davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-05-08
't NEW SORTS ESTABLISHED
Clover Calendar

Reference was made recently to the ne- the clover flower midge. Even if there should be a good season for clover the crop of seed cannot be as large as the country needs, because the seeding of 1918 was lost in a great many sections through drouth. It is desirable, there fore. that a maximum seed crop be pro- duced if possible. The method of con trolling this clover flower midge is to de- stroy the larvae of the first brood. The adults that have lived over winter will lay their eggs in the flowers of the first crop of red clover. These adults do not live very long, and if the first crop ,an be kept from producing bloom when the adults are flying. or if the blooms
 an be cut before the larvae mature, there will be very few, if any, adults to at tack the second or seed crop of red clover Details in regard to this matter can be found in Burners Bulletin 91, which the department advises farmers to read dur ing the spring months. It is sometimes desired to get seed from the hrst crop oi June clover. and this may be done by pas turing the clover heavily enough to keep down the bloom until the latter part CT May. At this time the stock may De taken off; and, in that case, the June clover will seed at about the same. tune as the nNmmoth usually does. However, the common practice is to take crop or hay and allow the second crop to make seed. When this plan is followed, care will have to be taken to control the clover flower midge in accordance with the ln- structions found in Farmers Bulletin si'
 During this month, also, farmers pas turing their horses on alsike clover should keep watch of their animals. especially those having white faces and white rect A number of instances have been reported where horses have been poisoned by eat ing dislike clover These instances nave been numerous enough to show that al sike clover has a detrimental effect al certain stages of its development. un- fortunately. nothing is known yet as 10 the reason of this effect, but the rae. that it does occur is sufficiently wei established to warrant warning on the part of the department. When horses feeding on dislike clover are observed 10 have sores around the face and mouth they should immediately be taken off the alsike clover and put upon may or a grass pasture This vii cure the dffi- culty.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-05-08
Kind of Eggs To Store

Freshly laid eggs with clean, whole shells that have not been wet show a negligible loss in bad eggs, even after 10 or il months in storage. Imperfections in commercial handling, grading and mar keting previous to storage are mainly re- sponsibe for bad eggs developing after storage.
 Those are two conclusions reached by specialists as the result of series of ex- pertinent with cold storage eggs recently reported. The eggs were produced mainly in the middle west. and all were stored in warehouses in the east. Other con clusions reached are as follows
 Preservation in the shell of undergrs de eggs, including those that are dirty. cracked. leaking heated or stale. should not be attempted. If not marketed for prompt consumption, the contents should be removed under proper conditions and frozen The frozen product will keep in good condition for year or more where there would be a marked loss by spoila ye in few months if the eggs were stored
 in the shell
 Spring eggs on the market are usually fresher than summer eggs, and for Chat reason keep better in storage Most of the eggs stored are produced in the spring.
 The common method of grading from current receipts by inspection, and by clicking to determine cracked shells is in efficient. Cases of commercial spring frsts.' sorted by this method showed. when ready to be taken to the storage house an average of 17,5 cracked s<sgs and one leaking egg to the case Can ding is a much more accurate method of selecting eggs suitable for storage Cases of spring frsts' graded by candling did not average more than three cracked eggs to the case when ready for storage. When examined after to II months in storage, eggs selected by clicking showed ar average total loss of ls.5 bad eggs per case. while those selected by can Hing showed total average loss of T eggs per case.
 Of the average of lS.5 bad. eggs to the case of eggs when selection was based on clicking, after long periods in storage, g were due to direct spoilage of damaged eggs .or to their contamination of neigh boring eggs by molding The deteriora- tion of the balance was charged to dele serious prestorage conditions. such as dirty, stained, washed or heated eggs. many of which could have been elimt- mated by candling.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-05-08
NEW USE FOR WASTE CORNCOBS

Corncobs have always been one of the great waste products of American agri- culture, yet the chemists of the depart ment of agriculture have proved that practically the entire cob can be con- verted into valuable substances. About 3I per cent by weight, of the cob may be converted into crystalline glucose. The cellulose remaining after the adhesives are removed is practically pure product, very absorbent, and might be used for a number of purposes. Alcohol can be man. ufactured by fermentation of the corn cob glucose certain amount of sugar may be obtained from the cobs About 2.5 per cent by weight of acetic acid is recovered as by-product in the manu- facture of the corncob adhesive. Wheth- CT 1t will prove profitable to recover all of the by-products in the manufacture of adhesives can only be determined by commercial development
The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-05-08
REDUCED CROPS IN INDIA

REDUCED CROPS IN INDIA
 The alleged surplus in India and Aus tralia has been much reduced Instead of India having 2000o0,OO0 bushels of wheat for export that country must have a large amount to fight off famine. A part of the Australian surplus was lost as a result of mould, rodents and general deterioration. Since spring and seed time is fast passing. it would seem that large amounts of American food must find their way to European countries
 Direct benehts to farmers through tIre sale of government bonds also are cited by Mr. Christie as a reason why farm CTS should invest in these securities.
 The recent Congress" he said. has appropriated Si00,000 to buy food for the hungry people of Europe. This has taken a large supply of the surplus foodstuffs, and has made strong market for az ricultural products, Recently England placed an order for 200 0000,0o0 bushels of wheat with this country, for the reason that credit could be obtained. This credit was made possible by the money fur nished the government through the sale of Liberty Bonds It is readily seen that the sale of these large supplies of wheat and meat is making a place and assuring a larger market for the large wheat crop now in prospect, and for the large pro uuctlOn oI SIdiu, meat, poulNiF anu uaii y products which is bound to come from the farms this year
 After buying bonds the farmers may use them for collateral in borrowing money for farm operations. MT Christie points out They can carry out the operations for which the money was needed and Tn due time repay the banks. Meanwhile the bonds will have been drawing inter- est. making the actual cost of the loan comparatively small
 The farmers of the United States. said the assistant secretary, fin response to the call for men for the army and navy. gave more than 100000 boys, and in addition one and half million trained farm workers to the essential war indus tries, such as shipbuildng and manufae- ture of ammunition Then the farmers Tn 1918 produced 35,00o.000 acres more crops than ever were grown in any previous year, Farmers are supporting and serv- ing the government in every big move. By investing in Victory Bonds they are rem dering patriotic service and at the same time helping themselves to do their own work in a better way
The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-05-08
MOST CATTLE IN THIS COUNTRY

A<4
 rp Beef exports in these three countries are sisat uniformly related to the number or cattle supposed to be on hand, either oy census enumeration or by estimate. III lthe United States there were 51,ooo,ooO cat tie on farms on June in the census veal a1s9c. 6s 100000 cattle in 1900, and ezVW'Vc fcattle on April 15, 1910. At the low tioe oI o1efs and 1914 the cattle numperea pue 59. 800 GOO. as estimated by the bureau or 5ctaop estimates, but recovery followed to essnoa OoO cattle in 1919, equaling the rec ora for 1900.
 oa Argentine cattle never with certainty exceeded 29, 900 head, the census report for 1908. The census of 1914 found only o. Se7 0o0 cattle, and the estimate for lslo ;s o7 o5o on cattle. On Australia the num- her of cattle has ranged from about 9'- oO00 to 12.O00, 900 head during the last 10 wears and in the more recent years has remained at 100000 to 11.0oo,ooO mead.
 DIFFICULT MATTER
 If is apparent from the foregoing hg- ures that increase of cattle in these three countries is matter of some di11lcuity. A promising progression for 1eW years has been followed by a reversion. ana this again by progression, but Tn eacn ol these countries the present number or cattle harelv equals the number of about o,, wears ago, and yet the average yearly exports of beef from these countries (ahove imports for the United States) m crea sed from 925, 900 900 pounds in lSss-iN4 to 1914, ,o0O, 600 pounds in 196-l9l4, a1o to ,.s0s OOo, 900 pounds in 19l5-l9l7.
 Gain of beef exports without corre- vsponding gain in number of cattie on hand has been made possible by more ras,id turnover by means of slaugfSerins atgvounger ages, by a breeding-u up process, resulting in heavier, beefy animals, ana bvI more intensive feeding.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-05-08
FARMERS MARKET IS SURE

Disturbed conditions in Europe, failure of the people in some countries to re- turn to farming. Hooking of millions to the large cities. reduction of crops in India and the unfitness for shipment of much Australian wheat assure contin- ued heavy demand for American food products. and furnish a material reason why farmers should invest their surplus money in Victory Liberty Bonds says G. l. Christie, assistant secretary of agri- culture.
 "A study of European conditions" said Mir. Christie, indicates that there will be need for every pound of food that can be produced on American farms this year, and that farmers will receive a fair price for their products.
 When the armistice was signed it was thought that the armies would be demob- ilized. and that the people of Germany, Austra Hungary and the other Countries of central Europe would return and take up work in large numbers on the land. There was every reason to believe that the peasants would cultivate the soil and produce large share of the needed food for this coming year In this respect there has been much disappointment Due to the unsettled conditions and unstable government the peolpe have been slow to take up any regular occupation. In some of these districts, where there have been many land holdings, the people are demanding that these be broken up into smaller tracts and distributed Many thousands of peasants are leaving the mountain country, where they have been producing live stock. and are now coming down into the valley country, where they hope to get a share of the rich agricul- tural lands The peasants on these lands are slow to plant and cultivate, thinking that they may lose their labor and their crops if the land is given to others
 PEOPLE FLOCK TO CITIES
 'The result of this disturbance is that food production will be materially de, creased In' other territory. due to the lack of transportation and seed, crop pro- duction will be very much reduced. Con ditions everywhere are such that there is little hope to have a normal produc- tion. With the disturbance in the country ii is found that the people are now flock ing in large numbers to the city. In 1914 the city of Budapest had a population of about S00,000, while the population today is more than 2,G00,000 The city of Vienna in the past few months has increased in population more than 1,000000. During normal times the city of Vienna received 100000 liters of milk daily. At this time this has been reduced to 90,000 lters of milk, which is given by cards to only babies and invaids. The first Amer ican flour is reported to have reached
The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-05-08

Strawberry growers in doubt as to what variety is best suited to their soil, climate and use, should find much help in the solution of their problems in Farmers Bulletin 104S recently published by the United States Department of Agriculture The bulletin is intended as an aid to both commercial and amateur strawberry growers. The information is based large ly on the experience of successful grow CTS in practically every important com mercial strawberry producing district throughout the country. but the results of experiment station tests the experience of commercial canners and by-product manufacturers, the preferences of anna teur fruit growers and the conclusions resulting from wide observations of the departments specialists, have been used in making up the variety lists which are given for different sections.
 From the beginning of comfnercial strawberry growing, about 1S00, the Large fsarly Scarlet was the leading variety grown in the United States About 1860 the Wilson replaced this variety, because it was much firmer and was more suit able for shipping to distant markets. From about 1880 varieties began to replace each other in more rapid succession, un- til at present 9 sorts constitute about 90 per cent of the total commercial straw berry acreage The Klondike. the lead ing variety in the southern states, heads the list, constituting 2S per cent of the tctal strawberry acreage. The Aroma, the favorite variety in the south central states, is second with lS per cent of the total acreage, while the Dunlap in the northern states ranks third, with 10 per cent.
 NEW SORTS ESTABLISHED
 Since 1900 many varieties especially adapted to conditions in various parts ot the country have been introduced. Thus the Missionary has become the leading sort in central Florida and the klondike in most other parts Of the south, the Aroma in most of the milder regions or the central states from southern Indiana. Illinois and Missouri, south to Tennes- see and Arkansas; the Dunlap In all the middle west north of the Aroma sec tion: the Jucunda in western Colorado; the Clark, Marshall. Oregon and Klondike in most of the Pacific coast states, anu the Candy in the states north of the Ohio and Potomac rivers and east of the Mississippi. In the northwestern states
The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-05-08
BEST VARIETIES OF BERRIES

the Chesapeake Joe, Parsons, Late Stew ems. Belt, Glen Mary and Williams are widely grown.
 The klondike became the favorite in the south, because it makes a quick growth of plant and berry in the early spring, so that the fruit natures before the extremely hot weather The berries are firm enough to hold up several days in shipmentNto market and the variety is fairly resistant to diseases that are com mon in southern regions In the north central states strawberry growing was not entirely safe until introduction of the Dunlap which is hardy, productive and quite resistant to disease. Wild straw berries do not often supply ripe fruit for more than three weeks and until the Wilson was introduced, this was the usual length of time that fruit could be ob- tained on any one market. With the in- troduction of still firmer sorts it became possible to obtain strawberries in the larger markets fron early in the win ter, when the berries are shipped from Florida, until July, when berries ripen in the extreme north. Since the intro- ducton of the Superb. in 1911. and the Progressive in 1912. it has been possible to obtain locally grown berries in most northern markets continuously from July to October
 POLLINATION NECESSARY
 Two types of flowers, imperfect or,pis- tillate, and perfect or staminate, are produced by different strawberry varie- ties. Imperfect flowers contain pistils but no stamen, while perfect flowers contain both Pollen which is produced in the stamens is essential to the setting Of fruit. A variety with perfect flowers, therefore, can produce fruit when plant ed by itself. but one with imperfect flow CTS cannot set fruit unless perfect flower ing plants are near to furnish pollen through the agency of bees or other in sects. Where imperfect varieties are used the usual practice in planting is to set one row of a perfect variety for every two or three rows Of an imperfect one.
 New varieties are being constantly in- troduced to the trade. but according to the bulletin few of them possess any spe- cial value as compared with others al ready more or less well known, and most of them soon disappear from the nur- seryman's list or at best remain of only local importance.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-05-08

..The Queens children is the narne given to little Belgian refugees who have been separated from their families and scattered over Belgium and France, and whom Queen Elizabeth is trying to gather into a children's colony to be educated if sheir relatives cannot be located.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-05-08
FARMERS SAVE ON NITRATE

More than a hundred thousand tons of nitrate, originally produced to help in blowing the German armies off the map of Belgium and France, this year will be put to the more peaceful work of in- creasing the fertility of American farm ing soil. After the signing of the armis tee the war department released to the Department of Agriculture Ill GOO tons of nitrate at a salvage price, To this quan- tity is added 40,000 tons received from Chile by the department too late for dis tribution last year, so that 151 600 tons will be sold by the Department of Agriculture to farmers under the authority of the food control act, which provided for it's pur chase and sale by the government to farmers at cost.
 MORE THAN A MILLION SAVED
 Through this arrangement it is esti- mated that 100000 farmers will save about S, S,50O,0O0, according to the open-market price and the $S1 ton f. 0. b. shipping point charged by the government Farm CTS have taken up the full GOO tons in orders ranging from bag of POO pounds to an order for 300 tons.
 The price last year was $75. 50 ton, f. o. b. shipping points, located at six At lantic and gulf ports. The department last year arranged for the shipment of 12o,000 tons from Chile, but shortage of shipping space kept the quantity trans ported in time for use last year down to about 75,000 tons. This years price was announced early in 1919, and application blanks were sent to county agricultural agents for distribution to farmers
 Harbor strikes at Charleston, S. C., aEd New York city have seriously interfered with shipments from these points, but a recent arrangement for lightering nitrate destined for New England and New York points from the Erie basin in Brooklyn
The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-05-08
Calves As a Foundation

Young calves from good dairy cows are a satisfactory foundation for start
 ing a dairy herd, in the opinion of United States Department of Agriculture special
 sts. Ordinarily the method advocated is to grade up common cows with pure bred bull, requiring a number of years of ratient selection and breeding, a pe- riod sometimes discouraging to an en- ergetic dairynian. Frequently this causes farmers who want results too quickly to change breeds.
 GOOD MATURE COWS COSTLY
 It is expensive to buy mature dairy cows that are free from disease, that have good breeding and show desirable produc- tive ability Often. especially in new dairy sections. farmer buys mature stock without being properly prepared to caie for it. and many discouragements follow. To a great extent most of this difficulty can be avoided by buying good grade heifer calves from herds of welt established milk production. In some dairy regions it is common practice to sell the heifer calves for veal. These calves, while only grades, are usually from good producing ancestors and carry a productive ability much greater than common COWS.
 Tie buying of such calves to start dairy herds las been tried in several states with excellent results. Of course, the cost of small calves is much less than mature animals, and the danger of dis ease is also greatly lessened. In general, shipping is simpler. Calves may De shipped l.y exrYess at from to weeks of age, depending upon the distance, with good results if they are properly cared for upon arrival.
 BE SURE OF CALVES
 In buying it is important to deal only with Gairymen.s Do not buy from men wph purchase calves at stockyards to ship back to the farmers, because it IS not always possible to determine the breeding of the calves and calves that are physi- cally unfit may be shipped
 In some cases shipments are made c. O- D., which nabIes the buyer to see the calves before paying for them. A man who sells calves in this way makes spe- cial effoit to please his customers. II seems desirable. especially in spasseiy settled sections. that more attention De given to rerfect;ng satisfactory sys- tenn of distributing dairy calves to farm- CTS.
 Advantages IT, buying small calves as a foundation for d dairy herd are sum- marized as follows:
 Small investment, better breeding. greater freedom from disease, in case of accident loss IS smaller. raising calves stimulates interest and in conseduence causes better earc- of live stock; satls- ia ctory berd can te established more rap- idly than by grading up common cows.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-05-08
More Gardens This Year

The fact that the war is over does not mean that folks are going to stop mak- ing gardens The interest that thousands of patriotic gardeners had last year seems t., be growing instead of tagging, and their enthusiasm has attracted others to the gardening habit. report from the Iowa state club leader shows that the enrolment in city garden clubs in that state indicates marked increase over last year. Up to the last Of March the enrolment in Des Moines showed 2000 more members than were registered year ago Of 107 Iowa cities reporting. 91 had already enrolled paid garden club supervisors for the summer, more th0n twice as many as had paid supervisors last summer
The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-05-08
WHY LAND LIES IDLE

Much of the nonarable land within the domain of Uncle Sam consists of land
 once f&rmed and now abandoned, as we'll worth while trying to make into farms. Topographic and climatic conditions are of primary importance in explaining why so large an area remains ,unimproved. Nearly one-iifth of the United States is too hillv or rough for the successful pro dacton of crops. This mountainous or stony land. where rainfall is sufficient. is adapted to forests. and where the rainfall is resr or sihe for the absence of crops in nearly one-third of the United States During occasional years of heavier rain fall. large profits may be made grow ing crops in these semiarid regions. but in the long run it pays better in most local ties to use such land for grazing and grow in swales and seepage basins
 only few acres of crops for supplement tary feed
 Another factor restricting the culti- vated area is the length of the growing
 season Over large extent of elevated
 land ir the west, and also in the Adiron- average growing season is less than % days. while frosts may occur during the sumn CT. There is also much land Where the soil is too sandy or infertile for the profitable production of crops. Such
 soils are better adapted to forests. and when cleared for agricultural use are gen. erally soon allowed to grow up again in brush and trees
The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-05-08

Of the 22O.O0o workmen employed in the tobacco industry in 1916 throughout Germany, there are now only sQ0D0. Over 6.000 cigar factories in that coun- try have been closed down ousias to the lack of materials.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-05-08

The Virginia Colonial Danes have pre- sented Mrs. Wilson with copy of the original portrait of Pocahontas, the ln- diam princess. of whom the Preeident's s wife is lineaI descendant.