Forage Crops for
Arkansas
Eight Studies in Supplementary
Farm Feeds.
EDITOR’S MOTE.
The Extension Division of the T'ni
versity of Arkansas, in co-operation
with the Uhited States Department of
A&riculture. will offer this year,
through this paper, a free correspond
ence course in Forage Crops as ap
plied to Arkansas conditions. These
lessons will appear in this paper at
intervale of six weeks. Those who
wish to take this course should
write to the Director of Exten
sion of the University of Arkan
sas, Fayetteville, stating name, age,
occupation, and a word about his or
her general education, and stating that
he (or she) proposes to carry the work
through for the eight lessons. A farm
ers’ bulletin will be sent to supple
ment each lesson, provided a question
blank be sent back covering points in
each lesson. These blanks will be sent
with each bulletin. The studies in
Forage Crops will include: (1) Classes
of Forage Crops, (2) Alfalfa, (3) Clo
vers, (4) Pasture and Hay Grasses, (5>
The Sorghums, (6) Peas and Beans, (7)
Silage, and (8) Curing and Saving Hay.
II—ALFALFA.
By Earl Kilpatrick, Extension Agrono
mist University of Arkansas.
Alfalfa is one of the best hay and
pasture crops grown in this country.
Farmers who have it growing suc
cessfully declare that it is the most
profitable crop on the farm. Many
failures have been made in alfalfa
growing due to the lack of knowledge
of soil conditions and poor methods of
seeding. In many parts of Arkansas
alfalfa is becoming an important crpp.
A deep, loamy soil should be se
lected, because alfalfa roots go down
to a great depth, and a hard-pan or an
impervious subsoil is objectionable.
A loose, gravelly or sandy subsoil
may cause the soil to dry too quick
ly. It is a mistake to try to get al
falfa on thin, poor soil. A few loads
of barnyard manure or a crop of peas
turned under will turn failure into
success. Good drainage is necessary
for successful alfalfa growing, be
cause alfalfa roots cannot stand an
excessive amount of water. If the
water level comes up closer than three
feet of the surface, alfalfa can seldom
be grown with profit.
The washing and leaching due to
the excessive rains during the winter
and spring months cause about 90 per
cent of our soils to be deficient in
lime. Alfalfa requires a large amount
of this element. The shortage in lime
can be remedied by adding one or two
Ions of ground limestone to the acre.
Alfalfa seeds are small and the young
plants are tender. If seeding is done
on a loose, cloddy seed bed, failure is
apt to result. The first season the
young plants have much competition
with crab grass, foxtail and other j
weeds. If the field is cultivated and
kept clean for gome months before '
seeding. most of these weeds will be
killed out. It is a mistake to sow al
falfa on a poorly prepared soil.
Inoculation Is essential in prow ins
alfalfa. Soil is said to be inoculated
for alfalfa when it contains the bar- |
teria w hich have the ability to gather j
free nitrogen from the air and store
it in the nodules on the roots of al
falfa. If these bacteria are not al
ready in the soil they must he intnv
duced from an outside source. The
most certain way to inoculate is to
bring inoculated soil from a field
which has previously grown alfalfa
or sweet clover. Apply such soil af
the rate of about 300 pounds per acre
and disk or harrow it in immediately.
It will not be safe to leave it on the
surface for any length of time, be
cause direct sunlight will kill germs
very quickly. If soil from an inocu
lated field is not available, or if that
method is too expensive, artificial in
oculation material in the form of
pure culture can be secured free of
charge from the United States De
partment of Agriculture. Where !
there are county agents the applica
tion should be made through them;
otherwise write directly to the United
States Department of Agriculture at
Washington, D. C.
Seeding in September is generally
preferred. If the seeding is done that
season the plants have a chance to
get well established before winter
sets in, and in the spring they will
be strong enough to get ahead of the
weeds. Twenty pounds of seed to the
acre is the usual rate in Arkansas. A
w'heelbarrow or cyclone seeder will
usually distribute the seed more even
ly over the land than broadcasting, tf,
neither of these machines can be had, |
broadcasting is satisfactory, if done
carefully. This method calls for
about five pounds more of seed than
machine seeding.
During the first season it may be
necessary to clip the weeds a couple
of times to keep them from seeding.
If the weeds are not bad, considerable
alfalfa may be secured the first sea
son. In no case should any weeds be
allowed to go to seed. The cutting of
alfalfa should always be done when
the new shoots are just starting from
the crown. This is usually when the
plants are about one-tenth in bloom.
If the cutting is done later, many of
the shoots will be cut off, and they
will be slow to recover. If the plants
are cut before the shoots start at all,
the next crop will be set back. It is
not a good idea to cut alfalfa so late
in the fall that a small growth can
not be made before frost.
Since alfalfa takes much mineral
water from the soil in its growth, it is
unwise to keep a field in alfalfa over
about six years, although if a farm
er’s available acreage for thiB crop is
limited it may be kept much longer if,
given a top dressing of manure about!
every two or three years.
..OULD TEMPT THE EPICURE
No Modern Dish Can Be Accountod
Superior to the Squirrel Stew
of the Early Days.
Young squirrel, new potatoes and
June peas, stewed together in an iron
pot, over a hickory wood fire. As Har
ry lender says, "Ye canna beat it."
In the early days it was a prime fa
vorite in Kentucky, and the pioneers
of Missouri brought a yearning for it
with them when they came overland
from the Blue Brass state and settled
along the rivers and creeks in Mis
souri.
There were plenty of squirrels in
the woods of Missouri in those days,
and in the middle of June, when new
potatoes were about the size of wal
nuts. and early peas were big enough
in the shell, the old man, or the big
gest boy of the family, would lift the
long-barreled squirrel rifle and powder
horn down from the pegs over the fire
place and go out. after a "mess” of
young squirrels. At that time in June
they were just large enough to dress
well.
A hunter who would shoot a squire
rel anywhere except through the head
was accounted a mighty poor shot.
And it had to be shot in the head or
not at all, for a squirrel is a wary ani
mal. As the hunter goes around one
side of the tree the squirrel goes
around the other way, keeping the tree
between him and the enemy, but oc
casionally he peeps out to see what
is going on, and that is the hunter’s
chance.
Half a dozen squirrels is enough for
a mess. While the head of the family
is dressing them the womenfolk are
grubbing out a half peck of new pota
toes and rubbing off the tender red
skins, and shelling a quart or t^o of
new peas. Squirrel, potatoes and peas
are put into the pot together.
It must be an iron pot. Any old
settler will tell you that there is a
flavor and a tang to “vittles” stewed
in an iron pot that modern pots and
pans never impart. The ingredients
must be allowed to simmer, not. to hoi!
briskly, but stew gently over a slow
fire until the whole mass is thorough- j
ly disintegrated. Then it is ladled out
and eaten while piping hot. A chunk
of corn pone, dipped into the juicy
stew and munched with it, im
proves it.
Anyone who has eaten of this dish
will tell you that in all the range of
cookery there is nothing quite so good.
The tender young squirrel meat has
fallen away from the bones, the new
potatoes have melted, the peas have
imparted to the whole a faint green
ish hue, and all have blended together
in a savory mass redolent of June
buds and June blossoms.
Learned Something Worth Knowing.
“As far as I can learn,” said an
Atchison, man to. the Globe, “all my lit
tie girl learned in school this year is
that her eyes are not mates, that she
will have to be vaccinated and that
her method of breathing is old-fash
ioned." To which the Downs Times
retorts: “Well, what’s the man com
plaining about? If his daughter has
her eyes fitted with proper glasses she
will be better able to do the reading
that the course demands, even if she
did not learn the multiplication table.
If she escapes the smallpox and pre
serves her beauty, she will consider
that as valuable by the time she is
twenty as if she had committed the
Constitution to memory, and knowing
how to breathe properly may con
tribute as much joy and happiness in
her fair young life as being able to lo
cate the medulla oblongata and name
the bones in the skull. If education
prepares for fuller, better living, what
reason has some fossil who got his
education in the three Rs in the days
of lickin’ and learnin’ to complain
because his children are enjoying it?”
—Kansas City Star.
New Metal Coming Into Use.
Steel and bronze, largely used for
years in the plating of yachts, bid fair
to be replaced by Monel metal, an
alloy resembling nickel in appearance.
It is harder and tougher than nickel
steel, retains its brightness, and does
not corrode. In this respect it is even
better than bronze, which has been
used on several of the big racing
yachts and on a few of the cruisers.
In 1893 experiments were made with
bronze and the cup defender of that
year, the Vigilant, was the first vessel
to be plated with bronze. She- was
a big success. The bronze gave her
a smooth, clean underbody, and hav
ing a greater tensile strength than
steel, Herreshoff was able to turn out
a comparatively light boat. In 1895
the Defender was built for cup de
fense, and she was plated with alumi
num. This made a lightly built hull,
but the aluminum corroded and the
yacht decayed after a couple of years.
Since that time steel and bronze have
been used, and the Vanitie, built last
year, was the first to have Monel
metal tried.
Extra Pay for Beauties
"Every American boy and g.rl has
an inalienable right to have a good
looking school teacher, and school
boards should be willing to pay $15
a month more for comely instructors
than for homely ones.”
Dr. Henry S. Curtis, New York play
expert, expressed that theory to west
ern Kansas school teachers at Fort
Hays Normal.
Doctor Curtis believes that better
looking teachers mean better disci
pline and more effective teaching.
Doctor Curtis also believes that play
should be made compulsory just as
education is. In 13 generations most
Americans will be insane unless play
is taught, he says.
Ostrich Forcibly Fed.
The Zoological Society Bulletin re
marks that refusal of food is generally
the first symptom that an animal or
bird is sick. The ostrich is one of
the most provoking «in this respect,
and, if heroic measures be not adopt
ed, soon becomes so thin as to become
a prey to some really dangerous ail
ment.
A fine South African ostrich re
ceived from Arizona at the New York
Zoological gardens in Bronx park last
summer refused his breakfast on De
cember 23, 1911. He showed no other
symptoms of illness. A week passed
and he began to look thin. Keeper
George Snyder, at considerable person
al risk, began a system of forcible
feeding, ramming bolus after bolus of
food wrapped in lettuce leaves down
the throat of the unwilling bird.
This treatment was kept up for
more than six weeks, and the ostrich
became so accustomed to it that ho
ceased to resist. On February 6, 1915,
he first evinced a willingness to feed
himself, and within a short time his
hunger strike was over.
Old Sport of Falconry.
Falconry is an ancient sport. It ap
pears to have been known in China
4,000 years ago, and at an equally
early date in the valleys of the Nile
and Euphrates. The references to it
in Aristotle, Pliny and Martial are
definite. It was probably introduced
into England from the. continent in
the ninth century and was followed
there down to the middle of the seven
teenth century with greater ardor
than any other sport, even than fox
hunting. Falcons were allotted to men
according to their rank: To the em
peror, the eagle and vulture; to kings,
the gerfalcons; to earls, the pere
grines; to yeomen, the goshawks; to
priests, the sparrow hawks, and to
servants, the useless kestrels.
The Optimist.
On the whole, poets do not seem to
have too good a time of it. It is
rather rare for an editor to see eye
to eye with them in regard to the
quality of their work.
Percival Fliptop had had his work
“turned down" by five editors in suc
cession. and was now being told the
cold and bitter truth by the sixth. His
rage got the better of him.
“Some day," he burst out, “you ed
itors will be fighting for my work.”
“Never mind," chortled he of the
hard heart. "When that day comes,
even if I lose, I'll be just as happy!"—
Philadelphia Inquirer.
Riches From the Oceans.
The fishing industry of the Bos
porus is worth $1,000,000 to Turkey.
Along the Mediterranean coast, she ob
tains excellent sponges, the Bed sea
yields mother-of-pearl, and the Persian
gulf, pearls.
LODGE DIRECTORY.
ROWLAND LODGE No. 594 F. & A.
! M.meets every second and fourth Satur
l day evenings at 7:30 o'clock. Visiting
Masons always welcome.
C. T. Thompson, W. M.
C. A. Berry, Sec'y.
HOWARD CHAPTER. No. 122, R. A.
M. meets every first and third Thurs
day evening at Masonic hall. Visiting
companions welcome,
L. F. Magee, H. P.
R. W. Beede, Secy.
I HUTTIG CHAPTER No. 320, Order of
I the Eastern Star, meets every first and
| third Friday evening at 7:30 o'clock.
■ Visiting brothers and sisters welcome.
Mrs. C. A. Berry, W. III.
Mrs. L. G. Gibson, Sec’y.
HUTTIG LODGE No. 348 I. 0. 0. F.
meets every Tuesday evening. Visiting
brethern cordially invited to attend.
A. P. Holtsford, N. G.
E. L. Ware, Secy.
HUTTIG REBEKAH LODGE No. 66,
meets every Monday night at 7:30 o’clock
Visitors are invited.
Mrs. Dona Holtsford, N. G.
Mrs. May Glaybaugh, Secy.
SWEET BAY CAMP No. 41 1 W. 0. W.
meets every first and third Saturday eve
nings. Visitors made welcome.
L. M. DeSp.ain, C C.
J. C. Bridges, Clerk.
RAILROAD TIMt TASLt
St. Louis. Iron Mountain & Southern
LITTLE ROCK & MONROE RY.
South North
5:25 # m . . Huttig 3:25 p. m
| 7:55 a. m Monroe 1:00 p.m
LOCAL. *
Leaves Arrives
1 1:55 p. m. Huttig 1 2:15 p. m.
St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern
FARMERVILLE & SOUTHERN RY.
North South
4:42 a. m. Huttig 3:54 p. m
3:15 a. m. Farmerville 5:20 p. m
local, t
10:15a.m. Huttig 2:25 p.m.
tArrives Monday. Wednesday, and Fri
day from Monroe and goes to Farmer
viile.
‘Arrives Tuesday, Thursday and Satur
, day from Farmerville and goes to Mon
■ roe.
-.
DKS. MAGEE & MAYFIELD
Physicians and Surgeons
At Company Hospital
I Office Hours—8 lo 12b. m., I to 6pm
| Sundays—a to II a. in., ilo5p. p m
Residence I'hone 12; office 18
HUTTIG - ARKANSAS
8
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mnn
And
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we can accomplish much for both.
It takes long to tell, but little time to see how well we
are equipped to supply your demands.
Our sales force will take pleasure in showing you any
thing you wish to price or inspect.
1 WHEN YOU WANT IT, WE HAVE IT!
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DEALERS IN EVERYTHING