Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-02-10
our HOUSEHOLD
CONDUCTED BY LIZZIE O THOMAS
February Days


The ground hog certainly saw his
shadow last Wednesday, for there
were a few scattering clouds, but
they left no hope for his majesty
to be the least bit frightened by his
shadow. February l was a bad day,
more than one say that as a rule
they did not wish for bad weather,
but they certainly did hope that the
next day would be as bad as that one.
Hanging behind door in my kitch-
en- is calendar with large figures,
l use it for all sorts of memoranda,
it is much easier to set down the
eggs brought in, the butter mailed,
and if 1 want to know how long any
certain thing lasts 1 mark the date
when [ begin to use it. / have set
down the fact that February 2 was
see if there are more good days than
the other sort. The cold weather has
not been excessive this winter, but
what we had hurt US because we
were not accustomed to it. There
has been lot of land plowed> this
winter and I believe that the farmers
will get in their crops earlier than
usual, unless the bad weather begins
now, and l am one of the hopeful
sort The wise ones tell me that
land plowed in time to catch the win
ter rains do not suffer from drought
is a fact 1 believe that the rain that
fell last night ought to supply mois-
ture for many a long hot day.
But this is a day that any spring
month would be proud to call it's
own. If there must be rain it will
and enjoy the sunshine during the
day. In the more southern parts OF
our country the gardens are fine,
1 suppose, but there is not much done
here, some Of the dryest gardens
have onions and radishes planted,
lettuce and cabbage seed are in boxes,
but right now we could make duck
pond out of ours simply by the least
bit of scraping.
Our Community club had a meet
ing last night and Mr.. Hardie, of
the state experiment station, talked
to the people about selling cream
and about having pastures instead OF
so much cotton. There was a good
/ crowd. There is no question about
the prosperity of the section of Ala
bama that has gone into that bust
ness as side issue. I am in favor
but this way of working family
to death to make cotton in the hopes
of having money enough to buy all
the things that one could raise on
the farm is great mistake. Suppose
the times are as bad as right now,
is not the man with corn in the crib
and meat in the Smokehouse far bet
ter off?
T have set my incubator and am
busy with the hens and hope to sell
at least 500 baby chicks. I think
that I have the finest lot of chickens
that ever have raised, and there is
reason for it. I try my hardest
every year to do a little better than
I did the year before. It takes work,
though, and good hard cash to build
up flock. Don't tolerate scrubs, and
on no account have a male bird in
your yard that is not pure bred. The
hens can be watched and the eggs
from only the best saved to set, in
that way one can get started at very
little expense.
I am keeping the water that my
flock drinks colored with permanga-
nate of potash, it keeps down colds
and tones up the system. Do not
give hens that you expect to furnish
the eggs to set, any sort of medicine
to make them lay. 1t weakens the
vitality of the chicks and a lady told
me, last week that her hens died from
the stuff Bran mixed with oats and
boiling water poured over the mix
ture is fine for them these cool
mornings.
Remember, that I am glad to help
YOU in any way that I can. I don't
profess to know all about chickens,
but what I do know is at your serv-
ice, freely given. Letters that demand
an immediate answer will get it, but
the others will be replied to through
this department.
Faithfully yours.
LIZZIE o. THOMAS.
Tuscumbia, Ala.