THE DANBURY REPORTER
VOLUME XXXIII.
, PROF/ HARRIS WRITES AGAIN. |
Hb 1s Farming On A Big Scale —
Sowed Forty Acres In Oat» And
One Hundred And Sixty Acres In
| Wheat This Year.
Garfield, Wish , Dec. 22.
Within the memory of the
present generation there has come
" n "e in near ly every trade and
.n know., tn n>an. I•»
fic , i liia seems to be an nge of
change. Prog e s is stainied in tf«>
fa?e of every successful business
man and every undertaking. The j
o'd stage coach has given place to ;
the lightning express, the team- i
B'er has been superceded by the
trains of freight cars bearing their
thousands of Urns of burden both
night and day outst ipt-i g the
winds, the horse and buggy has
given place to the auto, the hand
loom to Ihe power loom, the old j
sjrew press in the barn shed to
the modern electric plant in a ten
story building, the little bur mill
way down on the creek to the fine
roller mill in the village, and the
old star route ia fast giving away
b-fore the r. f. d , and the network
of telegraphs and telephones all
over the country.
The farmer, too, has made many
changes for the better. In pass
ing through the country one will
see quite a few labor-saving de
vices in the homes of the best
farmers. Their wives no longer
sew with their fingers, scrub
clothes with their hands on a
- '.v>ard, their grain is opt with a
binder and the mower and rake
come in for their part. I say you
will see many of these labor
saving machines in the homes oi
the best farmers, but while that is
true, I fear that a majority of the
with a single bull tongue plow,
grain with a scythe
and the cradles that the mowing
blade and hand rake have not
given place to the mower and
horse rAe, and in general they are
not employing many labor-saving
devices to be had on the market-
To be able to meet all competition
one must be able to produce with
as little labor as much of a given
article aa any one else can produce
with same labor.
Now, farmer, if you hope to
compete with the world and still
use the single plow and save your
crop by hand, you must possess
one or all of the following three
things: cheaper labor, better soil
or ability to produce a superior
article.
Right here I wish to say that I
mean to give partly my experience
and partly my observation. I don't
want to be like my neighbor who
raised oorn here. He planted an
acre or two and claimed 60 bushels
to the acre. I think 20 would have
been more nearly correct. Next
year he got a two-horse rig and
when I passed he was sitting up
in that rig laying off, planting and
covering two rows at a time in a
20 acre field. He wrote a lengthy
article in the Garfield Enterprise
on the culture of corn. Right here
I'll say that there is very little
corft raised here —just enough for
table use. Again I passed and af
ter neglecting his crop for some
time nnd too long, he was attempt
ing to clean it out with a culti
vator. Any farmer in Stokes
knows that the wild oats of Whit
jTinn or the orab grass of Stokes
it once gets a good hold can
led hy a generous applica
nt!) cultivator and hoe.
arly every farmer here
some even possess two
of them use them much
jecause labor, is too high,
jrse he failed to save his
Jl -
Again I passed and he was try
ing to plow under the whtla thing
with a foot burner, He soon
abandoned that. Again I passed,
and saw him with a mower mak-1
' ing hay of the wild oats and not
an ear of corn did he get.
I am aware that we here are no|
up with the big farmers in the
j level parts of this and other states.
We used doubled bottom gang
plowing 4to 5 acres por day and
nn 8-foot binder and cut 10 to 15
acres per day. They use a steam
outfit and plow 30 acres per day
and a combine and harvest and
thresh 40 to GO aores per day. We
can't use suoh machinery on our
| hills but still we are able to com
pete w» because we have
' better soil aJt. can produce mort
bushels to the ac-s. Otherwise
we would quit wheat rising and
turn our attention to something
else.
Now, brother Stokes farmer,
how are you situated ? With
higher priced labor now than in
the past and a light soil. Are you
prepared to compete in the mar
kets of the world ?- Here, we can
produce wheat at a oust of 20 to 30
cents per bushel. Are your meth
ods, price of labor and soil sue!
that you can compete with ut
there ¥
In the central west they use a
machine with *Rich one boy can
cultivate 10 or 12 acres of corn per
day. Can you compete with the
corn farmer in the markets of the
world ? But you produce tobacco
and are probably up-to-date in to
bacco culture. But that is to no
use, you can't use it yourself nor
sell it to your neighbor and the
Trust has an easy time taking it
from you without any competition
and often at prices below cost of
production. What must you do ?
Why gradually stop raising to
bacco, buy the latest improved
machinery and produce those
things that you aud your neigh
bor can use if no one else wants to
buy it of you. If raising those
crops that require so much labor,
do not pay, grow peas for
hay and to improve your land, raise
cattle and hogs and a horse or two
every year. Grow some corn but
more wheat, rye and oats and you
can't help but be the most inde
pendent man on the globe. You
are up against the labor problem
and the sooner you realize it the
better. The negro, as a farm labor- i
er, has become uncertain. Never
again will yon be able to get fifty
cent labor when they can comt
west and get one to three dollars
per day.
But you say yoif have not the
improved machinery and are not
able to buy it. You can do like I
did and if you will pardon me for
reference to myself, I will give
you my experience. Up to this
year I have hired all my plowing
and reaping, etc., it being cheaper
to hire it done than to keep a
team provided you can get it done
at all.
This year I determined to do
my own work. But long before I
was through I found I lacked the
money "for farm machinery A
binderr ake, mow er andteed&r cost
me fonr hundred dollars. There
was nothing left for me to do but
to walk up to the bank and ask for
that amount of credit till harvest
time. Well, here is what I did
with the aid of my little son,
Homer, aged 12 after he got out of
school the last of May- and two
weeks hired help in harvest time.
By the use of the .machinery,
Homer was able to do most of the
team . work. In .the-"spring we
plowed and sowed 40 acres to oats,
in the summer we plowed 160
acrea for wheat and sowed it in
the fill besides cutting 175 acres
of grafn and saving 20 or 40 tons
of hay and cuftivatlttg 25 acres of
orohard.
It required seven horses to mak»
a team and you may know that wi*
were busy but in counting up I
find that what I would 1 ' ' paid
to get it done, paid l na
! chinery.
DANBURY, N. C., JANUARY 3, 1907.
Jf ciurse it is expensive to feed
'e horses, but I cut a generous
Quantity of grain hay, which with
hundred bushels of oats, will
carry them through the winter.
Not of corn do they get.
Horses ddn't know how to eat corn
here. We can raise it but it re
quires too muoh labor and there
fore is too expensive. If we had i
attempted to feed on corn and i
corn fodder it would have beeu
nearly a year's work to feed seven
head of horses.
The best advice I have seen or
heyd given to Stokes farmers was
croiSched in a speech made by
riouie farn|ar from Alamance coun- j
ty At the Farmers' Institute in
Danbury. .1 verily believe it would
be a good thing of the Reporter to
reprint that speeoh a few times to
impress it on the farmers of the j
connty.
Raise more horses and use more
horsepower and less labor. Stop
working your wjves and children
in the tobacco \ field from early
spring to fall in the interest of the
Tobacco Trust. Get the B&st ma
chinery to be had and raise every-'
thing that you can use and some
to sell.
Go in debt for machinery rather
than for fertilizer, put your labor
in clearing up stumps and rocks
instead of worming and suck
ering tobacco. Get a gang plow
and plow the old fields and sow in
peas instead of clearing for to
bacco. Build your land up in
raising food plants instead of im
poverishing it with the worthless
poisonous *
I repeat again what I've said
before. The man with one mule
and a bull tongue plow can not
successfully compete with the man
with more horse power and good
farm machinery. Before I would
try it I would go in with my
neighbor and buy a good farm im
plement and let him use it in day
time and I'd use it at night. A
neighbor of mine had 150 acres of
grain to out in one week with oner
seven-foot binder. He put in two
teams and ran it day and night
and when Saturday came it Was
all in shock. • All night long I
could hear the binder clatter but
that was fax* ahead of cutting it in i
daytime with a scythe and cradle.
Finally I would say gradually
diversify, and stop raising tobacco;,
get together, attend your meetings
and institutes apd devise ways and '
means for yobrkiwn betterment.
W. B. HARRIS.
THE RI£HT NAME.
Mr. August %herpe, the poplar
overseer of the poor, at Fort Mad- j
ison, la, says : "Dr. King's New
Life Pills are highly uarned ; they
act more.agreeably, do more good
and make one feel better than any
other laxative." Guaranteed to
cure biliousness and constipation.
25c at all druggists.
TO CURE A COLD IN ONE
DAY
Take LAXATIVE BROMO Quin
ine Tablets. DSruggibts refund
money if it fails to cure. E. W.
GROVE'S signature is on each
box. 25c
, A Boston schoolboy was tali,
weak and sickly.
His arms were soft and flabby. x
X He didn't have a strong muscle in his X
a entire body. $i
6 V The physician who had attended ,
o the family for thirty years prescribed 9
9 Scott'J Emulsion, *fr
NOW: X
V To feel that boy's arm you 9
think he was apprenticed to i X
J jjGjf blacksmith* X
ALL DRUOaiSTVI tfOc. AND SI.OO. V
* l r m' A*#*
DOWN ON DOGS.
|
A Man Who Says They are Worthless 1
And Very Costly And Wants To Tax
Them.
I
Mr. T. Gilbert Pearson, of the ,
State Audubon Society, is in re- i
ceipt of this letter from a Wins-
I ton-Salem gentleman :
"I take it that the Audubon So
j ciety stands for right and justice
in all things and for the advance
> merit of the cause of a higher
i civilization and, incidently, for j
j the protection of game and song
birds. I can think of nothing th-U !
would bring about the desired re-1
' milts so soon and so effectually as i
a reasonably high license tax on*
dogs and tax bitches heavily, say
j not less than $lO a year.
"I pay the heaviest kind of a
j dog tax and do not own or keep
any dog at all. Let me explain.,
i My wife tells me that it is a con
servative estimate to say that sh»-
has $2 worth of eggs eaten every
year by neighbors' dogs. Last
spring a neighbor's dog tore the!
j cloth otf my plant bed twice and I
| was forced to buy poultry netting j
; and fence in my bed at an actual
1 cash outlay of about a dollar. 1
I think the man who owns the dogs
, ought at least help'beur the bur-'
1 den.
"Take the basis of population !
iof North Carolina and calculate I
one dog for every five (and this is
a conservative estimate) and see J
\ how much North Carolina is wast-1
' ing every year to feed dogs.
1 "Right around me are boys who
! haven't spent a day in school .this
, year and,yet there is not a day
1 ; (Sunday excepted), that I can't
i hear their savage yells, the bark
ing of their half-starved dogs and
' | the df tfte shot gun. They
kill game to buy shells aqd buy
sheila to kill game and their fath
ers growl and whine about the'
1 cost of school books. The abom
; inable dog is the most conductive
| thing to gross ignorance thai I can
•i|think of in North Carolina.
"Just think what might be done
in thio State by sheep farming if
jit was not for the countless dogs
that prowl over the State from the
mountains to the sea.
"A neighbor of mine paid $25
' for a ram some years' ago and a
hungry hound killed him in, a.lit
' tie while.
"Pardon me for appealibg to
your si ciety to use its influence
to secure legislation that will tend I
to docrease the number of dogs in
our State and at the same time add
several thousand dollars to the I
j school fund.
"Trusting you will, give this
matter your serious consideration
and that the views expressed may
meet yonr approval.
"J. M. JARVfS."
I • T- .
Mr. Charlie Sisk, of Hartmon,
was a visitor here Monday.
• • ,£l ■; .; • .
Mr. J din Priddy, of Danbury
| here yesterday. . j
WILL LEAVE STOKES. '
Mr. J. W. Southern Writes Farewell j
Letter To His Stokes Friends.
December 24, 1906.
Mr. Editor : "
. Please allow me space in your
paper fpr my farewell letter to
dear old Stokeß. I was born in
old Stokes December 1, 1844, this
is December 24,1906, which makes
me 62 years and 23 days old. now.
Mr. Editor, as an old Confederate
soldier, of Company H 53 North
Carolina regiment, I hate to leave
my many friends, while I have a
few enemies that I don't care to
loaye, although I wish them God
speed. It is not my intention to
ever make my home in old Stokes
again, but by the help of God -I
expect to visit my old friends.
Now, Mr. Editor, I have got
disgusted living in Stokes nndei
Republicanism where one part of
the county is hfii'o' strictly to the
law and the other part allowed to!
do just as it pleases and nobody to j
molest them. This is not a free |
county where one-half are held to
the law and the northern part to
do as they please.
I have tried to live honorable
and treat everybody rightand have
accomplished it all but a few cases j
and am leaving with a clear con
science to all men, women and
children. It has been said that I
left this county once owing every
body, but that was false. Now, if
I don't "forget, I will leave owing
no man a penny and that makes
me' feel proud as an old soldier
and a Democrat, so I will close my
remarks as it may worry you and
the readers.
Wishing the Reporter a happy
Christmas. Don't forget %iaf 1
expect to meet you at Jamestown
in September, 1907.
JAS. W. SOUTHERN.
SHORTEST OF THE YEAR.
Days Remaim Short For About A
Week Before They Begin To
Lengthen.
These are the shortest days of
the year—so short that one has
hardly time to turn around many
titnes before it is night. The first
short day was the 21st and the
length remains the same, prac- j
tically for a week, first a length
ening of about a minute a day,
then two minutes, and so on, but
the elongation takes place at the
setting of the sun. Old Sol will
continue to rise during the first
week at about the same hour, de
ferring a little each
day. Nd two almanacs agree ex
actly on the rising and setting of!
the §un at poriod, but they :
all about even. By the
first ofFebruary, with clear
weather, ' the longer days will be i
noticeable, daylight lasting until
a: little after 6 o'clock.
The seven days "preceding aud '
the 80vq% days following the i
shortest'daylight of the year were'
called' by the ancients
Halcyon days.". This phase, «o{
familiar as expressive of a period'
of tranquility and happiness, is !
derived from a fable that during
this period, when the kingfishers
or halcyon bird was breeding, the
sea was always calm. According
to poetic fiction, the bird was rep
resented as batching her eggs in a
floating nest in the midst of
waters. -
WISE-COUNSEL FROM THE
SOUTH.
"I want to give some valuable
advice to those who suffer with
lam? back and kidney trouble,"
R. Blakenship, of Beck,
Tfctfn. "I have proved to an ab
solute certainty that Electric Bit
ttrs will positively cure this dis
tressing condition. The first bottle
gave me great relief aud after tak
ing a few more bottles, I was com
pletely cured—so completely that
it becomes a pleasure to recom
mend this great remedy." Sold
tander guarantee at all druggists.
Prioe 50c. « ,
k
I POPULAR YOUNG COUPLE MARRY.
( Mr. James Merritt Weds Miss Sadie
j Boles—A Spelling Match.
Germ&nton, Dec. 28.—The beau
tiful home wedding of Miss Sadie
Boies and Mr. James Merritt was
solemnized at the home of the
bride's parents, Mr. and Mrs.
Samuel Boles, on Tuesday, Dec.
2oth, Eev. Keever, of Rural Hall,
performing the ceremony.
The bride was becomingly
dressed in cream oashmere. The
attendants were Miss Bessie Mer
rit with Mr. Mania Tnttle, Miss
Eva Merritt with I Ben Boles,
Miss Fannie Boles wuli Mr, Tom
Boles, Miss Etta Boiejack with
Mr. Thomaß Wsii.
A large number of relatives and
friends were present. Immediate
ly after the ceremony the bridal
party was ushered into the dining
room where an inviting dinner
*as awaiting them. The bride re
ceived quite a number of useful
j and handsome presents,
j The following day a reception
was tendered the young couple by
j the groom's father, Mr. Alexander
: Merritt. Quite a large crowd was
j present, and a most excellent din
i ner served,
I The school at Corinth, taught
by Miss Maggie Petree, challeng
ed the Friendship school, taught
by Mr. Oscar Petree, to an old
fashioned spelling on Friday night
before Christmas. The challenge
was accepted and quite a large
crowd was present.
Both aides were very much in
earnest, and the spelling almost
resulted in a tie, coming out 49
crosses for Friendship and 51 for
Corinth. They will spell again at
~friendship before the schools
cloire/
R. J. P.
Salaries For County Officers.
A late press dispatch announces
that the officers of Guilford coun
ty are now paid on a salary basis,
the law having gone into effect
December Ist, and calls attention
to the resultant savings. Hitherto,
as in many other counties, Guil
ford's officers have been receiving
the official fees and percentages,
whioh in many cases emoanted to
sums far in excess of ample sal*
aries for the work done. NsjMtßs|
Sheriff is allowed a salary ol M2 r
500; the deputies
fees, and the jailor is a sal
ary. The Clerk of the 'ofturt and
the Register of Deeds receive $2,-
250 each, with an extra allowance
of SI,OOO each for the clerk hire.
Even with these liberal salaries, it
is estimated that Guilford will
: save SIO,OOO a year, which goes to
the road fußd.
Railroad Facilities In North Carolina.
It ifr'6ot generally known but it
is Itue nevertheless that the
Railway has more miles
j of track in North Carolina than in
J any other State. When it is con
j sidered that there are three other
large systems operating in the
j stat«j, to say nothing of several
suifiler roads now in operation
being built, it will be readily ap.
paredt that this state is making
wonderful strides industrially. A
state that is not going forward
rapidly does not feel the need df
an extension of existing railroad
lines or the building of new ones.
The railroad development in North
Carolina is one of the best things
i in conaection with this state's
gre*t progress along industrial
lines.
HOW TO CITRE CHILBLAINS.
"So enjoy- freedom from chil
> .blains," writes John Kemp, East
Otistield, Me., "I apply Bucklen's
■ Arnica Salve. Have also nsed it
t for salt rhqum with excellent re
" " Guaranteed to cure fever
P inkiest ulcers, piles, burns,
is, frost 7>ites and skin dis
-25c at all druggists.
46