer than cows milk, and that one good milch goat will give enough milk to sup ply one average family, goat in each
 family would soon be the rule. And then
 the goat eats little, for one goat will eat about a sixth as much as a COW and will give about a third as much
 milk. If doe gives three quarts of milk per day, she is considered an ex cellent milker. However, some give as much as six quarts per day, but even | two quarts of milk per day is considered good. MT. Winthrop Rowland, of Red lands Cal, last year had Swiss Tog- 1 genburg goat, kept on the University of California farm, which broke the world s record as a milk producer, by over 300 | pounds. For the period of one year. this doe produced 2941 pounds of rich sweet
 milk, or more than 24 times her own
 weight. The period of lactation for a
 good doe should be from seven to eight | months
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-12-12
Clean-Up Gardens

If you had trouble with potato bugs, cutworms or from diseases this season you can do a great deal toward con- trolling these pests next year by giving the garden a thorough housekeeping this fall. Many kinds of insects that feed on garden crops and diseases that affect vegetables pass through the win ter protected by or on the remains of the vines and similar material should be collected and burned. The ground itself should be spaded and sowed to rye ol crimson clover. Or if neither of these crops can be planted the ground should be allowed to lie rough so that freezing will destroy as many insects as possi- ble.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-12-12
Hogs or Cattle-Which? :?

Most farmers have worked out from
 experience that feeding hogs is more
 profitable than cattle. But in prac-
 tice on the farm several angles must
 be considered; for instance, on all
 farms there is vast amount of rough
 ages, hay and fodder, to be utilized,
 either sold or fed, and farmers now
 realize the less hay is sold off the
 place. the better the land becomes; and
 fodder can rarely. and never should be
 sold. For this reason cattle should oe
 used to consume even the by-products
 and convert them into manure. This
 practice of mixed farming, including live stock, is good farming and Is pre- vailing more and more over the south,
 and for this reason the southern states are feeding themselves. To ship the product of the land on foot is making this section better and richer coun- try.
 Now. for a comparison between hogs and cattle, both necessary Take, for instance. COW and a SOW; the former
 would cost S100 and the latter $50. The
 COW should produce one calf that in two years might weigh 1500 pounds.
 The SOW should bring two filters of pigs of seven each. which in 10 months
 ought to weight 200 pounds each, 2S00 pounds. Professor Holden claims it is possible for a SOW to market T500 pounds or meat Tn 29 months as against
 2600 pounds by the best COW in the world. Jordan, in the Feeding of Ami
 mals, proves that the hog will make more than five times the real food value than steer or sheep can make from the same amount of grain fed. This technical analysis between hogs
 and cattle has been proved by maEy Kentucky and other farmers in prac- tice and has led some big farmers, like the Cheney brothers of Warren coun- tv, to go into hig feeding to the ex-
 clusion of cattle, although for years l they fed hundreds of steers. They find there is more profit in them.
 Meat is what the allied governments want, and meat means beef and pork both hence it is our bounden duty to I furnish not only pork, but beef. We 1 should not permit the corn fodder ito go to waste, as it was grown at an 1 expense and really represents 40 per
 cent of the corn plant. Put a large
 portion of the corn in the silo, where nothing is wasted.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-12-12
That Farm Hand

w. Livingston Larned. in Hoard'' Dciryman. We fed him chicken twice day.
 We gave him turkey, too. Sweet hams were often sent his way, And lamb and steak and stew.
 He had a little attic room,
 As enug as it could be. The movies cleared away his gloom, .AA sar as we could see. He didn't have to work so hard.
 His chores were mighty light, We held him in a high regard
 From morning until night. All dairy tasks were quite cinch, A patent milking rig. We did his labors in a pinch
 His salary was big. We called him "Mister"-let him go To town, say twice week. We gave him clothes for Sunday show For style is what they seek. But, after all was said and done,
 The feeding and the play, Them city lights and laughter won, Tn dern fool wouldn't stay!
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-12-12
Gamers Endow Beds

From proceeds derived chiefly from the sale of canned and dried fruits, farm womens clubs in West Virginia have contributed $21O0 for the endow- ment of hospital beds for wounded sol diers in France. During the past sum- mer they canned for this purpose 20,- coo quarts from materials formerly al- lowed to waste Nineteen of the 31 |counties--more returns to follow-have put away for winter use 1,500,000 quarts. Farm women's clubs in this states also have taken the lead in the use of substitutes, thereby releasing a very considerable amount of food.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-12-12
Safe Shipments

During the winter season. officers in charge of nearly all the weather bu- reau stations issue daily what are known as shippers forecasts giving the minimum temperature expected to occur within shipping radius of "A to 36 hours from the station These forecasts are published on postal cards and will be mailed to shippers at sta tions near the weather bureau office. Watch the forecast and save losses In food shipments.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-12-12
Turning Pests to Profits

Evarvone who has a garden detests mole&eyeryone perhaps, but certain woman gardiner out in Bryan county Okla. This ingenious person, who re- ported her experience to the United States department of agriculture, puts th em to work. A number of these pests undermined her garden this season, dig ging diminutive tunnels here. there, and everywhere It would have discouraged the average woman; it didn't feeze this one. She started a little irrigation plant of her own. using it's tunnels as irriga- ton ditches. She filled the tunnels with water repeatedly until the garden was we'll watered, and finally drove the mofes off the premises.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-12-12

the number in any previous year and by more than 100000 the number for the en- tire year of 1917.
 Officials of the bureau of animal indus try, United States department of agri- culture, emphasize the direct relation be- tween tbese figures. Where there are many cattle clippings release of territory from quarantine is much more probable than where there are few. When there are no clippings there is little or no hope Releases follow the dipping vat
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-12-12

 important bearing on fertilizer effi- ciency.
 Soils differ in their power to ab- sorb. fix or change plant food elements. Clay and silty loams have greater chemical absorbitive power than sandy soils.
 More phosphoric acid is carried in fertilizers than other elements because this element is more readily fixed or chemically changed in the soil than other acids. and because both it's base and the acid become chemically fixed or insoluble. Therefore, only small portions of the total phosprohic acld are likely to become available to the plant in one growing season.
 Fertilizers respond to crops mol slowly on clay than on sandy soils
 Leaching loss of nitrogen is enor : nous and can be checked by winter cover crops. Feed the crop from year to year and not the soil, and thus oo- viate teaching loss.
 Rainfall in some sections is limit ing factor In that case the average season should be a guide as to now much fertilizer can be applied with profit.
 Quick maturity of crops brought about by fertilizers results in reauc- ing drought damage.
 Organic matter in the soil is essen tial for greater moisture supply, pac- terial action and the best results from fertilizers.
 Acid soils are not prevalent in the south. Such soils can be sweetened with ground limestone, and they will then respond better to fertilizers.
 Damage to cotton, corn and other crops by early frost can be reduced by applying pertilizers containing high percentage of sphosphoric acid, which brings on early maturity
 A wet winter should be followed by a higher percentage of nitrogen in the fertilizers than a dry winter, because of the heavy teaching of this ele- ment.
 The time and method of applying fertilizer influences it's efficiency Most fertilizers should be applied under the seed and before planting. Top dressers, of quickly available materials should be applied when the plant can make the best use of them.
 Fertilizers cannot take the place of good cultivation or any other good farm practice.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-12-12
It s a Business

Large numbers of farmers have more money invested in their business than the business men in their county seat town have invested in their stores Farmers are slowly coming to realize the truth of this comparison and that farming Is business. in connection with which business methods must be used.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-12-12

The amount of territory released this year in nine southern states from the federal quarantine against cattle fever tick was 79,217 square miles, the greatest on record since the state and federal gov- ernment began to fight the cattle para site in 1906.
 Another record was broken, too, this year. The number of cattle dppings in all tick-infested territory in the first 10 months of 1918 was 39, ,263, ,S67--exceeding
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-12-12
Good Way to Corn Meat

To corn 100 pounds of meat we use the following recipe: Use five gallons of water, 7M pounds salt, ounces soda, lA ounces saltpeter, 21s pounds brown sugar or 1 quart molasses. Boil this. skim and let cool When cold pour over the meat making sure that all is well covered with the brine for if any is not covered it will soon mold and spoil all of it. It may be weighted down with loose board and a heavy stone. Let this stand for five weeks. Be sure the meat has cooled well enough to get all the animal heat out of 1t. We cut off the thin rib pieces for immediate use as they do not pack well. The pieces should be cut as if ready to cook.-Mrs L. " c.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-12-12
Unusual Merit

The most enjoyable thing to lover os tobacco is a good, rich, ripe, mellow chew or smoke The Gualden Tobacco Co. of Dukedom. Tenn, will mail you absolutely free sample of Honest Home grown, Homespun leaf tobacco for you to test for yourself the delicious flavor and fragrant aroma of this excellent to- bacco. If you do not want to walt Tor a sample send s1 for trial 2-lb. package, either chewing or smoking, strong or
 mild. This company guarantees satisfac- ton and you take no risk by ordering Advertisement