jPftOGIESSIY!
S&RMER,
THE INDUSTRIAL AND EDUCATIONAL INTERESTS OF OUR PEOPLE PARAMOUNT TO ALL OTHER CONSIDERATIONS OF STATE POLICY.
Vol. 1.
WINSTON, N. C, JANUARY 19, 1887.
No. 49.
OUR FARMERS' CLUBS.
What our Farmers are Doing and How
the Work of Organizing is Progressing.
TRINITY CLUB.
Subject Plant Beds and the Tobacco
Crop.
W. O. Harris. 1 have my doubts
whether it is prudent for any of us
lo burn beds or plant crops of tobac
co, if we conclude however to
plant another crop of tobacco.
After maturely studying the
situation it is very important to
begin in time and thoroughly pre
pare and sow your plant bed. Select
a natural loam, clear of gravel with
an abundant supply of plants for
your entire crop and replanting.
"We have been too extravagant, most
of us, with wood in burning beds.
To avoid this waste of wood clear
off the place and dig straight down
with your mattock, not reversing
the soil, and then burn the brush,
trash and inferior qualities of wood.
If the land be fresh, as it ought to
be, it will require less burning.
After this re-dig and burn again.
All turfs should be raked off before
the last burning. Now rake finely
after sowing the phosphate to
incorporate it in the soil before
sowing the seed. Then sow
one and one-half spoonfuls to 100
square yards, of the Gooch variety.
We select this variety because it is
the easiest to cure yellow. We pre
fer a bright article to more weight..
Sow any time from the first of Janu
ary to the first of March, when the
ground is not too wet. New ground
and o!d pine fields are best adapted.
Heavy clay lands are not suitable,
making a heavy, coarse leaf that will
not cure bright.
Plant fewer acres and cultivate
thoroughly, beginning as soon as it
will admit after setting. Don't set
them when too wet. Rather than
mortgage a crop for fertilizers I
would hire out to work at 25 cents a
day. I should have cautioned you
to dig trenches around and across
your plant beds so that they may
be thoroughly drained in wet sea
sons. J. E. Sumner. I agree with Mr.
Harris in his., sowing and manage
ment of the planljbeds. But I am
not so. well satisfied about the pro
priety of cultivating it at all. The
damage of land and the general risk
overbalances the chances of gain.
In this section where timbered land
is valuable and scarce it is not ad
visable to cut down and clear up
for a tobacco crop alone. The to
bacco crop requires so much atten
tion and labor that it necessarily
compels us to neglect other impor
tant work on the farm, such as cul
tivating other crops and preparing
the lands for fall seeding and the
general improvements needed on a
farm. Notwithstanding some of
my land is well adapted to the
growth of tobacco I have concluded
not to plant any this year.
A. Parker. I have had but little
experience in tobacco culture. Be
fore I began it I first counted the
cost and consequently did not ex
pect big things. I rather think as
yet I am damaged by it. However
as I have been at the expense of
building barns and other necessary
preparations for this special crop, I
propose trying it still further. I
shall select two or three acres of my
land best adapted to its growth and
endeavor to make a first class article.
For a two horse farm, I would think,
two or three acres a plenty. I would
not mortgage my crop for fertilizers
or supplies, but would rather borrow
the money at 8 per cent and pay
cash for them, and thereby save the
exorbitant rate charged time buy
ers. B. F. Steed. I am satisfied that we
can make more money on the tobac
co crop than we can growing grain
crops, on the same ground. We ad
mit that the past years have not
been very favorable to the growth
of iobacco, and I have known sea-
sonA when wheat and corn tailed as
badly on account of the season. If
I can do half so well as some of
my neighbors did season before last
I shall be satisfied Mr. Reddock
made on 3 acres about six hundred
dollars that season on tobacco. This
he could not have done with any of
the ordinary crops grown here. 1
propose trying it a little further as
I have gone to the expense of pre
paring for it. Cultivate well a few
acres and properly handle it if you
expect good prices.
J. R. Means. We should plant
not less than two acres, if we plant
any, in order to get a barn of uni
form size and ripeness. The fail
ures the past season should not stop
us but rather nerve us up to try
harder the next time. Never risk
a large crop of it, if you do you
will neglect other important crops
I am of the opinion that you can
get from a third to a half more out
of it with the same labor than you
can from a grain crop. By all means
get an early and even stand as it
will ripen up better and give you
more time to cure it.
D. Reid Parker. Don't be deceived
into the ruinous idea of the one
crop policy. If you do you will get
so poor that your carcass would not
be relished even by hungry buzzards.
Make your own supplies and be self
sustaining and independent plant
what you may. We must be satis
fied with slow going until we learn
more about this crop, as none of us
are experts in its management,
Operate on a small scale and in the
meantime learn. It is folly to ex
pect to succeed in any business un
til we have become trained in its re
quirements. As we learn more we
will succeed better. Don't go in
debt and mortgage your crop for
tertilizers or any thing else, if you
do the chances are that you will
come to grief. Let the warehouse
men and the obliging merchants
keep their ferterlizers so far as you
are concerned. Pay the cash for
these things or go without and then
you will be at liberty to sell when
and where you you please.
D. M. Payne. Other brethren
have sufficiently discussed the sub
ject from the seed bed to the ware
house. I want to go over unoccu
pied ground. In doing so I must
digress in some measure from what
the statement of the question would
allow, claiming that the following
thoughts are pertinent with those
who do or contemplate tobacco cul
ture. While the farmer's financial
interest may cease at the warehouse
he has a moral consideration beyond
it. Tobacco is not of vital import
ance to a people except in the single
instance claimed by Mr. Clingman
for its medical properties. If he be
correct it is only fit for the sick
room and therefore would require a
much less extent of growing to sat
isfy the demands than it now has.
If the ground we have taken be a
just one, we ought to plant with an
eye first to other crops, such as the
cereals and fruits, together with
their foods, then tobacco.
It is claimed, and I think justly,
that the making and vending of a
deleterious article is detrimental to
the community. But in this instance
the bad effects are somewhat miti
gated as it does not destroy in its
manufacture some life sustaining
article as others do. It would be
doubly baneful if it had such de
struction in its preparation. It oc
cupies time and soil in its culture,
which, likely, might be put to bet
ter use.
Now if it be a luxury, as Capt.
Snow, who is good authority, claims
then we may with some propriety,
if not decency, cultivate it. As a
money crop it has but few superiors
if you are situated in a favorable lo
cality for it, and have "Snow's mod
ern tobacco barn" to cure it in. But
luxuries are scarcely bearable when
ruin in some 'form " follows in their
wake. A man need not bo an ex
pert in physic to see that the bad
effects arising from the use of a weed
of questionable utility, when it
makes him sick arid the better type
I am of the
are at least
50 per cent more dwarfed constitu
tions now than there were forty
years ago and they cannot all be at
tributed to "soda bread and western
side-meat," for these were in com
mon use at that time tobacco was
not. Sallow faces in healthy lo
calities are generally in proportion
to the amount of tobacco used, espec
ially if the use was begun in boy
hood. Most nervous diseases have
a similar origin. Destroy or impair
a man's nervous system and he be
comes a shaking mass of unfitness
for anything not even for family
abuse, and this is another mitigating
clause in favor of the weed that
some other luxuries cannot honestly
claim. Man is almost alone in the
use of it. His only rivals are the
mountain goat and the horn worm.
He can with some degree of truth
say that he is growing it for the
benefit of these two alone.
D. M. Payne, Sec'y.
M.
MT. TABOR CLUB.
Minutes of meeting ATo. 3 held Jan.
7th 1887.
Called to order by the President
at the usual hour. One new mem
ber added to the roll.
The report of the Committee for a
nice on tobacco and oats was post
poned until next meeting. J. W.
Bullard, F. A. Fulk, David Endsley,
F. W. Pfaff and Thos. Ririr were an-
pointed as delegates to the County
Convention.
The subject for discussion was
taken up and discussed by the fol
lowing gentlemen, to-wit : F. W.
Pfaff, Isaac Petree, A. J. Burrus and
G. W. Mitchell. '
F. W. Pfaff. Gentlemen, The
subject for discussion to-night is
winter work on the farm. We should
prepare our fire-wood for winter,
look out for cattle that they have
good, warm quarters, repair our
buildings, haul trash and other re
fuse in our barn lots, &c.
Isaac Petree. We should get up
our fire wood for winter use, spend
a good deal of our time in our barn
lots making all the manure we can,
patch the leaky roofs, turn our land
for corn and oats, when weather
permits, and when it snows go a
rabbit hunting and enjoy ourselves
and catch all the rabbits we can, for
they will save the ravages on the
meat tub.
A. J. Burrus. Not being a pro
gressive farmer, I am like the man
was that wore a wooden leg. Being
asked why he did, he said: "My
father, grand-father, and great-grandfather
wore wooden legs, and it
seems to run in the family." We
have what is called four seasons in
the year Spring, Summer, Autumn
and Winter. December is the first of
the winter months; the wheat being
sown, and corn gathered and housed,
the winter work on the farm com
mences. The first thing is to pre
pare our fire-wood for the winter use,
turn our corn land and get ready for
the next crop, burn our plant beds.
Do not cut any more timber for
the sake of planting tobacco, but
make manure and plant old fields,
and then sow in clover and grass,
and in a few years you will see our
waste-places blossom like an Eden.
February is the time for us to com
mence sowing our oat crop try and
sow all we can, for there is not a
better nutriment raised on the farm
than oats, for all kinds of fetoek.
David Endsley. I do not favor
breaking land in winter. I think it
is injurious to it causes it to run
together and bake, and it does not
stand the drouth as well as it does
in the spring. My motto is, to
break and plant, but for oats I think
it best to break in winter.
G. W. Mitchell. I break my land
in the fall, before Christmas; if it is
good plow-weather the land will
pulverize and stand the drouth bet
ter than land broke in Spring, 5 and
the cut-worm is not so bad, and you
can get a better stand of corn, tdo
not agree with my friend ! Endsley
of animals refuse it.
opinion that there
on his theory, and will show corn
with him in the fall.
Thos. Ring, Sec.
SANDY RIDGE CLUB.
The club met on the 15th inst. A
goodly number present. We are
glad to note the regular evening
meetings growing more interesting.
Mr. W. W. Reich wa elected to
membership.
mi i -
jme suoject iorcwscussion was
waived for consideration of other
business.
J. N. Reich spoke very earnestly
in favor of reorganization of the
State Board of Agriculture so as to
be of more practical benefit to the
farmer or abolish it entirely. Also
in favor of working a certain class
of convicts on our public roads in
stead of hiring them to railroad
companies. Also the abolition of
the crop mortgage system for com
mercial fertilizers. To prevent usu
ry as at present practiced. The fer
tilizing companies can get an enor
mous rate of 18 or 20 per cent.,
whereas by law (if not for this sys
tem) they could only collect 6 per
cent. We not only pay a large jvr
cent on a mortgage but pay $500
more per ton when buying - on
time.
Isaac Reich spoke briefly on the
Privilege tax on commercial fertili
zers, so as to invite competition
in our markets and by so doing re
duce the prices. .
P. A. Cox spoke favorably of abol
ishing the State Immigration office.
Said he welcomed all good citizens
who chose to come and dwell with
us, whether rich or' poor, but was
opposed to theState Agricultural So
ciety employing agents to encourage
foreign immigration to the State
and thought something should be
done to prevent the destruction of
our timber and prevent wealthy
syndicates from acquiring large bod
ies of our best timbered lands for
speculation.
The following resolutions were
passed for the consideration of the
farmers' convention on the 26:
Resolved, 1st, That the State Board of
Agriculture be reorganized so as to be of
more practical benefit to the farmer or
be abolished.
Resolved, 2d, That we demand the in
stitution of an agricultural college with
the money arising from the Public Land
Scrip.
Resolved, 3d, That the office of State
Immigration Agent should be abolished.
Resolved, 4th, That we favor working
convict labor on our public roads instead
of hiring to Rail Road Companies.
Resolved, 5th, That we ask the legisla
ture to amend, in its wisdom, the law
in relation to cruelty to animals, so as to
make it more easily enforced.
Resolved, 6th, That the crop lien or
mortgage system should be abolished in
regard to commercial fertilizers.
Resolved, 7th, That weighmasters in
in tobacco Warehouses should act under
oath.
Resolved, 8th That we ask the Progres
sive Farmer to publish these resolutions.
J. H. Cox, Sec'y.
SPANISH GROVE FARMERS CLUB.
On Saturday morning, the 16th
inst., our club had a most interest
ing meeting. It. ws largely attend
ed and we addeipfcwo new members.
Arrangements i4ereiade to send
two delegates to thtj Farmers' Mass
Convention at Raleigh on the 26th
inst. X
A resolution was unanimously
adopted, asking the Convention to
investigate the annual expenditure
of the $43,000 by our Department of
Agriculture, and whether such ex
penditure has been made in the in
terest of the farmers of the State,
and whether it has been done with
proper economy
E. C. Dull, Sec'y.
ORGANIZING IN MOORE COUNTY GREEN
WOOD TOWNSHIP.
Moore County, N. C. ")
Jan. 8. '87.
Editor Progressive Farmer:
The farmers of this township met to
day and organized a farmers' club,
to be knwn as Greenwood Farmers'
Club, No. ll Owing to the cold
weather and heavy snow, the turn
out was not large. We enrolled 15
members with great enthusiasm and
elected the following officers: Rev.
H. W. Graham, President, Dr. John
L. Cox, Secretary, A. II. Spencer,
Treasurer. At our next meeting, on
Saturday the 15th, will complete the
selection of officers.
The subject for discussion at our
next meeting is "Winter Work,"
We want a few copies of your
valuable paper for distribution
among our members. All should be
subscribers t6 The Progressive
Farmer.
J. L. Cox, Sec'y
A CLUB AT OAKS.
Editor Progressive Farmer: A
dozen farmers met t Oaks, in Or
ange county, Jan. yfith, and organ
ized a club to promote the best in
terests of the farming classes. The
day was very unfavorable, and only
a short notice had been given, but a
very general interest was felt in the
objects of the meeting. The mem
bers were unanimously in favor of
holding a Mass Convention of far
mers in Raleigh, to permanently
organize and unite the farmers, and
consider what legislation, if any, can
be had for the benefit of the farming
classes. t
Another meeting was appointed
to be held January 15th, to elect del
egates to the Mass Convention to
be held in Raleigh.
Alex. Mclver was elected Presi-;
dent and Jesse Morrow Secretary of,
the club. A. Farmer.
ROCK REST CLUB.
Monroe, N. C
Jan. 6, '87.
Editor Progressive Farmer: The
farmers of Rock Rest neighborhood,
Union county, have recently organ
ized a club to be known as the Rock '
Rest Farmers' Club. ;
The officers are : J. H. Williams,
Pres., II. C. Moore, Yice Pres., B. C.
Ashcraft. Sec, and T. E. Williams,
Treas.
The next meeting is to be held
January 14th.
Yours truly,
J. B. Ashcraft.
OKION SPEAKS.
Dear brother "Job," I read your
letter in the Progressive Farmer.
You are right. I am with you heart
and soul and there are thousands and
tens of thousands of farmers all
over this land who feel ' as we do.
But I see no effective remedy for
the evils that are being heaped upon
us this side of the ballot box. Farm
ing clubs and organizing is all right
as far as it goes, but at last we must
go to the ballot box for relief. This
must be a government of the people
for the people, and not of monopoly
for monopoly. I for one would be
glad to see the fanners' convention
when it meets adopt a declaration
of purposes and principles so we
may crystalize the sentiment of;
our people and act understandingly
together. There are questions of
momentous importance which should
be considered by that convention.
Hoping to meet you in Raleigh on
the 26th, I am respectfully,
Okion.
We learn that foxes are increas
ing very much in portions of David
son county. Poultry are suffering
from their ravages and they are
thinning out rabbits and other game
considerably. Minks are also troub
lesome. Salem Press.
Stock is suffering badly this
desperately bad weather. Few farm
ers are prepared to house them prop
erly so as to protect them from ,the
blasting winds and chilling rains
The petition for a stock law to
embrace Pittsboro and its vicinity
having received a majority of the
qualified voters in the territory was
granted by the commissioners at
their last meeting and the fence was
ordered to b&bmlti -Chatham JIbmeJ