davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-02-28
Cost of Clean Milk

There has been too much indifference on the part of the consumer with re- spect to the cleanliness of milk. Too many of them desire to buy milk at a low price without regard to quality. Dirty milk may prove to be expensive as q gift, while clean milk may be econom- teal even at a high price; the cheapest article is often the most expens.,e.
 higher price for clean milk r1ay be cheap insurance against some form of sickness. It Is gratifying to note. spe cialists of the United States department of agriculture say that there is an in- creasing demand for good. clean milk. This demand has resulted in more strin- gent regulations concerning the sanitary conditions associated with the milk sup ply Compliance with these sanitary rules requires additional care attention and expense on the part of the producer of the milk, and while this expense may not be large, 1t Is only fair that the consumer pay his share of tka cOss2 of improving the milk. The consumer can not expect to purchase clean, safe mill, at the same price as 8 dirty prod uct which endangers the health of his family.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-02-28
Farmers Income Tax

Under the new law, federal income tax is assessed against all single per- sons having a net income in excess oi $i0O0. Heads of families have certain exemptions that keep them from paying this tax unless the income exceeds S2'N0 year. It is somewhat difficult for farmers to figure income, on account of inc comp,exity of their business But in a general way you may figure gross income as the total value of all i've stock and grain disposed of during the year, as we'll as profits in trade and in terest on money. lent. From the total Of these receipts you are entitled to de- duct the expense of running the farm, but not your personal or family living expenses. If there is any doubt in your mind as to whether you may come within the operations of this tax law, we advise you to talk it over with your banker He will tell you where you can get blanks from the revenue collector of your district, as well as how to i'll out inc blanks after you receive them It is safer to make report than to have Uncle Sam get after you. You can't beat the tax gatherer safely, and, besides, you ought to be glad you're well enough eff to be subject to taxation. Wouldn't it be nice to pay income tax on a million dollars? Yet the million- { aire is complaining more bitterly than ans handled much better if infested. anybody just now.-Farm Life.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-02-28
Boys and Pigs

As a means of helping to increase the pork supply, the United States depart ment of agriculture has just released to the motion picture theatres, through one of the large motion picture com panies, e film showing the work of the boys pig clubs which the department organizing in all parts of the country in cooperation with the extension di- vIsioi.s of the state agricultural CO., lsges.
 The filrn shows methods of instructing farm Loys, and in some instances girls, who have joined the agricultural clubs how to raise better pigs and the meth ods used by club members in carrying out Instructions. The first lesson taugat in the finn story is that it costs no more to feed ana care for the pig of carefully selected stock than the scrub, while the results in meat produced is greatly in favor of the well-bred animal The picture shows further how to feed and care for the pigs, how to protect them from disease and how to shelter them from the inclemency of winter and the heat of summer. The results of 'rise selection and intelligent care are shown in t.ie well -groomed, fat, healthy pork CTS wearing the prize ribbons they nave Won at the county at state fairs.
 The first pig club was organized n Lou;siana in 1910. Now approximately a5,ou0 members are enrolled in the pig clubs throughout the country
 sgrhe practicability of producing rapid increase in the pork supply and of bringing greatly increased profits io the farmers who produce it are les sons which the bureau of animal in- dustry wishes to call to the attention Of all farmers" says an official of that bureau and it has been found that educat;cn of the farm youths is bring ing about valuable indirect education of their elders in the possibilities of more profitable hog lots.
 Ut has become urgently important, as war measure, that this country great ly increase it's production of foodstuffs. espe cially fats and meats. They are needed for our people at home and for out armies abroad. and for the armies and people of the entente nations While the department of agriculture is work ine haid to increase our supply ot beef, effective increases in the nunloer of the country cattle is necessary slow, W hile much more rapid results can be obtained in the production of pork as well as mutton.
 The pig club, film is the second of series of releases of official films of the Cnited States department of agriculture to Ee made bimonthly, according to the terms of a contract which the. secretary of agriculture has made with the film company which is to distribute them Arrangements are also being made for the, distlibution- of these films by the depnltmen. itself to educational instl- tutions.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-02-28
Raising the Calf
By E. F. RUSHING

Owing to the high prices of milk ana cream the dairyman, or average farmer, whe raises a calf on whole milk will raise them at a loss Calves can be sue cessfully reared on skim-milk, If they are given the right start, and fed a proper feed to balance the ration.
 Itr is best to allow the calf to remain with the mother for two or three days to get the first milk. This milk acts as a purgative on the calf's digestive system and gives it a good start in life
 The calf can be gradually shifted to skim-rniik diet when it is three to four weeks old. 1t is better to feed the young calf three times daily than to feed the same amount in two feeds. The milk must be of uniform temperature or i'll re- suits will follow.
 If the slsim-milk is fcd in a warm, sweet condition, the calf will be apt to do well. The amount may be increased as the calf grows older. but 1t is unneces- sary to feed more than 12 or 10 pounds or skim milk per day if good legume hay is fed.
 Skim-milk alone is not sufficient for tha growing calf. The addition of q lit tie oil meal to the milk will help much Shelled oats will be a good feed after 1t is a little older Hay should be Kept where 1t can nibble on it at will, after  it is four or five weeks old
 Clover or alfalfa hay is fine for calves clover hay probably being the best, as alfalfa sometimes produces an over-laxa- tive condition of the bowels.
 The great danger of rearing the caif on skim-rnlk is the possibility of 1t de- yeloping a bowel trouble, which so often proves fatal. The calf's digestive organs may be greatly deranged by unclean con ditions in it's feeding and surroundings. Cold skim-milk, dirty pens, wet sheds etc. usually cause all the trouble.
 As a rule the trouble comes on very suddenly. The calf seems to be doing well on it's skin-milk diet. Plenty of hot water, fresh air, sunshine for the calf-feeding utensils and comfortable place to stay is the best preventive.
 If bowel trouble should develop. cu' the ration down to one-third of what IS being fed, and heat, real warm. It may be necessary to return the calf back to the whole milk diet to restore health.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-02-28
How to Figure Acreage
By E. l.. HUDSON

A farmer of my acquaintance who owns a thousand acres of land was quite bothered recently when he tried to figure how many acres there were in tract containing not more than five acres. For the beenfit of those who may at times be likewise bothered the following simple rules for computing acreages are given:
 For Rectangular Tracts--fa) obtain the length and width in feet. Multi ply these two together. Divide the product by 43.560. The result will be the number of acres.
 (b) Obtain the length and width in rods. Multiply the two together Di- vide by 160 This method is prefer able for large fields as rods are easier to measure than feet.
 For Triangular Tracts-(a) Select one side. preferably the longest, and meas ure 1t either in feet or rods. Measure the distance from the opposite apex to the side chosen. Multiply the two meas rrements together. divide the produc. by ?. and then by 43.560 eff the meas urements were in feet) or by 160 eff the measurements were in rods).
 For Round Tracts-(a) Select the dimension that would seem to De the truest diameter of the tract and meas ures it in feet or rods. Multiply this dimension by itself and take four fifths of the products. Next divide by z3, 56O or 160 (depending whether the measurements are in feet or rods)
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-02-28
Everbearing Strawberry
nr EuNICE MAskINs

E. Wickham of the Wickham Berry Farm, Richardson county. considers the Dunlap the one absolutely safe seiec- ton among the spring bearing straw berries. Last season his family Ina their first strawberry shortcake on May IS and had an abundance of fine berries from their Dunlap plants for 40 days.
 The Dunlap" is very hardy, very rrolific and of the best quality. The Aroma" is Mir Wickham's favorite late variety The Wickham Berry Farm has found that everbearing stsaw5er- ries are all that is claimed for them and will bear a fine crop in August !f tue first season, if bloom is kept pinched off untii then. MT. Wickham considers superb" the best everbearing variety. with "Progressives" close second. By planting either of these,' he says, you will make no mistake. To plant neither is surely a big mistake"
 This advice is given as to culture If the ground is not fall plowed, then rlow as carly in the spring as possi- ble; to set the benefit of any late spring freezes, harrow or disk thoroughly just that IS free from white grubs. Gull tivate to keep a dust mulch.
 My own strawberry patches in tl'e back yard of q town lot always. fsec- ossarily have been small and the ground has been spaded instead of pIowed. have sNet excellent success that am al ways trying to get others interested in their culture. Because strawberries coR,e so early in the season they are partlcuiafly profitable in the home gar den fer family use and they are 50 easy to raise and so delicious that it seems . shame any family should De deprived of them season after season. and yet this is often the case and not an exception. Where one family raises strawberries, it is safe average to say 10 families do not
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-02-28
Contented Cows Prayer

Elbridge A. Stuart. head of the carna- ton stock farms, near Seattle, Wash, and at Oconomowoc, Wis, is widely known because of his admiration for the Holstein breed, as we'll as for his rigid insistence upon kind treatment for every COW in the herd. The Prayer of Contented Cow' by Mr. Stuart, is letterd on big placard in the COW barns and also is displayed when the Carnation herd is exhibited at stock and dairy shows.
 "I am milk machine.
 II ask only for proper food and care and I will produce rich, pure, sweet milk.
 The more care given me, the more and better milk l can and will produce I want to do 1t because it is my lifes work.
 Please remember, dear master, must work "A hours each day that can pro- duce milk, both night and morning. In order to produce the maximum efft- clency. I must work under favorable conditions.
 q must have good food from rich pastures.
 q must have pure water and must have plenty of fresh air. l must not be compelled to stand out In the rain or iii the boiling hot sun.
 DO not tie my head so that cannot protect myself from the peslSy flies. and so I cannot lie down and rest with ease and comfort. If I must be tied in I stall, wash and brush me regularly, so that foreign dust and dirt will not get Into my milk Please look after my hoofs and keep them healthy,
 Please do not swear at me and do not strike me.
 "I like to be petted often.
 "Kind words also will help make me happy and contented."
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-02-28
Cornmeal Gingerbread

One cup cornmeal.
 One cup wheat flour.
 One teaspoonful salt
 Three quarter teaspoonful ginger.
 Two teaspoonfuls ginger.
 One-half teaspoonful cloves.
 One teaspoon cinnamon.
 One cup sour milk.
 One cup molasses.
 Two tablespoons shortening.
 sift together the dry ingredients. Con- pine the milk, molasses, melted shorten ing and beaten egg. Add the liquid in- gredients to the dry. Stir well. Bake in moderate oven.
 Two cups buckwheat flour may be substituted for the cornmeal and flour in this recipe This will have the char acteristic flavor of buckwheat. If 1t if too strong. use only one cup cf buck wheat and one and half cups of rye and white flour. Two and half cups of rye and white flour may be also substituted. In using the rye and white flour a larger quantity is necessary be- cause of the Hours absorb less than dc the cornmeal and buckwheat.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-02-28
MUST GET THEM ALL
Fly MARY ELEANOR KRAMER
CoRNMEAL. AND FIG PUDDING

SoRNMEAl. AND ZIG PUDDING
 One cup Of cornmeal, one cup of mo- lnsses. six cups of milk, one cup of chopped figs, two eggs. one teaspoon Of salt. Cook the cornmeal with four cups of milk in double boiler, then add the figs and salt. When the mixture is cool add the eggs well beaten. Pour into a buttered baking dish and bake in a mod crate oven for three hours or more When partly cooked add the remainder of the milk without stirring. Raisins may be substituted for the figs if de- sired.
 CORN OYSTERS
 Drain the liquid from one can of corn. Put the corn through the meat chopper. One cup of corn pulp, one-fourth of 6 cupful of flour. one-fourth of tea spoonful of pepper, one egg, one tea spoonful of salt. Drop by spoonfuls and fry in deep fat or cook on well creased gridiron. Serve very hot
 INDIAN PUDDING WITH APPLES
 Mix four tablespoonfuls of cornmeal with cup of cold water and stir into two cups of milk scalded over hot water; continue to stir until the mixture thick ems, then add one cup of molasses, two eggs beaten light, half teaspoon full of salt half teaspoonful of gin ger and teaspoonful of cinnamon In a buttered pudding dish lay four sweet apples, pared. cut in quarters and cored, over these pour the hot mixture and let bake in moderate oven half an hour then pour on half cup of cold milk and bake without stirring two hours Serve with cream or hard sauce.
 BACON AND CORN-CAAfP STYLE
 Twelve slices of bacon Qf family Is large), two cupfuls of canned corn, two eggs, one-half green pepper, one small onion, salt and pepper to season.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-02-28
Try These

Graham Gems--Two cups sour milk (buttermilS preferred). sugar E cup, scant teaspoon soda, graham flour to stir thick. Bake in gem pans in quick oven.
 Cornbread-Three cups buttermlk. $ cups cornmeal, l cup white four table spoons molasses. eggs. little salt. teaspoon soda dissolved in a little not water, sweet milk or water To make batter the right consistency. The eggs may be omitted with satisfactory results.
 Cottage Pudding-One cup each of su- gar raisins and sour cream, eggs, E grated nutmeg. 1 teaspoon soda dis solved in a little hot water. 2 generous CUTS of flour. Bake in long cake tin. Use any kind of sauce desired.
 Chocolate Pie.-Grate 1s cup chocolate. riace in sauce pan with l cup hot water, butter the size of an egg, tasplespoon vanilla, l cup sugar, the beaten yolks of eggs and ? tablespoons cornstarch, dissolved in as much hot water. Mix well and cook until thick. stirring con stantly; then pour into baked pie shell. Make frosting of the ? egg whites saved out.
 Frosted Creams-One cup sugar, l cup New Orleans molasses, cup butter or lard, teaspoon ginger, taablespoon each of cloves and cinnamon. heaping teaspoon soda dissolved in hot water. 4 cup boiling water. Flour enough to make a soft cooky dough. Put in pans and flatten out to quarter of an inch in thickness Bake, then frost. and when frosting Is set, cut into squares. 
 Oatmeal Cookies-One-half cup butter, cup sugar, 1ls cups rolled oats, h cup milk, eggs, A teaspoon salt, F. tea spoon allspice, F teaspoon cinnamon, level teaspoon soda dissolved in small amount of hot water, about 1h cups chopped figs or dates. or else raisins or entrants may be used instead, and 2ls cups flour. Drop with spoon on but tered pans, and bake in brisk oven. Ex- cellent for the lunch basket and very nutritious.
 Prune, Pone in War Time.-One cup cornmeal, i cup rye flour, 1 cup wheat flour, l cup washed chopped prunes. ts cup molasses, 1 cup sour milk, tea spoon soda Scala meal with enough boiling water to make very stiff bat ter; stir in flour: add other ingredients. then fruit Steam in mold 3 hours or bake 2 hours in moderate oven. Serve with sweet sauce or hot molasses.
 Prune Conservative dozen prunes. one-third pound raisins, oranges. 1-3 cup corn syrup, # cup water. A cup nut meats. Dried apricots. peaches Of canned plums. may be used in this recipe. Wash and cut prunes in pieces: add chopped raisins and orange pulp and peel, cut very fine; then add corn syrup and water. Cook slowly until it is the consistency of marmalade. Add chopped nuts five minutes before removing from fire
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-02-28

FREEZES AND BOIL WEEVIL

to the crop by the weevil. This has
 been due to favorable conditions
 brought about by heavy rains during
 the early part of the growing season,
 which permitted the weevils to over
 come their losses during the winter, or
 to early dispersion of the weevils from
 the warmer sections of the cotton belt,
 and sometimes to severe tropical
 storms which frequently sweep over
 the gulf states It is therefore, ap-
 parent that the conditions of the spring
 and summer will largely determine the
 extent of damage due to the weevil,
 rather than the number of weevils
 which survive in given locality.
 In the opinion of the department of
 agriculture, it would be very uufortu-
 nate if the prevailing impression con
 corning the boil weevil should increase
 the acreage of cotton at the expense of
 food crops. At the present time. what is most urgently needed throughout the
 south is an increased production or
 food and feed crops There is every
 indication that the normal acreage in
 cotton. with proper cultivation, win
 give supply of the staple sufficient for all purposes. 1t is clearly mat ter of patriotism as well as sound judgment for the planters to increase the acreage in food crops. The planter who Increases his cotton acreage can not be assured that his crop will not suffer greatly from the boil weevil attack, and will be utilizing his land in way which does not best serve the necessities of the country.
 Director General MvAdoo has already issued a warning that transportation
 difficulties in 1918 may make it diff cut. if not impossible, to supply food and feed promptly to communities that neglect to provide their own necessi- ties To say the least, the drain on transportation is so heavy that any exceptional requirements for hauling food and feed to the south will be an actual embarrassment to the govern ment in the prosecution of the war. The department of agriculture is not asking the south to contribute mate
 rially to the nations food and feed sup ply, but is asking the south only to ! feed itself so that it may not become l a burden upon the food producing sec l tions of the country which must strain i their energies to the utmost in order ] to feed the armies and maintain the civil populations behind them
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-02-28
HERE'S THE WAY TO USE MEAL

Fry the bacon until crisp, pouring off the fat occasionally during cooking. Re- move the bacon from the frying pan and keep warm. In about four tablespoon fuls of the fat cook the minced pepper and onion for five minutes. Add the corn, the eggs we'll beaten and salt and pepper, scramble all together in the hot fat Heap on hot platter, surround by the bacon and serve Immediately.
 CORN STICKS
 One cup of cornmeal, three-fourths Of a cupful of flour, one cup of milk, one third cup of butter or it's substitute, one egg, three teaspoonfuls of baking powder. one-half teaspoonful of salt. one-half cup of hominy grits, boiled. Sift the dry in- gredents all together. add butter and milk to the hot grits, then add the egg we'll beaten. Bake in greased -GcadsticS pans until brown and crisp.
 CoRNMEAL FISH scRAPPLE
 One cup of cornmeal one-half cup of cold water, one teaspoonful of salt. one half cup of shredded salmon, tuna or cod fish, three cupfuls of boiling water. Mix the cornmeal, salt and cold water. Cook either in double boiler or fireless cooker for three hours One-ha1f hour before removing from the fire add the shredded fish. When done pack in n greased mold. cover, and the following day slice thinly, dip in flour and fry. Serve hot. RAISED FLANNEL CAKES
 Bo., a pint and half of sweet milk and let stand until lukewarm Add two large tablespoonfuls of soft yeast and pour over one pint of flour mixed with one-haIf pint of cornmeal. Add one tea- spoonful of salt and one tablespoonful of sugar, mixing well together. Cover closely and put in warm place. In the morning add two well beaten eggs. Let the batter stand for 15 minutes, then bake on a hot griddle These are de- licious.
 CRACKLING CORNBREAD Three-fourths of a cupful of cornmeal. one cupful of wheat flour, one-fourth cupful of boiling water. one-half cupful of brown sugar, two cupfuls of butter milk, one teaspoonful of soda, one tea spoonful of baking powder, one-fourth cupful chopped pork cracklings (he scraps that remain after trying out the fat), one teaspoonful of salt. Moisten the cornmeal with the boiling water and let stand for five minutes. Sift the soda, baking powder and salt with the wheat flour and add with the rest of the in- gradients to the cornmeal. Spread thin in greased dripping pan and bake in a ,, hot oven about 20 minutes.
 (Note: The above recipes, with corn meal as foundation were sent to The Age Herald by one of it's thousands oi readers. They are all good.-Ed)