ItltMER,
THE INDUSTRIAL AND EDUCATIONAL INTERESTS OF OUR PEOPLE PARAMOUNT TO ALL OTHER CONSIDERATIONS OF STATE POLICY.
Vol. 2. RALEIGH, N. C, NOVEMBER 17, 1887. No. 39.
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OUR FARMERS' CLUBS.
What our Farmers are Doing and How
the Work of Organizing is
Progressing.
FARMERS MEETING.
The farmers of No. 2 township are
requested to meet at Poplar Tent Fair
grounds on Saturday, 19th of Novem
ber, at 10 o'clock Prominent speak
ers will be present to discuss the pro
priety of farmers' organizations and
corporations. Every farmer is invited
to attend, and to bring their wives and
daughters with them. Concord Times.
The B ranch ville Farmers' Alliance,
of Robeson county, N. C, was organ
ized in May by M. T. Scaly, with 19
members. The following officers were
elected:
President Jno. A. McRae.
Vice-President Murdock McRim
mon. Secretary J. L. Lassiter.
Treasurer W. A. McRae.
Chaplain S. F. Willard.
Door Keeper S. Smothers.
Asst. Door Keeper D. A. Murphy.
Lecturer Malcom McLean.
The meetings have been well at
tended and much interest manifested.
The membership has increased to Co,
and still they come.
J. L. Lassiter, Sec'y.
hector's creek alliance, bradley's
store, harnett county n. c.
This Alliance' met Oct. 29th. After
initiating three into the order, and
transacting all other business the fol
lowing subject was discussed : " Will
it pay the farmers of this community
to raise wheat at the present prices of
flour ?" The general sentiment of the
farmers was "It will."
The following subject will be dis
cussed next meeting : " What is the
best plan of raising manure to im
prove our lands ?"
We think the brethren of the order
everywhere should discuss such sub
jects that will be a benefit to the farm
ers. We think this is the best plan
to keep up an interest in our Alliances.
We should not meet merely for the
purpose of going through a form, but
for the benefit that can be derived
from consultation. We hope to hear
from the Alliances all over the State
through these columns.
Much success to The Progressive
Farmer and the Farmers' Alliance
everywhere. D. II. S enter,
Sec'y Harnett Co. Alliance.
For The Progressive Farmer.
Knap of Reeds, Granville Co., N. C,
Nov. 7, 1887.
At Ridge way School House, in
Dutchville township, on the 25th day
of September, we organized an Alli
ance with seven members. Since that
time several new members have been
added to our number. I think that
the Alliance will meet the approbation
of the farmers much better than any
organization of the past, judging from
the enthusiastic spirit expressed in
this State and our sister Southern
States. Wre are on the road to a per
manent organization that will be effi
cient in bringing the farmers out of
the old ruts of oppression and setting
them higher up on the plains of suc
cess and financial prosperity
M. W. B. V eazey, Sec'y.
For The Progressive Farmer.
CUMBERLAND COUNTY FARM
ERS' ALLIANCE.
On the 5th day of November inst., a
mass-meeting of the Cumberland
County Farmers' Alliance was held at
Fayetteville, and the following resolu
tions weie adopted and ordered to be
sent to The Progressive Farmer with
a request for publication :
Resolved, That we have unwavering
confidence in the Farmers' Alliance,
believing that without union and con
cert of action among farmers, no im
portant ends for promoting their in
terest can be accomplished. Our
motto is, 4 In things essential unity ;
m all things charity." Our order is
founded on Truth and Justice, and
justice is all we ask at the hands of
the business world.
Resolved, That we deem it of the
utmost importance that the churches
and schools of our land should be sus
tained; that they are the two bed-rocks
upon which rests the future prosperity
and safety of our country, and that
they are most essential agents in up
holding and perpetuating our free in
stitutions. Resolved, That we believe in the
advice so often given, that every
farmer should first raise all supplies
necessary for his own use. Here lies
the independence of the farmer. He
can grow every crop suited to his
wants, so far as his soil and climate
permits, under his own eye. He is
not dependent upon any one for the
necessaries of life, or even for many of
its luxuries. Recognizing the fact
that some crops fail, or partially fail
every year, we earnestly recommend
diversified farming as the surest rem
edy against such failures, for the
reason that all kinds of crops seldom
fail the same year.
Resolved, That we are impressed
with the conviction that farm laborers
to be successful must be directed by a
level head. They can never arrive at
the standard of successful farmers un
til they become thoroughly acquainted
with their business. The agricultural
paper is a most important agent in
this work, and no paper wTill accom
plish as much for our farmers, of this
State especially, as The Progressive
Farmer.
J. P. McLean, Sec'yi
GREEN MANURING.
Number 12.
What is the effect of a given crop
upon the land, and what is the reason
that one crop seems to damage the land
more than other crops ? are questions
of vital importance.
A farmer of experience stated to the
writer that he planted a fifteen acre
field, with five acres each of field peas,
corn and sweet potatoes. The corn
was gathered at the usual time; the
peas were picked, and the vines al
lowed to rot on the ground. The
sweet potatoes were dug in October,
and the vines left on the ground. The
entire fifteen acres were plowed during
March and planted in cotton, using
Commercial Fertilizer.
There was a marked difference du
ring the whole season in the size and
appearance of the cotton, and also in
the yield. The portion on which peas
had been grown the previous year pro
duced nearly as much lint cotton as
was produced on both the corn and po
tato land. The corn land gave nearly
twice as much as the potato land.
What was the ca use ? Does a sweet po
tato crop impoverish the land ? It is
evident that the pea crop benefited and
manured the land, and left it in fine
condition for a cotton crop. The corn
crop did not improve the land, and
the potato crop seems to have actually
damaged it, although a large amount
of manure was used in growing the
potatoes, while no manure was used
with the peas, and only a small quan
tity on the corn land. The pea vines
and potato vines were both returned t
the land.
It is the opinion of the writer that
the cause of damage by sweet potatoes
is the necessity of turning up the land
in October or November and leaving
it open and loose during the fall and
winter, subject to the sun, wind and
rain. Would not a covering of pine
straw spread at once on the land pre
vent the difficulty ?
Another farmer states that he had a
field covered with grass and weeds; he
plowed a strip an acre wide across the
field from corner to corner early in
November, and was prevented from
completing the breaking until Febru
ary. The next and the succeeding
crops showed the effect of the fall
plowing by smaller weed and dimin
ished cotton crop on the portion
plowed in November. Is fall plowing
in this climate ever beneficial, unless
it is made for a small grain crop ?
A.
For The Progressive Farmer.
THE OAK GROVE FAIR.
Supposing that your many readers
are interested in the welfare and suc
cess of Farmers' Clubs and Fairs, I
desire to give a condensed description
of the Bershavia Farmers' Club Fair,
which took place on the 21st ult., at
Oak Grove School House.
The day was a beautiful one, and
early in the morning scores of vehicles,
loaded with farmers, their wives and
children, and with the manifold
goodies and beauties of art and nature,
poured in from every direction.
This is not only a vegetable and
grain-growing section, but -tobacco
flourishes in all of its varied colors and
qualities. A fair demonstration of
this fact was made on a huge table
near the center of the many other
magnificent exhibits. Upon this table
we noticed 40 different grades of the
golden leaf as fine as can be produced
in the State of North Carolina. Near
this, four other long tables were groan
ing beneath the weight of numerous
vegetables, fancy cakes, jellies, pre
serves, butter, fruit in its green state,
as well as manufactured in every con
ceivable preservation.
While it was a county Fair, by the
kindness of the splendid managers a
huge table was previously prepared
for Capt. N. W. Craft's exhibit from
Shore, Yadkin county, which was a
grand and beautiful display of fine,
vigorous fruit trees and a large collec
tion of handsome fruits, such as pears
and apples and large ears of corn and
remarkable mammoth turnips and a
case of the most beautiful domestic
wines that had ever been placed be
fore a Farmers' Club. The wine was
exhibited in nice clear flint glass wine
bottles, showing a beautiful contrast
between a darK red wine and a vivid
rose color, while some of the hues
were of a soft snowy white. One of
the most striking features of Capt.
Craft's display, and one which attracted
more attention than any one object of
the Fair, was two large clear flint
glass jars filled with pure spring water,
in which floated and swam some beau
tiful, specimens of that famous fish the
pure scale German carp. Old and
young, men, women and children,
gave this curiosity of natural beauties
their special attention. ic. -
These farmer Fairs, which are so
interesting and instructive to the
masses of the people, doubtless would
have never been instituted had it not
been for the publication and distribu
tion of your well-edited journal, The
Progressive Farmer.
Evidently Forsyth county has been
stimulated and revived through your
earnest admonition until she stands, in
an agricultural point of view, side by
side with any county in the State.
An Eye-Witness.
A GOOD MOVE.
On last Thursday quite a number of
intelligent farmers and enterprising
gentlemen met at Siler City and organ
ized "Siler City Agricultural Socitey'
with the view of giving an Exhibit at
that place on the 1st and 2nd days of
December.
The following officers were elected:
Pres't Rev. A. H. Perry: Yice-Pres't,
W. J. Caviness; Sec'y, E. R. McLean;
Ass't See's, J. D. Dorsett; Treas. T. C.
Dixon; Directors for Chatham, G. P.
Alston, W. II. Segrove, Jessie H.
Henly, Rev. O. T. Edwards, J. J. Tal
ley, W. J. Womble From Randolph,
H. B. Lambert and J. W. Staley.
These gentlemen mean business and
business too in the right direction. Let
them have the aid of the whole com
munity. There is no telling how much
good it will'do for the farmers to bring
together their best stock, their best
poultry, specimens of their best field
and garden products, and for the wo
men to show what excellent pickles,
preserves and jellie3 and bread and
cakes they can make; and to show how
deftly they can use the scissors and
the needle. Let the ladies take a in
terest in this Fair and it will be a suc
cess. TJte Home.
We note with pleasure that the
farmers of this section are boldly
taking the advice that has been given
them by those who know, for many
years and have seen at last the folly
of the one-crop system and are now
raising grain and grasses as their
main crop. With plenty of meat and
bread, a farmer has little need of a
money crop, comparatively. News
and Farm.
HEALTHY AND UNHEALTHY
OCCUPATIONS.
The English Registrar General has
made a comparison between healthy
and unhealthy occupations. Assum
ing the normal average death rate of
the community as the unit of com
parison, and calling it 1,000, particular
occupations may be regarded as healthy
or unhealthy, according as the death
rates among those pursuing them fall
above or below that figure. The most
healthy occupation appears to be that
of ministers of religion, whose rate is
55G. Next are gardeners and nursery
men, 599; farmers and glaziers, 631;
agricultural laborers, 701; school mas
ters, 719; and grocers, coal merchants,
paper, lace, and hosiery manufactures,
wheelwrights, ship-builders and coal
miners, with all of whom the average
death, rate is under 775. The most
unhealthy occupations are the trades
connected with the liquor traffic and
hotel service, with which the death
rate is 2,205; following these are gen
eral laborers in London, 2,020, coster
mongers, bankers and street sellers,
1,879; innkeepers, etc., 1,521 ; and
brewers, 1 , 3 G 1 . After the trades con
cerned with alcohol, the highest rates
are furnished by occupations that in
volve the breathing of dust other
than coal dust and exposure' to lead
poisoning. The death-rate among
butchers is also high, 1,170. Popular
Science Monthly.
DEMANDS OF THE NATIONAL
FARMERS' ALLIANCE UPON
CONGRESS.
Below we print in full the demands
made by the National Farmers' Alli
ance in convention at Shreveport.
They are sound to the core and show
in ringing language the more impor
tant purposes of this great body, and
the ends they propose to achieve.
This body was composed of farmers
representing all the Southern States,
and the resolutions appended were
passed unanimously,
Resolved, That we the National
Farmers' Alliance and Co-operative
Union of America, in convention as
sembled, advocate and endorse the fol
lowing principles as in acpr with the
sentiments and demands of .the tillers
of the soil:
1st. We demand, first, the recogni
tion, by incorporation.,',, of trades,
unions, co-operative stores and such
other associations as may be organized
by the industrial classes to improve
their financial condition, or promote
their general welfare.
2d. We demand that the all public
lands be held in small bodies, not ex.
ceeding three hundred and twenty
acres to each purchaser, for actual set
tlers, on easy terms of payment.
3d. That large bodies of land held
by private individuals or corporations,
shall be assessed for taxation, at such
rates as they are offered to purchasers,
on a credit of one, two and three years,
in bodies of one hundred and sixty
acres or less.
4th That whereas, large bodies of
our public lands, have been sold to
foreign capitalists, thus tending to the
establishment of a landed aristocracy
in this country, similar to that which
has reduced the people of Ireland, and
other monarchical Governments, to a
condition of abject serfdom; we de
mand the passage of laws forbidding
the ownership of lands, by aliens, whose
allegiance belongs.. to other nations,
and that the public domain be held as
the heritage of aur own people and our
children after us. .
5th. That all lands forfeitable by
railroads or other corporations, imme
diately revert to the government and
be declared open for purchase by actual
settlers, on the same terms as other
public lands.
7th. We demand that all fences be
removed, by force if necessary, from
public lands unlawfully fenced by cat
tle companies, syndicates, or any other
form or name of monopoly.
8th. We demand the extinguish
ment of the public debt of the United
States by operating the mints to their
fullest capacity, in coining silver and
gold: and the tendering of the same
without discrimination, to the public
creditors of the Nation, according to
contract.
9th. We demand the substitution
of legal-tender treasury notes fotthe
issues of national banks ; that the
Congress of the United States shall
xegulate the amount of such issue" by
per capita circulation, that shall in
crease and keep pace with the growth
of the country's population, and the
expansion of her business interests.
We further demand the repeal of the
present National banking system.
10th. We demand that the depart
ment of agriculture be made one of
the departments of State ; that it shall
be increased in scope and efficiency,
and in connection . therewith, there
shall be established a bureau of labor
statistics.
1 1 th. We demand the enactment of
laws to compel corporations to pay
their employees according to contract,
in lawful money for their services,
and the giving to mechanics and
laborers a first lien upon the products
of their labor to the extent of their
full wages. . '
12th. That the laws relating to tho
suppression of the transmission of im
moral, profane or obscene literature
through the mails, be made more
stringent; and be extended so as to
suppress the transmission of such
literature by any public carrier.
13th. We demand that the U. S.
Government purchase, by right of
eminent domain, the telephone and
telegraph lines, and operate them as
adjuncts of the U. S. postal service.
14th. That in view of the fact that
the delegates to this body represent a
majority of the cotton producers of
the cotton belt of America, which belt
produces over two-thirds of the cotton
of the whole world, and in view of
the further fact that two-thirds of the
cotton in the cotton belt is demanded
and used for export to a foreign
power, which fixes the price on every
pound of our cotton; and in view of
the fact that the said power is debar
red from returning to this country a
single yard of manufactured cotton,
thereby making said power interested
in crowding down to the lowest figure
the price of cotton; we hereby demand
that the U. S. Government adopt a
speedy system of reduction of the im
port duty on manufactured cottons, in
such a way as to do justice to this,
the greatest of all classes-of producers.
14th. We demand such a revision
of the tariff as will lay the heaviest
burdens on the luxuries and the light
est on the necessaries of life ; and as
will reduce the incomes from imports
to a strictly revenue basis.
15th. That as a remedy against tho
unjust accumulation and encroach
ment of capital, we demand a gradu
ated income tax.
1 Gth. That as upon the intelligence
of the people depend the stability and
perpetuity of our own free govern'
ment, we demand for the masses a
well regulated system of industrial
and agricultural education.
1 7th. That we oppose the continued
influx of pauper labor from the mon
archies of Europe, whose anarchic
views and communistic doctrines are
breeding discontent, and disloyalty to
law, order, peace and good govern
ment; and by an overplus of worth
less labor, reducing our own laboring
classes to starvation, we therefore de-j
mand more stringent laws to prevent
this country being further used as an
asylum for the communists and pau
pers of other countries. 4
18th. We demand that the; consti
tutions, both State and National, be so
amended as to provide for the election
of U. S. Senators by 'direct vote of
the people. .
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