w u al iv ' a
MMER,
Vol. 2.
OUR FARMERS' CLUBS.
What our Farmers are Doing and How
the Work of Organizing is
Progressing.
NEW CLUB IN HARNETT.
Harrington, Harnett Co., N. C, ")
February 15, 1887. j
Editor Progressive Farmer :
At the meeting of the farmers of
this vicinity on the 2nd day of Feb
ruary, 1887, at Leaflet Academy in
Upper Little River township, a
Farmers' Club was organized to be
known as Leaflet Club No. 3, with
the following officers:
President, W. H. Holder.
Vice-President, J. A. Bullard.
Secretary, H. McLean.
Treasurer, A. M. Cameron.
The President appointed the fol
lowing committees:
On Finance. I). A. Patterson, D.
R. Stewart, Dr. J. H. Withers, J. M.
Hudson and W. J. Mason.
Executive Committee. D. McD.
Withers, J. L. Porter and M. F.
Wicker.
We enrolled 29 members.
The prospect for a large and pros
perous club is flattering.
Interesting speeches were deliv
ered by the President and other
members.
H. McLean, Secretary.
endorsing the action.
Knap of Reeds,
Granville county, N. C.
Editor Progressive Farmer :
We enclose you the following with
a request to publish :
Whereas, we, a portion of the
farmers of Dutchville township,
Granville county, in club assembled,
having been favorably impressed
with the action of the Committee of
Farmers which assembled in the
city of Raleigh on the 26th of Jan
uary last, therefore
Resolved 1st. That we heartily
endorse the action of said Conven
tion, believing the measures recom
mended, if adopted by the legisla
ture, would promote the interest of
the farmers of the State.
Resolved 2nd. That we earnestly
request the several committees
appointed by said Convention to
work diligently and endeavor to
have the action of the legislature
on the most important subjects at
its present session.
Done by order of this club Febru
ary 5, 1887.
A. M. Veazey, President.
M. W. B. Veazey, Sec.
sherrills ford club.
We learn from the Newton Enter
prise that the farmers of Sherrill's
Ford, Catawba county, met last week
and organized a Farmers' Club, of
which Dr. W. B. Ramsay was elected
President; J. N. Sherrill, Vice-President;
W. A. Day, Treasurer; J. A.
Sherrill, Secretary; M. W. Sherrill,
J. W. Sherrill, J. N. Sherrill and J.
A. Sherrill, Executive Committee.
The regular meetings of the club
will be held on the first Saturday of
each month.
conover club.
Conover Farmers' Club, in Cataw
ba county, had an interesting meet
ing on 12th inst., at which a number
of new members were added to the
roll.
The subject under discussion was,
"the best method of preparing
manure and compost and of applying
them to Spring crops."
C. W. Herman said every farmer
must have stock before he can make
manure successfully. Gave theories
for making manure. Asked how to
decompose forest leaves. Said ob
ject of manuring land should be to
get clover. Gave experiments with
salt as fertilizer on corn and wheat,
said salt prevents rust.
J. F. Herman said the best mode
of preparing manure for corn and
cotton was to compost it. Said this
gives the farmer an opportunity of
increasing the quantity and not
diminishing the quality. The best
77 INDUSTRIAL AND EDUCATIONAL INTERESTS
mode of applying for corn and cotton
was to put it deep in the groun
for clover and grass near the su
tace.
M. M. Holler said he agreed with
J. F. Herman in his ideas. J. P.
Cline said he empties stalls every
month and keeps manure under
shed. Gave experiment with ma
nure on corn last year. Farmers
should keep as many stock as can
feed well and put the manure on
wheat in fall, sow clover in spring.
Said concentrated lye would decom
pose leaves. Thought farmers ought
to cut green litter and put on ma
nure pile.
M. J. Howe said so many farmers
made manure, sowed the seed and
reaped the grain because they saw
their neighbors do so. Said what
the farmers needed most was to
think. Was pleased with what had
been said, but it would be of no bene
fit unless put in practice. Had al
most come to the conclusion that
top dressing was not the best.
S. E Killian endorses most all has
been said. Read from "Country
Home" apiece on subject under dis
cussion. Endorses J. P. Cline's,
plan as to making manure and
applying to wheat in order to seed
clover.
Subject for discussion at next
meeting. "Best mode of preparing
land for spring crops and best mode
and time for planting."
S. E. Killian, Pres.
J. F. Herman, Sec.
Newton Enterprise.
NEW CLUB IN CATAWBA.
We condense from the Piedmont
Press notice of the organization of
the Minerva Farmers' Club, in
Catawba county, on 12th inst.
Mr. R. Yoder presided and H. G.
Seitz acted as Secretary.
The Constitution and By-Laws, as
published in The Progressive Farm
er, with slight changes and a few
additions, were taken up and adopted
item by item. The subject of Truck
Farming was chosen as special ssub
ject for next meeting, and Saturday
before the first Sunday in each
month the time for regular meeting
of the club.
The election of officers resulted in
the choice of G. M. Yoder and H. G.
Seitz, President and Vice-President,
R. Yoder, Secretary, C. D. Aber
nethy, Treasurer, and A. P. Seitz,
Marshal.
An Executive Committee of three
H. G. Seitz, Elbert Bollinger and
A. P. Seitz were elected to transact
business appertaining to the club.
Next meeting will be held first
Saturday in March.
mark's creek farmers' club.
The farmers of Wake county are
falling into line. On the 10th inst.
a club was formed bearing the above
name. Mr. A. R. Hodge was elected
President, H. H. Knight, Vice-President,
and Dr. J. B. H. Knight,
Secretary, J. W. Pair, Treasurer.
Executive Committee: N. P. Jones,
E. P. Wiggs, C. S. Williams, to
which were added the President and
Vice-President. The meetings are
very interesting and the outlook for
a large and useful club very encour
aging. mallard creek farmers club.
President, F. E. Query; Vice
President, W. T. Alexander; Secre
tary; A. A. Garrison. Mecklenburg
will be among the foremost counties
in the great work of organizing the
farmers of the State.
A new club has been organized
at Union Church, Moore county, of
which A. G. McDonald is Secretary.
Nearly every farmer one talks
with declares either that he will
use no guano at all this year or that
he will use very much less than he
has done for several years past. We
are strongly of the opinion that if
they would stick to this resolution
it would be the making of them.
But whether they will is another
matter. StatesviUe Landmark.
"7 7
r-
OF OUR PEOPLE PARAMOUNT TO
WINSTON, N. C, FEBRUARY
SOME PLAIN TALK.
Why The Farmer is not Represented as
He Should Be.
Harnett County, N. C, ")
February 21, 1887. j
Editor Progressive Farmer:
We often hear the expression that
"this is an age of progress." Every
body admits the truth of the aphor
ism ; but if the question was asked,
and, especially of our farmers, what
great power is it, by the exercise of
which this progress is produced, the
answer would not be so self-evident.
On reflection, however, every in
telligent farmer who has given it a
thought, would answer without any
hesitation, that this power is inher
ent in organization that it is the
power of associated efforts that it
is the great power of co-operation
among men.
Whenever great results have been
obtained whenever great difficul
ties have been removed and great
obstacles surmounted, mankind,
everywhere in this enlightened age
resort to this wonderful power of
co-operation. So universal is the
utilization of this force in modern
times that it might be said, it marks
the age in which we live. We ob
serve it in every department of
human effort we see it operating
in the moral world and the material
world we see it in the developments
made in the arts and sciences we see
it in politics every day we see it
in every trade, in every occupation
and in every profession of man with
the solitary exception of the profes
sion of farming.
Is this not a fact? Is it not as
true as it is lamentable? Has it
not been as ruinous to the farmers
of North Carolina as it has been
disastrous to the State itself? Why
is it so? Is it because of pur igno
rance? Is it because the judgment
of our farmers is so obtuse that we
can't comprehend the utility of this
power? No. It can't be owing to
our ignorance.
Men of observation and men of
wisdom have long since discovered
it i . .. i , i 1
ana so aeciarea it inai wnerever
you find a successful farmer, you will
see a man possessed of every single
qualification necessary and essential
to guarantee him success in any other
occupation. It cannot be denied
that we have some successful farm
ers in North Carolina. Hence, it
can't be owing to ignorance. Then
why is it that every class of men
resort to the use of this power in
co-operation but the farming class?
I think it is about this: It is the
slavish submission of the farming
class to the arrogant dictation of men
in the professions. If I am correct the
question arises, why the submission ?
Can it be possible that we are an
abject class of numsculls ? Apparent
ly, I must confess that interrogation
seems to be a logical conclusion, but
an explanation of an old custom
"hoary with age," so old that the
memory of man runneth not to the
contrary, will so modify the propo
sition that the farmers will be
exonerated and the custom only will
be condemned.
Owing to the peculiar circumstan
ces surrounding the farming pro
fession, their insolation and neces
sary home life, heretofore when it
became necessary to consult the
voice of the people for legislative
purposes or otherwise, the farmers
delegated their right of representa
tion to the men of other professions,
andthese false representatives hav
ing a keen eye to their professional
and jindividual advantages, benefited
themselves and misrepresented the
farmers.
To prove this assertion, take the
Agricultural Department for an
illustration: Ten years ago this
Department was established for the
express benefit of the farmers. It
was designed to be a farmers' insti
tution. The farmers pay for its
support, and remember that nobody
else is taxed for this purpose but
farmers. It is presumed that every
one knows how this fund is raised.
ALL OTHER CONSIDERATIONS OF
23, 1887.
It is said that it amounts to a rrine-t
ly income, and it is. Forty odd thou-i
sand dollars is what we pay yearly.
Now, how are are our farmers rep
resented in their own "depart
ment of Agriculture? From his
Excellency, the Governor, all the
way down to the dude city
negro, who gets his Thirty dollars
per month, including men of all
the so-called learned professions with
all the literary titles attached to
them, such as A. B., A.M., M. D.,
D. D., L. L. D., and these men are
College Presidents, Lawyers, Print
ers, Artists, &c. Now, these are the
farmers' representatives in their De
partment of Agriculture, professing
to teach them practical agriculture ! J
Don t it suggest the idea of selling
doves in the Temple at Jerusalem
nineteen centuries ago ? For antique
curiosities our department rivals
the Boolak museum of Cairo. As
now canstituted, it is a perfect men
agery of the genus homo, and if a
single one of them ever plowed a
day in his life, I don't believe it.
As far as a knowledge of practical
agriculture, the whole posse com
mitatus know about as much
of it as a negro of Uiiji, in
Central Africa, does of the Christian
religion. . j
This presents a true illustration'
of the way farmers are represented
i . i 1 - J
in everyming wnere mis sovereign
1 I I- . . . 1 1 a. . A 1 f
rigni nas oeen ueiegaiea so ion;
by custom, to unfaithful represtm
tives.
The question arises now, after
endurance has ceased to be a virtue,
how shall we remedy our grievances?
Our only hope is in that Archime
dean lever, that powerful force which
moves the world itself, co-operation.
In the recent steps taken by the
farmers of North Carolina on the
26th, in Mass Convention, may be
seen a movement in the right direc
tion. The good, candid and honest
men, irrespective of profession, have
applauded the farmers for their
noble effort to render themselves
worthy of success, and many, too'
wish us God-speed in our under
taking. From these we expect
nothing but encouragement. We
thank them cordially. But from
croakers of ill-omen to every
enterprise, not promotive of thei
individual welfare, from dema
gogues who professed to see nothin
in the Farmers' Convention but the
States General of France in 1789 we
want nothing but fair play and
.their continued opposition. As to
those men in our present legislature,
who have imagined that the only
opposition and dissatisfaction of
the farmers of the State to the
Agricultural Department is in the
extravagance of tho same, and
more especially the gentleman in
the Senate branch who feeling sure
this was the fact , did declare
to his colleagues in open
debate, "Fix the expenditures, and
you will shut the mouths of the
farmers," we would simply remind
him that nineteen-twentieths of his
constituents are farmers, and that
representation precedes taxation. He
may have forgotten that is a princi
ple as old as our government, and
that it took 7 years of war to estab
lish it as such. It came to stay.
The farmers have', unmistakably,
declared their wishes to the legis
lature. They may heed them if
they will or disregard them if they
desire, but the fiat has gone forth
that, touching their professional
interests, the farmers of North Car
olina are masters of the present sit
uation. If their Convention meant any
thing, it was the inauguration of a
new departure. It was a declarsPj
Tun l.ltnl. lUiiiiTi.ih had stnmp. rirrhts as
well as other people, that wnetherf
exercised by themselves or delegat-1
ed, they would nave just such leg
islation as will benefit them, and
they would be their own judges.
If such was not their decision, then,
in the language of Cleveland, it was
certainly a "pernicious activity" in that
direction.
D.McN. McKay.
STATE POLICY.
No. 2.
The J. M. Odell M'fg Co., will
I at once double the quantity of Ma
chinery at Bynum's. Chatham
Jiome.
Our friends from the country
!tell us that wheat is looking very
.well. All that we have seen looks
promising. Concord Register.
Arrangements are being made
fort he tobacco factory. Both chew
ing and smoking tobacco will be
manufactured. Franklinton Weekly.
"Oats are coming out amazingly,"
and in some sections a good crop
will be harvested, if no further acci
dent happens to them. Monroe En
quirer. The Farmers' Club had an inter
estsng meeting last Saturday. They
decided that the use of guano does
pot pay. Glad of that conclusion.
j Scotland Neck Democrat.
Farmers say that farm work is
behind hand, but they admit that
shome made manure used will exceed
that of former years. In this item
alone most farmers can save enough
to make farming profitable. Tar-
boro Southerner
Work on the Roanoke & Tar
Hi ver railroad is progressing rapidly.
The track will be laid to the Meher
rin river in a few days, and work on
the bridge, which we are informed
ill be an iron structure, will soon
commence. fotxcasi ratron.
It is believed by those best quali
fied to judge that there will be as
mucjh tobacco raised inxStokes this
year as last. Many iarmers say
thov will make but little, but others
they will make more. Danbury
eporter.
It is frratifvinsr to know that
he farmers of this section of the
country are fast dropping the mort-
gage system oi iarming. mere is not
one half the mortgages given this
season there was this time last year.
Fayetteville News.
Our people are excited over
mad-dogs, and when some of them
meet a dog in the road, and the dog
don't get out of the way, they do.
In conversation with a great
many farmers, we learn that the
acreage in tobacco will not be as
large as it was last year. Nearly
all say. that they do not expect to
buy any fertilizers. Mocksville
Times.
John EtherirlfTo and Frank Td.
I ford, the only survivors of the gal-
Slant lite saving crew who went out
to rescue the crew of the illfated
ship Elizabeth, each received last
week from the Maritime Exchange
of New York, a check for $100 as an
acknowledgment of their heroic con-
Iduct in risking their own lives to
save those of others. Elizabeth City
Economist.
We learn that Capt. Marion
Smith contemplates running a stock
farm near. Gibsonville Mr. W. C.
Bain, the enterprising contractor
from Graham, N. C, has been in the
city and informs us that he will
soon build an addition to the "One
dia Cotton Mills," located af this
place. The building will be 50x120
feet. There will also be a lapper
house 30x50 feet. Greensboro Pa-
triot.
The report has again gained
currency that the Jordan brick
I warehouse is to be converted into a
cotton mill, and that one of tho
Holts, of cotton mill fame, will bo the
prime mover in the concern. A
stock company, to be known as the
"Modern Barn Smoking Tobacco
Company," has been organized for
the purpose of manufacturing smok
ing tobacco at this place. All tho
stock has been taken and the com
pany will put their factory into
operation as soon as possible. -High
Point Enterprise.
Mr. Manning, Secretary of the
Treasury, will retire March v15th, to
accept the presidency of a new bank
started in New York.