Newspapers / The Progressive Farmer (Raleigh, … / Feb. 19, 1889, edition 1 / Page 1
Part of The Progressive Farmer (Raleigh, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
THE INDUSTRIAL AND EDUCATIONAL INTERESTS OF OUR PEOPLE PARAMOUNT TO ALL OTHER CONSIDERATIONS OF STATE POLICY. RALEIGH, N. C, FEBRUARY. 19, 1889. y6L 4 No. 2 - - , . i DIRECTORY OF FARMERS' OR I GANIZATIONS. J WORTH CABOLINA FARMERS 8TATK ALLIANCE. i PresidentS. B. Alexander, Charlotte, Vice-President T. Ivey, Ashpole, N.C. Secretary L. L. Polk, Raleigh N. C. ! Treasurer J. D. Allen, Falls, N. C. j6 Lecturer Dr. D. Reid Parker, Trinity College, N. C. ' Assistant Lecturer D. D. Mclntyre, I . i xt n - Chaplain Rev. Carr Moore, Towns- Tille, N.J C. m v Door Keeper W. H. Tomhnson, Fay- i tteTille. N. C. ' . . Assistant Door Keeper R. T. Rush, Mt Gilead, N. C. , Sergeant-at-Arms J. S. Holt, Chalk Level, N. C. . - , t.,:o.o a o-ont w . A. Darden. 1X1CTJTIT1 COMMITTEE OF THE XOBTH CARO LINA FARMERS STATE ALLIANCE. Eli as Carr, Uld Bparta, xi. - "aii man; Thaddeus Ivey, Ashpole, N. C; J. S. THE NORTH CAROLINA FARMERS ASSOCIATION. . President EUas Carr, Old Sparta, Edgecombe county. B. F. Hester, Oxford, Secretary; 8. Otho Wilson, Vineyard, and W. E. Ben bow, Oak Ridge, Assistant Secretaries. VIRGINIA STATE ALLIANCE. President O. T. Barbee, Bridgewatar, Tl$S-President T. B. Massey, Wash- ington, Virginia. Secretary J. J. Silvey, Bndgewater, Tirginia. , Treasurer Isaiah Tnntz, Luray, Vir ginia. ' . Lecturer Gk H. Chrisman, Chrisman, Virginia. Asst. Lecturer J. S. Bradley, Luray, Virginia. Chaplain Wm. M. Rosser, Luray, Virginia. , . Door Keeper B. Frank Beahm, Kim- balL Virginia. Asst Door Keeper G. E. Brubaker, Luray, Virginia. Serg't-at-Arms C. H. Lillard, Wash ington, Virginia. State Business Agent S. P. A. Bru baker, of Luray, Virginia. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE. E T. Brumback, Jas. E. Compton and n rr rv : GUANO THE HOMESTEAD RE DUCED; ACREAGE., Raft Swamp Alliance, No. 44, January 19, 1889. Col. L. L. Polk. Dear Sir: Having been elected Correspond ing Secretary of Raft Swamp Alliance, "No. 44, Robeson county, which meets at Barker's Cut, a station on the Car olina Central Railroad, four miles west of the town of Lumberton, N. C, I will give you a few thoughts which have presented themselves to me; and the first of them is aboutjguano, which is bought and used by the farmers. Not until about twenty years ago did we know anything about such manure and such debts. Since that time there has been an immense amount of this manure used, and where is the farmer who can say to-day that it has caused him success ? While, on the other hand, there are hundreds upon hundreds .who, I have no doubt, it would have been out of debt and a year's pro visions ahead if there never had been a dust.sold within the borders of our State. So I will sueerest that we. as a class of people, purchase for the year 1889 no guano unless paid .cash for when'purchased. A reaction has to take place with the farmer, and it had as well take place one time as another, orthe farming class will have to sell out and commence anew. The guano is not to blame it is the people going wild over it and not trying to pre pare any manure at their spare moments, As I stated above, what suited us twenty years ago does not suit us now. The homestead law is now about twenty years old and it has no doubt done good, and did at the time of its adoption, but 'I think now we could do without it; and I think it would be well for our Legis lature to modify or abolish it, and let us start as we did in times when cot ton was $5.00 per hundred and no guano thought of money saved and. negroes purchased and f armera out of debt. If not, I think about one-half of the farmers had as well hire out at wages; then they will save and have more money at the expiration of the year than they have as it is now. If we cannot farm without guano let us quit. If we farm without contracting any indebtedness and we make noth ing, we will owe nothing; while, on the other hand, it will be that much made and saved, and out nothing but our labor. Procrastination is the thief of time, so let us start now, and not put it off any longer. The next idea that strikes me is we generally start to make too much in the outstart of the year. Let as not plant so much and make it better. I am sure it will take less work and not so much ex. pense m making or gathering, but make what we have good and make it ourselves and have it for our own use. Farming is one of the most honorable professions that any man can follow, but ui the last ten years it has been abusedto noittle extent, until it has come to that now that it ap pears to ; the young men it is a degraded profession, which is a very incorrect idea, for it is almost the only permanent hope for success. Yours fraternally, . J. H. McNeill, INTERESTING LETTER FROM ROCKINGHAM. February 5th, 1889. -Mb. Editob: The Farmers' Alli ances of this county are making very fair headway. Our organizer, Bro. Anderson, continues to organize new Alliances in many parts of the county. Every Alliance is increasing its mem bership at each meeting as a general thing. As a general rule harmony prevails, yet there are a few sore-heads who may not be able to get as big a slice or receive as much good at once as they expected when they joined. - We have some of the best business men, as well as those who have money and influence, members of our order. We have a "Farmers' Alliance Ware house Co." at. Reidsville for the sale of our tobacco, and its patronage, is encouraging. We find some opposition, but we move oh, attend to our business, do no one harm and try to help our selves. It is to be regretted that so many of our members do not read, do not wake up to that standard by which they can see the great necessity of changing their mode of farming, by cultivating less land, husbanding home manures and make their lands better. Raising a greater diversity of crops, whereby they would have at home more supplies for man and beast, in stead of depending on the growth of one crop, tobacco, from which to draw all their supplies; if that crop fails, all is lost as to living. Farmers must wake up, stay at home, work more regularly, do less grumbling, put in every day at home raising home ma nures, buy less fertilizer, have better gardens, cut fewer goods boxes at the cross-road stores. Farmers should take at least one good agricultural paper, glean from it what suits their peculiar cases and let the rest pass. They must get out of the old ruts of the past and take new and better routes. Muscle is of but little worth to a farmer or a nation unless a well-balanced brain directs it. Brain power leads the world and will lead the far mer to success, at least to a better condition, if well directed. R. S. Powell. RESOLUTIONS OF WOODLAWN ALLIANCE. At a meeting of Woodlawn Farm ers' Alliance, No. 767, Davidson county, held February 2nd, 1889, the following preamble and. resolutions were unanimously adopted: Whereas, The money-power seems determined to crush the agricultural and laboring classes by trusts and combinations to rob them of their hard earnings, and thus reduce them and their families, if possible, to abject want and misery; and, whereas, we fear that the advance in the price of fertilizers and chemicals is a ruse of the manufacturers and dealers, either to sell their products to the farmers at such prices as will enable them to realize the profits of last year, and at the same time claim the credit of sell ing to them at a discount, or to extort from them exorbitant rates for their own emolument; and whereas, we be lieve it to be the duty of faVmers to defend themselves against such op pression and resist it; therefore, we the members of Woodlawn' Farmers'. Alli ance, No. 767, of Davidson county, do Resolve, That we will buy no more fertilizer, guano or chemicals, if we can possibly avoid it, until prices are reduced to what they were last year. Resolved, That we ask the earnest and hearty co-operation of all State, County and Subordinate Alliances, Granges and all farmers' organiza tions everywhere, in resisting this op pression. ; , Resolved, That a copy of these reso lutions be sent to The Progressive Farmer for publication. P. E. Zink, Sec'y "W. F. A. A bill was passed by the Arkansas Legislature offering a reward of $5,000 for the arrest and conviction - of the murderers of John M. Clayton, who was assassinated at rlummerville. . ... I AGRICULTURAL AMU MbUHANI- CAL COLLEGES. No. 2. ; By Gen. S. D. Lee, of Mississippi. Mr. Editor: In my first article I discussed the curriculums of tha col leges and universities,, partial to the old system of education, and attempted to show that the practical workings of those institutions inclined" them to favor the learned professions; and in the changes which they had intro duced to meet the wants of the pres ent day, they still were partial to the better educated and wealthier classes of society. That, though half of the population of the United States were engaged in agriculture, the basis of all arts and wealth, they made no pro vision for teaching agriculture, either as an art or as a science. That in consequence of this partiality one half of our population, not farmers, were accumulating wealth to an ab normal degree, causing great depres sion among the farming classes. This I showed by statistics. I showed also that in the common schools little dis position was shown to teach the ele ments of agriculture, although new studies were being constantly added. That the drift and tendency was for population to move and live in cities, instead of building up wealth in the country.- That new conditions were affecting the farmer which made it absolutely necessary for him to be educated in order to compete with the better educated class. Congress saw this, and saw also how difficult it would be to change sud denly the entire theory of education, and by the act of 1862, provided by endowment for the establishment of new colleges, having for their leading object "the benefit of agriculture and the mechanic arts," so as to reach and benefit the very large class engaged in the pursuits of agriculture Tone half of the population) and also those engaged in mechanical pursuits; also to increase the number of educated. persons, recruiting them from the classes not attracted to or attending the then existing colleges and uni versities. These Agricultural and Mechanical Colleges are not intended to supplant the older established col leges (for they could not be dispensed with), but to provide additional edu cational facilities, more practical and on a different theory. To provide educational facilities for the large number not partial to classical insti tutions, but who attach equal impor tance to modern classics; for the large clsss," who believe that modern sci ences, which deal with modern indus tries, are more utilitarian in value and present a shorter road to enable one to provide for support than the ancient classics. To meet the wants of this large class, Congress passed the law of 1862, stating in the caption of the act that it was " to benefit agricultu ral and mechanic arts," and to "pro mote the liberal and practical educa tion of the industrial classes in the several pursuits and professions of life." These quotations show that Congress, although intending to create a bias in favor of agriculture and me chanical arts, did not intend to make an ironclad rule and confine young men who attended these colleges to these two pursuits, but allow them the same latitude in selecting their callings as were allowed young, men attending any other college, for the law says "the several pursuits and pro fessions of life." The 4aw of Con gress (1862) was " an act donating public lands to the several States and Territories which may provide col leges for the benefit of " agriculture and the mechanic arts." It gave to each State and Territory at the rate of 30,000 acres' of public lands, or " scrip" representing it, for each Sen ator and Representative in Congress. The land or money obtained by sale was to constitute a perpetual endow ment fund and only "the interest is to be used for the endowment, support and maintenance of at least one college where the leading object shall be (with out excluding, other scientific and classical studies and including military tactics) to teach such branches of learn ing as are related to agriculture and the mechanic arts,' and in such manner as the Legislatures of the States -may prescribe, in order to promote the liberal and practical education of the industrial classes in the several pursuits and profes sions oi life." The different sections of the act bring out the condition of the gift and its acceptance, viz: How the fund shall be invested. -How, if any por tion of the fund is lost, or interest "by any act or contingency it shall be replaced by ' the State to which it belonged, excepting only " that a sum not exceeding ten per? centum of the amount received may be expended for the purchase of lanas tor sites of experimental farms. ' " No portion of said fund or the interest thereon shall be appropriated? directly or indirectly, under any pretense whatever to the purchase, creation, preser vation or repair of any building or build ings". How any State accepting the gift shall provide in five years at least one college, where the leading object shall be to teach such branches of learning as are related to agricul ture and the mechanic arts," or the grant shall be void, and the State shall return the money. It appears that Con gress, knowing how that these gifts had been previously lost, especially guarded this one, so it might continue to benefit the class intended to benefit indefinitely. , '' That the contract incurred by a State accepting the conditions made it binding on the State to provide buildings and maintain and support the college, or return the money. The State of Massachusetts accepted the gift of Congress in good faith, and received the " land scrip " for 210,000 acres of land. This scrip was sold by Gov. Alcorn for ninety cents an acre) and netted the State, with a little accumulation, $227,500, which was put in the State treasury for pub lic use, and State bonds, bearing five percentum interest to represent the amount. The endowment was equally divided between the Agricultural and Mechanical College for white youths, and .-. Alcorn University and R. and M. Colleges for colored youths, giving to each $113,750. Fifteen thousand dollars of' the amount for the white college was expended, as allowed by the Federal act, to pur chase land for the college site." The income from these amounts net about $5,000 a year to each institution. The State act accepting the partial endowment from the United States was perfected February 27th, 1887, when the Legislature, in compliance with section 8 of article 8 of the State Constitution, organized the two Agii<ural and Mechanical Colleger for the white and colored youth of the State. CONTINUED NEXT WEEK. "THE MINORITY MUST AND SHALL BE RESPECTED." Non-Commercial Intercourse Between the South and the North. Laurinburg, N. C. Mr. Editor: On the 10th of No vember, 1860, the writer wrote an article to the Fayetteville Observer advocating inasmuch as Mr. Lincoln was elected constitutionally, for the South to submit to it; but adyocating non-commercial intercourse between the sections. If my plan had been adopted those "Personal liberty bills" would have been . repealed and the slavery question would have been ad justed. There would have been peace instead of war. Our experience was dearly bought. It is not a ques tion now of submission or war, but simply a question of slavery or inde pendence. Our national legislature failed to give us any relief. The recent national election tells us plainly that we need not expect any relief. The time has come again to speak out plainly and boldly. Let our people in the South sever their commercial re lations with the North throw wide open our Southern ports, and import such articles of merchandise as we cannot - manufacture in the South. Letuspayjhe tariff duties into the treasury instead of enormous profits to individual manufacturers, who use their ill-gotten gains to pollute the ballot-box. We want Yankee money at a low rate of interest, for which we will sell them cotton at a high price and put sand enough in it td cover the interest. We want English machinery .with Southern brains, push and pluck to manufacture such articles as we need in the South. Let the Na tional Farmers' Alliance take the mater under consideration. Let all other agricultural organizations in the South take action in their next meet ing. Let our Mercantile Boards of Trade and Produce Exchanges discuss the matter fully. Let the farmers, mechanics and laborers notify their merchants that on and after the 4th day of next March they will buy no more Yankee goods. The clearing out of the "bagging trust "is only the commencement of the good work, but taking it in 1 detail is too slow; make a wholesale business of it. Reach down deep into the Yankee's pockets and they will soon come to their senses. We want a reduction of the present war tariff from 47 to 25. Let us stand solid, and in less than four years we will get justice, and in the meantime the South will begin to put on its Sunday suit. Diamond. Cor. The Progressive Fajuhcb. SHORT TALKS BY AN "OLD FOGY." Some "Telling Points." It may seem strange to read an article by an "Old Fogy" in The Pro gressive Farmer, yet it seems to me that even an old fogy is useful. He serves as a " Finger Board," and shows how rapidly Young America is has tening on. v First of all, brethren of the Alli ance, be not disposed to find fault with all mankind if your ideas or hobbies are not readily acceded to. Express yourselves freely and fully but if your thoughts are running in a local channel do not expect the world to suddenly accept your ideas as a " New Gospel" When you .offer a resolution in your Alliance see first of all that they are just and wholesome and be par ticular to expunge everything that looks like "axe-grinding." Above all, see that they are practical. I saw not long since some resolutions, since embodied in a bill before our Legis lature, against trusts and combines, perhaps making it a misdemeanor for persons to combine for the purpose of reducing the products, etc. JT donH want to be indicted yet. I voted to re duce our acreage in cotton when that resolutionwas upin our Alliance. Remember that the County, State and National Alliances are and can only be what the Sub-Alliances make them. The Alliance is like the Church: membership is good, but it is better to have Christians than members and all whose names are enrolled on our books are not good Alliance men. Christ had a Judas in the twelve, and the proportion now-a-days that wants to be members and not workers is equally as great. Beware of those who want the uppermost seats in the synagogue. Do not agree to pay more for service in or out of the Alliance than the service is worth, but pay and pay promptly all it is worth. Pay your Secretaries' and Business Agents' bills for stamps and stationary promptly. Remember that they give time freely, but it is unjust to expect them to pay your bills for you. They have much extra labor when you are home, reading, working or resting they are writing corresponding for your benefit. Do not expect the Alliance will be a medium for you to get good sup plies for nothing. Workingmen form the base of this order and they, have all they can do to pay their own bills. Do not put off to a more conven ient season the payment of your dues. The Secretary is not authorized to take money from the treasury for the payment of your dues. How can the Secretary remit the dues to the County or State Alliance if he has not received them ? Do not expect trade arrangements will be made and you receive the benefits if you da nothing to aid the goodwork. You can spare the time to attend your Alliance and the pit tance of 25 Cents quarterly in advance. Get off the stool of do-nothingness and the Alliance will " boom " like a frontier town. Talk is cheap, but it takes money or mortgage now-a-days to get pro visions. We pass resolutions to put less acreage in cotton. This is emi nently proper, but how many will live up to it ? Are you not thinking now of putting in just a little more, ex pecting the price to advance, because the rest will put m less than usual ? Raising " Home Supplies " is the farmers' savings bank. We raise an extra hog, sheep, cow or horse and hardly miss the feed and labor., yet we would. have to "hustle" around to get the money to buy one outright. If we produce less cotton, said a neighbor to me, it will work hardship on the poor, causing the goods manufac tured therefrom to be higher. "Charity begins at home." , Besides, this is not the world's ex perience. More would be planted elsewhere in other countries. I saw some fine staple at the Centennial and at Atlanta at the Exposition, and other countries will produce the low grades in abundance. The average production in North Carolina is less than one-fourth of a bale to the acreless than $9 per acre -and after all the labor has been accounted for it will pay better to raise black-eye peas, infinitely better to raise calves or mules than cotton at this rate. , Farmers ere discussing grasses now very generally. Clover and timothy are being discussed in all journals South. Will you all plesse remember that the " Old Fogy " tells you that all will not succed that soon. I have had some experience, years of it. I have sat on a mower and cut 100 acres of grass in a single year; cut over some land threA t year (and in North Carolina). So I speak by the "card" when I say ex pect to ba disappointed occasionally fy.UWfra O,WM.-SK,0lBJlltUiy. XUl SOW. Some of you have fine bottom lands wet at times, perhaps a little sour put them in fine order, sow, before a rain to timonthv and herd ims if the timothy dies in four or five years, the herd grass will stay with you, even unto the end. But above all, study the character of your soil, of the plant you propose tf nil t. nn if an rl trn-n-t M-ri rm..' x -j j v ui vuuiaiia. x 1113 must be done if you would succeed. If you want lands for hay don't pas. ture there. If you want pastures don't mow them. General purpose srrasses do not amnntit Tnn ;n v.;. climate. If you want pastures for sheep or cows or colts, you may all have clover, timothy, orchard grass, . Johnston grass or alfalva, but give me the old "wire grass," Bermuda, if you like it better. How gloriously it grows! Cultivation aids it, pasturing increases it, the land enriches; .it takes more free air and rain than clover and it fattens stock better than Kentucky blue grass in its native soil This is not theory. Within a half-mile of where I am writing there is a pasture of twenty acres of wire grass, grazed from early spring until Christmas, on which a herd of ten cattle and fifteen sheep subsist, and they are fat fat enough for beef from June to Janu ary, and this land has been pastured for six years constantly. If you want hay, why seek for a grass you know nothing of. You act as if no good thing could come out of Nazareth. Find me a better grass for hay than your old crab grass and I will find you the Philosophers' stone. I have now fifty acres in clover; have raised clover all my life, have raised nearly all the grasses, yet I have never found a better i-ass for hav than crab nrnxx Tf v. . ' to the soil. I have cut 3,000 lbs. of crab grass hay from a single acre. I have frequently cut it twice in the same year. I have sold at the rate of 3,000 lbs. of crab grass hay per acre, and hay sells now at $25 per ton. If the editor sees fit to have me growl again I will discuss manures and re clamation of soil from a fogy stand point. Fraternally yours, Foot. (Yes, keep oh " growling." We like it. especially when it sounds like the above. En. A FEW FACTS. Sassafras Fork Alliance, No. 591.. StovaLl, N. C, February 5, 1889. "I T T T- j-v,. vol. jj. u. roi,K.uear r: The Oxford News oi January 26th, 1889, says: Oxford sold last year 10,000,000 lbs. of tobacco. We all know it takes one dollar ($1.00) per hundred as an average to sell tobacco; that will cost $100,000 to sell one crop of Granville VUa. Alli vwoiwwv jl ia A.uiaiiio Mail lAcfe V U ly sold for $5,000 in one house, and as four houses will sell all the crop, it will cost $20,000 to sell one crop, a net saving of $80,000 on tobacco. Now if every farmer would buy his guano through the Alliance they would save $40,000. Add this to $80,000 and it will make a net saving of $120,000 on the sale of one crop of tobacco and the purchase of guano for one season. The vote of Granville is 5,000, say 3,000, all farmers, and it will be a net saving of $40.00 for every farmer in Granville. With .this saving some of our brethren do not see the neces sity of sustaining our Business Agent. Fraternally, Justice: SEASON OF HORSE BLANKETS. As the cold weather approaches, every kind-hearted man who owns a horse will provide his animal with a comfortable blanket, both for stable wear and for covering when hitche out of doors. Nor is it a matter of kindness of heart alone, but it is really a matter of economy with the owners of the horse. An animal which is kept well blanketed will keep in good condition and come out in the spring better prepared for hard work on less feed than one that is afforded none but its natural protection. The cost: of the blanket will be more than saved in the feed, besides adding to the physical comfort and appearance of the beast. "When purchasing blankets it is an object to get the best for your money, and . the cheapest are not always - those that cost least at the starts A good blanket, which will -prove durable and last, is the cheapest in the end.
The Progressive Farmer (Raleigh, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Feb. 19, 1889, edition 1
1
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75