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MONDAY, OCTOBER 12 How To Get Ready For the Shows Preparing Birds For Exhibition Proper Care Necessary to Secure the Prizes Many Easy Methods of Pre paration That Will Help the Amateur By Frank Heck Author and Poultry Expert. Copyright 1914. Exhibitors of poultry at the shows should take as much pains in prepar ing their birds as the horse lover does in ghooming him favorite for the ring. There are many apparently small things that, when done, add immense ly to the show qualities of the bird. Carelessness has cost many a blue ribbon. Care of the plumage, washing the legs, handling the bird carefully so that it will not soare will go far to ward making a good impression on the judges. The following article will be of help to exhibitors. If a breeder does not give a little attention to preparing his birds for the show, he cannot expect to get the same results as the breeder who does. A bird picked up right out of the yards, without having received any special fitting, can always be im proved in some ways. The coat may not make the man. but fine feathers and stylish carriage certainly make the show bird, and this can be controlled to a certain extent. White birds should be wash ed and black, buff and parti-colored birds should have their plumage cleaned. Birds that are wild and object to being handled will not assume a nat ural position in the show coop when the judge approaches them, and he, therefore, cannot do them justice in judging their shape. Handle them often and tame them. Birds intended for showing should be handled and put in show condition weeks before the show. He who waits till the last minute is apt to see his competitors awarded the prizes. It is astonishing how careless the average exhibitor is in examining the birds to be sent to the show. Many birds are disqualified for defects which the judge finds readily and which have been entirely overloked by the exhibitor. If you do not know what defects are disqualifications in your variety of fowls, make it your business to find out what they are and then take a little pains to exam ine each bird carefully. Each variety of Scowls has its special disqualifica tion % points, and there are also ma\.,( that apply to all breeds and va rieties in general. It would be im possible to enumerate all of them in the space alloted to this article. Do not go to extremes in preparing birds for show. Bungling jobs of preparation are worse than none at all. Combs and legs smeared with A-aseline, etc., half washed plumage, feathers full of cornmeal or starch, dirty plumage soiled with dropping, dried blood on combs and wattles, bloody or greasy plumage about the head, and other similar things will cause a bird to lose many points un der the section of judging which is termed ‘‘condition." Do not exhibit a bird that is out of condition physical ly. Confinement in the showroom will agravate illness of any kind and the bird will seldom, if ever, win a prize. Birds with scaly legs should be treated for this defect a long time before the show. Applications of lard and vaseline will cure had cases. Care of the Plumage. Broken feathers in wings and tall are the points that often lose a prize to otherwise winning specimens, and these broken feathers are nearly al ways the result of causes which might have been prevented. Coops should he ample in size, too many birds should not be crowded together, and in other ordinary ways care should be taken to prevent broken feathers. All small feathers that are broken should be plucked. Exhibition coops should not be less than 30 Inches high and 20 inches long. A coop 25 inches long will do for two ordinary-sized birds. To clean paint from birds that have come in contact with newly-painted coops or houses, saturate a cloth with ben zine and rub the feathers with It, us ing a clean portion of the cloth with each stroke. The feathers themselves may be saturated with the liquid it they are badly* stained. A great many white birds are ruined for show pur poses by allowing them to constantly run through tall weeds of various kinds The weeds become broken or bruised and the sap imparts a brassy, greenish color to the pluumage. Plumage will lose much of its gloss and the color becomes “dead" if the bird is repeatedly exposed to alternate rains and hot. sun. This applies with especial force to moulting fowls. Borne very successful breeders give their birds red carbonate of iron for the purpose of adding luster or sheen to the plumage. A teaspoonful is placed In sufficient mash food for twelve fowls and this Is fed three times per week. It should not be given to white fowls. Beef tallow fed to exhibition fowls is calculated to put gloss on the plumage. Linseed meal, oil meal, oil cake, sunflower seed and other like feeds will grow feathers rapidly. * For brightening the combs, face and wat tles of birds in the showroom, a solu tion is used composed of two parts alcohol and one part glycerine with three drops of oil of sassafras to each spoonful of the mixture. From two to four applications per day will pro duce results. Us a small sponge or soft cloth in applying It. When condi tions are such that combs will almost be surely frozen. It can be prevented by annointlng them with vaseline each night when the birds go to roost. Con fining birds in a warm pen or show room and feeding of much meat will cause unnatural growth and lopping of combs, which Is. of course, unde sirable. Thorough Washing an Important Item. Cleanliness and the bright, healthful condition of the legs and toes count for much, in the showroom especially, In the case of yellow-legged fowls Wash the legs with soap and warm water and clean the dirt from beneath the scales with a wooden toothpick. Dry the legs and then rub briskly with a chamois skin. Th» secret of having birds tame and in cordltion that they will pose In the ' eh v: coop i» to properly train them < ( for a few weeks before showing. Place them in a coop similar to the exhibi tion coop and handle them often. Feed them in these coops and hold choice bits of food, such as meat, etc., near the top so they are compelled to reach for it. This will get them in the hab it of coming to the front of the coop and standing erect when anyone ap proaches it. To clean the plumage of parti-col ored fowls without washing, take a clean, white handkerchief and hold it over the steam from boiling water un til it is quite moise. Go over the en tire outer plumage. A sponge damp ened with ammonia may also be used to advantage at the same time. Nearly all white fowls can be im proved by washing, but if it is not done properly it had better not be at tempted. Three washtuhs or similar vessels should be at hand if they can be conveniently provided. Tub No. 1 should be filled half full of lukewarm or a little .warmer, water. Place the bird gently into the water, holding it there either by the feet or the sides of the body. Hold it down partly im mersed, and spray the water into the Plumage till it is thoroughly soaked. Rub the feathers with the web as they lay, never rub against the "lay” of the feathers. After the feathers are thoroughly wet, begin using a good CROP DIVERSIFY EXTENSIVELY 111 The Farms are Being Made Self-Sustaining to Greater Degree. HAVE DISPROVED THE ONE-CROP THEORY Old Elbert Has Raised More Grain, More Hogs, More Food Products and More of Other Crops and Therefore Is in Better Position to Withstand a Siege Should it Become Necessary tb Hold Their Cot ton Indefinitely Because of a War-Depressed Market. WALTER E. DUNCAN, Staff Correspondent, The Augusta Herald. Elberton, Ga. —For the past few years farmers of this section, partic ularly throughout Elbert County, have given more and more attention to di versified crops, producing cotton, but making farms more and more self sustaining, getting further and further away from the old idea that the south must depend upon one crop; and the progress that has been made in this direction is now proving a bless ing. Farmers who have grown cot ton and who cannot market it at a price which will cover the cost of production are, because they have raised more grain, more hogs, more food products. In better position to withstand a siege if in their determi nation to hold their cotton off a war depressed market they must wait in definitely for a re-adjustment of eco nomic conditions. If the price of cotton is low, and even though it may be true that the price cotton has been bringing for the past several years has been a contributing fac tor to increase the cost of produc tion, Elbert County farmers have raised splendid crops, and though it does not make up in quantity enough to balance the deprecla- Thl« is one of the oldeat and beat known fowl* of Belgium. Together with ita a later, the Silver Camplne, It la there regarded aa the atandard util ity fowl of that country. Ita value hue been recognized for over a cen tury and many apecimena were Im ported to England and bred there. In the latter country both varletlea of thla breed hare been brought to a high atate of perfection, and It waa Introduced into the United States white soap upon them. A large, soft sponge will make the work easier. Af ter the plumage Is well washed, the bird should be placed in another tub of clean lukewarm water as before and thoroughly rinsed. All the soap should be removed or the feathers will stick together and not become natural and fluuffy. Tub No. 3 should contain water a little cooler than previously used and about as much bluing as Is used for white clothes should be placed in it. Another rinsing in this blue water completes the washing process. By means of the hands, squeeze as-much water as possibleN>ut of the feathers and then rub against the feathers. Af ter drying in that way. place the bird in a clean coop bedded heavily with straw and set it near a fire where the warmth can get to the plumage and not he too strong for the bird. Tho feathers will then dry nnd assume a natural condition within a few hours. Next week, Mr. Reese V. Hicks, General Manager of the Rancocas Poultry Farms, Brown’s Mills, N. J., will contribute an article on the “Housing of Future Layers.” The il lustration will show the best breeds to raise for eggs, for meat or for a combination of meat and eggs. Also some of the latest types of poultry houses will be shown. TlflN PRACTICED ELBERT COUNTY tion in price, the corn crop has been plentiful, the hay crop abun dant, a world of peas have been made, sweet potatoes were never better nor more bountiful In sup ply, there is plenty of sugar eane and there is going to he plenty of syrup, the cattle and there are lots of cattle raised in Elbert—are sleek and fat, hogs are doing fine and there is no shortage of home grown stuff on which to fatten them, beef and hams are selling high and eggs and chickens are bringing good prices. No Real Hard Times. As far as this section is concerned, bard times is purely an imaginary conditipn. Of course, there is an ab normal situation, as exists everywhere throughout the south, and of course, there are farmers who have stuck to cotton, depending absolutely upon a money crop, who feel the pinch more keenly—keenly enough to awaken them to the necessity of hereafter making their own meat and bread and feedstuffs —but the present ex isting situation has thrust forward, as examples of self-sustaining farmers, such men as Mr. T. W. Durham, Mr. ■T. N. Wall, Mr. W. B. Neathery, Mr. Henry Balchin, Mr. H. A. Fambrough, Mr. Lester Fortsnn, Mr. Coy Hudgins. Mr. G. L. Herndon, Mr. Will Thornton, Mr. Z. A. Tate and many others who grow cotton as a surplus money crop, but who, wisely producing their own supplies and devoting first attention to the filling of com cribs and smoke houses, do not grow cotton and de pend upon cotton money for their sup port and the support of tbelr farms like the gambler who stakes all upon one card, however It may turn when it falls. Mr. Chas. W. Parker, formerly postmaster here, who follows the in tensive farming Idea, and takes more pride than does the average farmer tn building tip and enriching his land, through rotation of crops and the ap plication of commercial fertilizers, the Ingredients of which are studied out scientifically to meet the pecu liar requirements of the soil, believes that the scrlptual axiom, “As Ye Sow Alho Shall Ye Reap," applina with greater force now than ever be fore in the history of the world—ln a literal sense as a matter of course, and particularly to the cotton farmer. Talks of Situation. Mr. Parker, as he expresses It, does GOLDEN CAMP INES from that country aome twenty yeara ago. They were for the moat part Ihiull, badly-marked fowla and were In all likelihood not Camplne* at all, but a coaraer relative of thla fine fowl Thl* wav* of Importation and popularity waa very brief and th* breed wu* dla mlaaed aa unaatlafactory. Within the paat ten year*, however, one very en thuaiaatlc breeder Imported a number of real Camplne*, both Holden and , Sliver, and act about popularizing THE AUGUSTA HERALD, AUGUSTA, GA. not see why the government should be expected to "rush in and drag our chestnuts -out of the fire." "We are getting no more than is coming to us," says Mr. Parker. “There is no reason then why any of us should howl about it. Of course, 1 am sorry that things are like they are. I am sorry when a child burns his fingers. But if he continues to stick them in the fire after he has learned by previous experience wliat the effect will be, It rather takes tho edge off one’s sympathy. “There is a certain amount of cot ton more than the probable needs of the market will demand. This means cheap cotton. How cheap depends upon the grower. If he is In position to hold until the price gets right, lie won’t he hurt much; if not he will be scalded. But If he places himself in the same position next year, where he has to mortgage everything he lias and his prospects for the future, for a hare existence, and then runs still further into debt for guano, hay, corn and supplies, he will be worse off than ever this time next fall. “The solution of the present prob lem." continued Mr. Parker, “rests with each man engaged in farming occupation. It is lime for him to sit down and think. Here and there you will find a man who made up Ills tnlnd some time ago to live at home, first making enough on the farm to take care of his family', then to have something to sell, hut first assuring himself of enough to be on the safe side. Wh.n times like these come he weathers the storm without difficulty. The fellow who has not learned to do that for his own protection had better hire out and work for wages, under some landlord who can teach him.” Self-Sustaining Farmers. Practically all land-owning farm ers throughout this section have been making enough corn, hay and provis ions to run them, and for the past few years more cattle have been rais ed, more possibly than at any time since following the War Between the States men turned their attention to herds and flocks. To Raise Cattle. Mr. O. E. Tate, who lives about nine miles from Elberton, is preparing at present to go Into cattle raising on an extensive scale. He will fence hfs land, and stock It this fall. Mr. C. A. Lunsford and Mr. R. T. Lanahan are among the Elbert Coun ty farmers who have found profit In cattle and livestock. Mr. Tinsley Mc- Lanahan, who was recently elected to the legislature, is also a successful farmer who profits by giving atten tion to livestock. Mr. .1. A. Boggs, wbo lives near Royston, In this county. Is one of the leading young farmers of his section. Mr. Beggs prepared himself for the pursuit of agriculture at the A. & M. School at Madison. He believes that successful ’ farming requires prepara tion from an educational standpoint. A Good Market. Under normal conditions Elberton handles from 20,000 to 30,000 bales of cotton a year. So far this season there has been only a comparatively small amount sold. W. T. Arnold & Son have taken some 250 bales, for which they paid 10 cents, on account and Cauthern Brothers have bought a hundred bales on the same basis under a like arrangement. Bought Their Bales. The “Buy-a-Bale" movement has gained a foothold here. Mr. and Mrs. T G. Swift each bought a bale, so did Mr. Gdrry Hall, proprietor of. Hotel Elberton, and Mr. M. E. Maw ell, president, and Mr. H. P. Hunter, cashier of the First National Bunk. Elberton, a progressive little city of 7,000, has four banks, the First Na tional, the Elberton Loan and Sav ings Bank, the Bank of Elberton and the Citizens Bank, all of which are showing a disposition to lend all pos sible aid to the farmers customers who need their help respectively, through extensions of paper when warehouso receipts are deposited with them. What Would You Do? There are many times when one man questions another’s actions and motives Men act differently under different circumstances. The question is, what would you do right now if you had a severe cold? Could you do better than to take Chamberlain’s Cough Remedy? It Is highly recom mended by people who have used It for years and know its value. Mrs. O. E. H argent, Peru, Ind., says. ‘Vhani berlain’s 'Cough Remedy is worth its weight in gold and I take pleasure In recommending It." For sale by all dealers. them for their actual worth aa great layers of the whlte*t egg», aa well aa for their beautiful marking*. After peralatent effort the breed "took” and I* today one of th# moat popular and beat Helling breed* In America. The Oolden Camplne I* a very I handsome fowl Both sexes have large red rumba and white earlobe* The plumage la glo»*y, greenish hlnrk each feather framed with narrow V-ahap ed bands of golden red. Lega Mid fact arc elate colored. GREAT DEMAND FOR BIG STORY OF WAR Orders Which Have Come From Far and Near Show Great Interest. Let us use the revised version of tho old saw and say the proof of the pudding is In chewing the string. In this case the particular piece do resistance Is the first part of the great war book and the appendage Is liter ally represented by the string of peo ple who are taking advantage of the Herald’s attractive offer. Since the announcement was first made that the distribution would be gin, orders have come from far and near, by mail and by personal mes sengers. One man not only assures us that he will want each part for himself as Issued, but afterward gave nn order for three additional sets to be sent to far-distant relatives. He says he read Part One ns soon as he got it, and that now he wants his friends to know the truth about this great war of the nations. Tiie parts are all lavishly Illumi nated with splendid Illustrations re produced from photographs taken at tho scene of action and many of these illustrations arc printed in full pages. Others are reproduced by the most ex pensive color process and depict scones of great hnitles painted by ar tists of world renown. Taken all in all, the entire series will represent a grand collection of art which could not possibly he duplicated in any oth er work of tlijs character. Turn to the War Book Coupon printed daily elsewhere in these col umns and learn how you may coma in Immediate possession of the first part of this great war story. Toned Up Whole System. "Chamberlain's Tablets have done more for me than I ever dared hope for," writes Mrs Esther Mae Baker, Speneerport, N. Y. "I used several bottles of these tablets n few months ago. They not only cured me of bil ious attacks, sick headaches and that tired out feeling, but toned up my whole stystem.” For sale by all deal ers MATTRESSES Scientifically Renovated This Is ABSOLUTELY tho only place you can have your Matresses made over with the latest Improved machinery. When you have a Felt Mattress made over with a Picker It Is never satisfactory, It soon be comes hard and lumpy. If you want real comfort let me Felt your Mattress And It will be like a new one. Don’t forget the time expires November Ist. E. H. HUTCHESON. Phone 2824. Bigger, Better, More Complete Than Ever, the TriCounty Fair Opens October 14 for a Three Days Agricultural and Live Stock Show, at Batesburg, S. C. The best and most Pro gressive farmers of the “Ridge” Section—Salu da, Lexington, and Aiken counties—will have ex hibits. Clean, Wholesome Amusements. Many Free Attractions. Pleas ure and Profit For All. Thursday, October 15, the big feature of the fair will be a Red Shirt Pa rade of the veterans of ’76. Good speakers have been secured. Friday, October 16, will be Field Day for the schools of the three coun ties, and many events have been arranged. Visit Batesburg This Week. See how pro gressive Farmers Have Become Independent of Low Price Cotton. The Fair will he in progress Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. WISE ECONOMY TALK No. 14. HIPP HKPP HURRAY And a Tiger Bargain Monday No. 2 Is Some Hummer. Perhaps this little re minder will get to you in time to get here before the doors close today. If you miss it, promise yourself you won’t miss next Monday. profit” SHARING SALE Jogs along an easy winner, adding new cus tomers daily. What about you? Have you got the habit? But, just a minute let’s get a few WISE bargains in here. $lO and $12.50 ladies’ and misses’ Cloaks for a few days only, at . $6.95 7£c yard wide Bleach ing, good, smooth, soft finish, special (limited) at s|c 36 inch Silk Poplins, in the new fall shades, worth $1.25 per yard, at . . . . . . . . . ~. 89c Every article in our house has been reduced in price for this sale. See the tags on each piece, marked in plain figures, showing the original and the mark-down price. They are reduced from about 10 to 25 per cent. This is the greatest profit sharing sale that we have ever conducted. NUF SED—WHAT? The Wise Dry Goods Co. The Shop of Quality. 858 Broadway. Don’t Forget—Try Wise First—lt Pays. THREE