The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-06-06
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS


 Now, Mir. Praytor has hung up some records in Alabama, and although he has reached the evening of life, his mind is as acquisitive as boy. and he keeps abreast of the latest things in Fagriculture. and tries them out on his place.
 Mrs. Praytor is member of the famous Jefferson county Morrow fami- ly, being brought up at Elyton. and as she quaintly says, in her school days botanized over the fields and woods which gave way to site for Birming ham, She tells of a ride she took over bumpety cotton rows to get a sight of the first brick building erected in the Magic City.
 It must seem strange to the old fam lilies and their descendants. like the smiths, the Mudds, the Martins, the Walkers, the Greens. the Eubanks, the Hewitts the Hagoods, the Morrows and others to walk through the streets of Birmingham. for many of them have
  village into a great city. Even down below Fairfield, the birth place of Com missioner J. Ellis Brown, is in the midst of the latest great industrial develop ments of the Tennessee, Coal Iron and Railroad company's in the district.
 Writing as I am at preesnt of the Morrows, I have been told that it was Dr. George Morrow who had the honor to be the physician at the birth of Ellis. Sunday I passed the old Hugh Morrow home up the valley, a most at- tractive old type, two-story farm house, painted white with green blinds in a grove of lordly oaks. If I am cor rect our own Hugh was named for the uncle or grandfather who originally owned the place.
 Just above it on the right side of the road is the farm of Dr. George Nor row I am particularly interested in it, for awhile back he told me that he was planting watermelon patch and that he wanted me to consider it my very
 
 would be mad with me if I didn't get out and eat all I could hold and pack some of them back home. 1 looked out for them Sunday and they are coming fine. He needn't worry about my mak ing him mad for overlooking them when they get ripe.
 I just dearly love to potter around country place. I like to go out to horses. Sunday MT. Praytor went out at noon to feed, and when he got down bundle of oats and pitched it into the trough of the stall where his pet mare was stabled, it was really refresh ing to hear her whitney" her thanks for his dainty offering. I suppose it was both a thanks to her thoughtful master and her way of saying grace.
 I then strolled through lot where lot of registered calves and several fine cows were enjoying a hillside pas- ture and on to the garden. saw some of the finest cabbages of the season. MT. Praytor told me he had set out 300 plants and had sold about 200 at 10 were simply laden to the earth with pods full of what to me is about the tastiest vegetable which grows. There were snap beans galore, and plenty of fresh Irish potatoes, and all the balance of garden truck in season.
 
 Just across the fence was a field of wheat which had just been cut and stacked I was told that for two years no bought flour had come on the place, with the exception of once which had to be gotten to piece in until some of the new crop could be carried to the mill The mistresses in establishments where home raised wheat is used always apologize for the lack of whiteness of the bread, but I much prefer the golden color, for in eating it I feel that it is more nutritious.
 My attention was called to stack after stack of rye stacked in the barn lot. It proved to be the Abruzzi rye. of which I had heard so much, but had never before seen. MT. Praytor is loud in it's parise as about the best winter forage yet found for dairy cattle. It seems to be a vigorous grower and it's yield is heavy. He told me he had or- ders for more seed than he could fill at $3 per bushel, as all of his neighbors who had watched it wanted to plant it next season. A good crop of oats had also been harvested.
 We next went down to the bold spring, which is cemented up like a great trough to care for the cans Of milk The dairy barn built after gov ernment specifications, was light and airy and as clean as ladys parlor. Two cement silos stood at the end aa sentinels of progress. I was surprised to learn that the cattle preferred tha silage from the one which had been fNed with corn to the one in which sorghum cane had been put.
 On the way back from the dairy we passed an Sup-to-date chicken house. Having seen it I wonder that all who raise chickens use any other kind. Mrs. Praytor is making a Speciality of Rhode Island Reds and the yards were filled with all sizes In one little house she had 300 biddies. She had taken them from the hens and punched them, but