Vol. 2.
OUR FARMERS' CLUBS.
What our Farmers are Doing and How
the Work of Organizing is
Progressing.
A farmers' club of 14, was organ
ized at Piney Grove school house, to
be known as Piney Club. Mr. W. T.
Davis was elected President, and
Charles Darr, Secretary. This is the
third club in the county.
A Grange was organized by J. T.
Eaton, General State Deputy, at La
Grange, N. C, on the 20th inst. with
twenty-five members, C. S. Wooten,
Master, and D. M. Stanton, Secretary.
This is one of the finest sections in our
State, and among the most intelligent
of our farmers. "We expect to hear
some good work from that quarter in
the near future.
A subscriber of the Dispatch who
knows how to farm, says that in order
to prevent the cut-worms from destroy
ing his cabbage plants, before he sets
them he rolls well the roots in pulver
ized sulphur, and then after they are'
planted out, he dusts a little on top of
the ground around the plant. Might
not cucumber and melon vines be
saved from the ravages of the bug
by dusting with sulphur ?
ROCK REST FARMERS CLUB, UNION CO.
The Rock Rest Farmers' Club was
organized December 3 0th, 1886, with
twenty members. The officers are :
J. H. Williams, President ; H. C.
Moore, Vice-President ; B. C. Ash
craft, Secretary ; T. G. Williams,
Treasurer, and J. B. Ashcraft, Wm.
Biveris and S. ' Ross Executive Com
mittee. We now have fifty members.,
The Club meets on Saturday before
the fourth Sunday in each month. We
have very interesting meetings and
discuss farm topics generally. We
want lOO members by July, v The
members of the Club hold your ex
cellent paper in high esteem.
Yours, etc.,
B. C. Ashcraft, Sec.
INDIAN TRAIL FARMERS CLUB
Was organized April 15th, 1887. The
officers are as follows : President, H.
B. King ; Vice-President, W. L. Poer;
Secretary,- J. E. Brown; Treasurer,
T. C. Ritch. Executive Committee,
J. M. Harkey, J. T. Starns and T. N.
Lewis. Our club seems to be pro
gressing. - All we need is the Pro
gressive Farmer. At our last meet
ing, May 13th, we had a very good
time. We heard some addresses on
agriculture that were very interesting.
Our regular meetings will be held
monthly. - We also have called meet
ings. . It is the farmers' club of Vance
township. I do not know how many
clubs there are in this county.
Yours truly,
J. E. Broom.
GUILFORD COUNTY FARMERS' ASSOCIATION
During the session of the Farmers'
Institute in Greensboro, that body
granted, by request, one hour for the
organization of a County Association.
Mr. R. C. Rankin was made tempo
rary chairman.- The Committee on
Constitution and ByrLaws reported
the form which is issued by this paper,
and it was adopted. The Committee
on Permanent Organization recom
mended the following gentlemen as
officers and they were unanimously
elected :
President, W. E. Benbow ; Vice
President, R. C. Rankin ; Secretary,
David Hodgin ; Treasurer, J. Van
Lindley. The Association then ad.
journed to meet in Greensboro on the
third Saturday in August at 10 o'clock,
a. m.
ANSON COUNTY FARMERS TO THE FRONT.
A private letter from a subscriber
in Anson informs us that there are 15
farmers' clubs in that county, and the
writer says he has recently aided in
organizing seven clubs in Union and
Stanly "and still the good work goes
on.5' " I rejoice that your paper has
been adopted by the farmers as their
THE INDUSTRIAL AUD EDUCATIONAL. INTERESTS
official organ, for if we hope to ac
complish anything, we must have a
first-class paper to truly represent our
interests and that will stand fearlessly
by us. We propose to hold a grand
mass-meeting on the second Wednes
day in August at Brown Creek church,
when all our clubs will be present.
We expect also to have with us strong
delegations from the Union and Stanly
Clubs, and we want the Progressive
Farmer to be represented also. Come
over. We will show you a multitude
of farmers, with their wives, daughters,
sons, sisters,' mothers, fathers and
sweethearts, and 'will give you a good
time."
Thanks, brother, it would give us
great pleasure to meet our old friends
on that occasion. Ed.
farmers' club of crab orchard.
The farmers of Sugar Creek, who
met two weeks ago last Saturday and
partly organized a f armers? . club, and
of which notice has already been given
in The Observer, met according to ap
pointment at Hickory Grove last
Saturday and organized permanently.
. , The following officers were elected
for a term of one year :
President, J. M. Caldwell.
Vice-President, E. W. Lyles.
Secretary, C. B. Cross.
Treasurer, M. F. Trotter. ;!
Also a committee consisting of
Messrs. W. W. Gather, S. H. Farrow,
N. P. Lyles, W. Harvey Taylor, R. B.
Trotter, P. Berryhill and A. F. Yandle
was appointed to draft by-laws.
There were twenty-two members
enrolled, and the club will be known
as the Farmers' Club of Crab Orchard, j
It will meet regularly once a month atl
Hickory Grove church", and the next
meeting will be held at that place next
Saturday week at 2 o'clock. Our1
farmers evidently intend to look after
their interests in the future more than
they have in the past. Men of all
professions and callings are united
and organized to look after their in
terests, either directly or indirectly,
and why not the farmers ? The farmer
supports the world, and must he con
tinue careless and indifferent forever ?
Certainly he will pause and think. I
Let all our farmers in the county
organize themselves and co-operate
with us. Our secretary will cheerfully1
furnish any one with a copy of the
regulations and by-laws.
There was a feeling of disappoint
ment that Mr. R. B. Hunter did not
meet and address the club, as was ex
pected, but his reasons were entirely
satisfactory. Lupine.
Charlotte, May 16, 1887.
The Observer.
fFor the Progressive Fabx eh.
FROM PELHAM. "
The farmers of this community met
pursuant to a call on the 7th and or
ganized a farmers' club, known as
Pelham Farmers' Club, adopted a con
stitution and by-laws, and now have
twenty-two members with more ap-,
plications. They meet Saturday bie-f
fort the second Sunday in each month!
at 3 o'clock, p. m. ;
The officers for one year from the
14th, are:
- Jas. H. Wilson, President.
J. N. Hodges, Vice-President.
Walt. C. Swann, Secretary and
Treasurer.
J. H. Ferrell, J. T. M. Travis, J. A.
Swann, W. A. Donaho and T. J.
Hodges, Executive Committee.
The meetings have been lively and
interesting. Much can be accomplish
ed' and a great deal must be done, for
the pressure on the tobacco growers is
very great just now. Our farmers
though are pulling off from the "New
South " ideas and . going back to the
"Old South " principles, i. e. making
home supplies first, raising more stock,
especially cows and hogs.' We now
see large fields of clover and grass
where formerly tobacco grew. I sup
pose the x tobacco crop will fall short
this year at least one-third, and other
things will be grown instead. Our
substantial men say the " Old South "
way of having plenty at home is bet
ter than the "New South " way of one
OF OUR PEOPLE PARAMOUNT TO
RALEIGH, N. C, JUNE 2,
crop and buy all else. The "New
South " is a myth. Give us the sub
stantial success and independence of
our daddies. .
Wheat is looking well, a large crop
expected; too early to say as to. corn
and oats. W. C. S.
Pelham, N. C, May 23, '87.
For The Progressive Farmer.
ITALIAN RYE GRASS.
In your last issue I was wrongly
reported as stating that the Italian rye
grass is a perennial and will last many
years. As this statement may mislead
some of your readers, I would be
pleased if you would correct it. The
grass is an annual and is largely used
in England, either alone or with clover
or some of the more hardy grasses, as
orchard grass, timothy, English rye
grass, in alternate husbandry. The
grass is seeded in the fall and has
been cut as early as Christmas, yield
ing many crpps through the year.
The land is broken up the next fall or
following sprilg, for the next crop in
rotation. When grown alone the
grass will last many years, if one crop
of seed is allowed to ripen and fall
each year, and in so far it is a peren
nial. It is also a perennial when sown
with a mixture of other grasses in per
manent pasture, but the English au
thority, Sutton, very strongly con
demns the practice of introducing this
grass in any mixture of grasses for
this purpose. He says: " It is so gross
a feeder as actually to choke and
smother the Poas and finer Fiscues, in
stead of nursing and sheltering them
from scorching heat and severe frost
as perennial (English) rye grass does.
And when itsown ephemeral course
is run,' it leaves the land destitute both
of plants and nourishment."
Unfortunately we are not so well
acquainted with the " finer Fiscues,"
so highly prized for pastures in Europe,
that we need greatly fear the introduc
tion of this grass into our pastures or
meadows.
All writers speak of the enormous
crops from this grass on almost any
land, especially if frequently and
heavily manured throughout the year;
of the ease with which a stand can be
secured; of its hardy nature, enduring
with impunity the severest winter, and
being remarkable for the extreme
earliness and lateness of the grazing
or hay crop yielded. On rich moist
land the growth is very rapid, yield
iug often from five to ten cuttings in
the course of the year. Probably
none of the grasses or farm crops re
spond so freely and pay so well for
heavy and frequent manuring as this
grass. Respectfully,
Milton Whitney,
Supt. Experiment Farm.
TREATING WORK HORSES.
Remember that the digestive organs
of horses at work are not so responsive
as when idle. The occurrence of colic
and other ailments incident to horses
in the season of work is usually
traceable to the lack of time given
for digestion. The stomach is in no
condition to receive food immediately
after severe exertion, hence the neces
sity of a short season of rest before
giving a horse any food. A little care
in the matter of watering and feeding
horses will prevent much sickness and
consequent loss.
WHAT SHE FEARED.
"I understand, Mr. Softley," said
Miss Muffin, " that you play the violin."
" Well yes, Miss . Muffin, I a try
to play the violin."
"That's what I heard. You see, Mr.
Softley, we are going to; have a little
sociable at our house next Thursday
evening. I wanted to invite you, but
ma she is so very anxious not to give
anybody any trouble ma was afraid
that" ,
" Oh, no trouble at all, I assure you,
Miss Muffin," eagerly interposed Softly;
"it will be a positive pleasure to me to
bring my violin." .
"Ye-e-s that's what ma was afraid
of." Drake's Magazine.
ALL OTHER CONSIDERATIONS OF
1887.
THE DIFFERENCE.
In casual conversation said a prom
inent farmer of Cecil county to us:
" Last year I had fifty acres of corn
planted in one field; thirty acres of
one kind of seed and twenty acres of
another kind all treated with the
same fertilizer and all worked the
same. The thirty acres averaged seventy-five
bushels to the acre; the twen
ty acres a little more than half as much
to the acre. The difference was en
tirely in the seed planted by me."
In planting corn such lessons should
I not be forgotten. New Farm.
EXAMINATION OF SEEDS.
'
The Michigan Agricultural College
suggests that the State Botanist be au
thorized to examine all seeds offered
for sale, or sold to farmers in the
State.
This is a move in the right' direc
tion, and should be not only author
ized, but it should be made a matter
of lawful obligation.
1. It insures a better quality of
seeds.
2. It guarantees greater freedom
from weed seeds.
3. It prevents the mixing of old
and ' worthless seeds from the fresh
stock. -
Where the State has an interest in
the Agricultural College, as it does in
our State, this obligation ; of seed in.
spection should be , made upon ,the
College. Let it become a law through
out the country; it will be a good law.
New Farm. .
CULTIVATION OF CORN.
You cannot begin too soon to culti
vate corn. No crop looks better than
a field of corn well cultivated, clean
from weeds, of the right colored green,
and evidently pushing ahead for a suc
cess. And no crop looks worse than
a field of corn neglected, full of weeds,
of a sickly color, and evidently on
the road to a dead failure. ,
Now Mr. Editor, I have my way
of cultivating corn, and I do not mind
commencing at the beginning of plant
ing it, and letting you know just how
it is done.
Well, after the land is plowed and
harrowed thoroughly, I mark it off
with a one-horse plow one way in rows
four feet apart; and then I have my
load- of fertilizer (super-phosphate)
pass along, and a thm stream is de
posited in . every row all through the
field. My boy follows -with a very
fine toothed rake about, four inches
wide, and drags through every row
lengthwise; and the ground is then
ready for the seed.
I have before this chosen my corn,
and had it in soak about forty-eight
hours and taken it out, and while yet
wet, covered it with wood ashes. This
seed is dropped two in a place, about
fifteen inches apart in the rows, and is
covered about an inch deep. The su
perphosphate gives it a quick start,
and as soon as the rows are visible, I
commence with plow or cultivator up
on the weeds.
The next move is, I have my man
pass along the rows with his hoe, and
take out every weed the plow or cul
tivator has-left, and at the same time
leave only one plant every fifteen
inches. If any space needs a plant,
he carefully takes up one with a plenty
of. soil and sets it in the vacant place.
After that I keep the cultivator mov
ing whenever I can do so until the
plants are too large to allow it; and I
have a good crop.
If any of your readers have any
cultivation better than this I call for
it. G. H., of Hartford County, in New
Farm.
To bleach cotton cloth, "take one
large spoonful of sal soda and one
pound of, chloride of lime for thirty
yards, dissolve in clean soft water ;
rinse the, cloth thoroughly in cold soft
water, so that it may not rot. This
amount of cloth may be bleached in
fourteen or fifteen, minutes. - -
STATE POLICY.
No. 15.
CALVES WITHOUT COWS.
It is not great trouble to bring up a
calf by hand if one starts right. Do
not allow it to suck the cow at all un
less it is necessary to do so in order to
reduce some inflammation of the ud
der, which would never be if proper
care is taken before calving. Give it
new milk at the natural temperature
at which it is drawn from the cow, for
the first week, then gradually reduce
with skimmed milk, taking care to keep
the temperature the same.
After the calf is hitched out and be
gins to nibble grass try it with a pail
of cold skimmed milk at noon, having
first prepared it for a change by mak
ing the breakfast a little scanty and
taking a warm day. Reduce the tem
perature of morning and evening meal
gradually and gradually, change from
sweet skimmed milk to sour milk,
adding a handful of meal, and at eight
weeks old the calf will be found to be
eating and drinking whatever is offered
as well as an old cow and it will prob
ably not have known a hungry day or a
sick day, but will have kept on grow
ing all the time.
At a recent meeting of the Bedford,
N. Y. , Farmers' Club, Rev- J. Y.
Hoyt said: On the farm to-day poul
try is king. We used to hear that
cotton was king or that corn was king,
but take the official report for instance.
The wheat product last year was worth
$488,000,000; the cotton product,
$410,000,000,; the dairy product,
$254,000,000. But the poultry product
was worth 560, 00 0,0 00, almost half
again as large as the cotton product,
and larger than both the iron and. steel
product together. Still it is not half
as large as it ought to be.
QUEEN VICTORIA TRAVELING.
The queen's saloons are in the centre
of. the train, and these commodious
carriages, fitted for day and night
traveling, her majesty occupies with
Princess Beatrice. There are two beds
in the sleeping compartment, which
opens from the day saloon. The beds
are simple, in green and gilt furniture
and fittings, something like elaborate
"cots" in shape, and generally the
interior fittings of the train leave
nothing to be desired. The floors are
carpeted, the ceilings padded, the wide
windows curtained, the lamps deeply
shaded. Electric bells communicate
with the attendants or the officials,
and by presenting a button at the end
of a long variegated cord or bell-pull
the alarm is sounded in the van. A
separate electric button is fixed in
each side of the sleeping compartment,
by which the attendants may be sum-,
moned ; another button when pressed
will cause the train to stop as quickly '
as may be.
There are the Westinghouse, vacuum
and ordinary brakes fitted to the train,
which are worked as required by the
exigencies of the locomotives of the
different companies over whose lines
her majesty travels, some engines be-'
ing fitted with vacuum and others
with the Westinghouse brakes. The
usual furniture, comfortable but
simple, and a lavatory, are all included
in the Queen's saloons. There are
hooks and racks for parcels, wraps,
bird-cages and small bundles, of which
her majesty and the princesses convey
a goodly supply. The late John Brown
used to occupy a seat in the royal day
saloon, back to the engine as the train
stood, and facing the door of the
Queen's apartment, so as to be within
call at once. v
The carriages are warmed with hot
water pipes. , Nothing is wanted .to
render the journey as little irksome
and as little fatiguing as possible The
carriages exteriorly are bright and ;
clean and newly polished. , " The wheels
are " solid " blocks of wood taking ;
the place of spokes ; the springs are
massive ; the tires glide smoothly over :
the rails ; the carriage-steps let down :
as in road carriages, and . thor wide .
plate glass windows permit ah fexten-:
sive view of the country through:
'which the train is passing. Casseffs, ;