Newspaper Page Text
THE FARMERS’SIDE AS’
TO SIXTY-CENT COTTON
The Literary Digest of May 8 der
votes considerable space to extracts
from leading daily newspapers in all
parts of the United States in regal'd
to the action of the committee on
price-fixing of the American Cotton
association at the Montgomery con
vention, held April' 13-16'.
A number of the newspaper edi
tors, located especially in the north
and west. severely condemn the
commmltte and the association for
suggesting a price of sixty cents for
short staple, middling cotton, on the
remnant Os the crop of 1919 still
left in the farmers’ hands. As a
■matter of -fact the committee did not
* fix a price of sixty cents as* was
3 sent out to the press and exchanges
s over the Associated wires. That part
’ of the committee’s report (referring
to a price for cotton is herewith
, quoted as follows:
“Be it further resolved. That the
■world’s demand for the manufactured
products from cotton has placed the
price of the manufactured products
far above a just ratio of the present
prices paid farmers for cotton. The
spinners should pay farmers a price
not less than sixty cents per pound
for cotton, basis middling, which
price would enable them to mrfke
enormous profits on the manufac
tured products at the present prices
of said manufactured products.” .
.This action of the committee.' nel<
ther fixed or recommended that the
farmers should demand sixty cents
for the remainder of the crop on
hand. It was in the nature of a
suggestion to, the spinners that on'
account of the present ehornrous
profits they were making on manu
factured goods, they could well af
ford to pay farmers sixty cenfs for
middling cotton.
Criticism of the present high prices
for cotton fabrics appear to be di
rected solely at the growers of cot
ton by nearly everybody living out
side the zone of the American Cot
ton producing. area,and are conse
quently ignorant of the true facts
in the matter. - ,
What are the facts so far as the
cotton growers are concerned? The
cost of producing a pound of cotton
in 1919 as carefully worked out by
EFFICIENCY OF 600 FARMS COMPARED
Reports From Corn Beit
Farms Show Merits of Va
rious Implements and
Methods
The- relative efficiencj’ of plows of
different sizes, the value of the
tractor compared with horses, the
saving effected by corn binders, hay
loaders and numerous other imple
ments, and other facts on
farm management are discussed by
specialists of the office of farm man
agement, United States department
of agriculture, in a bulletin recently
issued. The publication discusses in
detail the standard day’s work in
central Illinois; that is, the amount
of work that the 600 farmers in
cluded in the investigation ordinarily
do in that part' of the worn day de
voted to a given farm operation, such
as the number of acres plowed with
a given equipment. In some instances
the rate of ‘work is given in the
bulletin in number of minutes per
load, as in loading and unloading
hay, or hauling and spreading ma
nure.
From the figures published one
may get a good idea of the rate at
which different farm operations are
done in the parts of the corn belt
in 'question. For example, it is
shown that one man does-from 70
to 80 per cent more with the twenty
eight-inch horse-drawn gang plow
than with the one-bottom sixteen
inch plow.
Figures are given for spring and
fall plowing, harrowing, planting,
cultivating, harvesting, husking,
seeding, unloading ear corn, unload
ing- oats, loading and unloading hay
aaa hauling and spreading manure.
The bulletin is entitled “The Standard
Days Work in Central Illinois.”
Copies may be had by addressing the
United States department of agri
culture, Washington, D. C. *
The farms represented by this
Inquiry are fairly typical of thos*
throughout the middle western
states, since the average crop area
is 167.4 acres and an average of 32.1
* acres is never planted to crops. Corn
ls V l6 , - P rlnei Pal product, at least
one-half of the crop area being de
voted to it, and the oat crop is second
in importance. The ground cultiva
tion in most instances is level, and
• so represents easier working condi
tryns tban rolling or rugged eoun
.™me^vera.s<Ltim<' spent in the field,
exclusive of the time used in going
to and returning from the field at
noon and night, is report
tbese me P as ten hou rs and
1®?. Jnmutes per day devoted to spring
field work and corn cultivation; nine
m°^ rS a nd W-five minutes for hay
gram harvesting; nine hours
and thirty minutes for fall plowing
and preparing ground, and nine hours
vest 1 enty minutes for corn har-
Important Facts Emphasized
significant facts brought
?“on»a y th e h M’S? may be m ™-
machine enables one man on
tnese farms to cover nearly twice as
much ground per day as with a one
row cultivator. Three horses are
most commonly used on the two-row
fmi?t V h at T and the addition of
but little apparently increases
out little the amount of ground
covered per day ground
These farmers find that the use
of a corn binder increases the es
ficiency of man labor 50 per cent over
that, achieved when cutting and
shocking by hand. s ana
day’s g work on^these’forms forgone
duces the Hmp P° rta ble elevator re
grain intotth e required to unload
cent 1 * th bln by abo ut 75 per
about o- e ri of a hay-loader reduces by
?«°n.L 26 p F cent she time required
to put on a load of hay. The amount
t > he^m° r r , er iuired for unloading into
the mow is only a little more thJn
half as great when a hay-fork £
hand &S Wben the work is done by
The men in this territory who use
rg n ive e n S a P motn e t rS of haUl a " d 1
hand haUl hl wagons and spread by
A large majority of the men re
porting, broadcast their small grain
the n ho endgate seeders attached to
the box of an ordinary wagon. Only
about 2t> per cent of the farmers
Porting own grain drills. e
The bulletin analyzes each field
m P an ra iVh n from • the standpoint of
man-labor requirements, horse-labor
requirements, size of machine, etc
nlo\v’np an ? er ln > w hich the data on
tvn7rai S nf h^' e been summarized is
I f the way in which several
subjects are treated. About 80 ner
cent of the farmers reported the use
rtated U *Hv<t D tu S ’ abOut 80 I,er cent
„, that they use horse-drawn
r.an b plows, and 14 per cent reported
•-he use of tractors for plowing d
16-Inch Sulky Flows Popular
majority of the farmers
use 16-inch sulky plows, nearly all of
them with three horses in the spring
Three acres is an average dav’s work
for this outfit. For
Z s fa »l me F s using 14-incn sulky
Mows with three horses in spring
Plowing about 3 acres is an average
nay’s work. While theoreticallv
tne 16-inch plow should cover about
la per cent more ground in the same
Zl 8 t b ° f - tln,e ’ this apparently has
not been found true in practice.
Four-Horse Teams Preferred
The greater number of four-horse
teams and even some five-horse
teams on 14-inch sulky plows for
tall plowing is accounted for by the
fact that Plowing in the fall is usu
ally about one inch deeper than in the
spring, and also by the fact that the
ground is generally drj- and hard
to turn. On An average, outfits of
the same size cover about a half
acre less per day in tne fall than
in the spring, due not onlv to the
more difficult conditions mentioned
above, but also to the fact that the
THE ATLANTA TKI-WEEKLY JOURNAL.
a committee at the Montgomery con
ference, April .13-1,6, arrived at the
average figure* of cents
per pound for the crop of 1919 as
applied to the main producing states.
The crop of 1919, basis middling, has
not been sold for an average of forty
cents. Fully one-fourth of that crop
was under middling and has been
sold at .prices which would hardly
average twenty-rfive cents per pound.
If three-fourths of the crop sold for
forty cents and one-fourth at twen
ty-five cents, the average price re
ceived for the whole crop would not
exceed thirty-Sjx and a quarter
cents per pound, or 1 3-4 per cent less
than the actual cost of production.
As fixed by the committee, a profit
of even 25 per cent to the average
farmer who only produces Six bales,
would net only, -$375 and at this his
entire crop «would have to average
him a price of 47 1-2 cents per pound.
Either the average cotton grower
must remain in a state of agricul
tural slavery to satisfy the general
ignorance of the world as to the
cost of producing cotton, and be con
tent with low prices, or he must in
the fact of unjust ‘criticism and in
the defense of his home, his occu
pation ami his manhood, assert his
rights and by co-operative effort en
force them.. There is no other solu
tion of the problem and the Ameri
can Cotton association offers the
only medium, through which the cot
ton growers and the south can prof
itably and equitably enforce and
maintain those rights.
It will cost the farmer consider
ably more in 1920 to produce and
harvest a pound of cotton than it
did in. 1919. It costs just as much
to harvest and market a bale of low
grade cotton as it does a bale cf
middling COttdri, so that middling
cotton should command a price high
enough to average the cost of produc
tion for the entire crop and a fair
profit above that to the growers.
This rule is applied to every well es
tablished business industry in the
world except ‘cotton growing.
-Yours very truly.
HARVIE JORDAN.
National secretary, American Cotton
association.
time spent in the field is about two
thirds of an hour less per day in the
fall.
As is the case in spring plowing,
the 14-inch plow seems to cover prac
tically as much ground per day as
the 16-inch size, provided both
drawn by the same number of horses.
The addition of the fourth horse in
creases the efficiency of the unit by
about 10 per cent and the addition of
tjie fifth horse to .the 16-inch plow re
sults in a sifriilar increase. Except
ing under favorable conditions, a
sulky plow seems to be somewhat
of an overload for three horses of
the size and type used on these
farms.
Many Gang Flows Used
Over 450 men reported using horse
drawn gang plows on their farms.
About 80 per cent of these plows
have 14-inch bottoms. Most of the
remaining plows have 12-inch bot
toms. Some plows with 13-inch bot
toms were reported, but the number
was so small that no figures on their
performance are given. Over three
fourths -of the men wfio use gang
plows also reported the use of sulky
plows.
A comparison' of an average day’s
Work for the 16-inch sulky plows and
28-inch gang plows show that so
far as horse labor is.concerned the
gang plow drawn by four horses is
the most efficient unit in both spring
and fall: In the spring this outfit
covers 1 1-4 acres per day per horse,
while both the sulky plow drawn by
three horses and the gang plow drawn
by five horses cover One acre per day
per horse. The gang plow drawn
by six horses covers but nine-tenths
of an acre per horse.
In the fall four horses with the
gang plow cover 1.02 acres per horse,
while three. porses op the. sulky plow
and five horses oh the gang plow
cover .86 and ..91 acre tier horse, re
spectively. Four horses on the sulky
plow and six horses on the gang pHow
cover ,72 and .78 acre per horse,
respectively. However, the gang
plow is evidently a heavy load for
four horses in the fall, excepting un
der favorable conditions. The 28-inch I
gang is a somewhat heavier ioad for I
six horses, the mose popular sized
team used in the fall, than is the
16-inch sulky for four horses, but is
a lighter load than the 16-inch sulky
for three horses.
As far as man labor is concerned,
the gang plow drawn by six horses
is, of course, the most efficient unit
both in the spring and fall, but wncn
horse labor as well as man labor is
considered, it is seen that the ad
vantage of this largest unit, is some
what lessened.
Federal Grades
For Wheat to Stay
Federal grades for wheat will not
cease to be enforced under the United
States grain standards act when the
United States Grain corporation
ceases to function. Reports have been
received by the bureau of markets
that, farmers and grain dealers tn
some parts of the country are under
the impression that the federal
grades and- the grain corporation
will “go out” together. This rumor
may be due to the fact that the
grades went into effect at the begin
ning of the 1917 crop movement, at
approximately the same time that
the Food Administration Grain cor
poration began its control of wheat
marketing.
The grain corporation was created
under a war emergency law. The law
which empowers the secretary of
agriculture to fix grades was ap
proved August 11, 1916, and is a
permanent measure. Federal grades
for wheat had been contemplated by
the department of agriculture for
several years prior to the entry of
the United States into the war, and
a large amount of .■ investigational
work had been done toward estab
lishing national wheat standards.
The wheat grades would have been
established at the time they were
even if there had been no war and,
therefore, no grain corporation. The
grades were promulgated by the sec
retary of agriculture on March- 31.
1917, to become effective on July 1,
1917, for winter wheat and on Au
gust 1, 1917. for spring wheat, and
were revised in their present form
effective July 15, 1918.
Farmers Want Posters for
“Better Sires” Problem
That the value of improved live
stock is recognized by farmers even
though they are still far frm reach
ing that goal on their farms is shown
by correspondence reaching the Unit
ed States department of agriculture
fro mregions where the live-stock in
dustry is undeveloped. “This town
ship,” one farmer writes in pencil
on a scrap of paper, “is interested in
a. better grade of cattle. There is a
sawmill and a carriage shop find a
blacksmith shop right bv us, and I
think these would be good places for
your colored poster about better
sires. If you will send me some I
will nos,t them up.”
“We have several grade cows in
our barn,” he continues, “and will
improve our cows with a purebred
Holstein bull, which will soon be
ready to head the herd.”
He received the posters.
“Better Sires” for the
Rabbit Should Be
The first person in the United
States whose “live stock” consists
entirely of rabbits and who applied
for enrollment in the “Better Sires—
Better Stock” movement, is Hamil
ton Coleman, of Bav county, Fla.
Rabbits are not officially listed
among the classes of animals for
whose improvement the better-sires
campaign is being conducted. How
ever, in response to the spirit of
co-operation shown and considering
that the breeds of rabbits listed are
raised for meat, the official emblem
of recognition has been granted to
Mr. Coleman. The rabbits listed' in
cluded Flemish Giants. Snotted
Giants New Zealands and Belgian
hares.
AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION
BY DR. ANDREW M. SOULE
THE PKICE OF PERMITTING
LAND EROSION
The land waste in our great state
is simply appalling. According to
the best figures obtainable, it approx
imates 600 tons per square mile, or
32,885,000 tons a year. Each ton con
tains on a conservative estimate
four pounds of nitrogen, two pounds
of phosphoric acid and four pounds
of potash. At present figures, the
nitrogen is -worth at least twenty
five cents a pound, the phosphoric
acid, seven cents a pound and the
potash, twelve and a half cents a
pound. The loss, therefore, equals
$1.64 per acre. Our rivers run red
to the sea with the life blood of the
land. They are the arteries of the
soil. In dry times, they supply by
seepage vast quantities of water to
our crops; in times of flood, they
drain the land. They carry the es
sence of the fertility of our soils and
deposit it beyond the reach of our
growing crops. Erosion goes for
ward steadily and constantly. The
galled hillside is a familiar picture.
It corresponds to the; bloody and hor
rifying wounds which the individual
receives on the field of battle. If a
man were lying with cut arteries,
bleeding to death, we would hasten
to bind up his wounds, but the con
ditions which are going forward in
our rural communities, and 1 some
times think becoming worse instead
of better, attract no attention. Is it
not worth while to conserve and
save? Do we not owe that much to
posterity? We are a wonderfully
prosperous people. Is our motto to
be “eat, drink and be merry for to
morrow we die.” Is it not worth--
while to trouble ourselves about the
destruction of the patrimony of our
boys and girls? Are we to be class-
lANDW A ST K
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LOSS EQUALS W U
$1.64- PER ACRE
ed with those who s'-y, • suifla.ont
unto the day is the evil thereof* Lol
the morrow take care of itself.”
Somebody must pay the bills for
the land carnage ana destruction we
are encouraging and lifting no ef
fective hand to stop. It is time to
wake up. The future is fraught
with danger. The land is our one
permanent resource. We are scarce
ly concerned about these red rivers
these soil arteries running r<?d to the
sea with the fat of the land. Con
servation is essential as never be
fore. Deep plowing, crop rotation,
the use of cover crops, the establish
ment of adequate pasture areas and
the reforestation of hillsides will
enable us to reduce our losses in this
direction to a mininum. It must be
done for the sake of present and
future generations. We can accom
plish this end if we inform our peo
ple as a whole about the losses that
are now taking place and the means
of correcting them. The gullied hill
side with its gaping wound ‘‘crying
aloud to heaven” should become the
concern of every man, woman and
child in Geoogia. It is not a thing
to be passed over lightly. If nature
were let alone, she would edver them
up. She heals all wounds and takes
care of her resources and conserves
them. Let us go back to nature, the
great healer, the great teacher, for
advice and instruction at this emer
gency. The issues involved make it
whorthwhile.
Somehow or other we have never
been able to visualize our lands as
gold, yet that is exactly what they
represent. The store of plant food
they contain and the condition in
which it is held in the soil deter
mines their value for agricultural
purposes. It we permit our soils
to be decreased in value $1 per year
thus encouraging rather than endeav
oring to prevent erosion, our annual
loss in Georgia totals the astonish
ing figure of .$37,584,000 a year.
Think of it. This represents enough
gold dollars to build a system of
paved roads connecting all the coun
ties in Georgia. It totals three and
a half times the amount we now
spend through all agencies for pub
lic education. It aggregates more
than four times the gross revenues
of the state. It would pay our pub
lic indebtedness off more than six
times over and still leave a respecta
ble surplus in the state treasury. Can
even a state as rich and as pros
perous as Georgia withstand this
state of affairs indefinitely? Is it
right or proper that we should per
mit this loss to continue? Do we
understand correctly its nature and
extent? I think not. We have been
so busy with other matters that the
needs of our fundamental indus
tries and the necessity of conserv
ing our soils has attracted as yet
but little public attention or consid
eration.
We have, questioned our ability to
carry forward a scheme of universal
education. We have debated the ap
propriation of funds for the main
tenance of higher education and
particularly the more, liberal endow
ment of technical and vocatfonal ed
ucation. In spite of these facts, we
are permitting a loss from soil ero
sion amounting to nearly four times
the total amount expended for edu
cational purposes to accrue each
year. We are paying a tribute to
our lack of technical training of
amazing proportions. How long can
we afford to continue this practice?
After all, the problem resolves it
self not into how much we spend
for education, but whether we spend
it efficiently and get a worth-while
result. The longer we argue over
the method and amount, the greater
will be the annual aggregate of our
losses. Education of the right type
is the only means by which we will
mitigate a part of the loss we suf
fer annually through the impair
ment in the value of our agricul
tural lands. This problem requires
our immediate attention and consid
eration. It affects the welfare of
every individual in Georgia. It D
a state-wide proposition. It cries
aloud for immediate attention. Let
us attack it with vigor. We can
solve it and save a handsome endow
ment annually for the enrichment of
•ur state and the improvement of
our education institutions.
STARTING ANEV/FARMING EN
TERPRISE
A. T. H„ Bolton, S. C„ writes:
I have just come into possession
of a farm I am not acquainted
with. Part is red subsoil and
part is sand with a pipe clay sub
soil. The farm is rather run
down and was planted to corn
last year. Will you tell me how
best tp prepare the land and how
to fertilize it? I want to put
about 150 acres in cotton and 50
acres in corn.
Soils sue has you describe are not
naturally as rich in plant food sup
plies as those generally predominat
ing throughout the Piedmont sec
tion. Therefore, the lands about
which you inquire will give you bet
ter returns if first enriched with veg
etable matter derived from com
posts or yard manures. There is a
good deal of leaf mold and other
vegetable matter which you can se
cure from the woodlands on your
farm. I would advise you to gather
all this up as promptly as possible.
Then I would proceed to break my
land if this had not already been,
done. Next, lay off in rows at desir
able distances for planting to corn
or cotton. We think hei’e that a
four-foot row is about right for cot
ton. Sometimes we plant cotton in
3 1-2-foot rows. The spacing should
be from 3 1-2 to 4 1-2 feet. Open
the widest and deepest furrow you
can where you expect the rows of
corn or cotton to stand. Scatter in
this furrow either compost or yard
manure at the rate of two to five
tons per acre. Mix this material
well with the subsoil by means of a
bull-tongue. Scatter from three to
four hundred pounds of fertilizer in
the bottom of the drill, mixing it
with the subsoil. After it has stood
for a few days, you may plant the
corn in the water furrow. In the
case of cotton, draw the furrow to
gether on either side to make a bed.
Eet the land stand to settle for a few
days, knock the top of the bed off
and plant your cotton. ,
A good formula to use for corn
should contain 4 per cent of nitrogen,
1.0 per cent of phosphoric acid and
3 per cent of potash. For cotton, use
3 1-2 per cent of nitrogen, 9 per
cent of phosphpric acid and 3 per
cent of potash. If you are not trou
bled by the boll weevil, you may use
a side application on cotton relative
ly early in the season. For corn, use
a side application of 200 pounds when
the plants are about fifteen to eight
een inches high.
3IDB AFPI.ICATIONS ON CANTA
XOUFES
E. F. M., Bartow, Ga.. writes:
Kindly let me know when is the
proper time to put nitrate of
soda on cantaloupes.
Nitrate of soda may be applied
around cantaloupes more than once
during the growing season. The first
application should be made as soon
as possible, and the second and third
about two weeks apart respectively.
I would use as much as 100 pounds
of nitrate of soda per acre, putting
it on in either two or three applica
tions. I think there is a tendency to
put the nitrate of soda on too late in
the season. This is due to the gen
-ral impression that the nitrogen in
this material becomes immediately
available to the growing crop. Ft
does become quickly available, but it
takes the plants about ten days to
begin assimilation and utilization. It
probably takes them another ten days
to benefit materially by its use.
Hence, we need to put nitrate of soda
on some little time in advance of
when we expect it to render its best
service to the growing crop. Nitrate
of soda should be put around the
cantaloupe hills, but not around the
plants unless they are thoroughly
drv. It is easier to apply it, of course,
when the plants are relatively small.
It may be used strictly as a top
dresser and does not require to be
covered into the soil. best re
sults from using nitrate of soda on
in the manner indicated and applied
truck crops come from , applications
made In the manner indicated and
about two weeks apart.
Replanting Cotton "Under Existing
Conditions
F. G. J., Yatesville, Ga., writes:
•I planted my cotton and failed
to get a stand on half of the
land. Would you advise me to
replant it or plant corn and vel
vet beans? I am using about
400 pounds of meal and acid per
acre.
Ordinarily, we would not hesitate
to advise you to replant cotton even
at this date as we have seen some
fairly good crops of cotton harvested
in Georgia where a stand was not
secured before the first of June. The
preat question, of course, is the boll
weevil. To what extent was he pres
ent in your county last fall and,
therefore, what amount of damage is
he likely to do this year. The coun
ties which the weevil infested, for
the first time last year are not likely
to suffer great damage this season.
Os course, climatic conditions will
exert a great influence. Up to the
present time conditions have prob
ably been favorable to the weevil
because the season has been cold and
backward. We might still, however,
have a hot, dry summer which would
rot be to his advantage. As you
no doubt are in position to make a
fairly good fight against the wee
vil and, if you only have a moderate
amount of cotton to replant, I would
be disposed to take a chance in try
ing to secure a stand on a limited
urea of my crop by replanting. This
means, no doubt, that you must be
prepared to fight the weevil with
every agency which you can com
mand. In taking this chance with
the weevil, I would, of course, diver
sify my other crops and emphasize
particularly the production of food
and foraee crops useful for hogs and
cattle. The needs of the family
should, of course, be well taken care
of. Then in the event the weevil
proves destructive, you would not be
“putting all your eggs in one bas
ket.” tn the event yoii are able to
control weevil depredations with a
measurable degree of success, the
cotton you will thus be able to pro
duce will command a big price next
fall. So, I think it worth while to
take a chance in trying to raise a
moderate crop of cotton even though
the conditions be discouraging.
The Commercial Value of Velvet
Beans
J. J. R„ Waynesboro, Ga.,
writes: I would like to know
the commercial usages now being
made of velvet beans as this
county expects to raise a good
many this year for market, and
as we are unfamiliar with the
uses now being made of Velvet
beans, we feel it would be im
possible to market them intelli
gently without such knowledge,
and we have come to you for this
information.
The velvet bean is valuable for
several specific purposes. It may
be grown on lands for their enrich
ment. It is a legume, and. there
fore, gathers a part of the nitrogen
it needs out of the air. It often
grows surprisingly well on thin
lands. On such soils, it may be
grazed when green and the refuse
matter turned under for the enrich
ment of the land. It is an excellent
smother crop to use on weed-infested
areas. In our opinion, its greatest
value to Georgia farmers is obtained
from growing it in combination with
the corn crop. We would plant the
seed either in the drill row or along
side the corn. Some prefer to plant
it in drills between the corn rows.
When planted in the manner indi
cated, it will yield from eight to
twenty bushels per acre. The beans
may be harvested when they are ma
ture, or cattle and hogs may be
turned in on them and allowed to
do a part of the harvesting them
selves. When the» beans are harvest
ed for sale, they are, of course,
gathered in the hull. They may be
shipped in this condition to sections
where a high-grade feed is desired.
Horses and mules, cattle and hogs
will eat the beans without their be
ing ground. For some classes of
stock, particularly cattle and work
stock, the beans need to be softene.i
by soaking. Another method of han
dling this crop is to grind the beans
and hulls together and make a meal
therefrom that is a valuable food
for almost any class of animals. A
higher grade food can be made by
shelling the beans before they are
ground. In tests made here at the
college, we have found velvet bean
meal an excellent food for dairy
cows. We prefer to combine the
beans with peanut meal and corn
meal. Velvet bean meal and corn
meal make an excellent food for work
stock. Many farmers do not have a
food stuff containing a sufficient
amount of protein available on their
farms. They may have corn or oats.
This makes it desirable that they
use some other concentrate. Velvet
bean meal can often be used to ad
vantage for this purpose. There is
a growing demand for velvet beans
as constituting a food stuff of rec
ognized merit. The beans without
the hulls contain about 79.8 pounds
of nitrogen, 20 pounds of phosphoric
acid and 34 pounds of potash per
ton. When the hulls are included,
the beans contain per ton about 56.8
pounds of nitrogen, 16 pounds of
phosphoric acjd and 34.4 pounds of
potash. While it would be imprac
ticable to use velvet beans directly
for fertilizing purposes, it will be
seen that they contain considerable
amounts of the essential elements of
plant food. There is thus a wide
field of service in which this crop
can be used to advantage. It will
undoubtedly grow in commercial im
portance and popular favor as its
value and merit for soil improve
ment, animal nutrition and fertiliz
ing purposes become more widely un
derstood and appreciated.
Destroying Bugs on Irish Potatoes
A correspondent, Millen, Ga.,
writes: My cabbage is dying
very rapidly, and I would like to
know what is the trouble. Also
what will destroy bugs on Irish
potatoes? How can I get rid of
ground moles?
It is impossible to tell from your
letter just what sort of a disease
is destroying your cabbage. We judge
it to be black rot, however, as this
disease causes considerable destruc
tion to cabbage in this state from
time to time. This is a very difficult
disease to control. The sources of
infection are, as a rule, infected
fields and seed beds in which tne
young plants are developed. One
should, therefore, watch the seed bed
very closely and be careful that no
suspicious plants are set out in the
garden. The best means of fighting
this trouble is through a rotation of
crops. In fact, this is about the only
practical means of controllng this
organism in a field which has once
become infected. Infected leaves
should be picked off and burned.
This, however, is la service of doubt
ful value. Diseased plants should be
pulled up and burned. The treatment
of the seed before it is put out in
the Seed bed with formalin in the
strength of one part to 200 parts
of water for twenty minutes is ad
vised.
Irish potato bugs can best be
controlled through the use of Faris
green. You may .use it as a spray or
else dust it on the plants when the
dew is on them either in the morning
or late in the evening. The use of
finely ground slaked lime on the basis
of fifteen pounds to one pound of
Paris green of standard strength will
prove effective. The persistent use
of this material in the manner indi
cated will enable you to effectively
control Irish potato bugs.
Ground moles are very difficult to
control. There are special traps on
the market which may be purchased
and used for this purpose. You may
also saturate balls of cotton with
carbon-bisulphide and put them in
the runways. I think the best way of
fighting this pest in gardens is to
watch for the moles early, in the
morning or late in the evening. One
can generally see them at work ana
spear them with a sharp pointed,
heavy wire or other convenient Im
plement of a type.
Fertilizing Cotton on Flatwoods
Band
J. W. 0., Pine Grove, Ga., writes: 1
am contemplating planting about six
acres of heavy fruiting cotton on land
which is about' half of medium texture
mid the rest very poor. I have a ton
of 9-2-3 guano. The land is low and
flat and the cotton has the tendency
to produce too much bush. It is fairly
well drained. When and how much
fertilizer should be used per acre?
Under the conditions described in
vour letter, you should apply
pounds of the fertilizer you have on
hand to each acre of land. W e woulu
put the fertilizer under the drill
row at the time the cotton is planted
or earlier in the season, if you pre
fer. .We do not think you are likely
to find side applications beneficial
under existing conditions. If the
cotton on this land makes a good
weed, then the use of additional
nitrogen hardly seems desirable. I
judge, however, that it does not fruit
as well as you would like to have
it do on all occasions. Probably,
therefore, it would pay you to em
phasize in the future the use of both
phosphoric acid and potash. On
lands of the type you are cultivat
ing, we have found that heavier ap
plications of potash than those or
dinarily used proved both desirable
and profitable. Os course, we know
that phosphoric acid is one of the
elements in which our soils are re 1
atively low. As a rule, more nitro
gen would seem to be desirable th'ar
you propose to use. We have found
it good practice in other words to
use a formula which supplied from
twenty to twenty-five pounds of
commercial nitrogen to each acre of
land. Your suggestion as to the
size and character of the cotton weed
you are now producing leads us to
think that’a heavier application of
nitrogen than you contemplate using
this year may not be necessary.
Sire Service Free to
Community, Says Breeder
In a Florida locality where little
scrub bulls and boars roam at will
along the roads, scattering parasites
and disease, the leaven of live-stock
improvement is at work. Having en
rolled in the “Better Sires—Better
Stock” movement, a stockman in
that locality is now maintaining at
considerable cost two registered
bulls, a Holstein and an Angus, and
two purebred boars, a Hampshire
and a Duroc-Jersey. The services of
all of these animals are free to the
community.
“We feel we are doing something,”
this breder informs the United
Stat es.
Keep the Barn Clean
“I sold everything I had but one
pure-bred sow, for the reason that
they were not purebred.” This state
ment accompanied enrollment in the
“better sires” campaign of A. M.
White, a North Carolina farmer, ex
plaining the small quantity of stock
on hand at the time.
TUESDAY, JUNE 1, 1920.
Sweet Sorghum a
Source of Syrup
The sorghum plant is similar in
appearance to corn growing about
the same height and possessing
about the same color. It may be grown
throughout the United States in
practically all regions where corn is
grown, though parts of the extreme
northern tier of states have a grow
ing season usually too short for
sweet sorghum to mature. In grow
ing sorghum for sirup care should be
taken to secure seede of a sweet sor
ghum variety, and for planting in
the north, one which matures quick
ly.
Sweet sorghum is grown from seed
and is planted in rows about 3 1-2
feet apart. The plants should stand
from four to six inches apart in the
row. Approximately from five to
eight pounds of seed is needed to the
acre. Ordinarily planting time falls
soon after corn planting, when the
soil has become thoroughly warm.
The stalks of the plants are ready
for sirup making when the seeds
which form heads at the top of the
stalk are in the late dough state;
that is, just before they become dry
and hard.
The machinery necessary for mak
ing sirup consists of a mill for ex
tracting the juice from the cane and
an evaporator for reducing the juice
to sirup. The mill contains three
iron rollers between which the sor
ghum stalks are passed to press out
the juice. It may be operated by a
gasoline engine or by a sweep drawn
by horses.
The usual type of evaporator con
sists of a rectangular, flat-bottom
ed pan of galvanized iron or copper.
Evaporation may be produced by di
rect contact with Are or with steam.
In the former case the pan is mount
ed on a specially constructed fire box.
If steam evaporation is employed the
pan is provided with steam coils
which lie on the bottom of the pan.
In some cases a double-bottomed pan
is used, the space so provided being
employed to carry the steam.
Other Equipment Needed
Other articles needed are barrels
or tubs for patching the juice, pipes
for conducting it to the pan, skim
mers for removing the scum, appara
tus for testing the sirup’s consis
tency and barrels or cans for hold
ing the finished product.
In making a sirup the blades of
the plants are stripped off, the sor
ghum cut at about six Inches from
the ground, the seed heads removed.
The sorghum is passed through the
mill with as little delay as possible.
When the weather is cool or there is
danger of frost, the sorghum may be
cut considerably in advance of
pressing for when properly piled, it
will keep for several days. The juice
extracted by the mill is strained and
then run into the evaporating pan.
As it passes through the pan, it
quickly comes to a boiling point and
a scum rises to the surface. This
should be constantly and carefully
removed.
Sirup, should be evaporated to a
point where it contains not less than
70 per cent solids; that is, has a
weight of less than 11 1-4 pounds to
the gallon. If placed in containers
while boiling hot and properly seal
ed. it will keep indefinitely.
The department’s publication de
scribes in detail the methods of
manufacture, including the clarifi
cation of the juice if such is desired,
and the utilization of by-products.
The latter inplude the blades of the
plants which make excellent feed
for cattle, the bagasse (the stalk
from which the juice has been re
moved), the scum which may be fed
to hogs in small quantities, and
seed heads which also have a feed
ing value.
The average yield of sirup an
acre is from 75 to 200 gallons, al
though in some cases it has been as
high gs 400 gallons. The estimates
on the yield of seed an acre vary
from 600 to 1,600 pounds.
Purebreds Within Six
Months, Says Geo. Mead
“I am buying a pure-bred Duroc-
Jersey board and will have all pure
bred hogs on the farm within six
months.” This remark accompanied
participation in the “Better Sires—
Better Stock” campaign by George
E. Mead, a live stock owner in Es
cambia county, Fla. The Value of
pure-bred sires and better stock so
greatly exceeds that of inferior ani
mals that often a mere suggestion is
enough to bring about the change
in progressive localities.
Get Rid of Scrub Cows
Two pure-bred sires and twenty
head of scrub female live stock were
the property of a Florida farmer a
short time ago. Not satisfied, how
ever, with the quality of stock kept,
he disposed of all his scrub sows,
nine in number. Likewise, he is in
cubating fiifty eggs of standard-bred
poultry as a basis for a well-bred
flock to replace his scrubs.
6,000 MILES
no money
I IHereistheabsolutellmltintire
I t ®a lofferß—never before such won
tWl | derful values! Pay only when
r\4Br B l (convinced. Used standard
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■KhX B I pertstogiveS.OOO miles—or
faRL< H I I more. No comparison with
a I I double tread tires which are
Lflrk S I I sewed.
RS I /Lowest Prices
M/ I Quick Delivery
tvi Size Tires Tubes Size Tires Tubes
30x3 $6.4551.75 32x45$ $12.2552.70
rahL W#7 80x35$ 7.25 1.95 33x44$ 12.50 2.85
KSf ,32x35$ 8.75 2.15 34x45$ 12.90 3.00
MHrh \ 731x4 9.45 2.25 36x45$ 13.25 3.15
OSV-/32x4 9.90 2.40 36x44$ 13.90 3.40
33x4 11.25 2.50 35x5 14.90 8.50
84x4 11.90 2.60 37x5 16.90 8.75
T Send your order today while we havo
S<sß“«'*“ • big stock on hand and can ship same
day order is received. Send nomoney with order, just
your name and address and size tire desired, whether
clincher or straight side.
MITCHELL TIRE & RUBBER COMPANY
Its E. 39th Street Dept. 16S Chicago
SSZo3/Vorid’s Best
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6353
LOW PRICED GARAGES
Lowest prices on Ready-Made gj/ Vr *7 j
Fire-Proof Steel Garages. Set jlffjijffi ■ ,
up any place. Send postal for-
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THE EDWARDS MFG. CO.,
C333-13L Pike St. Cincinnati,o. piMMiUi nhUUwu
I Sample
means MORE MONEY in the pocket
of the Cotton Grower. And therefore
Z / uk * MORE BUSINESS for the Glnner, a*
V'l m 2 advertises him far and wide.
Munger System
Outfits
V* .•»> a wllich revolutionized the cotton gin-
r-Z nin S industry many year* ago, have
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Write for catalog
I Continental Gin Co.
Sales Offices: Birmingham, Ala., Atlanta, Ga.
g • Charlotte, N. C,, Dallas, Tex., Memphis, Tenn.
/ fiZj&eTOTFw/A mry
1 reliner
—that offer can’t be equaled any- I &Y3FA
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Goidhart Double Tread Tires \'V\\
Guaranteed 5,000 Miles \Wfl
are offered at prices nearly 50% \ YES
lower than new tires. Better lay in X’aaM'.GjM
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These Prices Include Tires and Tubas:
30x3. .. .$7.00 32x4. .. .$10.50 35x4K . .313.00
32x345.. 0.00 34x4.... 11.25 35x5.... 14.55
31x4.... 10.00 34x444.. 12.50 37x5.... 14.50
Send $2 deposit for each tire ordered, balance C. O. D.
subject to examination. Special 5% discount if full
amount is sent with order. Specify whetherS. S., Cl.,
plain tread or non-skid all same price. ORDER TODAI.
GOLDHARDT TIRE HOUSE
3536 Ogden Ava., Chicago
iirWuissiffi
I f 1° the face of rising costs, I
I have reduced engine prices. By in-
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the largest, selling direct to user. I build
KgF engines for less and give you the benefit.
g 90 Days Trial
Jss You have 90 days to try the OTTAWA and you
u are protected by my liberal ten year guarantee.
7J 5 Sizes 11$ to 22 H-P. Cash or Easy Terms—
make engine pay for Itself while you use it.
I Kerosene, Gasoline. Gas.
Kill Use cheapest fuel r .
F °°ir fFREE
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JS The Only Log Saw
X With “Arm Swing” Sti-oke and Lever
■ML J I,l\ Controlled Friction Clwtch fK Startinc
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K®!* s for Pricea xZpHa
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Cutting, Practical One-Midi Outfit.
ENGINE WORKS 1
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R Kansas City. Rllalnugli. Fa.
Motorcycle BargainsKjy
l All makes, singles or twins.
• Every machine expertly rebuilt,
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shape. Sind 2c for “Spring
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‘ THE WESTERN SUPPLIES CO./ pyflßsrß
i 366 Hayutln Bldg., Denver. Colo. l
L.i.in .—.I mi i
Send No Money
Don't miss this chance to cut your tire cost fioA
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proval. These are standard make used LXV. /Va
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Can readily be guaranteed for 6000 miler, Bl
NOTE—Thss. ar. not uaed hw<4 to- XYf El
gather tires—Unown as doubl. treadu. , El
30x3 .$5.50.41.60 84x4 .$ 8.75..52.60 I X>C El
30x345. 6.50.. 1.75 34x445. 10.00.. 8.00 i El
31x315. 6.75.. 1.85 85x445. 11.00.. 8.15 QC> Ei
82x345. 7.00.. 2.00 36x415. 11.60.. 8.40 I WC fl
31x4 . 8.00. .2.26 35x5 . 12.60.. 8.50 X>C fl
82x4 8.26.. 2.40 36x6 . 12.76.. 8.65 Bl
33x4 . 8.50.. 2.50 37x6 . 12.76.. 8.76 ffl
WRITE Remember, we guarantee your Fag
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on arrival. Examine and judge for your- QQdw wj
self. If not satisfied—Send them back at vjcyrL. KF
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wanted—Clincher, S. S., Non-Skid, Plain. vgSIaSF
aFVELAND TIRE AND RUBBER CU 1
3105 Michigan Ave., Chicago, 111.
iSKi thM® Classy
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Send at once for snappy Style Book
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Ik member, only $2.65 for cants, ex-
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mail your order at once. See special bargain
list here: Nrw
Size 1 Tire t Tira Tube Site 1 Tire 2 Tira Tube
30x3 $7.55 $11.30 $1.75 32x44$ $12.75 $19.10 $3.80
• 30x34$ 8.85 13.30 2.05 33x44$ 14.05 21.10 8.40
32x34$ 10.20 15.30 2.25 34x4 4$ 15.80 23.70 3.60 |
31x4 11.00 16.50 2.75 35x44$ 16.35 24.50 8.75 ’
82x4 13.25 19.90 3.05 36x44$ 16.75 25.10 885 !
83x4 13.80 20.70 8.25 35x5 16.86 26.30 4.00 !
34x4 14.85 22.30 8.25 87x5 17.25 26.90 4.00
otate al-o plainly whether 8. S. Clincher, non-skid
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Special discount of 5 per cent If full
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TODAYJ
Eureka Tira &
k Rubber Co.
K 1243 Mlchlgm
HKh. ~ Ava.. De,t.
60-A CMcaao I
7