Vol. 1.
gvtciuttmu.
OUR FARMERS' CLUBS.
What our Farmers are Doing and How
the Work of Organizing is Progressing.
FARMERS CLUB AT TRINITY.
Discussion on May 28, 188G subject:
11 How shall the fanners' best interests
be promoted?''
Dr. Parker. To place the farmer
in the most favorable condition for
successful work he must be educa
ted, and this means to lead out and
bring out; and in order to lead out,
the subject must be in or under
something. That in is darkness, and
the under is the thraldom of ignor
ance. We say, of a truth, that of all
callings or professions, the farmers'
is the only one that is entered into
without some previous preparation
or special education.
Our farmers depend too much on
pure force, and in man' instances it
is blind force. No other occupation
of man can survive under such treat
ment. Law, medicine, mechanics,
manufacturing and in fact every
other calling of man, requires some
special study and preparation before
it can be prosecuted successfully.
Farming, alone, is left to chance and
luck. How is it that the millions of
farmers and their families get a sub
sistance out of their calling when
there is so little culture and thought
brought into use ? Simply because
agriculture will bear more abuses,
suffer longer, submit to the meanest
treatment and even then smile in the
face of its tormentors.
Prof. Yille, the celebrated French
agricultural teacher, says that out of
one hundred requisites to good farm
ing, nature furnishes ninety-three,
and the farmer has onlv to look after
the other seven. Give me 03 miles
the start and I will undertake to
beat even Weston in a hundred-mile
walk.
These seven factors are absolute,
and take no denial. Nature is a
great laboratory in which every
material substance is arranged and
classified everything is governed
by law and order. There is not a
single drawer, box, pigeon-hole or
corner in this vast establishment,
where you may find stored away a
single specimen of "luck," "chance,"
or "may-be-sos." The farmer must
investigate, he must learn, he must
know.
The best school is on the wisely
directed and well managed farm, and
the best teacher is a well educated
farmer, and the best pupils are his
own boys. Here the scientific and
the practical are combined and
worked out by the boys' own hands
here they live and grow up in an
atmosphere of "science applied."
Agricultural colleges, in this coun
try, up to the present time, have
been almost an entire failure, so far as
practical results that reach the com
mon farmer are concerned. They
teach a great many ologies, high
mathematics, lecture on bugs and
beetles, exhibit a little of their won
derful knowledge of botany, show
the boys how to stuff a canary bird,
and not a single one of these learned
gents know how to curry a cow or
raise a martin pole. A great deal of
their work is as ridiculous as the
Pickwickian investigations of Bill
Stump's work. A very learned Ger
man professor spent 17 years trying
to prove that he had made a won
derful discovery, which would
change the whole Hebrew philology.
In his research among very ancient
manuscripts he found a Hebrew
character unknown to modern phi
lologists. It somewhat resembled
the letter ydd, but after all his deep
investigations and hard work, it
"finally proved to be a fly-speck.
An educated fool is the most hope
less of all fools. The farmer of to
day must have a practical education
he must read and think he must
have books and papers and study
them closely and master their con
tents. Every one of you ought to
THE INDUSTRIAL AND EDUCATIONAL INTERESTS
take one or more good agricultural
papers and read them, and if you are
too old and hard-headed to be bene
fitted thereby, they will be of incal
culable value to your children. Give
them this chance; they are worthy
of it.
If our farmers were better educa
ted we would have legislation more
favorable to the farming interest.
The formers then could have a voice
in our law-making, but as it is the
are mum, and have not a word to
say. There is class legislation and
discriminations, but not much in fa
vor of the common farmer. To bring
farming to the front as it should be
farmers must organize and icork for
it. The plan outlined by The Pro
gressive Farmer meets my hearty
approval, and it should be put in
operation right away. Let farmers
confer much with one another, com
pare their work and their needs.
Let them ascertain what crops their
lands, their markets and their own
capacities are best adapted to. Let
them intensify, rotate, and diversify
and improve their farms and farm
buildings, and invest their surplus
earnings in making their homes bet
ter, brighter and happier.
W. W. Andrews. Give him light.
Nothing is so much in the way of prof
itable and pleasant farming as want
of light. Every mistake in agricul
tulture can justly be traced to lack
of knowledge. A Bible truth illus
trates it thus : '"The way of the trans
gressor is hard." The swan floats
beautifully on still water; when she
attempts to cross the swift current
she is carried down stream. When
the physical or moral law is violated
the transgressor is the sufferer If
we could by the aid of light plant at
the right time, and work at the right
time, the way would be easy and
pleasant. He that does this has a
considerable job on his hands, and
must read and think. Labor-saving
machines are all right. If we go
with nature in all her laws we will
save one-half the muscle force. In
the great economy of nature it is all
to be consumed. Nothing can be
annihilated. After an amount is di
gested and the food properties assim
ilated, enough is left, if saved, to
produce the same amount again.
The earth would never get poorer
if God's laws were understood
and correctly administered. It is
contrary to divine nature to let
things go to waste. He did not in
tend this world for the eighteenth
or nineteenth centuries, but for all
time. If proper economy was prac
ticed there would be no necessity
for patent medicine for a feeble soil,
in the shape of commercial ferti
lzers. When agricultural iigtxis
turned on then we will see clearly
and avoid mistakes. The ocean fur
nishes her part of plant food lav:shly
to make up for the apparent una
voidable losses. I will risk saying
that with proper economy in all
these sources the soil will get better
instead or worse. Man was put here
to till and keep it, not waste it. Get the
farmer to see the importance of his
calling and he will glory in it. In
the line of dut- there is solid hap
piness. Give him light to see his
heaven-born calling and you have
made one long stride in the right
direction. I am willing to dabble
with commercial fertilizers as a
luxury, but for substantial and per
manent good the place of the manure
bank can't be supplied by any patent
compound.
A. Parker. I admit the farmer
needs light. I am glad of the light
that Mr. Andrews gave us, especially
that of the ocean. I believe in com
mercial fertilizers out and out. The
only plan I conceive to recuperate
our worn soils is by the use of them,
together with all the manure we can
make. I know you may buy reck
lessly, by not using the neceessary
judgment in purchasing of known
manufacturers a pure article. They
appear to be a necessity in growing
fine tobacco. They impart the proper
texture and color and increase its
value many times.
Mr. Andrews. Did you ever know
OF OUR PEOPLE PARAMOUNT TO
WINSTON, N. C, JUNE 9, 1886.
a section or set of men wholly given
to the use of commercial fertilizers
that prospered ?
A. Parker. The cotton section hasv
likely been damaged by their use.
This I attribute to two causes: the
lien system and cotton specialty. By
the first you are at the mercy of the
lien holder, for the prices you pay
for necessaries, and the prices you
obtain for your products. By the
latter you are forced to be a pur
chaser the ear round, which is a
financial strain on your returns of
sales. In the language of David Dick
son, the great Southern agricultural
light: "Buy the ingredients of old and
tried and honest dealers and man
nipulatethem yourself." In this way
the farmers' interest will be pro
moted. T. B. F. Hayworth. I am in favor
of commercial fertilizers. Like Mr.
Parker, I buy such ingredients as I
want and mix them with the richest
dirt I can find about the lot, stable,
or under old dwellings. I com
menced the plan several years ago
and find I now have a surplus
where I formerly had none. I expe
rimented on a certain field. Before
I commenced the above plan it pro
duced about GO bushels of wheat. I
now get 200 bushels and it gets bet
ter each year.
D. M. Payne. I have two sugges
tions to add. Join a farmers' club
and attend it as punctually as tou
do a 113 other calling. Study the
subject and impart the light you
have on it to others, and they to
you, that all may be benefitted. The
prime object of society is to commin
gle and interchange ideas and expe
riences for each other's advance
ment. This narrow, conceited self
ishness that causes men to stay away
from such gatherings is too mean.
It would smother the last lingering
ray of departing truth. Attend,
listen, learn and be benefitted if you
do not feel capable of imparting to
others. Secondly, if you are a far
mer, read agricultural literature.
Head it next to your Bible, and you
get the needed light by it and your
associations in farmers' clubs. The
Progressive Farmer is published in
our midst, and suits our section. It
gives out a benign light that will do
you good. It needs only to be read
to be admired.
Ordered by the Club to be con
densed and reported to The Pro
gressive Farmer for publication.
D. M. Payne,
Secretary.
farmers' club at cedar grove.
June 5, 1886.
In addition to the regular routine
business, the following was unanim
ously adopted :
Resolved, That we recommend the
calling of a county convention by
the farmers' efrt&oPorsyth county,
to meet at the ' CotlKHouse in Win
ston on Saturday the thirty-first day
of July, 1886 ;' and that we request
The Progressive Farmer to assist
us in bringing this convention about.
Subject of discussion was, the ne
cessity of raising as much as possi
ble of the necessaries of life.
President Bevel. Men who make
their home supplies are the most
independent. Eaise your own meat
and bread, and scarify of money
will not affect you so much. Mer
chants and manufacturers may be
reduced to straightened circum
stances, but the farmer, who raises
his own supplies, never can be.
Farming pays. I raised 35 bushels
of wheat last year that cost $25 to
raise it and left the ground in better
condition than before.
S. Alspaugh. Raise home sup
plies. Keep clear of debt and live
happy. Don't reach too for. Don't
aspire to wealth. The middle class
is the best contented. Don't depend
on one crop. The man who raises
tobacco alone makes others rich and
himself poor. Have your corn in
your own crib, your meat in your
own smoke house, make your own
manure and let tobacco and com
mercial fertilizers be things of the
ALL OTHER CONSIDERATIONS OF STATE POLICY.
past and it will be better for us, and
better for coming generations.
Leonard Ketner. Eaise your own
supplies by all means. The best and
easiest way is to tend less land and
tend it better. I make wheat enough
from two bushels of seeding to supply
my family.
Mr. J. M. Jarvis. How many in
iamily have you I
Leonard Ketner. Four.
I gener-
ally make about 50 bushels of wheat
I never bought a bushel of corn nor
a pound of meat in my life. I never
raise any tobacco. Let tobacco alone.
Make manure. I am feeding three
pigs. I will make manure
enough
from them to raise
as much grain
next year as they eat this. Feed
fewer hogs; feed them better, and
you will have more and cheaper
meat.
J. I. Craft. I used to raise my
own supplies. I once made six bush
els of wheat from 17 pints of seed
ing. I emit raising wheat and com-
menced
X c p
raising
tobacco, and it has
nearly ruined me. Let tobacco and
commercial fertilizers alone. Make
your own manure and more of it.
Leoiiard Ketner. To make ma
nure, keep stock enough to eat half
your forage. Use the other half for
littering stalls. Grass spread over
the ground is much better than if
put on after being cured, though not
plowed under until it dries. Hog
manure is very strong. It should
be spread very thinly on ground to
be seeded in wheat. It will cause
wheat to fall down if put on thick.
G. H. Conrad. I have been work
ing hard trying to make money rais
ing tobacco. I have been raising
tabacco and working from home for
bread. It don't pay. Am going to
quit tobacco. I think I can live
easier.
J. M. Jarvis. I have been farm
ing four years; have always raised
my own meat. The first year I
killed three hogs, which Aveighed
554 pounds, at a cost of nine cents
per pound. Last year I killel one
16 months old, same as the former,
which weighed 457 pounds, which
cost seven cents per pound. Keep
best stock and feed well for the best
results. I feed three parts corn with
one of oats, ground together, with a
little wheat bran added. Never feed
hogs whole grain. It is a waste.
Never feed crushed stuff to hogs.
Tobacco is proving to be a curse to
North Carolina. Nine out of every
ten men who have been raising it
any length of time are poorer to-day
than when they began. The evils
that have grown out of the culture
of tobac(
Non. T
co are too numerous to men-
Tobacco and commercial fer
tilizers must go. The hand writing
is on the wall too plainly to be mis
taken. The Club then passed the follow
ing, without a dissenting vote:
Resolved, That we believe it is
necessary for the promotion of our
welfare, to raise our home supplies
and less tobacco, and we pledge our
efforts to the full accomplishment of
this end. J. 31. Jarvis,
Secretary.
SPANISH GROVE CLUB.
The Spanish Grove Club held its
last regular meeting on Saturday,
May 20th, when four more members
were added to the roll. The pro
ceedings of the meeting were con
fined to routine business. The sub
ject of discussion at the next meeting
which takes place on the 26th inst.,
when the subject of discussion will
be, "Is the extensive use of commer
cial -fertilizers, as now practiced,
advisable, and whether it is advisa
ble to cultivate crops under the
mortgage system ?"
SANDY RIDGE FARMERS' CLUB.
This Club held its second meeting
at Marvin Saturday evening June
5th. We had a splendid turn out
considering the good tobacco season
which prevailed Friday and Satur
day. The house" was called to order
by the President. Several new mem-,
bers were added to our list. Short
I - - . " . ' . - , . 1 - I
No. 18.
speeches were made by Messrs. M.
II. Ogburn, S. L. Kiger and others
upon the Culture of Tobacco. The
greatest interest prevailed and farm
ers are loooking forward for better
'times. The following, among other
resolutions, was passed :
Resolved, Tha'the Sandy Ridge
Club favors the' calling of a county
convention, at an early date for the
purpose oforganizing a Farmers'
County Club, and asks the co-operation
of other Clubs in the county.
In union there is strength, and we
hope to soon see the day when there
will be a Farmers' Club organized in
every township in the county and
in every county in the State.
J. L. Armfield,
Secretary.
tate Items,
One thousand bushels of corn
was shipped from our depot last
week. Lenoir Topic.
Dr. J. M. Kilpatrick expects to
commence shipping peaches in
course of another week. The crop
prospects are fine. Goldsboro 3Ies
senger. Our market is now being sup
plied with as nice cabbage as we
have ever seen, the solid heads being
six to eight inches or over. Fayette
ville News.
A barn belonging to Mr. John
L. Wilson, in Troy township, was
burned down one day last week. It
is supposed to have been struck by
1 ig h t n i ng. Da vidson Dispa tch .
Upton, the man who was struck
on the head by a man named Hurley
on Saturday, April 17, died last
Saturday close to the place where
he was injured. Shelby New Era.
A negro man, 2 miles from
Jonesboro, while hoeing corn a few
days since found a slug of gold
worth $38.00. 3Ioore county has
rich mining land as well as fine
tobacco land. Greensboro Patriot.
We have heard many farmers of
late complaining that the recent
rains had done much damage to
plant-beds, covering them with mud
which rotted the plant. Man' plants
that have been stuck are very small
and sorry. Person Courier.
The negro girl, Jeanette Walker,
who was accidentally shot while
taking part in a stage play, a few
weeks since, has just spit out the
ball. It will be remembered that
she was shot in the forehead and
the ball was never found. Salisbury
Watchman.
An old man named Lawrence,
72 years of age, died suddenly last
Saturday night near White Cross, in
about 20 minutes after eating sup
per. We learn that his widow and
a man named John Crawford have
been arrested upon suspicion of
having poisoned the old man.
Hillsboro Observer. r ;
Mike Bodenhamer has had over
140 young chickens hatched out this
spring, and more than 100 of them
have died. It seems that the Leg
horn chickens are hard to raise,
and they bear the name of being
desperately mean. They do treble
the damage to growing vegetables
that the old sort of chickens do, but
they are extraordinary layers.
Salem Press.
We hear that the fly is damag
ing tobacco that has been planted in
some parts of this county.- -31 r.
East, of this county, informs us that
he is offered five dollars per day for
the use of the timber, on 100 acres of
land for 100 days. We learn that
3Ir. Shep Adams shot Lewis Vaughn,
colored, while trying to get into Dr.
W. A. Lashe's corn crib last Friday :
night. Vaughn is now stopping at.
the Stokes Hotel.- -We learn that
the bugs have destroyed a number
of fields of tobacco in this section'
after the plants had been set. out,,
and that the farmers have ploughed
the land and planted it in corn.-
Danbury Reporter. :, . i '!:'.
11