i
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ii
Vol. 1.
OUR FARMERS' CLUBS.
What our Farmers are Doing and How
the Work of Organizing is Progressing.
CEDAR GROVE FARMERS' CLUB.
The club met on the 24th ult. The
question for discussion was "Shall
the Farmers have a Thorough
Organization Township, County
and State?" In a short talk A. AY.
Bevel said: (Jllt is a benefit to thej
farmers to organize. There is noth
ing carried on successfully without
organization. Farmers complain
about certain laws that don't suit
them one will get on a horse and
start around to see his neighbors to
get them to sign a petition to send
to their representatives. He calls
out his neighbor and asks him to
sign the petition. The neighbor will
8ay 4 well that is all right. I am with
you, but I don't know hardly what
to do about it. You just go ahead
and I'll see you again'! And so he
goes on till prabably he gets 25 or
30 signers and he sends the petition
to Raleigh, and if our representative
thinks it would be a benefit to some
lawyer or banker he will notice it,
but if it is to benefit the farmer he
will pigeon-hole'it and that will be
the end of it.
"But if the farmers were organ
ized and said they wanted certain
things done, and insist upon their
representatives doing them, the
probabilities are they wTould pay
some attention with the salutary
tear of being left at home next time
in the event they failed', for failing
to listen to the voice and respect
the wishes of the farmers by whose
votes they were elected. By organ
ization you can do wThat in your
individual capacity you never can
do."
A. W. Bevel, Secretary.
OAK RIDGE FARMERS' CLUB.
This club was organized on Satur
day, the 2nd inst., with fifteen mem
bers. The constitution and by-laws
issued by The Progressive Farmer
were unanimously adopted. The
following are the officers-elect for
the year: President, It. A. Blaylock ;
Yice-President, J. A. Lowery ; Secre
tary, Charles Case. Owing to the
"cold wave" a great many of our
farmers were kept away to attend
to their tobacco, but we hope at our
next meeting to have a large attend
ance and to add quite a number to
our list. Wo will keep The Progres
sive Farmer informed as to our
progress.
It. A. Blaylock, President.
Chas. Case, Secretary.
Oak Ridge Institute, Oct. 2, 1886.
IN STOKES COUNTY.
Neatman, Stokes Co., X. C,
September 28. 1886. j
Editor Progressive Farmer: I
write you to let you hear from this
part of old Stokes. The farmers are
busy cutting and curing tobacco. A
few farmers in this neighborhood
met and organized a' Farmers' Club
at Fiat Shoal on Saturday, 25th of
September. Eight joined the club
out of eleven present. Our club is
small but we hope to grow larger
and more progressive in farming as
we grow older. Joel Y. Allen was
elected President; B. F. Pullman,
Vice-President, and D. V. Carroll,
Secretary. We will elect our Treas
urer at our next meeting, which
will be Saturday, October 9th, at 2
o'clock p. m. Our club will be known
as Meadows Township Club.
D. V. Carroll, Sec'y.
THE MOVEMENT IN PITT.
The farmers of Pitt county are
moving in earnest in the matter of
organizing a county club. They
will meet for that purpose at the
court house in Greenville next Sat
urday. At a primary meeting
Messrs. Allen Warren, John Flanagan
and Josephus Latham were ap
pointed a committee to issue an
address to the farmers of the county
which we find in the Greenville
77 INDUSTRIAL AND EDUCATIONAL INTERESTS
Reflector, from which we clip the fol
lowing extract which shows the
spirit that actuates them :
Qvln this age of steam and electric
ity, the world is moving at a rapid
pace and while all other interests
are ceaslessry striving to reach the
acme of influence and power, the
farmer should be no laggard in the
race for superiority. It is only
through an Agricultural Society
that the importance of co-operation
and concert of action in mat
ters of business can be impressed
upon the farming community. We
want good farmers; it is only by
comparing notes, by giving in our
experience, by telling what we know,
by a cordial interchange of views
and ideas can we teach others, and
eliminating the good from the bad,
fix upon the best methods, the best
plans for conducting our farming
operations.
We do not wish fancy speaking
and many words. Let us organize
a Society in which wo may meet
together and study the good of all;
in which there will be no selfish
interest but the happiness of our
families, the welfare of our county
and the prosperity of all our country
will be the aim and hope of every
member."
Mr. Wm. W. Robinson writes us
that a Farmers' Club numbering
titty members has been organized
at Poplar Tent, Cabarrus county,
and that many more names will be
added. T. II. Morrison wTas elected
President, C. A. Barringer, Vice
President, and Wm. W. Robinson,
Secretary. 'The4' Yn embers are deeply
interested and alive to the necessity
of doing something to better their
condition. The subject for consid
eration at next meeting is the rela
tions existing between landlord and
tenant, and plans for co-operation
in business affairs.
A movement is on foot to organize
a Farmers' Club at Iluntersville, in
Mecklenburg county.
PEA VINES.
Editor Progressive Farmer: Will
you kindly give me some information as
to the time and manner of saving pea
vines? I notice that frequently the
leaves all shed off in saving them. How
c;in this be avoided? J. C. P.
Manly, N. C, Sept. 25, 1886.
Mow the vines, beginning after
the dew is off, and let them have a
day's sunshine put them up in piles.
Haul them to your barn or shelter
next day. Cover the floor first
with wheat straw about six or eight
inches deep, put on a layer of the
vines only deep enough to conceal
the straw, another layer of straw
only deep enough to conceal the
vines, and so on alternately until
the vines are all stored. Longer
exposure to the sun causes the outer
skin on the vines to slip and the leaves
to shed. You will find that the
straw will be made very palatable
to your stock by thus using it, as
it absorbs much of the matter that
escapes from the vines during the
slight process of fermentation which
they undergo.
A TREE THAT BORE TWO
FRUITS.
At Newberne Mr. W. S. Stryon
has in his garden a dwarf pear tree
which bears both pears and quinces
successively. There appears to be
no limb graft and the tree is entirely j
pear in appearances, but when it
fruits, both pears and quinces are
borne. Dwarf pears are generally
grafted on quince stock, but we have
never before heard of the quince
strain asserting itself sufficiently to
produce fruit of this kind. Elizabeth
City Falcon.
A: gentleman who has been
through Alamance county informs
the Durham Recorder that the tobacco
crop is very light and that there
wilt be a little over half acropmade.
OF OUR PEOPLE PARAMOUNT TO
WINSTON, N. O., OCTOBER 6,
JPtatt items.
Diphtheria is prevalent in por
tions of Cumberland county.
Mr. C. K. Gallagher has bought
2000 bushels of grapes. They make
7500 gallons of wine. Monday the
streets were almost blocked up with
carts and wagons filled with them
from all parts. -Washington Gazette.
-We have heard of very few
barns of tobacco being burned this
season. The farmers seem to have
exercised greater care in curing
than heretofore, and the result has
been better cured tobacco and fewer
losses by fire. Henderson Goldteaf.
Dr. J. W. McNeill says he
recently saw a spider web with the
letters UM A N" distinctly woven
in it, also an unfinished It imme
diately following the N. The web
was seen on the Wilmington road in
the southeastern edge of the city.
Fa yetteville Sun.
The farmers report that the
cotton crop is turning out badly.
One farmer yesterday told an Obser
ver reporter that he has just picked
over a four acre field and realized
only 800 pounds of cotton, and this
too on land that usually produced
nearly a bale to the acre. Charlotte
Observer.
We are informed that about the
1st of November next, the Bank of
Hickory, to be located at this place,
will commence operations. It will
be carried on by Mr. D. W. Shuler,
ojfthe Bank of Johnson Cityf Tenn.,
and by parties from Grand Rapids,
Michigan. Piedmont Press.
There seems to be a widespread
and fatal disease among the horses
and mules. We know of quite a
number of valuable animals that
have died in this section of late. It
is suggested that the trouble is in
the grazing, but we dare say the
cause is of atmospheric origin.
Goldsboro A rgus.
We were shown by Mr. W.
Monroe this morning a sample of
sugar cane, the stalk of which was
ten feet in height and large in pro
portion. It was raised by Mr. W.
it. Collins in Pender county, and is
about an average stalk in a field
of two acres. Mr. Collins expects
to make at least 300 gallons of
molasses from the cane raised on
the two acres of ground. Wilming
ton Review.
The Scotland Neck people are
hauling goods in wagons from the
river because of the high freights
by rail. We heard an experien
ced farmer say a few days ago that
corn was not as likely to be hurt by
frost after the fodder is pulled as it
is before. Those who planted late
corn should make note of this and
pull fodder before frost. Diphthe
ria is still raging in the Gaston sec
tion. There have been about sixty
cases within the past few weeks and
it is still prevailing. We regret to
learn that Mr. W. H. Harrison has
lost another child from this disease
it being the third that has suc
cumbed to it. Roanoke Netcs.
-The acorn crop is a failnre this
year. There are only a few scat
tering ones. Jonathan Jones
killed four large copperhead snakes
in his meadow last Thursday. They
were all of them close toget'icr.
Martin Smith, of Davidson county
says that tobacco worms have been
worse this year than he ever saw
them any year previous. He says
that there were times this year that
he killed more worms in one day
than he killed on his whole crop
last year. We are sorry to hear
that Jonas Knaus, of Davidson
county ttad a barn full of tobacco
to burn up one day last week. He
was curing two barns at the same
time, and had just finished one and
left a fire in the furnace of it, and
gone to the other one. When he
discovered the fire it was beyond
control. It was full of nice tobacco.
Salem Press.
ALL OTHER CONSIDERATIONS OF STATE POLICY.
1886.
Notwithstanding what has been
said concerning the failure of crops
in thrs section, it is now generally
admitted by farmers that fie out
look is much better than was at one
time supposed. Corn on highlands
was never better, and, had it not
been for the heavy rains in June,
this section would have been blessed
with crops such as it never saw
before. The rice crop is excellent
and the cotton crop fair, while the
sweet potato crop is abundant.
Elizabeth City Falcon.
A mammoth brick tobacco fac
tory is being erected near the Ban
ner Warehouse, by J. H. Gilmer &
Co. Mr. John Jackson, while
butchering a cow near here one day
this week found in her maw a gold
ear ring, a piece of wire and quite a
number of pins. Four miles from
Greensboro in the yard of J. II.
Buchanan stands a tree eight feet
four inches in diameter and twenty
five feet in circumference at the
trunk two feet above the ground.
One branch of this tree is inhabited
by bees, where they have been in
successful operation for many years.
Greensboro Patriot.
TOBACCO CULTURE.
In the early part of the year there
was a tobacco boom among our peo
ple and the farmers were induced to
plant small crops of tobacco in order
to test the adaptation of our soil and
climate to its production; So far as
we have been able to learn the crop
itself has been a success and the
great drawback. ta its final sucpess
has been the want of information
among farmers as to the mode of
curing and preparing it for market.
We have heard of but two persons
who have put up barns for the flue
curing of tobacco. J. It. Etheridge,
of Itosedale, Pasquotank county,
and Dr. Woodley, of Chowan county.
Some of the tobacco cured by Dr.
Woodley has been examined by
experts in the tobacco markets and
pronounced equal to any tobacco
raised in the sections devoted to
tobacco culture. It is to be hoped
that the farmers of our section will
not abandon the culture of tobacco
but will place themselves in a posi
tion to reap the benefits of the
tobacco crops. Mr. Etheridge and
Dr. Woodley are both men of obser
vation and good sense and we are
glad to know that tobacco culture
in our section is in the hands of safe
pioneers in the business who 'will
give it a safe thorough and intelli
gent trial. Elizabeth City Economist.
PRUNING TREES.
Mr. F. K. Pho3iiix, the veteran
pomologist of Wisconsin, in relation
to pruning trees says: "There are
many tolerably thrifty apple trees
throughout the Northwest suffering
for a thorough pruning out of dead
b anches and spurs. It is perfectly
well known that dead wood is a
deadly burden to a living tree. Let
ting a dead limb remain only robs
the live part of the needed sap and
greatly injures the fruit. A lively
pruner can go over several large
orchard trees in a day, but if it took
a half a day or more to prune thor
oughly a large tree of choice fruit,
it will pay the owner most richly
on the very next crop of fruit."
CALIFORNIA WHEAT.
According to the San Francisco
Report, California has at least 70,000,
000 bushels of wheat worth at least
$54,600,000, while last year it had
only $28,000,000 worth. The barley
crop of 18,000,000 centals will bring
in $16,000,000 as against $9,000,000
last year. In these two items alone
farmers will have $72,600,000, when
in 1885 they had only $47,000,000,
a i increase of over $35,000,000, or
nearly double that of 1885, while the
area sown was only a fraction larger
Despite low prices, say even lower
than 1885, the tiller of the soil it is
thought will be in ' a much v better
condition than he was a year ago.
N'1. 35.
SCHOOL STATISTICS FUR 1885.
The school statistics for North
Carolina for the last scholastic year
were very satisfactory. This is the
first time they have been published.
They were as follows:
Paid teacherswhite, $31 7,142.90
" " colored 190,004.37
For school houses white 37,427.91
" " " colore! i,72.42
County superintendents lL't41(.4fc
Teachers' institutes white.... 2,075.81
" " colored... 1,329.08
2 I
Other purposes l!(),974.'7
Treasurers' commissions lo,452.4&
Total $630,552-12
Five counties did not report, nor
does the above embrace the local
taxes for graded schools, which
being added, will run the amount up
to $750,000. That is what we spent
last year on free schools in North
Carolina.
There1 were 2,721 teachers in
attendance on the normal schools
during the year -and 3,485 on' the
institutes. In 1877 the number of
pupils enrolled was 98,764; in 1885
it was 298,166. In 1879 the value
of school property was $143,569 ; in
1885 it was $565,960. In the last
four years $2,296,790 was paid for
schools, excluding the. local taxes
for graded schools save in the
instances of Raleigh and Charlotte
and more than that, because a gojd
many counties made no report.
Raleigh News and Observer.
DEFECTIVE LAWS.
It is well said, "There i.othing
which requires greater skill than to
pass a law that shall have the effect
that was intended." People-do not
seem to realize this tact and as a
consequence, are constantly sending
men to the State and National Leg
islatures who are without a single
necessary qualification for the work
of law making. In so important a
matter as the selection of men, whose
duty it shall be to enact laws for
the government of the entire people,,
great care should be exercised so
that only those who are fully twn
petent in every respect shall be
allowed to use this delegated power
Voters are too careless, too uncoife
cerned, and manifest too little inter
est in this matter for the gool of
the Commonwealth. Year after
year laws are passed for certain pnr
poses, but how. many of these enact
ments have the effect intended? It
is safe to say that the larger num
ber of the laws passed at any one
session of our State Legislature are
defective in some respect and are
never really enforced. The end
contemplated in their passage may
have been right and proper, but
they are never attained, because
those to whose care the work of leg
islation was entrusted were not
qualified for the task. Will not our
citizens exercise a wise .discrimina
tion in the selection of members of
the Legislature? Farmers Friend.
FEDERAL DEBT STATEMENT.
The debt statement issued from
the U. S. Treasury on the 1st inst.,'
shows the decrease of the public
debt during the month of Septem
ber to be $10,627,013.17;. cash in the
Treasury, $465,365,713; gold certifi
cates outstanding, $84,691,807; sil
ver certificates outstanding, $95,387,
112; certificates of deposit outstand
ing, $7,705,000; refunding certifi
cates outstanding, $199,600; old
demand notes and legal tenders out
standing, $346,738,391; fractional
currency, (not including the amount
estimated as lost or destroyed,)
$7,953,702.
There is much lively work going
on in the Gold Mines around Char
lotte, and also in Mecklenburg and
adjoining counties. In Rowan and
Cabarrus and Union the old mines
are being opened and new ones
worked. Many thousands of dollars
are now invested in the mining sec- 1
tion ana it is saia me mvesiracai
pays. Charlotte Democrat. ,