The news in this publi
cation is released for the
press on receipt.
THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA
NEWS LETTER
Published Weekly by the
University of North Caro
lina for the University Ex
tension Division.
MAY 27, 1925
chapel hill, n c.
THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA PRESS
VOL. XI, NO. 28
Ediforial Boards E. C. Branson, S. H. Hobbs, Jr., L. R. Wilson, E. W. Knight, D. D. Carrol!, J. B. Bullitt, H. W. Odum.
Entered as second-class matter November 14, 1914, at the Postoffice at Chapel Hill, N. C., under the act of August 24, 1912
THE VIRTUES 0? POT LIQUOR
“Learn to love your liquor,” advises
Philander D. Poston, writing in the
Washington Post. He hastens to ex
plain that this may be done without
violation of the Volstead Law, for
he refers to “pot liquor,” or water in
which; vegetables have been boiled—
once a staple of Southern food, but
now, he charges, too often poured
down the sink. Col. Henry Watterson,
he tells us, claimed that “pot liquor”
made the Confederate soldier the best
individual tighter and the finest type of
hardy manhood the world has ever
seen. He insisted that, without “pot
liquor,” the Southern Confederacy
would have fallen within six months,
instead of holding out against over
whelming odds for four long years.
Mr. Poston-continues:
“ ‘Pot liquor’ is just plain vegetable
essence, or the water in which vegeta
bles are boiled, which nearly everyone
pours down the sink. It’s that sturdy
stuff, dear to the heart and stomach
of the real negro ‘buck,’ that tower of
strength and endurance who wins o^
admiration when we watch the play of
his brawn and bone in the happy ex
ecution of his hard physical tasks.
‘Pot liquor’ is quite foreign to the
frail and educated ‘colored gentleman,’
but just mention it to a real sturdy,
downright negro, and watch him
smile.
“Evolution works from the ground
upward. The earth is composed of
certain minerals, such as iron, lime,
soda, phosphorous, iodin, etc. These
same minerals are found in seawater;
in the vegetable and animal kingdoms,
and in .physical man. Nature, always
responding to the eternal cosmic urge,
causes the vegetables to eat, digest,
assimilate and deposit in the cells of
the plant these minerals from the soil
After being- so treated, they are ad
vanced to the next higher plane of life
— the vegetable kingdom. Now they are
refined and made ready for another up
ward move and similar process in the
animal and human body.
“Vegetation receives from still an-
(«ther source another power—tremen
dous in its strength and eternal in its
vitality. That power is solar energy.
It comes to the earth In the form of
sun-rays, and vegetation, exposed to
these constant rays, absorbs this vital
power and locks it up tight in the vege
table cells along with the minerals
from the earth. There, in the leaf,
which is the chemical laboratory of the
plant, in the pod, in the fruit, and in
the grain, are blended and bound to
gether the Almighty powers of sun
and of earth.
“But, right here, man steps in and
spoils it all. He destroys or throws
away practically all value in the vege
tables he cooks and eats. In the hard,
long boiling, the vegetable cells are
broken open and the mineral wealth
and vitamins liberated into the water
and steam. This great wealth is then
drained off, or pressed out, and poured
down the sink!
“Millions of people in the United
States face actual starvation, not for
lack of food in quantity, for our har
vests are bountiful, but because,
through commercial processes and
further destructive treatment wher
ever food is served, little remains
the form of minerals and vitamins.’'
Mr. Poston goes on to instruct the
modern wasteful cook how to insure
copious and toothsome supply of the
liquid that once made the Sunny South
strong. He advises:
“In boiling vegetables they should
be started with a moderate amount of
water, more water being added from
time to time as cooking proceeds, to
the end that a moderate amount of es
sence remains when the vegetable is
done. This essence contains what
remains of the minerals and vitamins,
and should be served along with the
vegetable, in a bowl, and drunk, with
a spoon, or separately as a broth.
“Boiling should be at a high tem
perature and for a short period rather
than at a lower temperature for a
longer period. Quick cooking saves
much 0? value in food. A moderate
amount of bacon may be boiled with
vegetables where appropriate and de
sired. Too much meat will cause the
essence to be greasy and unpalatable,
for drinking. Milk and butter may be
used in seasoning, after cooking of
vegetable is complete. Flour thick
ening should be avoided.
“The rule in every home, cafe, club,
boarding-house and institution is to
dump the vegetable essence down the
sink, then to ‘cream’ with deadly
white flour the even more dead and
deadly bodies of the vegetable cells
from which the life has fled, and add
ing condiments in a vain effort.to put
some semblance of life or taste into
this muddled mess.-
“Leave in your vegetables this vital
life fluid, wasting not a drop. Soon
you will form a taste and thirst for
this rare stuff. Take it often and in vol
ume and start now the replacement in
your body of the life elements for which
it has for years starved, giving it an
abundance of this building and vitaliz
ing material that will mean to you a
new life and a better mental order.
When you drain this essence down the
sink, with it goes from 75 to 90 per
cent of the money value you pajd for
the vegetables. This monetary loss is
as nothing compared with the irrepar
able loss to you in body and in mind
through such a silly act.
“To ‘pot liquor’ there’s a powerful
kick, but no backfire. It gives you
headway, but not headache. It will
keep you within the law, but without a
doctor or bondsman. It’s the safest,
sanest, surest way to good health and
good time.
•‘Learn to love your liquor and take
it daily, but take it from the pot.” —
Literary Digest.
DECLINE IN LUMBER CUT
For some years North Carolina has
been declining in importance as a
lumber state. Practically every year
for the last decade a new state has
forged ahead of ours in the amount of
lumber cut. If we continue to decline
as within recent years, it will not be
long before North Carolina will have
become an unimportant lumber state.
And only a decade or so ago she ranked
among the first three or four states of
the Union in lumber cdt annually. A
recent report issued by the Federal
Department of Commerce gives the
amount of lumber cut by identical re
porting mills for the years 1923 and
1924. For North Carolina the identical
mills reported that they cut eighteen
percent less lumber in 1924 than in
1923, the largest decrease reported by
any state. It is likely that the report
ing mills give an indication of the
-general condition for all mills in the
state. The lumber cut in North Caro
lina annually is now only about half as
great as it was a decade ago.
Cur Timber Possibilities
Among the greatest of North Caro
lina’s resources are her potentialities
in the production of timber. Perhaps
there is no waste in the state so
great as our failure to utilize properly
our natural possibilities as a timber
state. The climate of North Carolina
is conducive to the rapid growth of
trees—long warm growing seasons with
plenty of moisture, and short winters
that give firmness to the wood. A tree
grows much more rapidly in North Ca
rolina than in the states to the north of
us. In fact it is doubtful if there is an
other state that possesses a better com
bination of natural resources conducive
to timber production.
Abundance of Land
'And what about our land area?
There are around 23 million acres in
North Carolina that are not used for
agricultural purposes. Of our total
land area, only about 26 percent is
under cultivation. It is reported on
the highest authority that of the land
area not under cultivation at least
19 million acres are potential forest
lands even under present conditions.
Millions of acres in North Carolina,
how many nobody knows, are lying
absolutely idle. There are additional
millions of acres now growing timber
whose yield could be increased by^he
application of improved methods.
It is estimated that an average acre
of land in North Carolina will grow at
least 300 board feet of timber per
N. C. CLUB YEAR-BOOK
The 1923-24 Year-Book of the
North Carolina Club of the Uni
versity of North Carolina is off the
press. The title of the book is
What Nexc in North Carolina? The
book covers fourteen subjects of
immediate concern to North Caroli
nians.
As long as the limited edition lasts
a copy will be sent free to North
Carolinians who write for it. The
price to those outside the state is
seventy-five cents. For a copy ad
dress The University Extension Di
vision, Chapel Hill, N. C.
ran twice as many hours as the average
for Massachusetts.
If activity is any indication of rela
tive prosperity, our mills are better off
than the mills of any other state.
year, not counting fire-wood and the
like. There are about 20 million acres
of land in the state that are potential
forest lands. Thus it appears that the
state could grow six billion board feet
of timber per year. We are now cut
ting only about one billion board feet
with smaller cuts in sight for the years
to come. A few million dollars spent
by North. Carolina on forest conserva
tion would yield enormous dividends.
The State is now spending only a few
thousand dollars a year developing and
conserving her forest resources! Not
much can be done on our meagre ex
penditure beyond paying the salaries of
a small office force, and not much
should be expected. We are doing too
little to conserve and develop our
forest resources, and we shall be sorry
for our negligence in the years to
come. We must do more to develop
and conserve our wonderful natural
resources. And of them all our forests
should receive first consideration.
PEDIATRICS COURSES
Instructors for the summer post
graduate medical courses in Pediatrics,
organized for the physicians of the
state by the extension division of the
State University, have just been an
nounced by Chester D. Snell, director
of the division.
Dr. Jean V. Cooke and Dr. Alexis
F. Hartman, of Washington Univer
sity Pediatric Hospital, will have
charge of the circuit classes in the
' northwestern part of the state. Both
'of these physicians taught in the suc-
i cessful courses of last summer. On
I this circuit the work is being offered
j to nine towns from which six will fi-
; nally be selected. The towns are North]
1 Wiikesboro, Mount Airy, Winston-
I Salem, Reidsville, High Point, Gr>^eens- j
i boro, Lexington, Salisbury, and Bur-
j lington. According to the announce-
• ment, the first six centers which pro-
' duce 16 or more signatures to the ap
plications sent out recently will be
chosen and the other three dropped.
I The centers where the groups
; will meet on the Tidewater circuit are:
Selma, Goldsboro, Tarboro, and Rocky [
Mount. The instructor for this circuit
j will be Dr. Wayne A. Rupe, of
; Washington University, Dr. Rupe has
been for two years chief resident phy
sician in the St. Louis Children’s Hospi
tal, and at present is in charge of the
^ Pediatrics out-patient department of
the- Washington University Dispensary
and is associate visting pediatrician to
the children’s hospital
According to the announcement by
^ Director Snell, 60 applications from
; physicians have already been receive4,
and there is keen competition between
the various medical societies which
desire a class to be located where they
can conveniently attend.
' (
URBAN AND RURALCHILDHEN
Which have fewer physical defects,
city children or country children? The
advantages seem to be in favor of the
city child, according to tables recently
published by the Division of Research,
National Education Association.
Some Of the findings derived from
their investigations are as follows. It.
was found that 2.1 percent of city chil
dren have defective breathing, while
4.2 percent of country children have de
fective breathing. Ear defects were
found to exist fori.3 percent of city
children and 4.8 percefft of country chil
dren. Two and seven-tenths percent
of city children had enlarged glands,
and 6.4 percent of country children.
It was found that 7.66 percent of
city children, and ,16.6 percent of
country children suffered from mal
nutrition. Eye defects were found in
the case of 18.4 percent of city chil
dren, against 21 percent of country
children. Only half as many city chil
dren have adenoids as country children,
12.6 percent against 23.4 percent.
Nearly twice as many defective tonsils
were found for the country children as
for city children, 28.14 percent against
16.42 percent. One-third of city chil
dren had defective teeth against half
of all country children.
- Country children have more fresh air
but not as much medical attention.
With the ^ame medical care and atten
tion country children would be healthier
than city children for countrv en
vironment is more conducive to health
than city environment.
TOE URBAN DKIFT
Ten years ago a little more than 45
percent of the population of the United
states lived in cities. Now the urban
population is more than 60 percent.
The trend is especially marked in New
York. Of the entire population of the
state, about 83 percent is found in the
cities, an increase of more than 6 per
cent in the last decade.
Nearly 70 percent of the population
of California is^ound in the cities and
the proportion is about the same in
Illinois. The highest percentage is
found in Rhode Island where 97,6
percent of the population now lives in
cities. Massachusetts has'the next
largest urban population in proportion
to its total population, with nearly 95
percent urban.
. North Carolina is one of the highly
rural states of the Union, yet few
states are urbanizing more rapidly. In
1910 seventy-five percent of our people
lived in the open country, while by 1920
the rate had dropped to 71 percent, and
it is much lower today. In a few more
years half the population of North
Carolina will live in towns, at our
present rate of urbanization.
I DEATHS PER 1,000 POPULATION
j In North Carolina for 1923
I In the following table, based on the Annual Report of the Bureau of Vital
! Statistics of the State Board of Health and the Census Estimate of Population
for the year 1923, the counties are ranked from low to high in deaths per 1,000
population. The table also shows the total number of deaths per county for
, that year.
j state total of deaths 32,396 12 deaths per 1,000 population; United
^ States, 12.4 deaths per 1,000 population.
Graham county had the lowest death rate and the fewest deaths. Bun-
\ combe led in the number of deaths and in the rate, due to her numerous
j hospitals'for tuberculosis and other ills. A few other counties rank low for
similar reasons.
j C. H. Yarborough, Franklin County
j Department of Rural Social-Economies, University of North Carolina
Rank County
Deaths
ACTIVE COTTON SPINDLES
If activity of cotton mills is any sign
of relative prosperity, then North Ca
rolina mills are more prosperous than
those of any other state, with South
Carolina next. For a good many
months the mills of this state have led
the Union in the activity of their spin
dles. For March 1926 the average
spindle in North Carolina ran 311 hours
against 227 hours for the entire Nation
and 156 hours for Massachusetts. In
aggregate active spindle hours—active
spindles multiplied by hours in opera
tion—North Carolina leads the states
of the Union. Massachusetts has near
ly twice as many spindles in place but
her aggregate spindle hours fall short
of North Carolina’s.
North Carolina had 18 percent of all
spindles in place in the United States,
but nearly 22 percent of the total spin
dle hours of the Nation.
During March 97.6 percent of all
spindles in North Carolina were active,
against 88 percent for the United
States.
The average spindle in North Caro
lina ran 37 percent more hours than
the average for the Nation, 311 hours
against 227 hours.
The average North Carolina spindle
1 Graham 16
2 Yancey 88
3 Avery 70
4 Hyde 64
6 Transylvania .... 78
6 Cleveland 279
7 Yadkin 131
8, Anson 240
9 Madison 172
9 Catawba 308
11 Swain 127
11 Gates 95
13 Stanly 274
14 Caldwell 193
16 Davidson 348
15 Alleghany....'.,. 69
17 Iredell 373
18 Polk '88
18 Caswell 153
20 Ashe 211
20 Alexander 121
22 Stokes 205
22 Pamlico 89
22 McDowell 177
22 Lincoln 178
22 Haywood 241
27 Union 369
27 Dare 52
29 Jones 104
29 Carteret 161
31 Sampson 889
31 Robeson 667
31 Moore 233
31 Macon 133
35 Wilkes 344
36 Harnett 313
37 Granville 284
38 Mitchell 119
38 Brunswick 168
40 Davie 149
40 Rowan 607
40 Franklin 300
43 Onslow 165
43 Chatham 268
43 Cabarrus 401
46 Surry - 377
46 Rockingham 627
46 Montgomery .... 165
46 Johnston 584
60 Cherokee 177
Per 1,000
i
Rank County
Deaths
Per 1,000
Inhabs.
Inhabs.
3.2
51
Randolph
.. 369
11.4
5.4
'“51
Duplin
., 366
11.4
6.6
51
Currituck ....
83
11.4
7.6
64
Watauga
.. 166
11.5
7.7
64
Rutherford .. .
376
11.6
7.7
64
Bladen..
.. 233
11.6
7.8
67
Jackson
.. 162
11.9
8.1
68
Columbus ....
.. 372
12.0
8.6
69
Halifax .. ..
.. 667
12.1
8.5
60
Henderson ...
233
12.2
8,9
60
Clay
.. 60
12,2
8.9
62
Richmond ....
. 341
12.3
9.0
62
Edgecombe ..,
.. 496
12.3
9.2
64
Person ., .,
243
12.4
’ 9.3
66
Northampton
296
■ 12.5
9.3
65
Cumberland ..,
. 487
12.6
9.4
67
Nash
. 633
12.6
9.5
67
Gaston
. 711
12.6
9.6
67
Bertie
. 308
12.6
9.7
70
Perquimans....
. 144
12.8
9.7
70
Hertford
. 213
12,8
9.8
70
Burke
. 308
12.8
9.8
70
Alamance
. 439
12.8
9.8
74
Mecklenburg...
1,1*9
12.9
9.8
Guilford
1,116
12.9
9.8
Craven
. 402
13.2
9.9
77
Pender
. 197
13.3
9.9
77
Camden
. 72
13.3
10.0
79
Warren
. 300
13.5
10.0
80
Tyrrell
66
13.6
10.1
80
Scotland
. 214
13,6
lO.l
80
Lenoir
. 437
13.6
10.1
80
Greene
. 237
13.6
10.1
84
Orange
. 264
13.9
10.2
84
Beaufort
. 433
13.9 •
10.2
86
Martin .
307
14.0
10.3
86
Lee
. ]98
14 0
10.6
86
Forsyth
1,239
14.0
10.6
89
Pitt
. 704
14.3
10.9
89
New Hanover..
. 623
14.3
10.9
91
Wilson
. 678
14.4
10.9
92
Vance
. 359
14.9
11.0
93
Chowan
. 160
16.0
11.0
94
Wayne
. 708
16.2
11.0
96
Wake
1,226
15.4
11.2!
96
Pasquotank....
284
15.7
11.2 !
97
Hoke
. 190
16.2
11.2 :
98
Durham
. 742
16.6
11.2!
99
Washington ....
. 196
16.9
11.3
100
Buncombe
1,309
18.8