Established 1899
T;i3 Edwards
Construction Co.
Organized Here Willi $25,000
Capital Stock
I
A STRONG PERSONNEL
J. M. Edwards, President and
E. W. Myers, Vice President
and Engineer—To do Mu
nicipal Work
Another step forward in Hick
ory's growth was taken Saturday
when the Edwards-Construction
Co. was organized in the office of
Mr. E. B. Cline with a capital
stock of $25,000: Its business
will be municipal construction,
such as streets and pavements,
water, sewerage and the like.
The officeVs elected are J. M.
Edwards, president, E. W.
Myers, vbe president, I. L. La
nier, secretary and treasurer and
E. B. Cline, aUorney. These
with probably one other gentle
rilan unable to be present, at the
organization will constitute the
board of directors.
The principal office of the com
pany wiil 'oe in Hickory, so well
lilted in its position as the me
tropolis of the Catawba valley for
a business of this Kind. •
Mr. Myers, who will be the
engineer of the new company, is
the only man who is not a Hick
oryite. He claims Greensboro as
his home. The personrel ot the
company's directorate is a guar
antee of a successful career. Mr.
Edwards and Mr. Myers have
been particularly successful in
planning and construction, both
being skilled men. Mr. Edwards
has put in 7 water and sewerage
systems at Maxton and Fayette
ville, N. C. t Bennettsville, S. C.,
and other places, and was inter
ested in installing the sewerage
systems at Rockingham, Lexing
ton and numerous other places.
He was also interested in collect
ing the local system. He has
had 14 years successful experi
ence.
Mr. Myers, while a Tar Heel,
has done a great deal of respon
sible work in the vVest as a con
structing engineer, more especi
ally in irrigation. He was con
nected with the Milk kiver and
Marias projects and the Hondo
and Carlsbad projects in New
Mexico and the Belle Tourche
project in South Dakota. For
several years past he has been
building a fine private practice
as a hydraulic and mining engi
neer.
The office and warehouse of
the company is on Tenth avenue.
The Poultry Yard
From February Farm Journal
Keep the old fighters apart and
so remove them from temptation.
The laying hen develops a great
appetite and an enormous thirst.
Owner of the coop: "Who's in
there'/" Rastus: "Aint nobody
in here, 'ceppin' us chickens."
Egg-shells are largely lime.
The hens can't make good shells
unless you furni.h plenty of lime.
Lack of a constant supply of
clean, pure, fresh water before
the fowls means defeat in the
end.
A feed of finely-chopped on
ions, once a week, is a tonic that
helps to keep broilers lively and
healthy.
Keeping too many fowls in a
pen with an insufficient amount
of floor space is a pitfall to be
avoided.
Lice which sap the life blood
and undermine the flock furnish
a pitfall into which far too many
stumble.
Deal pretty sparingly with red
pepper as a spice for poultry. It
is sharo stuff. Better warrm your
chicks up some other way than
by feeding it.
You can not feed hens that lay
colored eggs so that they will lay
white ones. If you want white
eggs get Lhe kind of hens that
lay them.
The white-feathered broilers
always have the more attractive
appearance in market, as the pin
leathers do not show as they do
on dark-plumaged birds.
A nest egg makes a nest m~»re
attractive to hens, especial
ly of the snaller breeds. Wo
like the china eggs. An egg
eater will pi;;k at them for a 'ittle
bit and give it up as a b ±d job.
Ice-cold water can not hep
chilling the hens. It must be
v»armed up somehow, and that
takes vitality. Save the hen's
strength ot body by warming the
water on the kitchen stove. You
c.n do it cheaper than the hen
can.
Here is a new plan for ki 1 ng
mites on poultry roosts: lake
two nieces to make a roost seven
eighths inch thick and two inches
wide; bevel the edges a little, and
nail together, not too close, and
set up on edce. The mites will
all congregate in the seam be
tween the two pieces. Pour kero
sene in the groove formed by the
I evel on top, and you have them
lead.
Many people who keep poultry
overlook the importance of grit.
L;ck of grit means poor digestion
and few eggs. A load of giavel
near the «'hic'.:ens' home would
improve the health and increase
r.hv yield on many a farm.
Ikn it is claimed that the grit
of commerce is the best, but the
gravel j s good enough grinding
material. If you have never
rrieri it you will be surprised how
fast it will when Dlaced
in a box where the hens can help
themselves.
O X)OOCXAJWDOCX)OOOOOOOOOOOCQ
§ Should Our Farmers Keep g
§ Pure bred Poultry? g
o ooon oooooooc 0000000000000
Written for The Democrat.
No one can look into tha future
with greater confidence than the
farmer, and there is no area of
equal extent in the world where
the agricultural outloo* is bet
ter than the Southern States.
Poultry raising can be made one
of the most profitable of farm
occupations, and if the farmers
of the South would begin to rea
lize this fact, and give more time
and study to this important
branch of farm work, it would
add millions to the income of this
Piedmont section of the South.
Prices for eggs and poultry, are
higher than ever before. They
have remained high th* whole
year. The demand for good poul
try and eggs is on the increase.
All indications point to the fact
that eggs and poultry will never
drop to the low level of eight or
ten years ago. We believe that
poultry will do better on free
range, yet pure-bred poultry will
do better than common mongrels
when confied in small areas.
Hence, every resident in town
and country should study the
poultry question so as to give in
telligent care to their flocks. Too
much can not be said of the su
perior advantantages offered by
this section of the country for
the production of good poultry
and eggs, and it is to be hoped
| chat tne present year will see
even greater strides in poultry
j work in the entire South.
Pure-bred animals are those
that reproduce their form, habits
or other distinctive qualities with
uniformity. In order that we
may get offspring like the parent
and like each other, we must
have animals whose ancestors for
many generations back have been
of one type. The more genera
tions of such uniformity, the
more certain it will be that the
young will possess similar quali
ties.
During many centuries, the
chickens of different parts of the
world have developed into differ
ent types. When such different
types brought together and
crossed, we have produced young
that are very different from the
parents and from each other.
Nor can these young be depended
upon to reproduce offspring like
themselves. They are said to
be cross-bred, or if the mixture
be for several generations, they
are known as mongrels-
Statistics tell us that such mon
grels are found upon nearlj 90
per cent of our farms, and for
that reason the egg ,production
of our farms has reached such a
low average.
The mongrel chick is a produc
tion of chance. Its ancestry rep
resents everything available in
the barnyards of the neighbor
hood and its offspring will ,ba
equally varied. In the purebreeds,
however, there has been a rigid
selection practised that gives uni
form appearance The size and
shape requirements ot the Stan
dard breeds come much nearer
producing an ideal carcass than
does chance breeding.
Every farmer understands why
thoroughbred horses are bought
in his neighborhood by wide
awake men. And the same far
mer even desi.es his co-v.* and
swine mated with thoroughbred
stock; yet when it comes to the
relatively poultry stock, he
cannot see the necessity for se
curing a pure-bred male for his
flock. - _ j
Why not reason it out? Blood
will tell in the case of the larger
animals, why should it not in the
HICKORY, N. C„ THURSDAY, FEBRUARY JO, 1910.
case of poultry? With a Babcock
tester you have perhaps seen
which the Ron producing cows are
that must bs-weeded out, and a
thoroughbred mile secured to
build up the herd.- Why not,
then, accord ng to the same reas
oning cull your hem clonly, weed
out all the non-pn ductive birds,
and secure a purebied male for
your flock?
In the case of the cow, you
know it costs just a* much to
fe?d an unprofitable cow as the
one that returns a handsoaie
profit. Exactly so in the case of
poultry. The hign-priced feed
you give the non productive, lazy
hen you just as much as the
feed consumed by the one which
lays 180 to 200 and more eggs
per year. In the former case,
you probably see the necessity of
having thoroughbred stock on ac
count of the high-priced animal:
in the latter case you fail too see
the necessity on account of the
large number of small and rela
tively cheap fouls.
So it is quite necessary, if you
wish to mnks the most your j
chickens, to hdve pure-bred poul-1
try. No one can successfully re
fute fact. But how is the aver
age farmer going to select a
breed? "Every farmer must de
cide for him..elf which of trie
following lines of production i 3
best suited to his condition and
location. First, sale of breeding j
stock: Second, fattened young
chickens; Third, eggs.
The man who wishes to sell
breeding stock and fori
hatching must consider 'the op- j
portunities of the neighborhood i
and the competing breeders al-|
ready in the field. The breed of
which there is the greatest
amount of stock sold, will
necessity be the best stock for
the beginner to select.
The man who aims to sell fat-,
tened young chickens should be|
close to a good market, so as to
save in shipping expenses and in
order to secure the very best
prices.
The man who aims to sail eggs
should find private customers in
nearby towns who will gladly
pay a good price for strictly
fresh eggs.
How can the average farmer
keep his stock pure? Let us say
that his choice is S. C. White
Leghorns as the best laying fow*»
He should keep nothing but S.C. j
White Leghorns, and every sec-:
ond year secure new males from |
some recognized breeder of S C. j
White Leghorns. In this manner j
he can keep his flock pure-bred,
and avoid inbreeding; he can sell
eggs for notching, and he will se
cure far more eggs a year per
hen than from mongrels, such as
are found upon 90 per cent of our
farms.
Indeed, every farmer should
keep pure bred poultry.for it will
pay him well. P. C. H.
GOES WITH WANAMAKER
Gordon H. Ciiley Be:omes As
sistant Advertising Manager
Mr. Gordon H. Ciiley. of the
Philadelphia R-cord staff, has
accepted a responsible .position
as assistant advertising manager
of John Wanamaker's mammoth
department store in the Quaker
City. This interesting: bit of
news for Hickory people came in
a letter to Mrs. A. A. Shuford,
Sr., dated the 4th, ult. lhe
place was made vacant by the
resignation of the advertising
manager of Mr. YVanamaker to
accept a position in Chicago. The
assistant was advanced to the
vacancy and Mr.'Cilley takes the
assistant's position, with .splen
did'prospects of advancement if
he makes good.
That ho will do this none who
know him can doubt. Brilliant,
ambitious, quick to see and grasp
thfe salient point, versatile, orig
inal, Mr. Cillev is well fitted for
such a position as this. Any
man who can do the trustworthy
work he has done on the Record,
can do John Wanamaker's adver
tising work.
Mr. Ciiley is a splendid«judge
of a story. He knows at a
glance how to cut out the trash
and "padding" of an article and
get at the gist, the kernel. And
he can do this at lightning speed.
He always did the work of two
average men.
The friends of Mr. Ciiley in
Hickory where he was reared
will be glad to hear of this new
opoortunity which has come his
way. They have ever followed
1 his career with interest and have
i never been di.y.ppvinted in their
expectation of great things from
him.
Children Cry
FOR FLETCHER'S
CAST O R I A
Examination Of
A Grain of Corn
4;
Maj. W. A. Graham Tells How
To Select Good Ssei
A PLENTIFUL HEART
Good Advice in a Recent Bul
letin of the Agricultural De
partment—Corn Club Boys
Take Notice
A grain of corn!
The Democrat is herewith pre
senting a picture of and story
about a kernel of India?* maize.
It does so * with th c . idea of
helping its farmer refers in the
selection of their ses;i covn for
planting this spring. If the |
grown-up farmers do not get'
_ I Crown
J Starch
/
i_ J Horny
j • I Starch
! v
- and
I
_ J Horny
(
Embryo
Root
I
*
.
.
A Grain of Corn.
(By Courtesy of N. C. Department of Agriculture.)
benefit out of this artie!" 3 , the boys
in the boys corn clubs will do so.
We are printing extracts from
Commissioner of Agriculture W.
A. Graham's special bulletin on
"Winter and. Spring Work in Se
lecting Seed Corn", which may
be had free by writing to the
North Carolina Department of
Agriculture.
In this bulletin it is said that
the grain of corn selected should
be sound. 44 After you have se
lected the ear as a type which
you desire," says the Bulletin,
then take some grains from dif
ferent parts and split them open
to see that the grain is of the
proper composition and condi
tion." The picture shows the
component paris of a grain of
corn. Tne bulletin goes on to
say:
It consists of 9 parts as shown
in the figure.
1. Tip Cap, which covers the
tip or base of the kernel and com
prises only about 1.5 per cent of
the grain.
2. Embryo root.
3. Tip starch.
4. Germ. The germ occupies
the central part of the kernel
toward the tip end. It comprises
about 11 per cent of the kernel
(more in high-oil corn and less
in low-oil corn). The germ con
tains from 35 to 40 per cent of
corn oil or from 80 to 85 per cent
of the total oil content of the
corn kernel.
5. Embryo stem or stalk.
6. Horny gluteal. The horny
glutenous part (aleurone layer)
lies underneath the hull surround
ing the kernel. It comprises
from 8 to 14 per cent of the
grain (being more abundant in
high protein corn), and. it con
tains from 20 to 25 per cent of
protein, being the richest in pro
tein of all the parts of the corn
kernel.
7. Horny starch. The horny
starchy part is the chief sub
stance in the sides and back of
the kernel (the germ face being
considered the front of the ker
nel). This substance comprises
about 45 per cent of ordinary
corn, but is much more abundant
in high protein corn and less
abundant in low protein. Al
though rich in starch, it contains
about 10 per cent of protein
(more in high protein corn and
less in the low protein corn). It
contains a greater tola! amount
of protein than any other part of
the kernel.
| 8. Corn star h. The white
starchy part occupies the center
( of the crown .end of the kernel
'and usually partially surrounds,
the germ. It comprises about 25
per cent of the kernel (less in
r
high protein corn and more in
low protein corn). It is poor in
protein (5 to 8 per cent).
9. Hull. The hull is the very
thin onter coat. It comprises
about 6 per cent cf the kernel
and contains a lower percentage
of protein (about 4 per cent)
than any other part of the ker
nel.
When the grain sprouts, No. 2,
the embryo root, goes down into
the ground. No. 5, embryo stem,
goes upward out of the ground
to make the stalk.
For seed the grain should be
carefullv examined to (1)
shape, (2) uniformity or resem
blance, (3) germ or viability,
i. e., sprouting.
In seed corn it is important
that the germ be large, sound,
and well developed. If a corn is
desired which will produce a
greater amount of starch or of
gluten or of oil, regard must be
had to these points in the se
lection. By selecting grains with
vory large hearts the oil and pro-
tein content is increased. Those
with a large amount of white
material yield more starch.
Grains can be selected to produce
a corn for general feed purposes,
for meal or for hominy or break
fast food.
It is well not only to have an
ear of desired type, but also an
ear which has grain of proper
kind. By crossing the grain you
desire on the chosen type of ear.
you can produce corn of desired
shape and composition of grain.
The weight of the grain is an im
portant item, for in all the mar
kets corn is sold by weight.
If you have corn which belongs
to a variety that you have known
for some time as a good sound
corn, I would prefer this for seed
to any striking ear which might
appear as a new type. Give the
new type a trial for another
season, and do not rely upon it
for vour general crop until ycu
have learned whether it is a de
sirable type or only a freak. A
horse which is of a known breed
of fine quality is preferable for a
breeder to one that may appear
finer, but has no pedigree behind
him.
One corn gtowers' association
in Ohio reports that while a cy
lindrical ear is the besfe individual
specimen, the tapering ears yield
the greatest amount of corn per
acre.
Perhaps in your lot of seed corn
there are some ears different
from the first. Take one of these
ot' a distinct character and use it
to select others, and plant this
lot in a different plat from the
first, and see which gives best
results as to quantity and quality
of«corn.
On account of the variety of
soil and climate in North Caro
lina, no one variety of corn will
be found that is for the en
tire State. Experience alone
will prove the best variety for
each locality—the most desirable
for bottom-land, and the differ
ence between the upland and the
bottom-land types.
The lot which you deem best
on account of shape, etc., may
have a grain inferior in some re
spects, Mix with this corn of
desirable quality as to grain,
soundness and other desirable
characteristics.
You have now selected your
seed, as far as eye can aid you.
You do not wish to spend time
or pay hands in replanting corn.
It will be best to take a grain
from each side of,the ear at dif
ferent places (numbering the
ear), and try these in the sprout
ing-box, if you think necessary,
and discard the ears that do not
germinate. But in-my expari-
Democrat and Press, Consolidated 1905
ence I have never failed to get
what seemed to be a satisfactory
stand, where good seed was se
lected. However, each one can
de f ermine this for himself b\
sprouting «ome of his seed and
comparing the stand when plant
ed from the ears with that nol
tested by sprouting.
Nineteen hundred and nine
was an "A. B. C." year with
North Carolina farm 3 .rs in cor;)
production, and especially in seed
selection. In fact, most of them
will do the first real selection this
year (1910). -You cannot produce
a reliable variety of new corn in
one year. Do not be discouraged,
but continue the work until you
get what vou wish, and then be
a careful to preserve your type
by proper attention to the seed.
Different soils and environment
will require different varieties
and types of corn. Seek for that
which your farm proves to be
most productive of good quality.
Cocke's Prolific Corn is highly
recommended as a fine seed corn,
and a picture.of it may be seen
in the catalogue of T. W. Wood
& Sons, Richmond, Va.
000003000000000CX5300000000'
Changes in Educational g
0 X
OOGOOGOOOOOC/OOOOUT>OOCOOOOO
To tlie Elitor of The Democrat:
About fifteen or twentv years
ago there began a change in edu
cational«ideas and methods. It
was proclaimed that the old views
were all wrong, and the time
had come to make a radical
change. The methods of teach
ing must be made up-to-date,
and more subjects mast be put
in the school course. For a time
the advocates of these so-called
reforms had their way, and the
results were not satisfactory.
The number of subjects to be
taught was doubled; and so much
was attempted that nothing was
taught thoroughly. Good spell
ing became the exception instead
of the rule; reading and writing
were sadly neglected; and the
ability to solve a complicated
arithmetical problem with rapid
ity and accuracy almost became
one of the lost arts.
But within the last two or
three years a decided reaction
has set in. Parents are begin
ning to realize that it is more im
portant that their children shall
learn thoroughly a few essential
subjects than that they shall ac
quire a mere smattering of many
subjects. Business men are de
manding that the schools shall
teach their pupils to spell cor
rectly, to write legibly, to know
how to use the English language,
and to be able to solve a problem
in arithmetic without making a
dozen mistakes in addition or
multiplication. And the teachers
have been making a vigorous
protest against the multiplicity
of subjects and text books to be
taught.
Recently there was held in
| Durham a meeting of the city
1 school superintendents of the
State to discuss plans for the im
provement of the schools. About
seventy-five of the leading towns
in the State were represented at
this meeting. The subject which
received most discussion was the
question of how to simplify the
course of study so as to make it
more practical and of more real
value to the pupils. The senti
ment among the superintendents
was practically unanimous in
| favor of getting back to some of
the old time methods and text
books. Many of the superin
tendents reported that they had
gone back to Webster's speller,
Reed and Kellogg's grammar,
and the slant system of writing.
The schools of Durham, which
are universally recognized as
among the best, if not the best,
in the State have gone back to
the old time idea of putting most
emphasis on a few essential sub
jects, and of using those text
books which give best results, re
gardless of prevailing ideas of
being modern and strictly uprto
date. In this connection it is an
interesting fact that the schools
of Hickory have almost exactly
the same course of study as the 1
Durham schools, and are using
the same text books in many sub
jects. It is a source of pride to
know that in these important
particulars the schools of Hickory
can be classed with those of Dur
ham as leaders in a reform which
is much needed.
It is never a safe thing to pre
dict what the future will bring
forth. It is very probable, how
ever, that in a few years the
; course of study in all schools
will be greatly simplified. In
stead of running wild over some
Children Cry
FOR FLETCHER'S
C ASTORIA
Hickory Sprouts
Transplanted
DiHereace 'Twlxt a Leppa'a and
a Leppod oi Sin
AUNT SUSIE DEFINES
Sprout No. 2 Relates to a Little
Hickory Limb's Query asked
of the Presiding Genius
of the Kitchen
Written for the Democrat.
Not far from one of our trans
planted Northern groves of Hick
ory Trees and Sprouts, where a
certain church has recently" been
going through vicissitudes, but
at last a sort of revival of KJl
ship and interest has helped
many a non-talker to "express
his experience on his feet", they
had been hearing a sermon on
"Naaman, the Lener", a Sunday
or two ago. All the changes that
one preacher could readily think
of had been rung on the proposi
tion, "But Naaman was a leper",
till finally the topic got into the
after-prayer-meeting. The re,
however, it was still susceptible
of development. A young man,
from much farther South than
Hickory, arose at last and told
how spotted a leper was; how his
spots were like those of sin
hard to get off—and finally, for a
peroration, he -aid: —
"And perhaps some poor soul
here in this presence within the
sound of my voice, may have a
ravenous leopard of sin within
his heart —and there's only one
way to get it out!"
It was an honest confusion of
"leper" and "leopard";, but it
got home to the Hickory Grove
later that evening, and one of the
Hickory Sprouts heard the echoes
of it crackling in the big Hickory
Roughs: —
"The leper and the leopard;
wasn't it funny?"
So little Miss Sprout carried
one of the echoes along a ste o
farther, into the Grove kitchen,
out to the Black Walnut Tree,
whom the Hickories familiarly
know as Susie.
"Susie, YOU don't think a lep
er and a leopard are 'xactly alike,
just because both are spotted—
do you?*'
"Bress yo' haht, honey! No.
YVhuffo' you ax me dat, chile?"
And demurely the Sprout ex
plained what she'd heard from
the crackling Tree Tops concern
ing the exhortation at meeting
the previous night; whereat Su
sie, the Black Walnut, rustled:—
"For de good Lawd's sake,
chile! You doesn't mean it!
White QUALITY, wif his haid
full o' books an' Bible, an' doan'
know no diffunce 'tween a lepah
an' a leppodk Ole cullud mamrpy
's I is —an' mos' as ignunt as
pore white trash —I'sdone know
ed DAT diffunce evah sense befo'
I knowed yo' fadder an' mudder.
Y-yes, deys bofe spotted, de lap
pah an' de ieppod; but one ob 'em
kain't get into yo' ha'ht, no how,
but dess feeds hissef in circus
cages, an' nevah comes nigh
prayah-meetin's. Ye-es, dey's
diffunt, chile; ob co'se dey is!"
Ah, how many a Gospel mes
sage travels a long way around
ere it finds even finite lodgement!
N. B. H.
fad the schools will devote more
time to a thorough drill in the
subjects which are of most im
portance in a practical, common
sense system of education. More
time will be devoted to spelling,
to syllabication and pronuncia
tion, to reading, to writing, to
English grammar and composi
tion, to North Carolina history,
to civics, and to' arithmetic. It
is very likely, too, that such old
time text books as Webster's
Blue Back speller, Sanford's
arithmetics, and Reed and Kel
logg's grammar will have a place
again in all. the schools. At
present the tendency is along
these lines. It will be a great
day for our educational system
when we all recognize the fact
that it is worth a great deal more
to the child to have mastered a
few essential subjects than to
have hurried over a great many
unimportant subjects without
any clear understanding of what
those subjects may mean.
C. M. S.
To Avoid Corporation Tax
The Piedmont Grain & Provi
sion Co. is publishing in the
Democrat this week a notice of
dissolution, its purpose being to
avoid the interminable, unjust
and discriminating corporation
tax. The same business will be
continued at the same stand un
der the same name, only not as
corporation.