Newspapers / The Progressive Farmer (Raleigh, … / Jan. 19, 1887, edition 1 / Page 4
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grtlE PROGRESSIVE TERMER,; JANUARY 19, 1887. 4 THE PROGRESSIVE FARMSR. L. L. polk, - . - P. F. DUFFY, ASSOCIA; EDITOR. u SUBSCRIPWON : $2.00 FOR ONE YEAR. Sl.OffFOR 6 MONTHS POST-PAI Invariably in jMvance SubncriberH will be notified two weeks lefore their time expireH and If they do not renew the paper will be stopped promptly. Liberal Inducements to elubA. "" Active agents wanted In every county, city town and village in the State. Write for terms. Money at our risk, if sent by registered letter or money order. Advertising Rates quoted on application. On all matters relating to the paper, Address THE PROGRESSIVE FARMER, Winston, N. C. o To Correspondents. Write all communications, designed for pub lication, on one side of the paper. Rejected communications will be numbered and filed, and the author will be notified. II not applied for in 30 days they will be de stroyed. To secure their return postage must be sent with the application. Answers to en- auiries will be made through our "Correspon ents Column " when it can be done with pro priety. We want inteligent correspondents in every county in the State. We want acta ol value, results accomplished of value, experi ences of value, plainly and briefly told. One solid, demonstrated fact is worth a thousand theories Address all communications to The Pkogressive Farmer, Winston, N. C. Wilton, Jf. C, Jail. 19, 188T- This paper entered as second class matter at the Post Office in Winston, A. C. OUR NEW YEAR'S GIFT TO SUBSCRIBERS. Wc will send The Progressive Farmer Free for One Year to every subscriber who semis us three new subscribers with six dollars before the 15th day of February next. Here is a chance to get your paper free. Send money in registered lettei post office money order or postal note at our risk. THE CROSS MARK. The cross mark on your paper in dieates that the time for which voii subscribed has or is about to expire. It is to give notice so your subserip tion may be renewed. If the sub scription be not renewed tho name will be dropped from the list, but we want every one to renew and bring a friend along too. Read our advertisements. And you will do us a great favor when you speak or write of them, to men tion The Progressive Farmer. GOV. SCALES ON FARMING. In his message to the legislature Gov. Scales, referring in justly com mendatory terms to the work of the Experiment station and the necessi ty lor its establishmmt, says: "The great object in view was to promote the farming interests in the State upon which all her material inter ests depend. Our lands, much ex hausted, as the result of slave labor demanded strong and stimulating fer tilizers" We quote this last remark to ex press our regret that such a fallaci ous theory long since exploded by the most practical-and successful agriculturalists in th is and other States should be again brought forth under the sanction of such high authority. We esteem our worthy chief Executive most Highly and regret that a sense of duty to tho farming interests of the State forces us to dissent from his theory The teaching that exhausted soils demand strong and stimulating com mercial fertilizers has cost the farm ers of North Carolina millions and millions of dollars since the war and has well nigh bankrupted every one who has relied upon it. "Ex hausted" soils are not the kind upon which to; use these strong and stimulating fertilizers," but thous ands of our farmers have followed this delusive idea to their ruin. $If a man, after long - and excessive fatigue and hunger becomes exhaust ed, should wo give him plenty of good nourishing food or should he have astimulatirigdrinkof whiskey? As well might we expect to satiate his hunger and restore his strength with tho whiskey as to give strength and i vigor to exhausted soils by the use. of. "strong and .stimulating; fertilizers. Wo acknowledge the kindness of our esteemed representative, Mr. Henry E.-Fries, in sending us public Rejports. THE TWO CONVENTIONS. What Does It Mean ? The Newbern Journal, always to be found among the very foremost of our State papers, in advocacy of whatever pertains to he advance ment of theindustriaf interests of our people, inVreceiit issue, notices the calls for twoNFarmers' Conven- tions, and - veiy Jtiaturany asKs: "What dnoM it rnetfnV' The Journal says one is calledby Gov. Scales on the loth the other by tne Eiditoroi the Progressive Farmer on the 26th. i ust. In this, our esteemed contem porary gives us undue prominence and importance. While the Progres sive Farmer, from its first issue, has advocated an annual Convention of the Farmers, yet, in the matter of calling the Convention, it has acted simply as the mouth-piece of the farmers, just as did Gov. Scales in the capacity of chairman of the Board of EduhrThe Journal admonishes GovVJarvis, as the pos sible leader in the State campaign of 1888, to adjust the seeming con flict and restore harmony, if he ex pects to triumph. We beg to assure our good friend, the Journal, that so far as the Pro gressive Farmer, or the great mass of farmers, whom it is proud to rep resent, are concerned, there is no conflict, nor will there be any, so long as their rights in the premises are properly respected. Justice to them, however, requires a plain statement of facts, in answer to the question, "What does it mean ?" as doubtless the situation has suggested the question to thou sands of others throughout the State. The matter has been discussed with earnest interest, through private correspondence, through this and other papers, and in farmers' clubs and farmers' meetings, for months. In August last, the Forsyth Far mers' club, composed of ten sub clubs, issued an address to the far mers of the State, strongly urging a Farmers' Convention. In Novem ber, the club, in response to what evidently appeared to be tho senti ment of the farmers' of the State, adopted resolutions, suggesting a Mass Convention of the farmers' of the State, on the 19th inst., at Greensboro. In response to this suggestion, resolutions were adopt ed by clubs and numerous letters wsre received from prominent farm era in all sections of tho State, all endorsing the Convention, but show ing a decided preference for Raleigh as the place at which it should be held. Before the time that the place and date (Raleigh, the 26th) was finally decided upon, a notice from Gov. Scales, as ex-ofiicio chair man of the Board of Agriculture, was mailed to all the papers of the State, announcing that the Board "had set apart the night of the 18th, for a "joint meeting'' of the farmers with the Board at Raleigh, "for the discussion of topics appertaining to the material interests of the State." Wo were fortunate in having changed the date as well as the place of meeting, since it was plainly ovv dent that . those who attended the meeting of the Board in Raleigh on the 18th, could not possibly hare at tended the Convention at Greens boro on the 19th , nor was it contem plated by the Board, so far as could be judged by the notice published, that the meeting was to assume the proportions of a Con vention,for it"set apart" only one night for the "joint meeting," and that was fixed on the 18th the night before the proposed Convention at Greensboro. In the address of the Forsyth county Farmers' Club, quite a num ber of very important matters were suggested as proper subjects for con sideration by a Convention, and which would, most probably, con sume several days. , One of these matters was to consider a plan by which the Department of Agricul ture could be made more useful to the farmers of the State. Another, and prominent matter, was to per fect a plan of permanent organiza tion, so as to secure an annual Con vention of tho farmers of the State; besides there are a number of other and equally important matters which will engage the attention of the Con vention. Presumably, many of these matters could not be considered in a meeting called b" the Board., It cer tainly could not be done in one night, nor in a day. The farmers want a Farmers' Convention, pure and simple. It was a matter of public knowledge. that the farmers were actively : or ganizing- it was well known that the matter of a Convention was be ing earnestly discussed, and if the time or its meeting is to extend beyond one night, the public has not been informed of it it was an en tirely new departure forthe Board to call anoint meeting to confer with the farmers-it was wll known to the Board, atthe time it issued its call for one at Raleigh on the 18th, that the Convention? at Greensboro on the 19th, had een suggested, and yet this movement, originated by these farmers' organization, re ceived no recognition athe hands of the Board. It would Vem tnat the Board might, at least, have con ferred with the farmers with the view of securing united action, if it were desirable. We trust that it may have a full and profitable meeting, and that it will institute some reforms, especial ly in the Department of Agriculture, and such reforms as will meet the hearty endorsement of the farmers of the State. Our readers, and the thousands of farmers throughout the State who have honored us with their presence, will bear us witness, that we have not indulged in harsh or unjust crit icism of the department of Agricul ture, nor will we do so now. Indeed, we cannot refrain from congratula ting the Department on this new departure, which we accept as an indication ot a gratifying change in its views as to Farmers' Conven tions. We well remember that, three years ago, the farmers sought to make some changes in the De partment one of the most impor tant was, that the Board should call an annual joint Convention of the farmers, and they were fought day and night, for weeks and weeks, by members of the Board and officers of the department. It is but just to the Board to say, however, that but three of its present members were arrayed in that fight against the far mers. Now, if the agitation of a Farmers' Convention shall result in giving ustwo Conventions, where we failed to get one before, it is certainly progress in that direction. We say it is. a most hopeful sign and we trust that the very earnest effort put forth by tho Board to secure a large attendance and distinguished speak ers, will result in some good. Meantime, there are many good men all over the State, who are look ing forward with interest to the Convention on the 26th. They ex pect, and they demand, that this Convention will, as far t as possible, represent the views and interests of the great mass of farmers through out the State. And we hazard nothing in saying that this will be done zealously and faithfully. The men who will meet in Raleigh on the 26th, will come from the fields, and they will come profoundly im pressed with the terrible and de plorable condition of the agricultu ral interests of our people, and they will seek relief and remedy in a spirit of earnest, honest, large-heart ed patnotis SOUND VIEWS. Mr. W. R. Williams, of Pitt, is Master of the State Grange, a mem ber of our State Board of Agricul ture and also a metnber of the Sen ate branch of our Legislature. In his recent annual adtlress before the State grange, we find the following sensible and pointeoY Remarks : "The grandeur, magnificence and perpetuity of this wonderful nation of ours will not depend upon her rich and populous cities, her busy manufactories, her nickel plated rail roads, noralmost endless telegraphs, nor her fertile fields of highest cul ture,nor disciplined armies, nor proud navies that "walk the waters like a thing of life" but her glory will be in her citizens; in the moral character, elevated intelligence and enlightened culture of her sons and daughters. Our free schools should be closely watched and nursed ; our University sustained and the farmers should immediately demand the establish ment of an agricultural College. The university annually has an appro priation of $7,500, money that has been improperly diverted from the way it was intended. It is the in terest on the donation that was given to the State for an agricultu ral and mechanical college by the United States in 1862. The farmers should demand that every dollar should be re-paid them for the pur pose intended." Mr. H. E. Fries, representative of Forsyth county in the North Carolina House of Representatives, is chairman of the committee on Agriculture. THAT NUMEROUS DEPARTMENT. What the Denizens of Blue's Gulley Think and Say-More of the Subs and the Nest for Nepotism. 4- Blue's Gulley j Jan. 17, '87. ) Editor Progressive Farmer: One of our young men has just re turned from Raleigh, whither he went to sell a load of old hens, says while there he went up to the cap itol and got a good warm by the House of Representatives' fire. He says that all the white men have colds in their heads and spend most of their time in blowing their noses and sneezing, or running into the cloak room, while the colored mem bers looked happy and slick, and seemed to be enjoying the meeting that a Mr. York, from your sec tion, was leader of the meeting and seemed happy. From what he heard, at least six of the twelve sub- departments ol the department oi . . . .... tt Agricultural, will be curtaiiea. no heard much about salting the Alber- marle sound and the building up of the departments of Southern Pines and Prof. Patrick. Some members thought Southern Pines ought to be made a sanitarium, and thought that "Prof" Patrick and his railroad partner should do the building, and persuade as many sick Yankees to come down here as possible, as the soil there was suited for burial pur poses only, and the railroad got half of the money, but others thought that the department ot Southern Pines and "Prof." (he says he heard him called "Prof.") Patrick should both be suppressed or abolished, as the great State of JSorth Carolina, with its thousands of churches and schools, should not tolerate another humbug, such as Pilgrim Ash by and Rev. Bibles got off when they map ped out the Dismal Swamp, laid it off in boulevards, covered it with churches and flower gardens, and sold it to some ignorant Frenchmen. All the people in these parts think so too. That both are arrant hum bugs no one who ever saw either of these sub-departments ever had a doubt, except the Commissioner from Prof. Patrick's native section. The young man who warmed by the fire, says he heard a great deal of talk about some of the other de partments, such as the "The De partment of Dr. Battle," the "Com missioner" and "The Clerks." From what he says, the "Department of Dr. Battle" is the most important of all the sub-departments; indeed, that this department controls alHhe other departments and runs them i the interest of its numerous fami including its uncles, its cousins jfnd its aunts. He heard one man whis per to another, that at least nine of the family were in the department and that the head of the (family named all the offices and sub-Offices and devoted about as much of his time to looking after his relatives in the department as he did to the University; that he always attended kthe meetings, though there was a iegai uouol oi nis rigni to a seat, ana wasready at all times to oppose everVthing that in any way tended to the interest of the farmers, and to name a relative for every office creatld, so much so, that the ex officio head recently suggested to him "tht for the sake of appearances, he hptl better leave the nomination to uie Commissioner after he had told the Commissioner whom to name for the place." The Exhibition Department has re cently considerably collapsed, great ly, no doubt, to the regret of our itinerant ex-Gov., who, with the Richmond and Danville syndicate, made much reputation of it. The refusal of the editors of the State to endorse that $15,000 trip to Europe, seems to have thrown a damper on the exhibition department. I at times regret the action of these few edi tors as I rather think it would have been a good thing to have shown Queen Victoria Prof. Patrick, now that her Gillie Brown is dead, and to have allowed our Commissioner to address the Lord Mayor in English farming in the thirteenth century. All this would have pos sibly given the disconsolate widow joy and greatly enlightened the noble lord. -The report of the Prof, was beau tifully printed by the wholesale and liberally distributed, so much so, that I infer that even the Progres sive Farmer got one. It was an elaborate document and was a great credit to the Prof. It gave the num ber of immigrants, what each was1 worth, what each had done with his money since reaching O, how far tKiiiv f. niii nr Knrl ril n r.. -.. I i on the people, and how much tly taxes would be reduced in years t come by their coming. It So J pened that I had seen some ot th - I immigrants, Scotch Crofters and others, and all 1 saw put toiMkr could not have purchased a l?,t x 100 in the sandsof'Southern li,Kw There used to be a jolly ian lV( Durham down to these parts vours ago, who, when not talking tobacco' would hum a tune about having -.$o ' 000 in his mind." He is dead ik,w It struck me as a good place to haVt! $10,000 when a fellow had nothim, but a broken back jack-knife in his pocket, and I have thought. possibly these immigrants had the hundreds of thousands they brought into North Carolina in "their minds.'' Certainly, they had it not anywhere else. The Department of Immigra tion is not popular in these pints. Some of our older men were in the war, and some, who have settled here, are from parts devastated by the armies of 1863 and 'G4, and these men have decided that it would be better for North Carolina to have, as she has always had, a homogen ous people of two classes only, white and colored, and that we should fol low the example set us by that church that increases its member ship from the inside, or by rearing as large families as possible. For this reason, all in these parts rejoice in twins, and especially in twin boys. In our opinion, the sub-department of immigration is a good thing for Prof. Patrick and his partner, and not worth two rabbit skins to the rest of the people of the State. But what will be done by the Leg islature is one of the things that ikno fellow can find out." It may dis pense with some of these sub-departments, or cut the dirt from un der some of the clerks and samplers, or it may, through the great in fluence of Dr. Battle, turn the whole shebang into a sort of asylum for faded beauty and decaying great ness. That such an institution is needed, there is not room for rea sonable doubt, but whether the farm ers of North Carolina are willing to pay for it, has made many of the members of the Legislature, in the Senate branch, sad. The voungman. who went to Raleigh, says he peep ed in 'there and it looked so much like a prayer meeting that hung fire, that he quit. I am sorry for them. They have a great responsibility resting on them the carryingofthe twelve departments of the Depart mentjifLAfrriculture is a heavy load. Straigiitout. HONOR TO WHOM HONOR IS DUE Footprints of the Grange. History is getting a little mixed. Last Summer, at the opening of the experiment farfnVhis excellency, Gov. Scales, gave the credit ofits concep tion to Dr. Battle. He s'aid, (if we remember correctly) "Ten years ago Dr. Battle urged the Establishment of this experiment farm." ''Ten years ago" was before .the Depart ment of AgricultueMiad an exist encc, or we hada SJtate chemist. The experiment station was located at ChapedHill in 1877 ;Vhe establish ment of an Experiment Farni was urged in. 1878, and although Dr Battle was a member of Uie Board, his Excellency would blp slightly troubled to find in its records any evidence that Dr. B. "urged its es tablishment." This announcement by his Excellency, was received as a joke by those who were informed as to its history. And now our vigilant and fair minded contemporary, the Tarboro Southerner, comes forward and thus spoils another little historical story: "Dr. Battle, the very highly esteemed President of the University, is reported to have claimed the credit for bein? the pioneer in the movement to establish a State Industrial School. The credit does not belong to Dr. Battle, but the Battleboro Grange, No 30, as the follow ing communication copied in the ''" erner on June 18th, 1875 from the "State Agricultural Journal," the Grange organ at that time, shows." Yes, the Grange originated one Department of Agriculture, and the address of the Battleboro Grange shows that they advocated indus trial education in 1875. Had the Grange remained united, and baa exercised its iust prerogative of over looking the Department of its crea tion, there would be less complaint among the people to day ot itsu"- eiftnev. 'wa dsirmed for tu tfi- e Ibenefit of our farmers, and r i r m . they snoma nave control or it.
The Progressive Farmer (Raleigh, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Jan. 19, 1887, edition 1
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