May We | Add Our ? j Best Wishes? BALLARD'S GROCERY t ? : W '? pH mean? ANSWER: The term pH Is us ed to express acidity or alkalinity. The scale covers a range from 0 to 14. A value of 7 Is neutral, a boye 7 is alkaline and below is acid. Vinegar is an example of an acid material, baking soda is alkaline. The average soil in North Carolina is acid and will have a pi! between 4.5 to 6.5, the lower the pH the more acid the soil. Lime is applied to soils to make them less acid and provide conditions more favorable for crop growth. Crops vary in de sirable pH for good growth, rang ing from 5.5 to 6.5. QUESTION: Of what import ance is organic matter in soil? ANSWER,': Organic matter has several functions in the soil: (1) It releases nitrogen upon decom position. (2) On clay soils it aids in making the soil more open or you a most Merry Christmas Chief and Mrs. Hugh A. Logan And Family WARE & BURTON Your Grocery ? Phone 4? Railroad Avenue CENTRAL BEAUTY SHOPPE Eloise Mabry Bessie Bumgardner As an expression of our thanks and good will, we extend the Season's Greetings to all our many friends. j 'i iff ln< JO YOU. v 0/ /.vJli/. !>'>', U'f Kl'sb i ill cur fr ipmty. ?a? ? ??nwiim porous, thus bringing about bet ter aeration and water absorption (3) It serves as a medium lor ? bacterial activity. <4> On sandy soils it helps to increase the mois ture holding Capacity. And (5), it increases the ability of the soil to store nutrients such as calcium, magnesium, and potash. QUESTION: How can the soil organic matter be increased? ANSWER: This Is a rather dif ficult job on most soils in North" Carolina. Due to the high average annual temperature, plant resj duee decompose rapidly to part of the soil organic matter. When we consider that the top six-inch layer of an average soil weighs approxi ma t e 1 y two million pounds, a one- tenth per cent in crease in organic matter repre sents two thousand pounds. Sev eral times this amount of plant material would be recufred to pro duce this increase. It ran readily be seen that detectable increases in soi! organic matter will not be obtained from adding small a mounts of plant material. The present level of organic matter in most soils has been attained over a period of years as affect' ed by soil development processes and cropping practices. Turning under plant residues such as corn stalksand straw will help to main, tain the organic matter. Using sod crops will reduce the rate of decomposition of organic materi als in comparison to cultivated areas. ? ? Chesley Hendrick Rites Conducted Funeral services for Chesley Hendrick. 69, resident of Shelby, and brother of Mrs. Albert Ham rick of Kings Mountain, were conducted Friday at 2 p. m. from Pleasant Grove Baptist church with interment following in the church cemetery. Mr. Hendrick succumbed Wed nesday at 7:30 p. m. Death was attributed to a heart attack. He was a member of Pleasant Grove Baptist church and had served as a church deacon for the past 20 years. He is survived by his wife. Mrs. Mary Spangler Hendrick; three sons, Doyle Hendrick and S. C. Hendrick, both of Shelby, and A. D Hendrick, of the home; and four daughters, Mrs. Ray Wilson. Fallston, Miss Ophelia Hendrick of the home, Mrs. Sher rill Hamrick, Augusta, Ga., and Mrs. Lester Crenshaw, of Gas tonla. Also surviving are two sisters, Mrs. Albert Hamrick, Kings Mountain. Mrs. Plato Costner, Shelby, and a brother, Clem Hen drick, Shelby; 18 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. Little Indiana Town Owes Fame To Unusual Name The little community of Sui* ta Claus. Indiana, owes Its fame to its unusual name. And at Christmas lime its small post oitioe is swamped with mall from throughout the world by people who want their letter postmarked Santa Claus. In addition, thousands of let , ters are received at the post office addressed to "Santa Claus, Santa Claus, Ind." The notes range from the wistful to the desperate, re questing such things as a ma ma dot), a sled, m sweater, or a pair of overshoes. They come froin countries all over the world ? small village In Canada and big cities In Europt. Family Program Foi Sanitation Now Announced A rainy-day project which would safeguard the health ol millions of American families in a disaster has been outlined for the nation's homemakers by the Federal Civil Defense Adminis tration. The project: A simple home preparedness program against disruption of family food, water and sanitation facilities in case of an enemy attack or in natural disasters such as floods, hurri cans and tornadoes. FCDA, in cooperation With the Public Health Service, has com piled a checklist of what home makers can do about emergency food, water and sanitation. The agency stresses the importance of making these simple prepara tions before disaster strikes: 1. Stare right now the extra drinking water that your family might need. Don't wait for an emergency. When emergency occurs, drink only Wafer or other liquids that you know are safe. 2. Know how to turn off the water service valve If necessary, and learn where to get water for emergency drinking, cooking and washing if your outside supply fails. 3. Be prepared to purify water for drinking purposes in your own home, if necessary. 4. Keep a three-day food sup ply on hand, and replace the things you use to keep your stock fresh or jn good condition. In emergency, feat only safe foods prepared only under safe condi tions. 5. Know what you can eat or drink safely. Avoid using foods or liquids that might be contami nated. ' 6. Keep emergency garbage }n tightly ? covered containers until collection and disposal services can be restored by health autho rities. If the emergency last for several days, bury your garbage. 7. Provide for the disposal of human wastes in covered con tainers in the evfent flush toilets are not working. If the sewerage system is out for more than a few days, dig an outdoor latrine. Never expose human wastes to disease-carrying insects or ani mals. That's how fepidemics start. 8. Learn how to make soil bags for emergency use if your other sanitary arrangements fail. 9. Be ready to take care of fro zen foods and refrigerated food supplies if the gas and elfectricity are shut off. Eat or cook such foods before they spoil. Don't re freeze foods that have thawed without cooking them first. 10. Don't listen to rumors about the safety of food and water sup Our Door is Always Open tc You, Our Friends . . . ALEXANDER'S APPLIANCE CO. ANGELS WITHOUT WINGS , . In the Children's Aid Society Jones Center, all was calm as the call (or rehears..! of carols was sounded. The little angels without wings took their places, with one moppet sporting a black eye. He couldn't resist reaching, under his cassock to be sure his treasured gun and bolster were still there. plies, and don't pass such rumors on to others'. Observe official in structions only, as related by your warden and other civil de fense authorities. You should keep your food where it will be safe from con tamination. Most kitchen cabi nets, pantries or closets have doors that closle tightly enough for safety. . The booklet, FCDA Publication H-ll-1, "What To Do Now About Emergency Sanitation at Home," is for sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U. S. Government Printing Office, Washington 25, D. C., for 15 cents. . .ext: "What You Need for Emergency Sanitation." Leaf tobacco inventories of all types totaled 4.2 billion pounds on October 1, an increase of 7- per cent over the stocks on hand at the same time last year. The price North Carolina far mers paid for cornmeal dropped from $4.60 per hundred on Octo ber 15 to $4:45 on November 15. of a Happy Season shine brightly. ELLISON'S GROCERY To Every Member ??4 of Your Family . . ? Merry Christmas JIM'S FOOD STORE Id llhslies for fSrtstmos IDhcn tKc wise men followed the guiding star . from out of the East... they found a beautiful and . awesome sight at the end of their journey... m,y the spirit of the iirst Christmas brighten your home with its joy and lighten your heart with its promise of "Peace on Earth, Good Will to Men " " . i '? "v, ? * *? Myers* Department Store Paul Walker Mrs. Blanche Poplin lack Moss Mrs. A. L. Allran O. W. Myers. Proprietor Myers' Dress Shop Mrs. O. W. Myers Mrs. R. D. Goforth Mrs. Charles A. Goforth, Sr. Tv My ? -?