v
, ,v •. ■ .
Western Facade of the Palace,
IT IS more than 20 years since I
first saw that mighty Palace of the
Popes at Avignon which Froissart
railed ‘‘the finest and strongest
house in the world;” and the most im
portant occurrence in that period,
t rom the point of view of the architect
ami the historian, is that in 1907 the
huge building was at last relieved from
its dangerous task of sheltering sol
diers, who cared as little for its beauty
as for its associations, writes Theodore
Andrea Cook in Country Lift*. It was,
perhaps, better to be the barracks of a
regiment than to be a prison like Tar
uscoti, or a disintegrating ruin like
Keaucaire. I5ut none of these three
glorious relics of Provencal history de
served so ignominious a fate, and the
department of historic monuments
earned the thanks of every scholar by
its chnng** of policy toward these
splendid castles of the storied Ithone.
One Invaluable result of clearing the
Palace of Avignon lias been that fbi
the first time it is possible to compare
the actual constructions of this ex
traordinary building with the records
preserved in the Vatican ami Investi
gate! by Eugene Muntz, Maurice Fou
cou and F. Fhrle. This comparison
was carried on by Felix Digonnet, the
learned guardian of the museum at
Avignon, mid when again tlie continent
is free ground for the curious traveler
I hope that visitors will be able not
only to see the whole of the palace,
but to understand the original inten
tion of its builders, and to realize the
skill and care with which all tlie un
dent masonry Is being preserved or
reproduce 1 after the century of de
facement and neglect which followed
the most deliberate vandalism of the
Revolution.
Color and Massiveness.
The vast and deserted esplanade in
front of this giant block of masonry
is a fitting framework to so massive a
memorial of dead majesty, and the
whole atmosphere of the scene Is as
different as possible from anything
you have passed on your way through
the modern town from the railway
station of the republic. The exquisite
color of the pale gold masonry—"teinte
uniforrne do feuille seehe,” said Henri
Beyle—is one of the loveliest attributes
of the buildings of Provence, as it Is
of <mr own Dorsetshire bouses; but it
Is the titanic strength and elemental
pride of this enormous building which
first impress themselves on the be
holder who stands before its ruined
western entrance gate. The huge and
bony carcass of xoinoe creature of tin*
prime, fossilized in bygone ages of the
world, and couchant still within Its t
ancient lair, seems brooding like some j
monstrous menace over the Valley of ;
the Ithom*. Ruined and mutilated, as
it is, ot all Its former splendor, tlds j
cliff of cut stone stands stupendous
above tin* petty highways of our small- j
er life.
Tiie octagonal turret Jutting from
the tower immediately on your left j
of the main entrance preserves, in its ■
name of ‘•The White Cardinal.” tin*1
memory of that humbly born Cister
cian monk who, in December, 1 • *.>*>, us- j
sumed tlu* title of Benedict XII, and j
really began the foundation of the
palace as we see it. I ivo-thlrds of
the whole, at any rate, he planned;
and bis Is the portion that Is the sim
plest and strongest of it all.
No marble was used anywhere in the
palace, which was wholly of French
workmanship and Provencal design,
with the square towers which mainly
differentiate that school from the
round-towered style of (lie French
kings which is so massively exhibited
In 11 io contemporary Fort St. Andre
just across the river. I he deeply
carved machicolations, still to be seen
lien* and there and originally placed
on every tower and wall, had only just
been Introduced by the.end of the
fourteenth century. Those on the
great facade are the largest in the
world, sometimes two yards in length
by 18 Inches deep, sufficient to hurl
down timbers that could sweep a
dozen storming ladders off the wall or
crush n whole company of sappers.
The only luxury observable in the
palace wus to be found In its interior
[ furniture, which lms wholly disap
peared. Nothing hut the solidity mid
imposing strength of its exterior walls
remain to hint at what Froissart so
much admired.
The old pontifical chapel of John
XXII, enlarged by Benedict XII
and since restored, is now the reposi
tory of the archives of the province,
and forms the extreme northern line
of buildings between the Tour de
Trouillas at the northeastern corner
and the Tour do la Campane at the
northwest. Benedict’s work was built j
above the older structure, originally
the parish church of St. Stephen, by
l’it rre Poisson of Mirepoix in 1335.
For some time It was turned to the
base uses of a common gaol, and it
was Ilevoil who designed its present
barrel-vault at a height from the
ground which is equivalent to that of
the two original buildings one above
the other. Their frescoes by Pierre
du Puy have all disappeared; but we
know that his workmen were paid four
shillings a day of our money, while lie j
had nearly 30; and that tlieir colors
were white, green, sky blue, indigo
blue, vermilion, saffron, and so forth,
laid on with white of egg, with olive
oil and linseed oil, and garnished with
fine gold. In 1330 Benedict XII finished
tile tiling of the floors, and some re
mains of them are preserved in the
Musee Cnlvet in the town. This chapel
was not used for more than 30 years,
and was gravely damaged by fire in
1392. Its place was taken by the fat
more splendid building of Clement VI
on the south side of the main court
yard.
Tour Dcs Anges.
Returning to the courtyard we find
in the Tour des Anges, at the angle of
the eastern wall, one of the best pre
served of all Benedict’s buildings. It
was originally entered from the in
terior of the palace only, and the steep
slope of the rock outside enabled the
architect to build two more stories
there than are visible from the court
yard. It forms a building 4(>Vf: meters
high on the plan of a perfect square,
with n strong buttress pillur at each
angle and walls more than ten feet
thick and nearly 60 feet long. Its
cellars contained the pope’s private
stock of wine. Above the wine cellar
was the lower treasury, with its four
pointed vaults resting on a central
pillar without base or capital, all |
strongly guarded by huge locks and
ironbound doors.
'
Immediately above this was Bene- j
diet Xll's bedroom, which was used ]
by dement VII in 1379, and called the ;
“Chamber of tin1 Flying Stag,” from ;
one of the many frescoes still discover- >
tilde beneath multitudinous layers of
military whitewash. Two windows
with stone seats in their embrasures
look out over the entrance court, and
by a third you see across the valley
of the Rhone to the blue shadows of
the distant Alps. Several of the secret
stairways, curved in tin* thickness of
the walls, by which the Pope reached :
various parts of his palace, can still
be clearly traced. Above his holiness (
was a library filled with precious |
manuscripts, and higher still is a ;
larger apartment from which soldiers !
could defend tin* whole tower against i
attack, called the chntelet. This tow- |
er, the work of Pierre Poisson, may j
be taken as typical of the rest, and
was two years in the building from l
April 23, 1335. The roof was paid for
on March IS, 1337.
On the left of the spectator, and
continuing the east wing of the court
yard toward the north, are the other
private apartments of the Pope, de
signed by Bernard Canelle of Nnr
bonne. The appalling reconstructions
necessitated by the barracks have al
most entirely destroyed the original |
conception, but the minute details re
corded in the Vatican are more than
sufficient to replace Candle’s design
in good time. Tfiis comprised the
Pope’s private kitchen and wardrobe,
Ids dining room, Ids study and bis ora
tory. Behind It, and in the angle of
the Tour des Anges, is the little Tour
des Ktuves, where fits holiness took
his bath, above the chamberlain’s coun
cil room.
GOOD RECORDS OF PIG CLUBS
Boys and Girls Improve Methods of
Management and Increase the
Number of Purebred*.
(Prepared by the United States Depart
ment of Agriculture.)
Members of boys’ and girls’ pig
clubs are the pioneers in introducing
purebred pigs and improved methods
of management In many parts of the
South, where the swine industry is
making unprecedented progress.
This is true in a marked degree in
Georgia. Among the pig clubs, the
total sum represented by the hogs and
pigs in the hands of the pig club mem
bers of the slate last year was almost
a half million dollars. The Increase in
the number of purebred pigs raised
by the club members in 1918 over 1917
was more than 30G per cent. The in
crease in profits on bogs raised in 1918
over the previous year was more than
G1 per cent.
Pig clubs were carried on in connec
tion with school work in many locali
ties. Fourteen school pigs in one
county, raised on the waste from pi;
&
Young Pigs Being Distributed to Club j
Members.
pils’ lunch baskets, sold for $590 at nu
auction sale*. Twenty-two schools in
another county raised 22 purebred
hogs last winter on waste from the
pupils' dinner baskets. One town of
2,000 people produced 35,000 pounds'
of pork from pigs raised in back
yards. The white boys of the same
county raised $12,340 of meat hogs,
and the negro boys $2,134.85.
An all-cotton county reports an in
crease of 5,000 hogs in 1918. Flfty
! seven pig club members in one county
raised 250 head of registered Duroc
■Terseys. The amount invested was
| $2,300. At an auction sale 80 of the
I surplus pigs were sold, and the re
I turns from the sale, together with flic
I value of the remaining hogs, repre
sented $7,800.
Pig-club members had a prominent
part in the swine exhibits at the two
fairs held in the state and carried off
many prizes. Of the 2,105 hogs ex
hibited at the Southeastern fair, 345
were owned and raised by pig-club
hoys who won 31 ribbons in the open
ring. Three of the prizes were junior
champions. Of the 350 hogs exhibited
at the state fair, 87 were owned and
raised by pig-club boys who won 39
ribbons in the open ring and $272 in
prizes. One of the ribbons was a !
junior champion. With 28 club pigs !
one county won 27 ribbons and prizes
amounting to $817.50, including the
state championship.
Tiie state pig-club champion wasthe
11-year-old son of a small farmer who i
bought bis pig at an auction sale for j
$37.50. At the end of the contest this j
hog was worth $300. In one county
six pig-club hoys, who started in their j
club work with one small pig each,
will start hog farms this year. Throe
of these boys already have their hogs ;
and land.
PEDIGREE IS NOT ESSENTIAL
Officials of Department of Agriculture
Are Trying to Eliminate
Inferior Animals.
—
(Prepared by the United States Depart- :
ment of Apiculture.)
Thousands of purebred scrubs are
scattered through this country, accord
ing to hog-extcnslon men of the United
States Department of Agriculture, who
sire devoting their efforts to elimi
nating inferior pedigreed animals.
This, they say, applies to all kinds of
live stock, but is perhaps more general i
In the hog industry. Pedigrees are j
necessary and valuable to the hog J
breeder, yet the pedigree is the means
of fooling a lot of farmers, particular
ly those who are about to start into
the purc-brcd hog business and who
have not had enough experience In
judging to select animals of good
standard type. Buyers should not be
contented simply with pure-bred ani
mals, but should see in addition that
the animals they are about to pur
chase have good quality, say the de
| parUucnt bog specialists.
ALL FARMERS ASKED TO GRADE UP HERDS
AND FLOCKS BY USE OF PURE-BRED SIRES
First Three Daughters of Sultana's Virginia Lad to Freshen.
Prepared by the United States Depart
ment of Agriculture.)
Looking forward to future food needs
of the country’s increased popula
tion, the United States department of
agriculture, in co-operation with the
state agricultural colleges and other
agencies interested in live stock im
provement, announces a national bet
ter live stock crusade, to get actively
in motion October 1 under the slogan
of ‘‘Hotter Sires—Better Stock.”
The plan is to hasten tlie replace
ment of the multitude of scrub domes
tic animals in the United States with
purebred or high-grade stock and also
to Improve the quality of purebreds
themselves. It has been evolved
through long and careful observation
of the live stock industry in this coun
try and after extensive consultation
with specialists and breeders.
Nation’s Milk Average Low.
For many years tins country has
contained thousands of the finest spe
cimens of live stock in the world, tint
in spite of that fact the quality and
productive capacity of the average
•farm herd and flock is still low. Foi
Instance, the average dairy cow in
the United States yields about 4,00C
pounds of milk a year, a figure scarce
ly two-thirds the average production
In some European countries, such as
Denmark. The United States has
thousands of cows which have milk
yields of more than 12,000 pounds—
double the Danish average—hut on the
other .hand it lias hundreds of thou
sands which are kept for milk and yet
yield only a small fraction as much
product as the host cows, though re
ceiving nearly as much feed and care.
The difference in milk yield is due
In large measure to a difference In
breeding, but a herd of low production
can be improved rapidly by the use of
a purebred sire from a family of high
producers.
More Sirloin on Well-Bred Cattle.
Among all classes of live stock a
similar condition exists. Proper breed
ing of beef animals results In better
and more uniform stock, having a
greater percentage of desirable cuts of
meat and a smaller quantity of bone,
offal, and inedible parts. Likewise in
swine, sheep, goats and poultry pro
duction, the kind of parent stock large
ly determines the quality and market
value of the products. The crusade of
improvement now to he undertaken Is
the outgrowth of investigations in
genetics, of live stool; observations in
many countries, and a close study of
public opinion. In most live stock re
gions of the world a gradual evolu
tion toward better live stock has been
taking place place for centuries. The
rapidity of these changes has an im
portant bearing on world commerce
and on the prosperity of the nations
in which improvement lias been great
est.
Individual and community efforts in
many cases have resulted in marked
live stock progress in small areas. The
islands of Jersey and Guernsey are
familiar examples of this kind of ac
complishment, but no large country so
far has endeavored in an organized
way to improve all its live stock si
multaneously.
Live Stock Men Equal to Task.
Officials of Hip bureau of animal In
dustry and others who have consid
ered the problem from every angle are
convinced that it is possible to hasten
the natural course of live stock evolu
tion with benefit to the nation. They j
are confident also that the live stock
men of the country are eager to under
take the task.
The means of accomplishing most
of the Improvement, which affects
about 200.000,000 head of live stock,
besides poultry, will be through wider
distribution and increased use of purc
bied sires and dams.
Once the use of purebred sires be
comes general throughout the coun
try, the process of grading up will be
rapid. Many experiments and also
practical experience, when good sires
are used, show that within three gen
erations most of the individuals in a
scrub herd headed by a purebred male
resemble purebred animals in appear
ance. In a few more generations, un
der skillful breeding, the former scrub
stock is graded up to such an extent
that for production of meat and other
animal products, they are practically
ns useful as purebreds. The chief dif
ference between a “high-grade” nni
tral and a purebred Is In the value
for breeding. Only the latter can be
used in producing purebred breeding
stock. Moreover only purebreds are
eligible to registry.
Official Emblem to Be Furnished.
The department of agriculture
through its co-operative state agencies
t.s preparing to supply live stock ruls
i rs with pi loted information that tells
in papula* jcmgaiige the best animal
Average Yearly Production of Two
Year Olds:
Milk. Butterfat.
Lbs. Lbs.
Daughters . 9,fiT6 519
Dams . 4,992 2*19
Increase . 4.684 230
breeding methods nnd the advantages
to be derived from their use. In addi
tion the department, of agriculture Is
to furnish an official emblem, suitable
for display, to every farmer agreeing
to use only purebred sires and in other
ways to co-operate In the better live
stock effort. To obtain th(> emblem
a farmer or breeder will be asked to
fill out a simple blank showing the
number and kind of live stock he pos
sesses and also to declare that all his
male breeding animals are purebreds.
From the number nnd nature of the
blanks received the department will be
able to measure the progress of the
crusade, and at the same time obtain
valuable statistical information which
will be made public at suitable inter
vals.
The betterment of the nation’s livo
stock is by no means a new idea. The
topic has been discussed at length
from public platforms and in the ag
ricultural press for many years. Ag
ricultural colleges, breeders’ associa
tions, various live stock organizations,
banking and business interests, live
stock judges and experts—these nnd
other forces are responsible chiefly for
the progress already made nnd the
sentiment for further development.
Organization of Campaign.
A general co-ordination of the work,
however, now seems desirable, with
a minimum of red tape and a maxi
mum of red blood. So far as the ac
tivities of the department of agricul
ture in the crusade nro eoneerned, the
bureau of animal industry, in co-opera
tion with the state colleges of agricul
ture, will he responsible for live stock
policies, especially the breeding work
and scientific problems. The stntes
relations service of the department
will work in co-operation with the col
leges of agriculture for carrying the
plan of action through the extension
divisions to every live stock owner
who can be reached. County agents
ami other field workers of the depart
ment and the colleges will be local
sources of information and assistance.
While it is believed that stockmen
of the country naturally look to agri
cultural officials to Inaugurate a cru
sade of this kind, the problem pri
marily Is one of adequate production
nnd effective distribution. Responsi
bility for success depends accordingly
on breeders und all live stock owners.
Response to Will of People.
For several months the department
lias been making an analysis of live
stock sentiment as expressed in the
' farm press and In correspondence re
; ceived in its various offices. Of all
the topics discussed the need for a
: better quality of domestic unimals has
I been pre-eminent.
To make the crusade against scrub
live stock most effective the depart
ment welcomes constructive ideas and
suggestions from all sources. The fol
lowing classes of live stock are to be
included in the campaign for improve
ment: Cattle, horses, asses, swine,
sheep, goats, and poultry.
In spite of the conspicuous merits
of the task about to be undertaken,
there are also a number of obstacles.
It Is recognized that sentiment in fa
vor of purebred sires, while strong, is
by no means unanimous. To win the
support of those who, through lack of
interest or opposition, fail to take
their part in the crusade against scrub
live stock Is one of the problems to
he met.
The cost of desirable purebred sires
Is another important factor which has
long been an obstacle to live stock Im
provement. Co-operative ownership
divides the expense considerably, and
the Increased value of the young stock
raised also helps to overcome that ob
jection. In addition the campaign Is
expected to stimulate a greater pro
duction of purebred breeding stock of
good quality.
nyrr...
In summer, when the owner is busi
est, sheep require practically no care
ut all.
Breed the mares to the best-bone,
closest-coupled stallion to be found In
the vicinity.
• • *
The land upon which sheep graze
I Is gradually enriched, the ground be
ing very evenly covered with the
| dropping*.
SORTING HOPPER IS USEFUL
Machine Saves Much Tedious Work
and Sorts Berries and Vegeta
bles Satisfactorily.
Berries and small vegetables bring
highest market prices when sorted ac
cording to quality and size. Ordina
rily this is done by hand. A sorting
hopper of the design Illustrated saves
Slatted csatin*
jocolc
cam—
CRANK
j |SMAU. BCR01CV
BADOF.L FOO M
lAacE Btfimcs
PLAN VIEW
Work That Would Keep Several Per
sons Busy for Hours Is Accomplish
ed in a Few Minutes by the Machine.
much tedious work and sorts the prod
uct satisfactorily. The frame is built
the same as an ordinary screen, the
back and sides being 8-inch boards,
it should be about 3 feet wide at the
large end, and tapered to 15 Inches.
Tills forms a frame somewhat the
shape of a crude rowboat. The jog
gle cam should be made of hardwood,
while the slatted bottom may be of
any material available. The distance
between the slats is determined by
the product to be sifted. Turning the
crank rapidly vibrates the slatted sec
tion up and down, separating the large
and small fruits and running them In
to different barrels.—L. B. Robbins,
Harwich, Massachusetts, in Popular
Mechanics Magazine.
GROWING ORCHARD ON FARMS
To Insure Continuous Supply of Fruit
New Trees Should Be Planted
Every Few Years.
{By C. W. RAPP, Department of Horti
culture. Oklahoma A. and M. College,
Stillwater.)
A growing orchard should be found
on every farm. Though most farms
have an orchard of some kind, the
trees, unless young, are constantly dy
ing. An orchard is made like an army
in time of war. Each tree is a fighter.
The battle of the orchard is against
nature—dry weather, disease, Insects,
high winds, and old age. These com
bined factors are battling against the
orchard and there are losses.
The life of the . average Oklahoma
orchard is not long, and unless the dy
ing trees are replaced the necessary
fruit must be purchased. Many dead
and dying orchards may now be seen
throughout the state. In order to
guard against such a condition, a fevr
new trees should be started every
few years. This Insures a continuous
supply of fruit and some healthy,
growing trees. There should be no
blank files In the home orchard.
BERRIES READY FOR MARKET
Raspberries and Blackberries Mold
Very Quickly Unless Given
Good Ventilation.
If the air Is close and humid and
you do not expect to start for market
until the next morning, it is better not
to crate the raspberries and blackber
ries until you are ready to start. Both
fruits mold very quickly unless there
is good ventilation.
I HORTICULTURAL
Duchess pear is one of the strong
est growing dwarfs.
* * *
It is a poor farm that cannot af
ford a strawberry patch.
* * *
Do not send out your apples or pear*
in a shoddy barrel or box. You lose
money every time you do it.
• * •
It 13 well worth while to go to con
siderable pains to set fruit trees la
straight lines in all directions.
* • •
Gooseberries do not require severe
pruning but are benefited by removing
the old broken or diseased canes.
• * *
One great mistake in the manage
ment of dwarf pear trees is in not
heading back the top branches.
* * •
In removing a large branch as much
care as possible should be exercised
to remove it with as little injury to
the tree ns possible.
• * •
Neglect of the orchard is never alt
harvested the first year. Its results go
on for a number of years, and always
to the diminishing of the pocketbook’s
contents.