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Show J r4H&i IM' iWjai,. . 3 f ,.- B --P-I'ttft! ' LV"'i . & ;a I s-- 1 1 s .. .: KiKlf I ,it4flJk S I ANOTHER 'FIRST h ' ?v I : aWa V; , , ,J;f Washington's Early Ventures I I s B4Li KJ V v ; - Proved Key to Farm Progress ?ffh, .4 - L, - l.-., --i WNU Features. ; 1' ; . ! M I . 1 SNOW-BOUND AMERICA . . . Photographs showing snow-bound Milwaukee, where all citizens turned out to clear the roads and walks. Food deliveries were blocked so citizens met on cleared streets In order to receive milk and other food. Also dazed Chicago was digging out; Betty Ford does an abrupt sitdown as she skids off the curb, ruining nylons and her dignity. ,l t ni-lll Villain "" .r. , f..,.raJJ,.,-J..,.V,. Wr. -1"(..v,vM.M FUTURE FARMERS VISIT NEW New York City recently and were shown the sights by the Boy Scouts and entertained by officials, Industries, business and Secy, of Agriculture Clinton P. Anderson, who is shown with the officers when he received an invitation to speak at their 1947 convention. Other view shows a New York Scout, one of their guides, pointing out lower Manhattan skyline. The boy officers later visited Chicago and other centers as a reward for their outstanding work. Jim)W.nnjiiiu I 1 1 ' " .V rtr,j r- " w l'W wwwtwb ill f'- v II I " 1 ' ! ?f ' ' 1 ' i A ! - i ' - . t ' x 1 i L J j WS.- i QUINTS THREATENED . . . The Franco Diligenti quints of Buenos Aires have been threatened by kidnapper, who demanded $12,500. Mr. and Mrs. Diligenti have reported to the police. The family was staying stay-ing at the resort town of Mar Del Plata when the extortion note was received. The money was to be sent through the mail to general delivery Buenos Aires. Police and government officials have taken over the case and given the quints protection. No evidence was uncovered un-covered at post office. " 9 K ' - 4 - . - , -.4, ' Vi ;f" 4t V'-fy i.j...J Ki 1 t - i , 1 THREE SAD KIDS ... Posing these triplets was a bit of a problem until the photographer placed them in a porcelain tub. The frisky kids had places they wanted to go and being "cornered" is not to their liking. They are Just one week old and are owned by John Zivic, Allison Park, Pa. Triplets in the goat family are very rare, much more so than with calves. They are all of average weight with more than the average pep and room for food. YORK CUT . . . Officers of the Future Farmers of America visited I ' ' t A MOST COURAGEOUS ATHLETE ... Monty Stratton, former Chicago White Sox pitcher, who lost leg in a hunting accident and returned to baseball with artificial ar-tificial leg, has been voted most courageous athlete by Philadelphia sports writers. VET'S DYING WISH . . . James W. Richardson, 15, Ironton, Ohio, became a house page boy because be-cause his G.I. father's dying request re-quest was for such an appointment. He is shown with Rep. T. A. Jenkins Jen-kins (Rep., Ohio), who made the appointment possible. WNU Features. Remembered as "First in War, First in Peace, First in the Hearts of His Countrymen," George Washington could lay claim to still another honor. He also was "First in Farming." As America hails the 215th anniversary of his birth, agriculture agri-culture acknowledges its debt to him. For Washington made contributions to farming's progress that benefit millions of people today. The "Father of His Country" was a keen student of farm ing. He pioneered in soil conserva-s- tion. He championed crop rotation almost al-most before anyone else in the colonies col-onies tried it. He was one of the first to carry on experiments with clover as a soil-building crop. He introduced timothy hay to this country and was one of the first Americans to grow alfalfa. Ahead of Times. Three-quarters of a century before the science of soil chemistry was discovered, Washington worked to restore exhausted fields with fertilizer ferti-lizer materials then available. He led the way in the use of farm machinery. ma-chinery. He experimented successfully success-fully in livestock breeding and improvement im-provement of blood strains. Accord ing to his own account, he was tho first American to attempt the raising of mules. As a result of his success with farming, Washington became the richest man in the United States. When he died in 1799, bis property Included more than 48,000 acres of farm land. That included Mount Vernon as well as acreage in Ohio and elsewhere. else-where. Washington's landed estate es-tate was valued at $530,000. Other Oth-er property Included additional buildings, equipment, livestock and various Investments worth $220,000. Washington was 27 when he began be-gan his serious farming career in 1759. He had inherited Mount Vernon, Ver-non, married Martha Custis and received re-ceived a handsome dowry in lands and chattels. For the next 16 years he was to devote himself to the land. No Aid Available. That was no easy task, however. The land he inherited was worn out by a century of single-crop farming. There had been no attempt at rotation rota-tion or fertilization. Unlike the farmer of today, Washington could not turn to his county agent or to the research men at the state agricultural agri-cultural experiment station for facts to help him meet farm needs. As an alternate to tobacco growing, grow-ing, Washington began giving increasing in-creasing attention to wheat. His progressive pro-gressive attitude toward crop management man-agement showed itself in experiments experi-ments such as steeping his seed in brine and alum to prevent smut. Washington's wheat growing ventures ven-tures proved profitable. Washington's farm career was halted for eight years during the Revolutionary war. Peace in 1783 at last brought his release. When he returned to Mount Vernon Ver-non he was one of the world's most famous men. Happy to be home again, he threw himself once more into his old occupation. occupa-tion. During his career as commander-Ai-chief of the Continental army he had observed at firsthand how agriculture agri-culture was practiced in New York, New Jersey and other northern colonies. col-onies. That broadened his outlook. He was more than ever convinced of the need for pastures and livestock live-stock to help conserve the soil. He was more wide-awake to the need for better tools. Revives Old Soil. There was plenty to be done at Mount Vernon. One of Washington's chief worries was the rundown condition con-dition of the soil, due to the poor methods followed by overseers during dur-ing his absence. Washington began to experiment with clover and other grasses as a soil conservation measure. He was prompted to do this by Noah Web- Fence Along Texas AUSTIN, TEX. Erection of a cattleproof fence along the entire border between Texas and Mexico has been recommended by C. H, Cavness, Texas state auditor and efficiency ef-ficiency expert. The fence, which would stretch lor 1,207 miles, also would be useful against bootleggers, Cavness points out. The recommendation came as an aftermath of an incident in which ster, newspaper writer, editor and compiler of a dictionary. In his experiments Washington tried every kind of legume known to Virginia farmers, and imported many other kinds of seed from England. Eng-land. Thus he introduced timothy to his countrymen. He found that clover and peas had a soil enriching power. In an English journal he read about a new legume alfalfa or Lucernewhich Lu-cernewhich had been brought from Switzerland. He found that alfalfa, too, could enrich the soil. Imports New Strains. Washington found some time to keep an eye on his farming opera tions at Mount Vernon even during his terms as President from 1789 to 1797. He had extensive experiments conducted in grain and livestock breeding. He imported new strains of wheat from South Africa and Siberia. Si-beria. He sent to England for sheep and, by crossing with Virginia breeds, increased the wool clip by two pounds per sheep. He bred fine draft horses and had the best trotting, trot-ting, riding and field animals in Virginia. Vir-ginia. Crop rotation occupied a good deal of his attention. One rotation he noted "favors tho land very much; inasmuch as there are but three corn crops (i.e. grain crops) taken in seven years from any field, and the first of the wheat crop which is to succeed it; and which by being laid to clover and grass and continued therein three years will afford much mowing and grassing, besides being a restoration to the soil." Washington was one of the first Americans to use farm machinery. He was especially alert for better methods of threshing grain than the age-old practice of treading and flailing. flail-ing. In 1797, two years before his death, he built a thresher on plans evolved by William Booker, who came to Mount Vemon and directed construction. Thresher Fails. The machine failed to live up to Washington's hopes. At first it threshed about 50 bushels a day, then fell to fewer than 25 and finally broke down completely. The disappointing experience with the threshing machine did not deter Washington from trying try-ing other implements. He furnished fur-nished his farms. with every kind of improved tool that might do better work. Among these were a wheat drill, a corn drill, a machine for gathering clover seed and one for raking op wheat. "As a farmer, Washington was generations ahead of his time," declares de-clares Zenas H. Beers, executive secretary sec-retary of Middle West Soil Improvement Improve-ment committee. "His progress toward to-ward scientific farming set an example ex-ample that any modern farmer might, follow with profit. Washington's Washing-ton's success in devising good soil management methods mark him as one of America's first conservationists." conservation-ists." During his Presidency, Washington Washing-ton was eager to Improve the lot of agriculture. In his last message to congress he recommended establishment establish-ment of a "board of agriculture to collect and diffuse information, and by premium and small pecuniary aids, to encourage and assist a spirit spir-it of discovery and improvement." That recommendation foreshadowed establishment of the U. S. department depart-ment of agriculture three-quarters of a century later. - Mexico Line Urged two Mexican bootleggers brought 150 quarts of liquor across the Rio Grande into Texas to sell. Tick infestation spread over 765,-810 765,-810 acres of southwest Texas ranch-land ranch-land in four counties, resulting in quarantine for 24,950 head of livestock. live-stock. The official state report recommended recom-mended an appropriation to meet such emergencies until the fence is erected. , :., ' - ' - i .- WAR AFTERMATH . . . Washed ashore one mile from Pacific Reach, Wash., was the mine pictured at bottom where It Is being compared with the size of a Jeep. The mine Is believed to have been in the water at least two years and supposedly came from Japanese harbor defense Installation. Top shows tho demolition by Lt. Devon G. Winslow, who during the past year has disposed of 11 mines which were washed ashore on the Pacific coast. , ifH V' ir J 'V f -' REPAYS DEBT BY SAVING DOG'S LIFE . . . Sonny Wells, Stone Mountain, Ga., right, who said hs was once saved from drowning by "an old bound dog," repaid the debt recently when he rescued the dog, shown here, from several hundred feet down the steep side of Stone mountain. He was aided in the rescue by Walter Asbe, left. I .! nm w " I j y$jrir it NO BOTTLES NO MILK ... So acute has the shortage of milk bot-tics bot-tics become that the U. S. department of agriculture and state agencies agen-cies are lending their influence in an appeal to consumers to return the 25 million empties which bave accumulated in basements and storerooms of the country. According to the dairy folk, it takes eight milk bottles to keep one bottle full In the Icebox and those 25 million bottles are desperately needed to prevent a milk shortage. " Hi jffn t 1J f ft iHWifill In ,-f - - 1 "f"ir""" 1 11 REDS BLOCK YANKS' ROUTE OUT OF CHINA . . . Photo showf Chinese Nationalists turning railway tracks between Hsin Hslng and An Yang right side up after Chinese Communists had turned them over. Nearly 2,000 Americans are stranded due to Communists disrupting dis-rupting rail service by burning the stations and tearing up the rails. Chinese government troops have kept the service open but admitted the Communists were still close to the right-of-way. IS ' ,s i AX NEW SOLICITOR GENERAL . . . Philip B. Perlman, Baltimore, who was nominated by President Truman to be solicitor general of the United States to succeed J. Howard McGrath, now a 17. S. senator from Rhode Island. &v&hfrjyjiifcri-;:"-::'-i' PftrsM JUSTICE'S DAUGHTER SERVES SODAS . . . Millie Douglas, 17, daughter of TJ. S. Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas, during dur-ing past five months has been working behind a fountain at an Alexandria, Va., drugstore. She says she likes the work. BARRED FROM SCHOOL .' . .' Blind Patsy Ruth Fergus, 16, Lot Angeles, caresses her guide dog, Lucky, after Patsy was barred from two Los Angeles schools unless un-less she agreed to attend class without her specially - trained guide dog. MILITARY ATOMIC HEAD . . . CoL James McCormack, Louisiana, who has been named director of the division of military application of the Atomio Energy commission, commis-sion, to represent tbe war depart mcnt on the atomio bomb. ' F 1 -sft ' '' i |