Newspapers / The Progressive Farmer (Raleigh, … / Sept. 17, 1895, edition 1 / Page 1
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T 1 Largest Circuit tion of any Paper in the South At lantic States. Vflt Your Ad- tftisement in lich Sail. 1 TP. T THE INDUSTRIAL AND EDUCATIONAL INTERESTS OF OUR PEOPLE PARAMOUNT TO ALL OTHER CONSIDERATIONS OF STATE POLICY. -.nam.. VP ? Vol. 10. RALEIGH, N. C, SEPTEMBER 17, 1895. No. 32 A a NATIONAL FARMERS' ALLI ANCE AND INDUSTRIAL UNION. preeident-J- iTwilletts, Topeka, :ViPre8ident-n. C. Suavely, Leb Srry-easurer-Co1' D- P Dim' Columbia, S. C. EXECUTIVE BOARD. FI L Loucks, Huron, S. D ; Mann Brandon,. Virginia; I. E Dean Irrtipr. Raleigh, N. C. JUDICIARY. o a Southworth, Denver, Colo, p 7 Beck, Alabama. V d' Davie, Kentucky. oir-n CAROLINA FARMERS' STATE ALLI uu ANCE. President - Dr. Cyrus Thompson, fpresident-Jno. Graham.Ridge 'Sretar-Treasurer-W. S. Barnes, turlr-J. T. B. Hoover, Elm City, sward-D V. N. SeaweU, Villa Chapia?n-Bev. P. H. Massey, Dur r -keeper-Geo. T. Lane, Greens- C distant Door keeper Jag. E. Lyon, 'fitArnM-A. D. K. Wallace, utberfcrdtoD, N. C. State Business Agent T. Ivey, lial- ' fmtee Business Agency Fund W. :.Gnhain, Machpelan, N. C. lECCTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE NORTH CiBDUSA FARMERS' STATE ALLIANCE. F Hileman, Uncord, N. C ; N. !.Earkh, Trinity, N. C. ; James M. ewfcorne, Kids on, N. C. .ATI ALLIANCE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE. John rraham, Gatesville, N. C. ; Dr. ..F. Harrell, Whiteville, N. C; T. J. andler, Acton, N. C. srth Carolina Reform Press Association. QficeraJ. L. Ramsey, President; orwn u lev, Vice-President ; W. S. fu4, Secretary, PAPERS. regressive Firmer. State Organ, Raleigh, N. C. lucasiaa. Raleigh, . C. lucasiaa. ere -.ry, hitler, jr Home. :e Populis-t, je People's Paper. le Vestibule, ie Plow-Boy. ir iina Watchman, Hickory, N. U. WMtakere, N. C. Beaver Dam, N. C. Lumberton, N. C. Charlotte, N. C. Concord, N. C. Wadesboro, N. C. t?a isbnry, 2s. C. iach of the above-named papers are viesiedto keep the list standing on e first page and add others, provided rj are duly elected. Any paper fail 3 io advocate the Gcala platform will dropped from the list promptly. Our :ple can now see what papers are filiated in their interest. :VG R ICULTUEE.' Advanced meihods of farming pre nt land becoming too old to yield mething. If rye is sovn early it may be safely sUired ia the fall. It makes a profit- le p. s:ure. in adiition to other merits accorded rye the ft ct that it is a weed killer not the least. Che orchard should be cleared cf all ish. It is not only unsightly, but ia iarbor for insects. Iany of the watermelons sent late in : Siason to Northern markets, do not eg the producer a cent, 'here ouht to be a fixed place for )bi?h. Unless there is the premises '-cm: littered with tin cans, old bot etc. elect the large si and most early ma ing ears of corn for s ?ed, thoroughly ' it ana keep t away from the rats. ith a horso slaughtering establish at near Chicago and one in Oregon, re ia a prospect that the scrub will iped out of existence. t w said Chicago parties are buying tue crnvjA rie in Wisconsin, a fact, - w a fajt, tt;,t shows the eubstan Proority of the dairy. Iinnciota farmer who have II i sian ' ;-ro comnellod hv 1-iw todeatrov - - "''ilrT a iiop. Tae county -r f :! set a day on which the i h;- done. ' '-jr the. Farm. Stock and Vri: !r-"'. ' "ji reaponcleiit says that he 1 1 c jtHiderable experience in ' ; : '" -.ns and pecs. The main ; - i : - hat the machine is usually 1 ' ! - huh a srpeed, which splits ; r boang. Adjust the gover ' - fTiino to run cn a lowepeed : v t; ood head of feteam on to 1 ' machine up. Remove the " u.d put an iron plate where - ivo wna which allows the bo ma to slip easily. Put on all ' ; ' ou can. Po&s should not be 1 ry when stacked; the Ixst time to 1 just as soon as the eap is out te straw and before the pea ia too '4. lie cuts his beans with a mower i rakes iato rows and stacks them tt up. IMPORTANCE OF INDIAN CORN AS A FODDER CROP. How Can it Best be Employed for This Purpose ? Correspondence of the Progressive Farmer. Tne importance of corn as a fedder crop can hardly b9 over estimated. In some of its varieties it is adapted to a very large part of our country, indeed it is a native of this climate. In the great corn growing regiors of the West it will continue to be raised in immense quantities, principally for the grain for home use and export, but the time is at hand when the fodder will be considered no small part of the crop and will b9 more carefully pre served for this purpose. In the New England States, although corn can be profitably grown for the grain and fodder, yet with the cheaper production at the West and the com paratively low prices that have ruled for the past few years, the tendency is to raise less corn for the grain and more for the fodder. Particularly is this the case where dairying in its various branches is the leading industry. To be successful in this there must be plenty of food for the cows at all times of the year and best adapted for the purposa. There are but a fe weeks in sum mer when the pastures can be depended upon to produce a sufficient amount of the best grasses, and then something else must be substituted in order to keep up the fl jw of milk which is most desirable. There are a few crop3 aside from corn that can be of use for this purpose, especially early in the season, but corn must continue to bo the leading crop. And not only is it being used to supple ment the pastures in summer in its green condition, but its value for later feeding, either in a cured condition or as ensilage, is becoming more pro nounced each year. The large amounts that can be produced to the acre with our modern methods of cultivation is almost marvelous and is having a marked beneficial efftct on our agri culture. As an aid in our all the-y ear-around dairying, th3 fodder corn crop bears a mo3t important relation. Particularly is this the case when put into eDs"lage. Of course the corn can be cured and used to good a' vantage in that condi tion, and many follow this practice, but our most progressive and success ful farmers, thtsa producing milk in the winter, much prefer putting it in the silo as the most economical and convenient method. When this is done in a proper manner the ec silage is well preserved and ready for use at all times. The methods of silo building and ensilage making have been greatly simplified since the commencement, which is of much benefit to farmers. This is but the natural outgrowth of experience and observation. It has been found that costly silos built of brick or stone are not necessary ; in deed are not the best. They are now largely built of wood and located in some part of the barn where most ac C3ssible ani convenient. This is very important, as the saving of time acd labor in filling and feeding should al ways be kept in view. They should be placed in the barn where there can be a strong frame-work of studding, as some claim that one thickness on the inside of well-matched lumber is all that is wanted. Of course the best quality of boards should be used and be well coated on the inside with tar or some good preparation, to render them more durable. In building a silo there should be a good water-tight foundation of stone, a little lowest in the center and well covered with cement. Oa this the frame work rest. Good drainage and air tight wall3 are what ia wanted. In stead of having one large silo, it is be ing found much better to have more smaller ones, or a largo one divided into compartments, as the ensilage will thus be preserved better when feeding out. The deeper the silo the more com pact the ensilage will become from press ire of itself and the better it will be. With the carriers now attached to the cutters there is r.v difficulty in elevating the ensilage to the top of the barn if necessary. Ten to twelve feet square and eighteen to twenty feet high are good dimensions. Silos of this description should bo built for from 50 cents to $1 a ton capacity, ac cording to location and cost of ma terial. Corn can either be put in the eilo whole properly managed or cut, but in general I think farmers favor cut ting, as it is so much more convenient handling the ensilage when feeding. I Excessive tramping of the ensilage IN THE HEART OF o X cL Id ul cL o Is the title of a series of articles which commenced in Last week. These articles are written by Ed itor J. L. Ramsey, who is now travelling through the NORTH AND EAST studying the financial question. If you want the benefit of Mr. Ramsey's observations sub scribe for The Progressive Farmer and back numbers will be sent you. In clubs of five we will send the paper four months for only twenty cents. Bead our offer on another page. when filling the silo or weighing after ward, is not now considered necessary, thus doing away with considerable work. When the silo is filled it should be covered with a thick layer or poor hay to absorb the moisture and pro serve the ensilago on top. The kinds of corn to plnt for ensilage will depend in great measure on the location. Amount of fodder i3 one thing and quality another The time for raising a great mas of stalks with out ears has gone by. It is found that the ears are as valuable as the stalks, so then the largest amount of both that can be grown the better the crop will be. The best time to put in the silo is considered to be when the ears are in full milk, or soon after. This will make a rich, good feed. Inetead of raising corn to husk, grind and then feed, corn and fedder sepa rately , some now put the entire crop in the eilo as the most profitable way to J dispose of it. Much labor in saved by i this method and more real nutriment got out of the crop Carefully conducted tests at the Ver mont Experiment Station with corn cured and fed to cows without husk ing; husked, the crn ground and then fed with the stalks, and er silage made from the corn without husking, werd found to bo in favor of the latter method. As it is difficult growing corn so as to be in condition to feed as early as some farmers would like to do, the practice of filling a silo to be kept over until the following summer for use when wanttd, is being followed by some with advantage. The ensilage is found to keep well and can be fed at a time when it is very desirable to keep up the flow of milk until the new crop of corn is in condition for use. It may be a little late for building silos this year, but the importance of the corn crop to this country and its most economical and profitable dispo sition, may well engage our attention at all times, and the wise farmer, the one who thinks, studies and acts for himself, will be planning wisely for the future and zealously working in accord ance therewith. E R. Towle Franklin Co., Vt. MARKETING TOBACCO. Correspondence of the Progressive Farmer, The better class of tobacco growers of Alamance and Caswell do not mar ket their to bacco early. This results from several causes; many of them ere in eesyand independent circumstances are well prepared to preserve their crops when cured and are well skilled in caring for it. They have learned through experience that rich oily to bacco, unless tempered, and its colors fixed by the freez s of winter more easily changes its brighter colors to those of a darker hue than the light and chaffy tobacccs of our eastern and southern counties. A3 there is more diversity of cnlors in the tobacco of thia section, the planter finds it belt to strip most of his crop before he com mence3 marketing ; by so doing he can better class his tobacco, and make the lots larger. Light chaffy tobacco, with little oil in it (commonly called gunrby us farmers?) does not so readily change its color from exposure to air and moisture as do the rich and oily classes. But as for the best time to sell de pends upon so many contingencies, it is impossible to fix any given time. It is always safe to sell when it is bring ing its worth ; better to sell on a rising market than to wait for higher prices, than sell in time of a big break and on a falling market. Then I would say, have your tobacco ready, so that at short notice it can be brought into proper order. I prefer loading it into wagons, if the roads are in good con dition and the weather good, otherwise pack into tierc s weighing from six hundred to one thousand pounds. On an average I have found Tuesday, Wed nesday and Thursday the best days for selling. Then push for market. O'tener than otherwise you will fiad most of the soon men just in the same notion, and on hand. You will be surprised to see so many of them. Ask them how they ordered their tobacco : A few will say by a steamer; others will say by means of a damp cellar ordering room or by steam made by pouring water on heated stones, or putting stones into water hot. However, many persons need some ready cash to buy fertilizer for wheat, to pay their wage hands, to buy winter shoes and clothes, to pay that little owing to the mer chant. So go to any of our leading markets at any time when tobacco can be marketed and you will find good breaks. But I would say keep off the market just before or after the Christ mas holidays To make a stripping room build either of logs or frame and ceil a room large enough for six or eight per sons to work in conveniently without being crowded and largo enough to contain a day's stripping, and room enough for an or dinary stove upon which there should always be a pan of water. There should be a long, low window on one side or end ; another taller one on the other side; a good tight floor; underneath this floor have a deep cellar, with the earth banked up on the outeide to the floor, and have the stripping room so connected with the storing room that tabacco can be carried from one to the other without getting wet. When one is well fixed up for it, tobacco can be stripped out in the bad days of winter with comfort, when it is impossible to work with comfort at anything out of doors. It is best to have a trap door through the fl )or into the cellar, by which the tobacco can be put in and taken out. Eaough should be put in the day be fore for a day's stripping; 12 to 18 hours will be generally long enough for the tobacco to come into stripping order. In the warm, damp days of winter tobacco will come into order if opened cut and placed in the roof over head in the stripping room, or in the sheds, which should always surround the storing room. Ail thinS being ready, the leading tobacco picker, sorter, classifier, or whatever you choose to call him, should take his seat with hi3 lug puller on his left, with their backs to the low window. In front cf them should be a bench two feet wide and eight feet loog. Upon the left end cf this the tobacco to be stripped should be placed. The lug puller takes off the lugs, making two or three classes (some time? only one) and passes the plant on to the boss picker, who generally pulls off the re maining leaves, being careful to place them in different heaps so that those who tie or bind into hands can con veniently reach it. Three smart hands can tie os fast as two can sort. It is the duty of the bcs3 to see that his lug puller classifies his lugs rightly and that those who do the tieing do not mix the classes or sorts and that the proper number of leaves are put into eich hand or bundle; that leaves of the same length are tied together. Do not put short acd long leaves into the same L the tobacco BU W r u ir10 lhe "umber to be put into a bundle, depends much upon the size of the leaves; 15 to 20 are not many for dark lugs; the leaves are small 12 will do; if the leaves are large of the other kinds six to 10 is the Drormr number. Fine tobacco should not be tied with less than eix leaves to a bundle otherwise the waste in tie leaves is too great. I have seen a fine lot of tobacco worth 40 cents per pound tied into bundles of four leaves each, including the tie leaf. There is no advantage whatever in a very small bundle, as in most instances the buyer re hangs the tobacco and re orders it before re selling it. Unless the tobacco is to be soon marketed, or immediately packed into a tierce, it should be placed on a small flat, smooth stick with 20 to 25 small bundles to the stick. 16 to 18 large ones are enough ; always leave a little space between the bund'eisj that in re-ordering the order will be uniform. Each class or sort should at ttie end of each day be put into separate duiks or placed upon separate tiers in the storing room, being careful to place tne nnest cia?s3s the highest in the room, as the higher it hangs the less it will change. The bass should number each lot or class in a book for the pur pose. As to how many cl sses should be in a curing depends altogether on the kind or quality. It is all the way from two cr three to eight or ten, but it is most commonly six or seven. Dif ferent colors should not be put into the same bundle The heads should not be wrapped too short nor too long ; jusc long enough to keep the leaves from falling apart. Cautions Never strip any tobacco when it is dry enough for the fiber to brake in handling Do not strip fine tobacco when it is very high in order. If you do, you will bruise it and change its color. Scrip out your dark and in ferior tobacco ia bad weather, and your fine wrappers and cutters late in the season. Market your low grades in large lots and your finest in lots of 50 up to 200 pounds. I have written this communication so that the readers of The Progressive Farmer who raise tobacco may be guarded against our eo called tobacco graders. B F White. WEEKLY WEATHER CROP BUL LETIN For the Week Ending Monday, Sept 7, 1895. Central Office, Raleigh, N. C. The reports of correspondents of the Weekly Weather Crop Bulletin, issued by the North Carolina State Weather Service, for the week ending Saturday, Sept. 7 1895, indicate generally a very favorable week for work and for ripen ing of crops. The temperature was above normal, excepting on Monday and Tuesday, with maximum tempera tures as high as 90 degrees. There was abundant sunshine. Local rains oc curred on threa days, but the weather was very dry the entire week every where except a few counties in the southeast and west portions. The week was favorable for pulling fodder and cutting and curing tobacco. Cotton is opening pretty rapidly and picking is going on. The first new bales have been marketed. Light showers are no w needed. Eastern District The past week was a most i& orable one. Excepting Monday and Tuesday, which were rather cool, the temperature has been above normal. The week was dry, ex qepting local rains on l3t and 4th in some of the southern counties of the district. Tne weather was excsllent for saving fodder and for cutting and curing tobacco. Cotton is fruiting well ; opening generally ; some picking is going on now. It is thought that the cotton crop will be all out early this fall. S reet potatoes have suffered a little from drought. Turnips are do ing well. Sorghum cane is ripe and syrup being made. Strawberry plants are being set out. Sauppernong grapes are ripening. Pea vines are very fine ; early planted beginning to ripen and late planted blooming. A good crop depends to some extent on late frosts. Central District. A very favorable week for what is now the chief work of the farmers -saving fodder and cut ting and curing tobacco which is in full blast;. A large crop of fodder has been successfully saved. Very little rain occurred, and it is needed now to soften ground for fall plowing, and for late corn, late Irish potatoes and tur nips. Cotton is opening quite rapidly, and picking has been done. The dry, clear weather has been favorable for it, and a good many correspondents anticipate a better crop than hitherto expected. Sweet potatoes are doing well, and turnips also. Sorghum cane is rip?. A large crop of oats will be planted this fall in well prepared soil. Western District. The first of the week was cool, the latter part dry and warm. At most places very little rain fell during the week and the ground has become too dry to plow, exc3pt in some cf the western counties cn the slopes of the mountains, where there has been considerable rm. uotton opening well, and picking wisl begin next week ; the crop sems more prcm ising since it has begun to opsn. Fod der pulling and hay making are under full headway, except in the extreme west, where it is just beginning. Prob ably both early and late corn crops are now generally beyond reach of injury by unfavorable weather conditions. Some early planted peas are ripe, sea the crop is doing well. HORTICULTURE CARBONIC ACID GAS FOR GRAPE. VINES AND FRUIT TREES Correspondence of the Progressive f armerr Prosperity. N. C. If I know anything about the prin ciples underlying profitable farming, I cident116 U mainly t0 tbe folling in Some years aRO, whilst travelling' by rail near Wilmington, N. C, a young man informed me that the autumn previous his father gathered 27 bashelsof grapes from two flower grape vines, a variety of the scupper nong, and sold them for wine purposes at $1 ner bu&hl That affa. said vines had been set some six or seven years, he dug a pit 8 feet long, 4 feet wide and feet deep, into which he put a half cord of gresn red oak wood, bark on, thus filling the pit within 6 inches of the top, and then covered with the surrounding earth. He then cut a vine that had probab'y been previously rooted, from the other vine and planted it near one 6nd of said pit. In a few years is ciught up with and went ahead of the parent vine, producing about two thirds of the 27 bushels Nor was this all : the grapes of the younger vine were larger and of much better quality. Of course the red oak wood made the difference, but I as yet know nothing more. Not long after this I came across a." copy of Peterson's Familar Science.. which made the matter plain. Briefly stated, the oxygen of the air, or of rain water, combined with the carbon in the decaying wood and formed car bonic acid gas. This gas possesses great fertilizing properties. The roots of the vine ran among the logs, fed on it, and produced the result afojesaicL Soon after this I wrote an article, em bracing the above, that was read bo fore the Farmers' Ciub of New York and commented upon. After the con clusion of the readirjg a Mr. Fuller re marked to the effect that every person who turned under a cr.p of clover de rived the same benefit. A Mr. Alexander Fuller, (presumably the eame man) has, since the above oc curred (about 1870) written a book on grape culture, in whihhe advises that trenches be constructed and filled with, green red oak wood, and after filling: same with dirt that the grape vines be planted thereon. I have not seen the -book, but am credibly informed as to its contents. This gave me a new idea that haa since been utilized to a great extent. The article was published irT such papers as the World ad Tribune and after wards copied from ocean to ocean.. The light here gained has s:nce formed' the basis of my theory for turning green crops. TRENCHES BETTER THAN FITS. Instead of pits, trenches can be formed with plows and the dirt thrown, out with shovels much more expe ditiously. After the trenches have been constructed, fill with wood to within about 6 inches of the top. Cover with dirt and plant your vines thereon at proper distances apart to suit the variety of grape vines. TtfENCHFS FOR APPLE OR OTHER FllUIT TREES. For fruit trees it is deemed best to coe struct trenches at right angles at proper distances apart to suit the dif ferent trees, a tree being planted at each check or cross. Thus we will say that you wish to plant your trees 2& feet apart each way. In this case the poles of wood should be cut about IS feet long- This wo-jM leave a space of about 7 feet at each crossing in which there is no wood. Fill these vacant spaces with the earth that has been re moved and plant your trees thereon. The trees will thus have solid ground to root in and will not be liable to be blown down by the winds, and they will also be sufficiently near the Jogs for the roots to run out among them. In transplanting trees, they should not be planted any deeper than they origi nally grew. ORCHARDS IN CALIFORNIA. I have seen orchards in California that grew, as I was credibly informed, 1500 worth of fruit per acre, the excel lent fruit E s' being produced by them. Great pains were bestowed on their cultivation, no vegetation of any kind DPjDg permitted to grow in them. I believe tbe eame plan would be of ?reatad vantage here. Have no more fruit trees than is absolutely necessary thpqp cultivate carefully, growing no crop of any kind among them. By burying the oak logs as suggested the roots would be apt to set deeper than they otherwise would, thus more readily admitting of plowing without incJarbn'c acd gas is possessed of peculiar properties, and by employing it as aforesaid the fruit will not only be larger and finer, but much lees liable-, to rot on the troea. Bryak Tyson.
The Progressive Farmer (Raleigh, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Sept. 17, 1895, edition 1
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