Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-02-13
Di,cu.scs Farmers, problcm..

FARMER.
-. Discusses Farmers Problems.
To The Editor OF The Times Dispatch:
Sir,--I notice that much has been
sad about the dog law and sheep rails
ing. ] have been II sheep raiser for "a
good many years. and have had some
trouble with hound dogs. and on one
occasion with Il pointer and a shepherd
dog. But have had more trouble with
setter dogs than any other kind.
would he very glad to see some law
passed to do away with worthless dogs
and protect the sheep
| have also heard farm labor dis
cussed Il great deal through your pa
per. II has G:'tcn to be "A very seri-
GUS problem | have the land. tean,
and tools. but cant get the labor to
utiiizc my farm TO get anything out OF
IT, The most Of the farmers arc handi-
CAPPED The same way. Up TO last year
labor left the farm because public
work was paying them more than they
could make on the farm. Then war
was declared and then the government
phid them big wages. and that still
was drawing them of the farm. Tho
draft law is taking tho best labor
khow OF several farms that have bccn
broken up entirely. on account of the
boys having to go to war. Unless there
how the United States can be seIf-sus-
tanning much longer Then we are cX-
rcct.d 10 feed the allied countries with
All these difficulties staring US in the
face.
sec where some gentleman has suE-
scstcd mat town boys and school boys
after school Is over. be put on the
Farms. and convict labor. too | have
had some experience with these mex
pcricnccd farm hands and don't think
they are any good. II takes two over
sccrs To one hand and ovcrsecr's wages
are generally higher than the hands
II Is very easy for 4 man TO talk with
no experience along this line. don't
claim 10 know everything myself bur
what little do know know il az
well as any man. j. W. FRITCHET-T
Rawlings. Va. February IL. 1918.
Poultry V~rSu. Gardens.
To the Editor OF The Times Dispatch:
Sir ain "A food conscrvationist. and
am very much IN earnest about IT, The
n "nIn, , Are ,old i, 70 do many Thing.
Which they cannot do. owing to cir
Cumsianccs. and one OF the latter things
say th"s" foods which can he shipped
10 the allies and to our men in France
! know Interested people in every quar-
ter Of this suburban locality who would
gladly do this, hut for a chicken law
we want to turn the scraps from our
be forced To turn them over TO the gar
hacc man instead THAT Ia exactly
wha; happened TO The folks In this
suburban village last summer for on
account OF chickens. a night *as start
ed her" which rivaled the night across
til" pond.
This chicken Law In our almost coun-
try n"ighborhood Just about debars tho
hous"kccpcrs from turning TO chickens
t" save pork. We live in a widc-opcn
every side and all between the houses
:. boom addition which has doomed and
busted, leaving ample spaces FOR gar
d"ns and live stock and Il plenty to
spare. Last year there was garden
enthusiasm here. OF course. and every
one went 10 gardening like they cH-
peotcd To w!n the war by the time no
tatoes w"r" dug. They c@... 'Swa,
IN" hen and all poultry Of every Kind"
fF.r .4.l
down tho Kaiser on the nrst round
Many chicken tragedies occurred. Dan
rer"us looking policemen. with big tin
plates ON their coats. were asked to
come around and give stern orders con-
corning those substitutes for pork and
desperation did no, Stay their birds.
smut them up In. cruel pens or in hot,
"n,in" protein IN tn" form Of bugs
an! Erasshcppcrs increased and multi
Piled outside instead az icing used 10
supply.
Last summer We had gardens and
gardens smiling in and out OF doors.
quarters out Of business. And those
gardens SOM about the size OF q
pocket handkerchief and some smaller.
Su'ne With six tomato plants and a row
OF potatoes three Yard long. Hood.
w"tered and nur,ured Tor a brief time,
thcn forgotten and left TO grow AS
they would. while the owners pursued
hucks;"r wagons and Jared sumptuous-
som" OF those gardens Jack Frost
walked over. finding them just as they
We're planted. Many gardens hardly
chicken raised last summer stood for
dollars and cents. and thcro Is no use
telling about the cost OF poultry and
eggs At THIS moment.
OF course there must be gardens. but
can't We have both? Every chicken
rats.r IN mis- locality is also a gar
they have their gardens Enclosed. only
those people who do not care TO raise
fowl get a chicken law passed, which
pu;s tho whole community into warfare
and helps the Kaiser that much. Every
person who is really in earnest about
gardening. and goes into il for the
den and does il because he wishes TO
realize something from his labor and
production.
Nea. me man planted a vacant lot
in potatoes, and the hens OF the man
on tho next lot went over TO look for
worms.
The owner of the hens paid SIS fine.
and the man who planted the potatoes
never tended them after planting them,
and made no preicnce towards harvest
ing them.
y woman moved into the neighbor-
hood Win lock Of chickens. and. not
knowing the law, allowed her flock to
wander freely in held next her lot.
man near, and he killed several prize
chickens worth a great deal for breed
ini; purposes. He knew there was A
law against chickens, and he took adj
vantage OF il TO enjoy White Orpins-
tons on his table.
one woman had to sacrifice a finely
bred flock of plymouth Rocks. because
she lived back OF a street where people
resided vino took UP gardening as
fad and flower gardening mostly.
There are many such stories.
This is 4 serious matter here. and
haven't a doubt that small towns, and
suburban villages have the same trou-
blcs everywhere there is q law against
poultry. II seems to me that this
SHOULD not be left to become "a matter
OF local option, as il is in most places
for the man on top VIII have his way
OF course ana often it is the man on
The under side who is willing to give
his time 10 poultry raising. Then. when
il is a local matter IL becomes fire.
qucntly an occasion for Il general
nciehbOrhood war.
There are many. as spring comes.
who are wondering how they will man
age with their Industrious hens when
tScir next door ncighbors plant their
pocket handkerchief gardens. What il
to bc done about ii?
POULTRY
Du Pont City, Va. January 81. 1913.
righteous Wrath.