davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-07-15
Alfalfa Caterpillar

Following are a few measures suggest ed by the United States department of agriculture for the control of the al- falfa caterpillar:
 Keep the ranch in the best possible cul- tural condition. Irrigate 1t often and thoroughly, either immediately before cutting or as soon after cutting as the cror of hay can be removed from the ground.
 Renovate every winter and during the month of August, or even oftener, if pos sibie, by the Use of a good type of al- rupae that may be present and putting growth of succeeding crops
 Cut the alfalfa close to the ground and clean especially along the ditch banks, borders and turning rows, as well as in the main part of the field.
 Cut the alfalfa earlier than is the gen. eral rule The proper time is when it is just com.ng in bloom or Is one-tenth in bloom. Watch for caterpillars in the early spring crop. and if many are ob- served and are about grown. cut the hay a few days before it is in bloom. and thus save the neat and future crops.
 A minimum amount of damage occurs in fields that are systematically pastured all or a part Of the time.
 Excessive moisture is conducive to diseased condlt OF of the larvae, and this one fact is of the greatest fmpof tance in control When worms begin to appear in numbers, if possible supply this mois- ture by irrigation and thus assist nature to destroy the worms.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-07-15
TO CONTROL THE BOIL WEEVIL

The best time to dust is when the hu- midity is high the air clam and the plants moist with dew It is necessary that every portion of the cotton plant be covered by the fine particles of poison dust, and this cannot be done when the wind is high or the plants dry. It is usually necessary, therefore to do nearly all of the dusting work at night, early in the morning or late in the evening.
 The first application should be made when the weevil injury reaches 10 to lo per cent of the bolls, and the effort should be to hold it below 25 per cent. The poison reaches and kills only the adult weevils and has no effect what ever on the immature stages developing in the bolls and squares. Three appli- cations are usually sufficient to effect the desired measure of control They should be about four days apart Poison ing should not. be attempted except under conditions that will justify sufficient machinery outlay to go over all the cot- ton poisoned at about four-day intervals. It is advisable to repeat an application
 immediately if drenching rains falls within "A hours after treatment.
 It is sometimes advisable to poison heavily infested portions of the field earlier in the spring. The heaviest in festation is usually near timber or other Information quarters. and early poisoning of few acres may greatly reduce the infestation of the entire field and delay considerably the necessity for general poisoning.
 Weevil poisoning, the specialists say, is plantation and not an individual field proposition. It is unsafe to expect each tenant to poison his crop. Much bet ter results are obtained if the plantation management undertakes all poisoning op- erations.
 Three types of satisfactory dusting ma chimes have been developed-the hand gun, the wheel traction machine and the engine-power machine. A hand gun, should not be expected to cover more than 15 acres, and it is safer to figure on one gun for every two acres. Even on this basis. hand guns should not bc relied upon when there is considerable acreage of cotton. The hand gun is of great value for early season work on spots of high infestation and for use in conjunction with power machinery cr treating spots that cannot be reached with the power machine. The medium
The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-07-15
Can Without Sugar

It will be wisdom on the part of house. Keepers to can the usual amount of fruits ana vegetables this year, even if part or all of the fruit must be canned without sugar, according to a statement issued by the department of agriculture
 From all present indications, sugar will be more abundant next winter when the fruit will be used on the table, the depart ment says. There will apparently be an increased acreage of both cane and beet sugar this year in the United States Cuba and in other countries in the northern hemisphere: The rise in the price of sugar has encouraged increased plantings of cane and beets
 In spite of world shortage of sugar and a decrease of 400, 10000 pounds in domestic production, there has been used or hoarded during the current year in the United States 15 per cent more sugar than in former years. In fact, a greater supply of sugar than ever before has been handled in this country during the past few months with net imports 25 per cent, or over 1,000,00O,000 pounds, greater than in any previous period. It is ob- vious therefore, that there has been no actual sugar shortage here this year. The difficulties enccantered have arisen from the inability of the consumer to se- cure his share of the supply Unless enormously increased amounts have been consumed the trouble must be laid to hoarding, and it is very evident that large quantities are being held for future use both by housewives and commercial con cerns.
 During the past fifty years the con- sumption of sugar in the United States has steadily increased. at an average an- nual rate of one pound per year, until in the last few years the average yearly per capita consumption for all purposes is be- tween s and 90 pounds. This compareA with per capita consumption of 5S9 pounds in 1s99 The increased consump- tion of sugar by the soft drink, candy and ice cream industries during recent years has helped raise the total average, but to what extent is not known.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-07-15
MARKETING CORN IN SOUTH

Because the southern states are import ing millions of bushels of corn annually while certain sections of the south are producing surplrses, the United States department of agriculture recommends the introduction of more adequate mar keting facilities in sections of abundance and standard practices regarding prepa- ration for market To realize these ends will require concerted action on the part of communities concerned. The depart ment suggests that southern dealers ana consumers handle and use southern gram wherever possible, and. that local dealers associations and chambers Of commerce which have not done so already pass res olutions urging members to use native corn and also hay. whenever available.
 Since as much of the corn as possiple should be used in the community where grown every farmer should feed as much stock as he can Those having sur plus should endeavor to dispose or IL 10 neighbors. In this connection the auvan
 tage of some central agency to prlng puy- CTS and sellers together is pointed out
 In many instances cotton warehouses, oil mills and similar buildings can be used as temporary storage places, thus nermitting growers to hold thelr crop until the market is favorable howe.er' if they desire to store their crop on tne farm. special care should be taken 10 provide cribs that VIII prevent uAA',-oS by weather, weevils and other agencies. The man selling corn near home has a larger margin of profit because there are no freight charges.
 There is usually considerable differ ence between the price of old corn ana new corn from the north. That part or the new crop from the south whicn can ho marketed before the new corn from the north arrives should get the advantage of this difference in price. Good prices cannot be obtained, however, Tor any cron unless special care is exercised In harvesting, grading and preparing it TOT the market. Husking rather than Jerk ing. proper storage so as to prevent heat ;ne and sacking in containers of proper size are all matters of importance Corn that is to be shelled should usually pc husked in the field when it is gathered. If corn is jerked it must be husked m the crib. adding labor and expense, ana then usually is not very satisfactory'
 Practically all sales of shelled corn m this country are now made on the basis of federal grades established by the Sec
The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-07-15
Help Plan Farm Homes

Identifying and improving the farm homes is the newest phase of home dem- onstration work in the south, yet more than 1,5oO farmhouses were built in the south last year according to plans advised by the home club agents; 2,736 were re- modelled. 2,s77 had lighting systems in- stalled, 1920 had kitchens improved and made easier to do work in, 26,811 labor saving devices were made or purchased. and 29.666 front yards were beautified. When extension work with the women was started 10 years ago, it aimed first o tighten women's work and to lift it out os the realm of drudgery and to aid in food problems. As these problems were being solved the questions of cloth ing, home conveniences, increased poul- try and dairy production, sanitary im- provements, food composition, food values and practical arrangement and furnish
 ing of the kitchen were brought up by tho women. This led to demands for practical plans for the whole house and for information as to its best location. drainage, water supply, lighting devices. inside arrangement and decoration.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-07-15
The federal law

retary of Agriculture. The federal law applies to all interstate shipments which are made by grade, and requires that they be sold according to the federal srades. Even though given transac- .ion's does not come under the law, the buyer naturally is inclined to judge the corn according to these grades and make Eis price correspond. Therefore. more Widespread knowledge of proper grading IS highly desirable for southern corn growers
 The federal standards divide shelled corn into three classes. white. yellow and mixed. The particular demand in the southeast is for white corn, the various grades of this class usually comrpanding from to 20 cents premium over similar grades of other classes The federas grades specify that corn to class as white must contain 9S per cent by weight or white kernels. Unfortunately. a very large percentage of the corn raised in the southeast contains a considerable per- ecentage of black, blue red and yellow kernels.
 Two things should be done to improve the color of corn grown in the south east Farmers should select and plant more white seed of varieties suited to this section; second. concerted action should be taken against various pests and bad practices in handling. Corn con tainlhg weevlls, or other injurious ir- sects, is placed in what is known as one of the sample grades.' which means that the only safe way to trade in it is by actually examining the corn or a rep- resentative sample. This necessarily narrows the market and places the grow CT at disadvantage
 Damaged grains, also, are often the re- suit of weevils, earworms or similar pests. Corn should not be left standing long in the field after it is ripe. nor stored in poorly constructed cribs where it will be exposed to the weather. If corn raised in the cotton belt is not mar keted too soon after harvest, there will be little trouble from excessive moisture one of the factors in grading corn-ex- cept in that grown in mountainous parts of the Carolinas. Georgia, Tennessee and certain places along the coast.
 Another essential in preparing corn ror the market is to avoid an excess of for, eign material and cracked corn. This can be done by screening with a machine equipped with proper fans and screens. If corn is sold for grinding the mills us- ually want 1t in bulk, and some expense can be saved by shipping in that man. ner, although the largest demand in the south is for corn in bags
 If possible. arrangements should be made to have some agency in each lo- cality. where there is surplus of corn, to purchase the crop when it is ready for delivery to the local market This agency may be either cooperative as- sociation. local grain merchant, gen- erai merchant oil mill. compress. cotton
The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-07-15
Fighting the Stable Fly

ne Importance of taking steps to pre- vent the breeding of stable flies rather than depending on protection of the stock.
 When the flies are full grown, can not
 De emphasized too mucn. However, Where this is not done the farmer is forced to resort to various means of warding off the flies.
 Work animals may be protected iar.. rom the pest by means of coverings One type or covering which has been found to De very effective and inexpensive const,r,. oI a blanket made of double thickness oi puriap' so arranged as to cover com pleteiy the back, sides and neck of the ahlmal. The legs also are covered some times by means of old trousers slipped over the feet and tied over the back. Leather nets or strips of leather attached to the bridle also aid in keeping the flies from the head The ordinary fly net has been found to be of little value. as it only tends to displace the flies tenn porarly and cause them to settle in places not covered by the net.
 Completely darkened stables offer much protection from the flies although the resulting lack of ventilation is objection- able The thorough screening of all win, dews and doors is much more desira ble W hen screened barns are used, care should be taken to brush the flies from the animals, when they are about to en- ter, by means of nets over the doorway or with sacks. Little can be done to protect range stock from the flies.
 On hog farms a freshly, plowed trench offers considerable protection to the swine. The sides of these trenches may be smeared with petro,caln, which rubs off on the animals and acrs as d repel-
 ant The trench may be used also for sneep, but llie petroieum in their case is unnecessary.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-07-15
! H o ME E. CON O M I C s 1 fCARDENS | AND ORCHARDS
Hot Weather Rules
Load lightly, and drive slowly.
Stop in the shade if possible.

Stop in the shade if possible.
 sponge on top of the head, or even cloth. is good if kept wet, If dry it is worse than nothing.
 Water your horse as often as possible. So long as horse is working, water in small quantities will not hurt him. But let him drink only few swallows if he is going to stand still
 When he comes in after work, sponge off the harness marks and sweat, his eyes, his nose and mouth and the dock Wash his feet but not his legs.
 If the thermometer is 75 degrees or higher. wipe him all over with a damp sponge, using vinegar water if possible. Do not wash the horse at night
 Saturday night, give a bran mash, luke warm: and add a tablespoonful of salt petre.
 Watch your horse. If he stops sweating suddenly, or if he breathes short and stands with his legs braced sideways, he is in danger of a heat or sun stroke and needs attention at once.
 If the horse is overcome by heat, get him into the shade, remove harness and bri1le, wash out his mouth, sponge him all oyer, shower his legs, and give him two ounces of aromatic spirits of am- monia, or two ounces of sweet spirits of nitro, in . pint of water; or give him pint of coffee warm. Cool his head at once, using cold water, or. if necessary, chopped ice, wrapped in cloth.
 If the horse is off his feed, try him with two quarts of oats mixed with bran and a little water; and add little salt or sugar. Or give him oatmeal gruel or barley water to drink.
 Clean your horse at night, so that he can rest well, and clean him thoroughly. The salt dandruff drying on his skin makes him uncomfortable, and often pro- duces sores under the harness.
 Do not fail to water him at night after he has eaten his hay. If you don't he win be thirsty all night
 If it is so hot that the horse sweats in the stable at night, tie him outside, with bedding under him. Unless he cools off during the night he cannot well stand the next days heat
The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-07-15

classify his output so that he can dis pose of it advantageously to hide brok- | CT or a tanners. buyer direct From these men the hides go direct to the tan Ter. Thus various intermediate agencies and their profits are eliminated.
 So simple distribution system is, of course, impossible for the small pro- ducer. However, experience has shown that the farmer and ranchman and the localc butcher can dispense with the -unH
 dealer and the travelling buyer, and in
 some cases with the local dealers as in- termediaries in the distribution system. When the producers negotiate directly with the large hide dealer the latter sor ss and elassifies the hides sent in and
 is in position to share with the pro- ducer part of the saving which this simpler method makes possible. At the same time lowering of prices for the final prnduct will be the tendency, since distribution costs will be less. The use of local dealer as Intermediary between the producer and the large hide dealer in some cases is advisable. since ne is
 in a position to do needed sorting and classifying.
 Either of these simpler methods sug- gested for the producer of country hides selling direct 10 the large dealer or through a local dealer approaches more nearly the hackers method and repre- SSitS q Qeclueu lHlpfONefIeul EONtT iIleln- ods now prevailing
 Such consignment marketing however, presupposes mutual confidence and fair dealing by both producer and dealer and. unfortunately, this does not always exist. Another obstacle to the establishment of this method is the producers preference for ready cash. Many producers prefer to accept any price obtainable from local buyers, such as general stores, produce dealers, junk collectors and traveling hide buyers rather than consign their tral markets. The place that travelling buyers or agents occupy in an improved system of distribution is a matter on which one can be less specific, since opin- ions of the trade differ as to the prac- tcabilty of travelling hide buyers or agents of large hide dealers.
 Already country producers of hides are coming to see the saving that results from the simpler system briefly indicated here and are making contracts with large deal CTS in whom they have confidence and who in turn see that it is the part of good business to respect and foster this con- fidence Farmers and others interested in putting this important side line on more profitable basis are invited to com municate with the Bureau of Markets, United States Department of Agricul- ture, Washington. D. C.. which will sup ply them with full information regarding the best methods of marketing hides, as well as instructions for proper skim ming and curing.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-07-15

There is no magic formula for simpli- 1ylng distribution Improvement in
 methods can only come from careful
 study of the routes followed by each kind or class of commodity in it's long, long trail from producer to consumer.
 Ihls fact is recognized by every student l Of present economic processes and like wise has been taken into account in the studies of marketing problems carried on by the bureau of markets One of
 these specific problems which the de- partment's specialists have studied and regarding which they offer definite rec concentrations that involve a real saving to consumer and producer, has to do with the marketing of hides, by-product
 from which almost every farmer can de- rive profit if he will give it proper at tention.
 The first need in the present situation is familiarity on the part of the pro- ducer of country hides with the recog- nized grades and classes of hides and skins. Such an understanding will enable him to prepare and dispose of his prod ucts much more intellgently and profit ably. But even if he should produce the best quality of hides and skins the small producer is at disadvantage compared with large producers like the packers, for example. because the latter handle large quantities of hidesA and can sort ana grade them according to the GemG 1dS of various tanners. The extremely scat tered sources and the comparatively small individual production vf country hides and skins makes it impossible for country producers to sort and classify their products in marketable lots.
 Nevertheless. many features of the present methods of marketing country hides can be improved since these meth ods support expensive nonessential profit absorbing and speculating intermediates which operate, possibly unintentionally but inevitably, to suppress this branch of the industry and to discourage the quality of workmanship displayed
 Three principal methods of marketing domestic hides and skins prevail at present, as shown by studies made by the bureau of markets The one in wnich the farmer, ranchman, and local butcher usually participates is needlessly complex and costly. The hides which any one of these individuals has to sell are usually disposed of either to a junk dealer or a local buyer. These men, in turn, sell to travelling buyer. The latter passes on his goods to the large hide dealer, and this dealer sells to a broker or a tan ners buyer, from whom the collected skins are finally disposed of to tannery Thus there is maintained long, cir- cuitous distribution system that adds needlessly to the final cost.
 Contrast this system with the direct methods which the packers are able to employ Each packer having large as- sortment of hides is able to grade and
The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-07-15
Birds on the Increase

fowl throughout the United States. in stead of the alarming decrease which lead to steps for their protection, is noted in reports received by the biological sur vey from all parts of the country during the past few months. The change is at tributed to the good effects of the mi- gratory bird treaty.
 Friends of the migratory birds believe that the first important step for the per petuation of the birds has been made. but that another one equally vital re- mains to be taken. This consists of the conservation and perpetuation of suf- flcient number of small inland lakes, as well as timbered lands.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-07-15

mill or some responsible individual The satisfactorily and at better prices by some such organization than by the in- dlvidual growers.
 County agents. farmers or others de- sirins information relating to marketing or grading of corn are invited to conn municate with the bureau of markets, u2ited States department of agriculture, Washington, D. c. Additional informa- tained from men in charge of the depart ment's exhibits displayed at various cities. or by visiting anw office of federal grain supervision. or an inspector licensed by the secretary. Tn the southeast the offices of federal ErAin supervision aro located in Baltimore. Atlanta Nashville. New Orleans, Memphis. Cairo. Louisville ard Cincinnati.