Newspaper Page Text
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 21.
HE FARMERS’ FORUM
Georgia Farm Stones
Generally speaking there is a lot
of lethargy observed on the average
farm during a cold rainy day In win
ter. Most farmers settle down to
ease and comfort and dream over the
days that are yet to come. But few
of them ever fancy the real and true
situation presented on the ordinary
southern farm. With the coming of
winter’s rain lots of the best ingre
dients, so to speak, on the place are
allowed to go to waste. People who
do not notice these things can be
found in great numbers in any local
ity. It is pity that every school in
all the country does not give more at
tention to this matter.
For a hundred years and more the
rains of winter have been playing
havoc with the old red hills around
this section and as a consequence
many of them are now unfit for any
thing except for making brick. Some
of them, by the way, are doing good
business in that line, for on account
of the same matter which is being
discussed here, it is necessary to use
brick for building since wood is get
ting so scarce. The country is now
approaching the point where wood is
needed as well as other things in the
way of soil protection.
Jast at this season of the year
there is an unlimited opportunity for
farmers to take up some of this neg
lected work and at a time like this
it is important that it be done for va
rious reasons, chief among which
might be named the need of grain. In
the cotton belt farmers are buying
more grain, relatively speaking, than
ever before and it is bringing prices
that are akin to boom figures in real
estate. It seems that a short grain
crop and high prices caught the south
ern farmer in a whirlwind the past
season and now they are paying great
penalties for their neglect.
Reverting to the subject of grain
growing for a different reason it is
becoming a paramount necessity that,
farmers resort to winter cover crops
in order to save the soil from the
ravages of winter’s rains. It is be
coming a hard problem to find a
farm anywhere in any section in
clined to be rolling that is not wash
ed up considerably. By planting
wheat, oats, barley or rye it is easy
to eliminate much of this trouble.
Before a farmer realizes it most of
his valuable soil will find its way to
the bottom land if some care is not
luted now for all the forests are gone
FHd water has its free right of way
through the fields.
It is not too late now to plant grain
on most southern farms and if a
planter will give a little study and
care to the subject it will be found
profitable to plant. Burt oats, beard
less? barley or even some wheat right
THE POULTRY CORNER
Future of Goose Farming
By J. C. CUPP
The time is fast approaching
w,hen goose farming will have crowd
ed out turkeys entirely. As a turkey
breeder I really dislike to make this
prophecy; but nevertheless I searing
ly believe it, simply because this
country is soon going to be too dense
ly populated for the growing of tur
keys. Further west where there is
more range, turkeys will be found
ieading in popularity over geese, jjut
in eastern and central states the con
ditions will soon be most favorable
for goose farming.
In Europe geese are very popular,
due to the thickly populated country,
making it next to an impossibility to
raise turkeys as they require consid- j
erable range. However, turkeys will |
lie very popular in this country for \
many years to come. But I am quite j
confident the tim is fast approaching j
when turkeys in this country will be ]
no more. Geese filling in where they
once supplied the wants of the fes
tive holidays.
Every pouitryman who has had any
experiences with turkeys well under
stands that they are a fowl that pos
itively canot stand close confine
ment, while geese can stand confine
ment reasonably well; in fact, they
do not require range only in search
of grass. They will do quite well in j
close confinement if they have th<j
green food supplied artificially.
There are thousands of acres of!
wet lands that can be utilized into i
goose farming. Such localities are j
unfit for turkey growing, but could
be made profitable with geese. In
Europe, where every inch of soil is!
wanted for the growing of crops, the
canals, large water basins and small j
ponds are concerted Into goose cul- i
ture. It can be done here just as
well as in Europe.
Where turkeys can be successfully j
grown, continue to give them room,
as nothing on the farm is as profit
able unless it is geese. The reason
geese are so profitable is due to the
fact tligt they do not require any:
grain,scarcely and will thrive and do!
well on water or soils that grt fit for
nothing else. If the majority of farm
ers would give goose farming a little i
consideration they would soon see j
that they have pasture and watered,
By J. C. Me A u Jiffe
away. It means soil protection,
early feed, less expense account pn
the farm and half a dozen other good
things will come from it.
Taft in Georgia.
President-elect Wm. H. Taft spent
more than a month in Georgia and
around his visit clusters many notes
of interest to farmers and people in
the rural districts. In the first place,
the daily newspapers have made
Georgia ’possums about as famous as
Teddy bears ever got to be, and opos
sums are unknown to people outside
of the country districts in the south.
There are a thousand and one stories
back of ’possum hunting in Georgia,
and yet since Taft came down the
little night animal has won more
fame than in all the history of the
past. It will be a great wonder if
some enterprising Yankees—the kind
that make wooden nutmegs—do not
get to making Taft ’possums as a sub
stitute for the Teddy bears.
But Mr. Taft’s visit does not lose
its significance to the farmer where
the ’possum part ends. The distin
guished gentleman went down to
Beech Island Farmers’ club, a dozen
miles below Augusta, and there wined
and dined at the old clubhouse with
the horny-handed sons of toil. The
old clubhouse is quite an interesting
place, but the visit of Taft will add
new history to its already crowded
scroll. Still further long the line,
Mr. Taft kept up his associations
with things bucolic, and he went out
a few days later to visit the “cotton
farm,’’ so the papers say, of the Hon.
Chas. S. Bohler, just plain Charlie
Bohler, folk who know him call him,
and there he had a dinner of Georgia
bacon and other things that are
grown on Mr. Bohler’s farm, which,
by the way, is no a cotton farm, but
a real diversified farm, where lots of
things are raised.
For these and many other reasons
Mr. Taft’s visit to Georgia may be a
source of much good.
Sweet Potatoes
If anything could happen to wake
up the country to the great possibi
lities existing in the south, then Mr.
Taft’s visit would be of more conse
quence than his election to the presi
dency. You may rob the south of
its resources in agriculture and the
government at Washington will lose
its prestige among the nations of the
world. From time immemorial, back
ere people printed histories, the
story is told that a nation without
its agriculture has sooner or later
failed and failed utterly.
In considering this matter it seems
that something is needed to bring the
people of the south and of the nation
lands that would not conflict with
any other fowls or live stock. The
fact that almost every farm in this
country has more or less waste lands
makes it certain that geese will in
crease in popularity as time passes
and population increases. Those
waste lands must be converted into
some use in order to bring in a profit
and nothing else will do it more sure
ly than a well managed flock of well
bred geese. They will be most profit
able of any thing ,to my mind, grown
on the farm of waste lands. Perhaps
there is no other fowl in existence
that appeals to the well-to-do farm
ers as does the well-bred goose,
i What is a finer scene than a choice
I flock of large white Emsden geese,
jor the large gray Toulouse geese, or
I any other variety of well-bred geese?
Nothing that I can call to mind, un
| less it tfould be a flue flock of tur-,
keys and I could not conscientiously
give the preference to turkeys as I
would be bound to place them on an
equality, viewing them from a profit
view point. In a majority of in
stances, in a thickly settled commun
ity, geese are far more desirable than
turkeys. In noting the words of a
well to do westerner not long since
in conversation with him on this sub
ject he said; “A flock of uniform,
well-bred geese swimming on a sheet
of clean water is a most pleasant
sight to me.' I will venture to say,
that the majority of us have this
same weakness. It is for this same
reason, and from the fact that they
are remunerative, that geese are be
coming more and more in favor with
many land owners of the world today.
The American people are jsut begin
ning to learn the science of goose
farming. But few of us understand
the raising of geese In large numbers,
as they do in China. That country is
the most famous goose country in the
world, producing millions of pounds
annually. However, the raising of
geese in large numbers will come by
experience. At the present, time large
flocks are grown on some wet swampy!
lands that can be used for nothing \
else, i observed quite a large inter-}
est manifested in parts of Wisconsin
In goose culture; theye they have
ideal surroundings, large ponds andi
the importance of conserving these!
resources. By the way. in speaking
of Mr. Taft and 'possum it brings up
the other side of the bill of fare.
There ?S no doubt but that potatoes
will some day in the near future be
come recognized for their real value.
The supply of grain in the world may
grow short some day, but as long as
sweet potatoes can be raised at the
1 ate of 200 or 300 bushels per acre
over thousands and thousands of
acres of land in the south, there is
little likelihood of the country going
to ruin. And it is safe to say that
Sweet potatoes serve as excellent sub
stitute for corn or wheat in supplying
human food.
But enough of this practical side of
life. Down here there are flowers in
bloom, the birds are singing, the
grass grows green and the plowman
is busy. Who would not stay here
where the seasons are so grand, the
days so beautiful. If even Mr. Taft,
or Mr. Rockefeller, or some of the
other noted visitors could know the
joy of it they’d give up their tri
umphs to realize the bliss of sleep
for a night as the farmer does.
But back of all this rosy colored
portrayal of rural life stands the
stern fact that duty demands, work
and care for those at home, and dur
ing the coming year farmers of the
south look well after this question,
plant the things you need at home,
provide for your loved, stand guard
over all their desires, supply every-
I thing you can, for as the years go by
you will realize fully that you are
traveling a road which you can go
over but once, and when the gate
is shut behind it never swings open
again like we dreamed it did in the
days of youth —-Home and Farm.
Small Farms Worth While.
A few years ago the “boundless”
west offered great opportunities for
j any young man who would simply
I ’’take them up.” But those vast acres
! are no more. They are now occupied
! And what is the young man of the
! present day to do who has no capital
j vet who desires to enter ♦ the agri
tural pursuits? There are two possl
j bilities, and only two. Possibility
number one: Rent a farm and be
come a tenant, or become a hired man.
Possibility number two: Purchase a
farm. The tenant-farmer plan. In a
way, is all right, but it is to start
with, but the trouble is, once a ten
ant always a tenant. Don’t you think
is a better plan to make an outright
purchase of a farm, if It is but ten
or twenty acres? Start with a small
farm and in a small way, just as the
merchant or any other business man
with little capital begins.
The bests way to keep the premises
clean of lice and mites is to begin in
„anuary to wage war. Once a week
pour keroser.se over the roosts, into
the cracks of the nest boxes, and
along the dropping boards. 3y mak
ing this a weekly duty there will not
be any trouble when hot weather
arrives.
OTHER VALUABLE BABIEB.
John D. Rockefeller, IXJ., is worth
more millions than any other baby in
the world.—Daily Paper.
She isn’t worth a fortune and she
hasn’t any socks,
Her wealth is all in little shoes and
pinafores and frocks.
In little rings of curling hair and b;g
blue laughing eyes,
In leaves and grass and buds and
flowers and bees and butter
flies.
But when she comes in tired from
play and crawls upon my
knee
She’s worth a hundred million to her
mother and to me.
She sits among her dolls and toys
and doesn’t seem to care
If wealth is all in rosy cheeks and
locks of curly hair.
She toddles up to me and like an
artful fairy clips
A coupon bearing love from off the
sweetness of her lips.
I And when she puts her arms around
my neck and goos in glee,
| She’s worth uncounted millions to
her mother and to me.
And when she’s in her crib at night
and daintily tucked in
I The wealth of Croesus couldn’t buy
the dimple in her chin,
And as she blinks her roguish eyes
to play at peek-a-boo,
She chuckles me a fortune with each
archly spoken goo,
And though she has no fortune, I am
sure you will agree,
She’s a fortune, more than money, to
her mother and to me.
—J. W. Foley.
The sooner you set good reliable
hens, and start your incubators, the
more successful will you be in rais
ing a good crop of young chicks this
season. Early chicks in the south
start to grow quicker and do much
better every way than do those hatch
ed after the w r eather gets really hot
in May and June. For tlffic reason all
who are anxious to raise a good sup
ply of chickens should commence
operation as early as possible. A
little extra care during a cold snap
or two is not much trouble, and
; spring will soon be here.
canals, that are fit for nothing else.
| "’he feathers are very valuable as
ell as the flesh, hence Hie lmpor
-11. >ce of giving more attention to
tl. part of poultry culture.
I'HE AUGUSTA HERALD
Valuable Farm Suggestions
By J. C. McAULIFFE
Good roads. Rural Free Delivery
and the Rural Telephone as benefits
to the farmer, can hardly in equity
bo compared as they are not in com- J
petition with each other. Good roads |
have always been a benefit. Rural!
Free Delivery from its start in 1897]
has been a great help to the farmers
and in eleven years according to the i
report, of the auditor for the post i
office, has grown to a total of 40.000 j
carriers. But the Rural Telephone !
starting since that time is already!
outstripping both of these in the
number of farmers it is reaching and
the ways in which it is benefiting
them.
The Rural Free Delivery carrier's
route rarely exceeds 24 miles in
length and serves on an average
about 70 farms. A Rural Telephone
will operate as far as 40 miles with
as many as 30 or 40 telephones on
the line. Of course in the well set
tled states the farmers have both, but
in the vast sections of open country,
it is obvious that it will be some
time before Rural Free Delivery can
reach as many farms as the Rural
Telephone.
The low first cost of the Rural Tele
phone puts it within the reach of all.
On lines less than 12 miles long the
cost is $4.94 per mile not including
poles—the latter to be cut and fur
nished by the farmer himself. On
lines over 12 miles long the cost is
but sfi.B7 per mile; same arrange
ment about the poles. In cither case,
the cost of his -telephone set com
plete is $13.00. The above figures
represent standard ’’ground" one wire
construction and long distance tele
phones. It is a simple matter to
build the line and no operator is re
quired. The annual maintenance
expense is not over $75 —the renewal
of the dry batteries in the farmer’s
telephone. In addition the farmer
can run a line to a neighboring town
exchange and long distance service
to the rest of the country.
The Rural Telephone in sickness
or emergency enables the farmer to
summon immediate aid. It enables
him to learn the latest market prices
and so get more money for hts pro
ducts. It removes the isolation of
country life: it improves the condi
tions surrounding the farmer’s wife.
During the day arid evening it Is
used a great deal for social inter
course—everybody being able to “get.
in’’ on the line at the same time if
they desire.
Down South it is the white wo
man's protection in the country dis
tricts. In many sections of the Uni
ted States where Rural Telephone
lines exist, it is customary to furnish
weather bureau reports over them
Some Poultry Notes
By FANNIE M. WOOD
The hens cannot make eggs or
pnoperly digest their food without
water.
Thin egg shells are a pretty good
indication that the hens’ ration lacks
mineral matter.
Don’t forget of postpone sprinkling
insect powder among the early sit
ter’s feathers and in the nesting rna
trial.
I have heard folks say lice do not
bother broody hens much while the
weather 1b cold, but this is a mistak
en notion.
Corn is a good diet for sitting hens
as it is heating. And sharp grit,
drinking water, and a dust bath
should be handy.
Some folks wjio ought to know bet
ter will give the hen in the brooding
notion more eggs than she can cover
well and comfortably.
And meanwhile have nest large
enough to allow biddy to turn around
without trampling the eggs.
Eggs intended for hatching will not
chill readily in a box of bran or oats,
Buying eggs at the store to fill the
incubator won’t do. We can’t afford
to trust to luck for a good hatch.
On acount of their great activity
eggs laid by the smaller breeds are
usually more fertile than those laid
by larger breeds.
Life is too short to spend much
time keeping a bunch of early chicks
warm with jugs of hot water, warm
bricks and ..atlrons.
I
We have tried alt these methods, j
The regular brooder are the best and 1
handiest.
A knoll or ridge where natural drain
age is perfect and fine location for ;
a chicken house.
Ducks hatch well in Incubators and ■
Conducted By
J. C. McAULIFFE
each morning. For instance at 9
o’clock in the. morning the telephone
company in town will give three long
rings over each rural line entering
its exchange and those who desire
may, on taking the receiver off the
hook, near the operator read the
weather bureau report. The com
panies often also give out at the
same time, the prevailing market
quotations.
The Rural Telephone certainly is
the farmer's greatest servant. In
using it to do errands, it saves hint
time. In dry seasons, he may be
promptly notified ot the approach of
prairie or forest fires, of not infre
quent occurence if his farm adjoins
a railroad, or in case of fire in his
own home he can summon aid with
out leaving the farm himself. It
is hard to say in what way It helps
him the most on the various things
mentioned above. Wherever he is.
ask him if he would be willing to do
without it and his answer is, “No!”
In the vast sections of open coun
try away from schools, churches and
other conditions improving country
life, the Rural Telephone is fast
reaching out nnd removing one of
the greatest disadvantages of living
in the country, namely, that one must
travel a considerable distance to
reach a market or talk with a neigh
bor. v
It is estimated that there are about
7 million farmers’ families in the
United States today, taking the word
farmer in its broadest sense and in
cluding all families living in the open
country. Of those It is estimated
that in the few years since the Ru
ral Telephone has been considered
seriously, more than two million have
adopted it and It is rapidly being
extended.
The Rural Telephone horn of ne
cessity and of vital benefits to the
farmer has as its further recommen
dation, its accessibility to the entire
population of farmers, many of whom
cannot be reached by Rural Free De
livery or good roads for generations
to come.
Hens ought never to Mb put in the
same quarters with the turkey, pea
fowl, or guinea ben, because these
worry and drive them about. Ducks
i also ought to have a separate silting
place because they soil their feath
ers with the droppings If they sit on
the ground in the ordinary hen
house. Birds of a feather should
flock together.
Keep a diary; begin on the first
day of the new year and follow it up
daily. You will be surprised how
many things that are important to
remember you will find stored away.
FOR PROFIT
AND PLEASURE
are easily raised in brooders if they
are not crowded.
If you are a lover of chicken meat,
just try a nice fat capon and you will
know why mey bring a better price
than other poultry.
Capons never grow spurs or combs,
The big quiet, fellows never suffer
from fights or frozen combs, and
more of them can be houses together
than hens or cockrels.
Before Spring poultry work begins
it seems to me It would be a good
thing for many of us to go over care
fully the many and varied points where
we failed or made mistakes last, sea- I
son, and try If possible to avoid these
obstacles this season.
Feeding laying hens of the larger
breeds liberally is one way to induce
them to sit, early. The number of
eggs a hen may lay before she begins
to sit depends a good deal upon her
condition when laying. The well fed,
fat laying hen will not lay many eggs
before she begins to sit, usually.
Fattening a laying hen Is very apt to
cause net to become broody, at least
the tnedency is that way with larger
varieties. However, it would int be
wise to feed breeders too heavily. If
any one wishes to try this method I
would advise separating the ones one
wishes for early sitters from the otn
ers then try tnls mode of feeding.—
Inland Farmer.
Do not hesitate to go Into the poul
try business because you see so mart <
others in it already. As long as we
are Importing thousands upon thou
sands of dozens of eggs annually and
the price of eggs continues to go
higher each succeeding winter, It
does not look much like we would
soon overdo the matter. The heaw j
Influx of foreigners to this country '
and the greater numbers of people
living In the cities and towns helps to
increase the consumption of poultry l
and eggs. The increased number of j
eggs used by manufacturers In recon'
years tends to take care of any sur-!
pluß there might bo.
NEGRO PILOT SOOT
MOTHER NEGRO
FRIT
Ed. Turner, the negro pilot, on the
Katie shot and seriously wounded
Wash Davis, a negro oiier, on the
boat about 3 o'clock Friday a few
minutes before it was to leave for
Savannah. Turner gave himself u;>
to the police, claiming lie shot in self
defense. Davis was shot with a3B
calibre repeating Winchester rifle.
The millet went through his body
Saturday the hospital authorities
stated that they Were not able to
state whether he would live or not.
The chances are very much against
him.
Another pilot was secured from tie
wharf, and also a oiler and the Katie
left on time for Savannah.
The trouble between the two men
is said to have started early Friday
morning, when Davis knocked Tin
ner down, with ids fist. Davis after
the difficulty, left the boat. Turner
remained. Late Friday afternoon
Davis came to Mr. B. E. Lester, tin
agent for the Steamboat compau *
and asked permission to go back to
work. This was granted and he was
told to keep away from Turner.
He was at his work when Turner
passed and saw him. Turner went ti»
his room and secured the gun and re
turned and shot him.
Turner claims that Davis had a pis.
tol drawn on him when he shot. Da
vis bears a fine reputation.
GEN. LEE SPOKE TO
AUGUSTA MASONS
Hri£. Gen. J. (J. C. Lop, of Fori
Houston, Texas, who is a prominent
guest at tile Hampton Terrace, and
a thirty-third degree Mason, address
ed the Masons of Augusta at the Mn
sonlc hall Friday night. Gen. Lee
spoke of Masonry as a whole, and told
of the great, work of the Masons, |
the onject of the order and tilings I
about the order that arc of general I
interest.
Gen. Lee is one of the host known i
men in the United Slates. He is a
globe trotter and a veteran of three
wars. He is one of the best read and
educated men In the country and i
philosopher. He will |,e at.-Hamilton
FOR THIRTY DOLLARS
We will sell for a few days a
limited number of suits, closing
out our winter stock, for thirty
dollars.
Fit, workmanship and quality
of goods guaranteed to be the
equal of any of our higher priced
garments.
This sale will only last a short
while and will be strictly for
cash.
HOWE & COMPANY
MAKERS OF CLOTHES THAT FIT
DON’T BACK AWAY.
We have something to sell. Drop In and let us spill a little
chatter about a good thing, and you cun take It or leave It according
“J * U * y 1 U o" d "? eXpenso 1,111 G,ther way - lam the Carriage
Dealer; took It up long ago. I have sold enough nice work each suc
ceeding year to qualify as the Leader in my Line. Now you can hear
about mo One Hundred and Fifty Miles from my Buggy shack in any
direction you go, and when It comes to what Is what, In anything
you hitch a horse to Pardon me for starting the applause-but I’m the
the greatest noise In the country
REMEMBER THE QUARTETTE,
Babcock, Chase, Frazier, Coskery,
AT 749 BROAD ST., AUGUSTA, GA.
BRICK Red and Dr > r Pressed
■ x and Common Building
LARGE STOCK. PROMPT SHIPMENT.
Georgia—Carolina Brick Company
Howard H. Stafford. President.
Write for Prices. AUGUSTA, GA.
ARE YOU 3UILDIINC3?
W* Carry a Large Stock of
Roofing-
TAR RARER V “ft PARIAN HOUSE PAINTS.
",’p.pT-i ,p “- t " •»> »»•"■ »«"*•
jztiz ti " «■««* ‘“7 •*
DAVID SLUSKY,
100 S BROAD STREET.
PAGE FIVE
Terrace until April. He has been la
Augusta several weeks and has many
friends here.
When You
Need
Furniture
do not go to a grocery
store or the Plumber’s,
but po to the furniture
store. That’s ours—
That's our business. Ou
furniture looks .right. It
is made right, and then
the price is righl. People
who look elsewhere and
then buy here tell us that
and we believe It.
Georgia^aroUna
Furniture Co.
904 Broad Street.
Formerly
J. L. BOWLES
FURNITURE CO.