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W0G1ESSITE
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77 INDUSTRIAL AND EDUCATIONAL INTERESTS OF OUR PEOPLE PARAMOUNT TO ALL OTHER CONSIDERATIONS OF STATE POLICY.
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Vol. 1.
gjucultuval.
OUR FARMERS' CLUBS.
I What our Farmers are Doing and How
the Work of Organizing is Progressing.
FARMER S CIRCLE AT TRINITY.
Discussion on May 15M, 188G. Sub
ject : " The Grasses and Hay."
Pres. Parker. We take the com
mon acceptation and class clover
with the grasses. To succeed as a
farmer you must raise cattle, horses,
mules, hogs, sheep, etc., sufficient at
least to consume all rough and bulky
material produced on the farm, for
which there is not a near and ready
market. To grow stock successfully
you must have grass and clover ; and
an abundance of hay made of both.
More grass, more stock ; more stock,
more manure ; more manure, more
grass; and so on ad infinitum. Grass
and clover, for pasturage and hay,
lies at the very foundation of good
farming. There is no doubt about
it. The productive capacity of a poor
soil must be developed by a slow
process. It is to be hoped that our
farmers will speedilj" come to a bet
ter understanding of the importance
of grass growing ; and that our grass
lands will be treated with due con
sideration. W. AW Andrews. The importance
of grass is immense. It is one of the
things that poets write about. The
grasses are among the most beauti
ful things in nature. It is beautiful
when small and exceedingly beauti
ful when grown large. It holds the
soil together and shades the ground
two essentials in improving the
form. What grasses shall we culti
vate? Don't go wild over some new
and untried grass ; in a majority of
cases they are humbugs. The ones
to hitch on and stick to are the tried
ones. Some native North Carolina
grasses are good. Is clover a native
plant ? It has been here so long we
will claim it. It is an excellent hay,
I think we can do no better. Have
your ground rich and cure it right,
which by the way is a very difficult
matter; I think it requires five or
six days to cure it properly ; bunch
in small shocks soon after cutting.
Mr. Joyner. Do you let it heat
in the shock ?
Mr. Andrews. I think that of
doubtful propriety. I should never
let it heat ; such would damage its
food properties. We have other na
tive grasses it would be well to cul
tivate ; I am thinking of one called
fodder grass, with blades similar to
corn, but smaller; generally found
on ditch banks ; can be cured in a
day and is an excellent hay for stock.
Herd grass yields but one crop a
year, and a light one at that. Crab
grass makes good feed ; to raise it,
plow ground about twice, put on a
light coat of manure; go off and
leave it, it will come and make the
earth almost smile. The reason we
fail so much in manure, we let it
waste. The manure bank must be
kept up. The money spent for fer
tilizers, if economically spent, would
make mountains of manure; keep
the manure pile damp and it will
not fire-fang. Apply it judiciously,
then this old country will blossom as
the rose. Do your part, and God
will do the rest ; it seems a law of
nature for grass to come.
J. J. White. Of all the grasses,
c lover is my hobby. I would no more
attempt to farm without clover,than
I would without farm implements.
I have never failed in any crop on
clover sod; my finest potatoes were
grown on it; never failed raising
good wheat when sown on it ; it im
proves the land and pays as a feed
crop at the same time. Grain and
clover alternate, each with a profit.
You can't point out a man who fails,
that seeds his lands to clover..' I ad
mit the curing to be a difficult mat
ter; the same process will succeed
one time and fail another, owing I
suppose, to damp weather.: If dry
and windy it is easy kept; if damp
and foggy, will spoil with same treat
ment. Mr. Andrews. Ought it to heat
or ferment while curing?
Mr. White. No ; you can cure in
feed barn, in damp weather, by put
ting it on girders, poles, etc., in lay
ers eighteen inches thick, allowing
air to pass through it, or by putting
in alternate layers of wheat or other
straw.
Pres. Parker. Never stack clover.
Always put in barn or rick and cov
er with boards.
Mr. White. Orchard grass and
clover grow well together. The or
chard grass cures quickly and aids
in saving the clover. Orchard grass
does not improve land like clover,
but lasts longer for mowing ; an ob
jection is it becomes turfy ; it makes
fine hay. Clover and timothy will
not ripen together in this climate ;
clover for hay or sod will last about
three years. I find crab grass hard
to cure. Manure is our key note in
bringing up poor lands to a state
that will produce grass. Fresh lands
can be kept up with clover and pay
all the time. Commercial fertilizers
writh me seems to be a habit. On
old lands it is almost a necessity to
grow clover, but for grain exclusive
ly I think it doubtful whether it
pays.
G. H. Joyner. Situated as wTe are
with the stock law, I think clover is
a necessity. I once cured a seventy
five acre crop of pea vines; this is
the way I did it ; I set some hands
to pulling up the vines for wagon
ways through the field ; sent other
hands with team after small poles;
they drove along wagon ways
through the pea field, sticking down
those poles at proper distances apart.
Then follow other hands pulling the
vines, laying a good sized bunch on
south side of pole, then a similar
bunch on north side, then one on
east side, then another on wrest side;
continued as high as could be conven
iently reached,or to top of poles, then
cap with a good sized bunch on top.
At the proper time, w hen cured, I
took them in and had a fine crop of
hay.
J. E. Sumner. I agree with Mr.
White ; we cannot get along without
clover; it don't keep well in stack;
have lost some in that way ; tried
packing alternately with wheat
straw and succeeded well ; the only
trouble is straw is scarce writh me at
that season ; nothing better for stock
and land. I would like if Mr. White
would give us his plan of curing
clover.
Mr. White. I commence mowing
in the morning, when dew is nearly
off; afternoon rake with horse-rakc
in rows, if thick, let it remain in
rows that night ; if thin take it to
to the barn that evening. If thick
and heavy, next day I put it in
small shocks and let remain thus for
about two days. On third day after
dew is off, with a fork T take off
about h of the shock, invert it on one
side, then another on other side,
then loosen up the remainder. After
noon the third day, take it in, you
loose the leaves if you attempt to
cure without bunching.
Mr. Sumner. At what stage do
you commence cutting?
Mr. White. As soon as it is in
full bloom. Never wait for the
blooms to turn brown.
A. Parker. All admit the neces
sity of clover. The important point
is to grow it on poor land. On tol
erably good land clover can be start
ed with 200 lbs. phosphate to the
acre. On very poor land a dressing
with manure is necessary in conjunc
tion with the phosphate. I have a
fine stand of clover on land that
was poverty stricken a hundred
years ago, ! I- prepared it for turnips
by broad-casting manure at the rate
of 40 loads to the acre the turnips
failed. I sowed : clover in fall with
200 lbs phosphate to the acre, and
now have a good stand. I think it
will yield two to three tons to the
rtcre. When will a man set a poor
farm in clover at this rate ? It ap
pears discouraging. After a few
WINSTON, N. C, MAY 26, 1886.
years in clover a weed appears, which
I think was brought here in clover
seed or phosphate. It is of the pur
slain family, with a red root and
very exhaustive to land. Wheat will
not grow ".with it. Land requires to
be cultivated in a hard crop once in
five years at least, to exterminate it.
D. M. Payne, Sec'y.
STOKES COUNTY FARMERS.
The Danbury Reporter announces
that the farmers of Stokes will meet
in Danbury on the first Monday in
June, to organize into clubs. The
Progressive Parmer acknowledges
with pleasure a very kind and ur
gent invitation to be present. Our
office will be represented and wre
hope to meet a large number of the
good citizens of Stokes on that oc
casiom
Jtate Stems.
Inquiries made by the Asheville
Advance show a falling off of forty
per cent, in the acreage of tobacco
in that section.
AYe learn that a mad dog bit
two children on last Sunday at Rocky
Mount. At last accounts they were
looking for the dog. Battleboro
Headlight.
A gentleman who has traveled
over a good portion of Chatham
county, informs the Asheboro Cour
ier that there will not be half a crop
of wheat, while the oat crop is al
most an entire failure.
Some scoundrel set. fire to the
storage barn of Mr. David McKee,
near Caldwell, in Little River town
ship, Sunday night, destroying his
entire crop of tobacco. Hillsboro
Observer.
Wheat headed out and in full
bloom. Our farmers are busy hill
ing and making preparations for
planting their tobacco, though the
crop will not be so large as in past
years. Person Co urier.
The laying of the iron will go
forward without interruption on
the C. F.& Y. V.Jl. R.,five carloads
of spikes and fish-bars having come
up last night from Wilmington.
Greensboro Workman.
Many farmers have begun plant
ing tobacco. By the laws of this
State there are seven legal holidays.
These are January 1st, February 22d,
May 10th, May 20th, July 4th,thanks
giving day and Christmas. Raleigh
News and Observer.
There is a cow in this county
belonging to Major Bruce that has
five legs, the fifth leg comes out on
top of the shoulder but does not
reach to the ground, .while it is as
perfect as one of the other legs.
Salem Press.
The engineer arrived in town
yesterday and will start out this
morning to make a survey of the
county between Durham and Rox
boro for the purpose of locating the
proposed railroad. This looks like
business and it means business. Our
people are determined to build the
road. Durham Plant.
The next meeting of the New
Garden Agricultural Society will be
held at the fair ground?, New Gar
den, onFriday,May 28th, at 2 o'clock
p. m. Mr. C. P. Vanstory has a
ten-acre field of clover near Greens
boro, from which he will realize $600
at each cutting. Greensboro Patriot.
New Irish potatoes are being
shipped from this place to Northern
markets in abundance.- Both a
white and colored assembly of the
Knights of Labor were organized in
this city Friday night by State Or
ganizer Jno. R. Ray. We learn a
goodly number joined both wings of
the order. Fifty zebra suited pen
itentiary convicts, passed through
this city Saturday and went down
to New Berne, where they will take
the steamer Elm City for Hyde
county to begin the work of clean
ing out Alligator canal. Goldsboro
Argus.
Wheat is looking wTell in this
section. Corn is up nicely ; some
of our farmers are over the first
working. The Colorado potato
bug has made its appearance on Mr.
N. M. Pepper's potato vines. Itis a
yellovT colored beetle streaked with
ten dark lines on its wing covers.
Danbury Reporter.
The truck farms near the city
are suffering severely from the ex
treme drouth. A fair price was re
ceived for the peas but the yield was
not more than a third of a crop. Al
so potatoes and beans, which have
just commenced being shipped, are
poorly matured and filled from an
insufficient amount of moisture.
Newbern Journal.
The tide of immigration has
changed its course, over in Stanly.
Last fall there was a rush from that
county to Texas. Now the tide has
turned. A few days ago fourteen
Stanlyites returned home from the
Lone Star State to their old home,
satisfied with their experience, and
determined never more to wander.
Wadesboro Intelligencer.
A postal card from Thomasville
furnishes the particulars of a horri
ble affair which occurred in that
town last Wednesday morning. It
seems that a little girl was feeding
some hogs with bread wThen one of
the number bit her upon the hand.
The wound bled freely and as soon
as the hogs caught scent of the blood
the entire drove attacked the child
and tore her in sh reads before as
sistance could be rendered. Union
Republican.
When the first train from the
North arrived in this city yesterday
afternoon there was a crowd quickly
gathered around the baggage car,
the attraction being three large Eng
lish mastiffs perfectly immense in
size. They looked more like lions
than dogs. One of them, the largest,
weighed 212 pounds, and the man
in charge of them told us that the
owner of them had refused $8,000
from Barnum, the circus man, on
Thursday in New York, for this dog.
They were en route for Jacksonville,
Fla. Goldsboro Argus.
The acreage in corn planted in
this section is reported to be largely
in excess of that of several years
past. Our people it seems are com
ing to realize that " hog and homi
ny " are belter than low priced to
bacco and high priced guano. -The
acreage in .tobacco planted in this
section will be cut down this season.
A very healthy sign we take it. Our
farmers are going in more for meat
and bread and a finer quality of to
bacco; a wise and sensible conclu
sion and one that should have been
determined on long before now.
Henderson Goldleaf.
A gentleman who rode over a
portion of the track of the cyclone
in the Bethlehem neighborhood,tells
us that our description can give no
adequate idea of the effects of the
storm. Mr. James J. Ratliffe has
two or three hundred acres of fine
timbered land. This has all been
felled to the ground except the small
er trees. The foliage on the trees
has been entirely removed, and the
trees so pelted by the hail that the
bark has been skinned off. It is
thought that the trees will all die.
There is no more vegetation to be
seen than is seen , in mid-winter ;
wheat, oats and clover having hzetC
cut to the roots and carried away by
the wind. Leaksville Echo.
Farmers are plowing over their
corn the first time. There is every
indication of a bountiful? fruit crop.
The boiler at Brown's saw mill
four miles south of town bursted
Tuesday morning and killed the fire
man, Henry Hamilton. JKo one else
was injured. Mr. Hamilton was a
Door but an honest and industrious
man, and
leaves
a wife atid five
total amount of
ehildren.-
-The
county taxes collected by the seriff
otKandolpn county is y,f,2U5.u or
school taxes y,3S7.o4. jotwniK
standing the scarcity of money, there
No. 16.
is not a single insolvent to be found
in nine out of the eighteen town
ships and there are only forty-eight
returned for the entire county.
Asheboro Courier.
The stand of cotton in this sec
tion is very satisfactory. It is said
that the work of grading the rail
road from Rocky Mount to Raleigh
is in progress for a distance of fifteen
miles this side of Nash ville. Judge
William M. Shipp held court in Jack
son county last week. The court
house, however, was in such a shaky
condition that he would not go into
it, and court was held in a school
house. The Oxford colored or
phan asylum needs and intends to
raise $10,000 to complete the pay
ment on the site and to erect and
furnish suitable buildings. Rev. W.
Patillo has gone North to gather
together the
needed money. AI-
intensely cold weather
though the
of the past winter undoubtedly killed
many insects, yet there will be many
pests which will give the farmers
much trouble in certain sections.
The cut worm and Colorado beetle
are already at work. An unusual
number of cut worms is reported in
both the extremes of the State, east
ern and western, and they are doing
very great damage it is said. Raleigh
News and Observer.
SMA7.L FRUIT AND FLOWER
FAIR.
Last Tuesday week was held the
small fruit and flower fair, at Greens
boro, and although the rain poured
down in torrents, the exhibition was
remarkably fine. There was a splen
did assortment of berries, cherries,
and flowers. The following prem
iums were awrarded :
For cut flowers. First premium
to Mrs. J. S. Ragsdale; second pre
mium to Burrill Mendenhali ; third
to Mrs. W. A. Horney.
For bouquet of roses. First pre
mium to Miss Mary Swaim ; second
premium to Miss Inditt Mendenhali.
The first premium for variety of
flowers in hand bouquets was award
ed to Miss Belle Swaim.
Miss Emma Wharton was award
ed first premium on Cactus and Miss
Mamie Sherwood, second.
Messrs. A. B. Williams, of Fay
etteville ; S. O. Wilson, of Raleigh ;
J. A. Lineback, of Salem; E. W.
Lineback, of Salem, and J. S. Rags
dale, of Jamestown, were appointed
judges on fruit and awarded pre
miums as follows:
For strawberries. First premium
to J. Van Lindley, for 6 varieties;
second premium to Henry Rust, for
6 varieties; first premium to Col.
Wm. Rankin, for single variety ;
second premium to Mrs. W. A; Hor
ney, for single variety.
For cherries. First premium to
J. Van Lindley, for 12 varieties ; sec
ond premium to John Baxter, 4 va
rieties. 1 " - :
A REMARKABLE MAN.
Aaron Tillman, whose death we
noticed last week, was a remarkable
man in some respects. He lived to
be over ninety-one years old with
out the aid of a single dose of medi
cine from a doctor. His hair never
turned gray; notwithstanding his
extreme age his hair remained per
fectly black. He was sober and a
quierand gojoocjtizen. He left a
Svife, larcre family o? "children arid
a numerous progeny of grand-child
ren and great - grand -cdiildreri.--s
Chatham Home. - ; '
i.
FARMERb CLUBS.
The Proqessive .Farmer, at Win
ston, will send form of constitution
and by-laws , for organizing farmers
clubs to any person writing for them,
This is a step in the right direction.
Farmers in every township should
organize into a club, ana have a
county club in addition. . iTIrso
county clubs should be fostered by; ;
the State with "the? money, that js
wasted by the Agricultural Depart
nt. Greensboro JSortn estate.,