The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1924-04-06
Quality OF Seed Vital In
Producing Good Crops
McVay Emphasizes Importance Of Each Farmer
Growing His Own Feed

BY eco. o. M'vAY, SR.
The planter. ought to be more inter-
ested in how good seed are than he is
about the price. Every one will agree
that you cannot get something for moth
ing and that as general rule the best
is always the cheapest, but it does
seem that when one goes to buy seed
to plant that he isA often willing, for
the sake of few cents, to jeopar-
die. the resulting crop. 1t is diff
cult to beat into some peoples heads
that there is as much or more differ
eTce in quality in seed than is the case
with dry goods, hardwarelor most any
other merchandise.
At this time Of the year, when the
demand issactive for all planting seed,
one often sees prices or offerings in
print that are much lower than cost
of production and very much less than
the legitimate siealer or seed merchant
has paid to growers for reliable dual
ity. Now what's the answer? There
can only be one and any school boy
should be able to grade 100 per cent on
such proposition. No seed shouse or
other merchant can afford to conduct
his business without profit and when
any one offers to sell merchandise Of
excellent quality below sthe market
price, 1t may be certain that there is
something wrong. One sometimes does
run into real bargains, but more often
he is ,delhded. 1t is q good maxim to
go by that quality is profitable and re-
membered long after price is forgotten.
Grow Your Own Feed
One Of the. chief reasons why the
southern farmers don't get ahead is
because he often buys more than he
produces. If he has something to sell
and brings it to market, he will inva-
riably~carry back home in his wagon
the entire proceeds in certain needed
essentials, the bulk of which should
have been produced on his own farm.
The articles bought by the farmer are
largely made mp of food stuffs for both
man and beast.
These conditions obtain generally
over a greater part of the south. In
rural sections where the farmer must
have credit, advances and gets every
thing charged, the cost to him is sim
ply ruinous. / have lately been wit
ness to farmers buying corn for feed
and bread purposes on fall terms at
the extravagant price of 50 per bushel.
Many truck farmers with plenty of
land will strive to grow all the yege-
tables they can and if they succeed,
afterwards, find that the money gath
cred Sin from such crops must all be
paid out for food for themselves and
their live stock. Farmers know this
but often complain bitterly that it
takes everything they make to buy food
and other necessities of life. There are
of course many commodities that farm
ers the world over must purchase, but
there is little excuse for the southern
farmer buying the enormous amount of
food products that they do.
Beating The Weather
This is a game much older than civ
ilization, practiced every year by mill
lions, and millions are thus lost an
nually. 1t is a difficult matter to sue
.cessfully beat any material game for
a long period but still more difficult
to beat the weather. 1t would be i'm
possible to estimate the actual money
loss occasioned by the late cold spring.
There has been ample evidence all
along, manifested through many signs
that farmers should know, which would
indicate late spring and unusual cold
weather late in the season, yet many
growers obsessed with the idea of get
ting ahead of the other fellow, have
had their early paintings frozen out
twice and in few places on or near
the coast, three times. =
All planters should be close observ-
ers of the seasons and as good weather
prophets as studied information can
give. You cannot beat the weather,
but you can plant over the things
killed by late freezes and this should
be done as soon, as possible. 1t is a
great mistake that many planters make
in assuming that because certain crops
get frozen out that it is then too late
to plant. One may be sure that if his
crops are killed that others are in the
same boat and that his chances for
success are just as good as his COM
pedt0rs. Late seasons are always fol-
lowed by quick growing ones and thus
nautre compensates for losses sustained.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
@. Last year you published list of
monthly blooming roses. Could you re-
peat this list again, as 1 want to set
out some? Mrs. s., Athens, Ala.
(. A. don't remember( the identical
list and besides there areA literally hun
dreds of desirable sorts but any of the
following would please you: Caroline
Testout, Satiny rose, Haflley, Velvety