P10GKESSIYE
Largest Circalx
tioa afany Paper
in the South At
lantic States.
pliflt Your Ad
Tcrtiscment in
gich Soil.
TH7 'DUSTEIAL AED EDUCATIONAL INTERESTS OF OUR PEOPLE PARAMOUNT TO ALL OTHER C05SIDERATI0KS OF STATE POLICY.
RALEIGH, N. C, NOVEMBER 12, 1895.
Vol. 10.
No. 40
T0E NATIONAL FARMERS' ALLI
ANCE AND INDUSTRIAL
UNION.
President-J. iTwilletts, Topeka,
Vi'ce-President-H. C. Snavely, Leb
r-Troasurer-Col. D. P. Dun
5an, Columbia, 8. C.
EXECUTIVE BOARD.
H L. Loucks, Huron, 8. D. ; Mann
Brandon, Virginia; I. E. Dean,
Honeoye FaUa, New York; H. C. Dem
Secretary, Harrijurg Penayl
!5fa; Marion Butler, Raleigh, N. C.
JUDICIARY.
R. A. Southworth, Denver, Colo.
Q. W. Beck, Alabama.
M. D. Davie, Kentucky. i
OBTE OABOLINaTIEES7 STATE ALLI
ANCE. President - Dr. Cyrus Thompson,
v"icnpresident Jno.Grabam,Ridge
Wrtar-Treasurer-W. 8. Barnes,
T. B. Hoover, Elm City,
NBte'ward-Dr. V. N. Seawell, Villa-'chapiaS-Rev.
P. H. Massey, Dur-Tcirper--Geo.
T. Lane, Greens-b)istaSDoor-keeper-Ja3.
E. Lyon,
DratCArxns-A. D. K. Wallace,
teB2NiST. Ivey, Ral-
81usteBusinesa Agency Fund-W.
Graham, Machpelan, N. C
lXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE NORTH
CABOLINA FARMERS' STATE ALLIANCE.
A F. Hileman, Concord, N. C. ; N.
C. English, Trinity, N. C. ; James M.
ifewborne, Kins on, N. C.
8TATX ALLIANCE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE.
John Graham, Gatesville, N.C. ; Dr.
J.F. Harrell, Whiteville, N. C; T. J.
Candler, Acton, N. C.
Korth Carolina Reform Pre Association.
Oncers J. L. Ramsey, President;
terion Butler, Vice-President; W. S.
Samea, Secretary,
papers.
Pnzresalve Farmer. State Organ, R&ete. N. C.
Caucasian, di v j n
rvwzrv Hickory, N. C
attler Will takers, JN. U.
SEl Beaver Dam. N. C.
The Populist, Lnmberton, jn. C.
Tie People's Paper, . Charlotte, N. C.
The Vestibule, ' Concord, N. C.
The Plow- Boy. Wadesboro, N . C.
Carolina Watchmac, baiisbury, . C
Each of the above-named papers are
nquesteato keep the list standing on
'lie first page and add others, provided
Aey are duly elected. Any paper fail
ing to advocate the Ocala platform will
ie dropped from the list promptly. Our
wple can now see what papers are
uilished in their interest.
AGEICULTUKE.
Those who keep but one cdw nd
save the cream until a sufficiency has
accumulated for a churning will not
succeed in making choice butter, as it
is a mistake to mix tne oia ana new
cream. This is a fact that is irequenuy
overlooked, and has been tne cause or
more failures than anything else.
The Russian thistle has moved a lit
tie closer to the East, and it is simply
a matter of time when it will be estab
lished on the Atlantic coast. The rail
road cars bring the seeds and scatter
them along the lines. Good cultivation
destroys it. It is not as severe a pest
as the gypsy moth or the potato beetle.
The large varieties of beet have very
few leaves in proportion to their size.
These leaves make a valuable feed for
cowa and hogs, but must be used quick
ly, as they are very succulent, and de
cay quickly if left in heaps. The leaves
are succulent rather than nutritious,
and ought always to be fed with grain
and other dry fed with grain and other
dry feed. They are as good as the beets
-m 1 A. 1
to
lacrease the milk now wnne iney
last
Tne Jer?evs in this country are grad
ually iricrea-inc in size, even when the
breed is kpt Dure This is not due so
much to t
ter feed, as to the fact that
m this country where the Jersey
IS I
Kist grown, the heifers do not begin
to treed as early es they do in th(
ri;. cliin-ue of the channel islands
Vv ita increase o s"ze will come greater
Vib"-r of constitution, which will re
fcove one of the principal objections to
kis breed of cows.
All farmers' wives know that the
from apple trees, especially from
the twigs and branches Druned, i3 very
rich in potash. The same is true of
stone fruits, such as the neach or plum,
Te reason, apparently, is that the tree
1:1 fruitiDR makes large demands on
tiie root for potash, and that the annual
growth ig made up from what if left
0ver of the same kind of sap. Young
Iruit trees that have never borne have
Doteo much potash, tbiough 'they all
avemore th&.n trees rnwn in dense
I0feets.
THE C VER SEED CROP.
There h Deen considerable clover
seed saved through Western North
Carolina the past season, but nearly all
the seed saved in that section contains
a considerable quantity of weed seed,
principally plairitain, which makes the
seed practically unmerchantable.
The farmers of this section will
realize now the desirability of sowing
clean clover seed. If this had been
done, they would have obtained a much
better price for their present crop.
Some sections of North Carolina have
long been notorious for the low grades
of seed bought by its merchants to
supply their customers, and the pres
ent experience of seme of these farm
era is a practical lesson that will have
its results in causing them to be more
careful in the quality of seed they sow
in the future. "As a man sows, so
shall he reap." Southern Planter.
When a cow is dry she should not
receive heavy rations of grain. Hay
and fodder, with a small proportion of
bran, is better than concentrated food,
as such cows are non producers, and if
fed too heavily will become fat, a con
dition which is not very favorable at
the calving period, milk fever often re
suiting when the cow is too fat from
overfeeding.
DIGESTIBILITY OF HAY.
In the consumption of hay and clover
there is, perhaps, under ordinary cir
cumstances, a less proportion digested
and so rendered available in the growth
or fattening of animals than is gener
ally supposed. This has been pretty
clearly demonstrated in a series of di
gestion experiments that have been
conducted at the Maine station. The
composition of the hay is given as fol
lows: Protein compounds, 5 91; crude
fibre, 28.89; nitrogen free extract, 47.41
and fat. 2 67. Of the above there is,
under ordinary circumstances digested
protein compounds, 2 7; crude fibre,
12 4; nitrogen free extract. 27 9, and
fat, 1.4.
By the above it appears that only
about one half of the nutritive, prin
ciples of timothy are digested. In the
case of clover hay the result is very
nearly the same, the only difference of
any amount being in the fact that
clover hay furnishes about twich as
much of protein compounds as the
timothy. Assuming that 3,875 pounds
of timothy is cut from an acre, there
will be digested 1,016 pounds of protein
matter, while from an acre of 4,075
pounds of clover hay would be digested
238 2 pounds of protein, with but little
difference in the fat and nitrogen free
extract. As the protein contains the
substance for animal tissue, this is im
p0rtant in the feeding of growing and
young animals.
HOW TO KEEP DAIRY CATTLE
UP DURING THE WINTER.
Many of our Southern farmers either
have not yet learned the importance
of the silo, or they are afraid of its
cost ; hence the making of ensilage for
cattle in winter is with them an untried
step in agriculture.
It is to this class, especially, that I
address the few following remarks on
the subject of a winter pasture. My
remarks are applicable to rye or barley,
so the farmer wisning to follow mv
mode of culture can plant either. I
prefer rye, possibly because I have
grown it more than I have barley.
Of course there are other nronn that
could be planted for winter pasture
for mstance the clovers-but it is now
t n late fo orimRnn oiovr anrl to
clover will be discussed in another
article.
My plan is to break the land as early
in the fall as possible, with a two-horse
plow ; turning under all organic matter
nnssihlp in nrlHitinn tn tho monni.n
f VUU UiUUUlD
scattered broadcast.
inasmuch as few of us in the South
have barnyard manure enough to go
over as large an area as a winter pas
ture would require, we have to supple-
ment with cotton seed and commercial
fertilizers. There are many brands of
good fertilizers on the market, and
fortunately lor the iarmer, in most
States at least, they are worth all that
is asked for them. But, according to
my e'xperience and observation, most
crops would do better with a larger
amount of potash than is put m the
average fertilizer sold in the market.
I do not believe in the prescription
theory for soils, but I do believe that
some soils and some plants require
more of one element to be added in a
I fertilizer than others.
I find that the following formula
works well with the average Southern
crop : Cotton seed meal, 750 lbs. ; acid
phosphate, 750 lbs, ; and kainit, 500
lbs ; or muriate, 125 lbs., making in all
one ton. Apply from 300 to 500 Its. to
the acre. For a rye crop in connec
tion with manure, I would put on, say
300 lbs., and would apply broadcast,;
just after the spring-tooth harrow, or
just after the disc harrow, and follow
with the smoothing harrow. In other
word3, 1 break the land deep with the
two horse plow, sow the seed at the
rate of one bushel per acre on this
rough plowed land, then cover with
disc harrow, then sow fertilizer broad
cast and follow with a smoothing har
row. If the land is cloddy, I would
advise rolling or dragging, to finish up
with. Either process will pack the
ground around the seed and cause
them to germinate quicker and make
early growth, which is very desirable
for a winter pasture. If it is found
that the stand is too thick, then a
smoothing harrow or a "Z Breed
Weeder and Cultivator" can be run
over the crop to thin it out. This cul
tivation would be a benefit to the crop
left, as well as thinning it out. This
green crop in the winter will give the
cattle a relish for the dry food, and it
will have a telling effect on the milk
cows, and the calves will be greatly
benefited as well.
Too much stress cannot be laid on
the importance of fresh, green food for
cattle in winter, and the farmer who
provides these delicacies for his cattle
will be fully repaid. Prof. B. Irby, in
Southern Planter.
A few inches of dry earth over a pile
of fermenting manure will effectually
prevent loss of ammonia. This is a
much more common cause of loss
where manure is piled than is leaching.
We doubt whether during summer and
until cold weather the piles of manure
left out of doors get more rainfall than
is good for them. This is especially true
of horse manure, which will burn into
ashes and lose half of its manurial value
if kept where rain cannot reach it. The
waste from leaching of manure occurs
mainly in winter and early spring,
when the melting of snows and heavy
rains drench the soil with water.
KEEP A RECORD OF WORK.
Every farmer is to a great extent a
manufacturer, and ought to keep a
record of his operations. This is the
key to success in any business. But
the soil-tiller should attend to some
other matters in connection with his
accounts. A writer in an exchange
suggests that a map of the farm, with
each field numbered, and its size, qual
ity of soil, etc., specified, will be a great
aid in keeping track of the year's trans
action. How many farmers have such
a guide and convenience? And how
many kept such a memoranda the
past year as will enable them to tell
the expense of each crop grown? And
how about the domestic animals? If
you keep cows what have they paid
you per head in the aggregate? And
what of sheep, swine, and even chick
ens? How much did each contribute
to your income, and which was the
most profitable?
Those who can answer those perti
nent questions must be well advised in
regard to their financial position, and
need no admonition ; but we fear many
are utterly unable to give any detailed
account of their farming operations, or
whether the balance is on the right or
wrong side of the ledger. It is need
less to say that such management
would soon wreck any commercial en
terprise, and hence the frequent com
plaint that "farming don't pay" ia not
surprising. We would suggest that
you keep an accurate accoimt of your
doings, and you will not only be wiser,
but ere long, richer in consequence. In
fact, resolve that you will know how
you stand at the close of another year.
.
This is the time of year when the
breeders of fancy poultry are thinning
off their flocks and disposing of the
surplus. Most beginners in poultry
growing and egg production wait until
spring, thinking that thus they will
save the expense of winter keeping.
But the poulterer necessarily charges
for thi3, and at higher rates than most
private parties would pay if they kept
them over winter themselves. There
is nothing like buying fancy poultry
when it ia most plentiful. It ia a good
time, therefore, for farmers who have
kept mongrel poultry to sell it all off
and begin with a few of the very best.
From a single trio bought now the
flock may be increased next year to
any extent desired.
NITRATES IN THE SOIL.
As soil fertility is of so much moment
to farmers, and as the productiveness
of a soil is directly proportional to the
amount of nitrates which it contains,
and the facilities or favorable con
ditions offered for the conversion of
organic nitrogen into nitrates, the sub
ject of nitrification becomes one of
prime importance to agriculturists.
Nitre or saltpetre is a compound of
nitrogen which represents the form of
combination in which nitrogen must
be, in order that plants may use it as
food. The organic nitrogent of the
soiV as well as that contained in such
fertilizer materials as cotton seed meal,
castor pomace, dried blood, fish scrap,
and tankage must be converted into
nitrate of ammonia salts before plants
can use it as food.
All nitrates are formed through the
instrumentality of small microdemes
or living organisms, which require cer
tain conditions for proper growth and
development. They require (1) air or
oxygen, (2) a due amount of moisture,
(3) a proper temperature, 98 degrees to
100 degrees F, being best, (4) phosphates
and other ash ingredients of plants, (5)
a mild alkali such as carbonate of lime,
(6) organic matter containing nitrogen,
and (7) shade is also favorable to their
development.
The germs themselves are in greater
or less numbers in all cultivated soils,
and in order for a soil to furnish the
conditions mentioned above, it must
be loose and porous, so as to admit the
air freely to it ; it should be well drained
and have good capillary action, so that
at all times it will as near as possible
have that moisture about it which is
present when ground plows well, as
this is the degree of moisture most de
sirable, and it should have plenty of
organic matter in it to furnish nitrogen
and favorably influence the supply of
water.
Soils deficient in the nitric ferment
germ are barren, while those which
furnish conditions favorable for a nitre
bed, conditions such as have been given
above, are always fertile. Prof.W. L.
Hatchinson, in Southern Farm Gazette.
It is generally said that the potato
is exclusively a native of the Western
continent, whence it was introduced
into Europe about three hundred years
ago. But the Chinese had the potato
growing long before the discovery of
America by Columbus. It is still found
growing wild on the borders of Tartary,
and in the western provinces of China
the potato is as much a staple food as
rice is in the eastern portions of the
Empire. It seems certain that the po
tato was indigenous to both hemi
spheres, though it was unknown in
Europe until it was introduced by Sir
Walter Raleigh.
THE PRESERVATION OF VEGE
TABLES. As ordinarily kept, the root crops of
the garden soon become shrivelled,
and lose their flavor, or in some cases
become "pithy" and "woody." TUis
can to some extent be remedied if they
are packed away in the fall in dry
sandy soil. While the Shrivelling is
for the most part prevented, the flavor
suffers to a considerable extent. Per
haps the best material in which to pack
them, and one that is unequalled in re
taining the vegetables in their normal
condition is found in the leaves of most
of our forest and shade trees. Oak
leaves are rather thick and coarse, but
those of the maple, elm, poplar and
other trees answer well. As they drop
in the fall, they should be gathered
and used at once. If allowed to become
drv it will be well to rake them into
Diles. and either wet them down, or
leave them until wet by rain. As soon
as the excess of water has drained off
they can be used. Dry leaves will an
swer if the vegetable room is damp.
The vegetables should be packed in
alternate layers in the leaves, in either
bins or boxes.
Onions, like other bulbs, can be easily
preserved if kept dry, and although, if
this is observed, they will stand a con
8iderable range of temperature, it is
desirable that they have a temperature
of from 35 to 45 negrees. When in a
damp room they start readily, espe
cially if at a high temperature, and as
spring approaches the buds start even
if kept comparatively cool. Care
should be taken not to store onions in
too large bulk, -and to prevent heating
they should be in shallow bins or in
crates.
Although considerable .trouble ia ex
perienced with the preserving winter
squashes, they are among the easiest
vegetables to carry through the winter.
One source of trouble ia that they are
often left too long on the vines and
subjected to severe frosts. Even if
not quite ripe it is best to gather them
(if the vmes are thick it is generally
safe to risk one frost) and place them
in some sunny spot where they can be
covered at night. When freezine
weather comes they should be carried
to the house, and, unlike most of the
other vegetables, should be placed in
the warmest and driest place at hand.
If one has a furnace and the squashes
are packed around it, there will be lit
tle danger of their not keeping, even if
no more than half grown.
The sweet potato is another vegetable
that does not withstand a low tempera
ture. They can c f ten be bought cheaply
in the fall and can be preserved, if
packed in boxes, between layers of dry
leaves and kept where the temperature
does not fall much below 60 degrees.
It is generally thought that there is
eome secret about the keeping of celery
as well as in raising it. There will be
no trouble in keeping it if it is placed
in room where the temperature
ranges from 35 to 45 degrees, and if it
is supplied with sufficient moisture to
prevent wilting. It should have been
blanched while growing in the garden,
and should be placed in the cellar about
the tenth of November. For family
use it may be packed in boxes or in
half barrels, or other small receptacles
that are a little deeper than the plants
are high. Three or four inches of soil
should be placed in the bottom, and the
celery should then be packed in ver
tically, about as thick as it will stand,
the soil be pressed firmly about the
roots. If a large quantity is to be
stored, it may be picked in the same
way between boards placed on edge
about twelve inches apart; but fully as
good results will be obtained if it is
packed in trenches in the open ground
and covered so as to keep out the frost.
As soon as packed, if kept in the house,
it will be'necessary to wet the soil
about the roots, and at intervals during
the winter, when it is found to be get
ting dry, the application should be re
peated. In doing this care should be
taken not to wet the stalks, as it is
likely to cause them to rot. The water
can be poured in from a watering pot
through a short piece of tin or iron
pipe, or a short hose may be attached
to the end of the spout. Some have
found small drain tile tiles inserted at
intervals among the plants good for
this purpose.
Cabbages and potatoes are too com
monly wintered to require much at
tention here. The former should be
put away with the outer leaves and
stems attached to the heads. They
will keep if left in thin layers in
almost any way, in a cool room, but if
placed in such a position that the roots
can be covered with dry sand, they
will be less likely to shrivel and lose
their outer leaves. If many are to be
wintered over for spring use, it will be
best to select some well drained spot
out of doors and place them with their
stems up, in furrows close enough to
gether so that, when one has been filled
with cabbages, the heads will be cov
ered with soil when the next furrow is
turned. When freezing weather comes
they should be covered with three or
four inches of light litter. They are
most likely to be injured from alternate
freezing and thawing. Potatoes keep
best in a moderately dry room at a
temperature of from 35 to 45 degrees,
but if kept dry will not suffer, except
from shrivelling, even if the tempera
ture reaches much higher. Prof. L. R
Taft, in American Agriculturalist.
HORTICULTUEE
,
NATIVE PLUMS.
Within the last few years native
plums have been coming eomewhat
into prominence. The opinions of fruit
growers diner as to their merit. The
market demaDd for them is limited,
although it is steadily increasing for
the early kinds. They come into mar
ket about three weeks before the Euro
pean varieties. One of our stations in
propagating native pluma, Marirnuv
and morobolon stocks are largely used.
Prunus Americana is well adapted as
to stock for northern climates. Meth
ods of planting and cultivation do not
differ from those used with the com
mon pluas except that mixed planting
mu3t be followed in order to secure the
fertilization of many of the native
plums. Native plums are not particu
lar as to soil, although extremes in
sand, clay and muck should be avoided.
A soil too strong or too rich in nitro
genous matter causes a heavy growth
of foliage at the expense of productive
ness. There are about 150 varieties of
native plums embraced in five species,
of which the most important are,
Prunus American, P. hortulana and
P. augustifolia. The roost valuable
of the native plums are De3oto, Roll
ingstone, Weaver, Wild Goose, Miner
and Newman, of which Wild Goose
Desoto and Miner are probably the
most popular. In general, the native
plums are to be recemmended to those
who want plums for an early market ;
because of their immunity from dis
eases and insects, to the general f armer,
and to large growers who want a
greater variety of fruits.
CARE OF TREES IN WINTER.
When trees stand too thick, exclud
ing air and sunshine (for each tree to
bear well should be exposed to the light
on all sides) then all inferior trees
should be dug out, and many a cord of
wood might be taken from most orch
ards and yet plenty of trees remain to
serve their purpose better. Remove
all rough dead bark from the trees
with a scraper and whitewash the body
of the tree nearly up to the limbs; this
destroys insects, the bark will be re
newed and the whole tree restored ; tho
scrapings, however, must be burned or
the pests will live on the ground.
To cause the insects burned in tho
ground to freeze and openjthe soil to
atmospheric influence, it is important
to dig up thesoil around a tree from
three and a half to six feet in diameter,
then cover this piece of ground with,
ashes, lime or some other fertilizer.
Older trees must be fertilized near they
outer circumference of their crowns,,
where the finest root are. The manure
or muck water is put into rills or holes.
If planting in spring ia intended,
then it is well to dig the holea in tho
fall, says the North American Agricul
turist.; If the tree ia to ba planted in
an old orchard, then the hole must bo
wide and deep. In early spring tho
holes will be well frozen out and should
be refilled with a mixture of clay and
rich soil several weeks before planting.
Thia filling may be hauled in winter
and allowed to freeze, to improve it
The autumn winda often loosen tho
support of young trees, and theso
should be looked after and refastened..
These supports should be smooth and
tarred at one end to make them last
longer in the ground. Always place
the supporting props on the south &ide
of the tree, aa this will protect tho
tree from sun scald. For ties use straw
or willow, which are soft and will not
cut the tree.
CREAM OF THE PRESS:
Hard Hits, Bold Sayings and Patriotic:
Paragraphs from Reform Papers.
By lessening the number of dollars
you lessen the amount of business that
can be done. Labors' Tribune.
Prosperity is coming a man can get
a bigger job of work to do for 50 cents
than ever before. Emporia Times.
Carnegie's employees may look for
another cut in wages soon. Andy is
to found another free library. Sound
Money.
Dun's report is to the effect that in
the last twelve months the average
decline in prices of property has been,
over 8 per cent. Chicago Express.
If you want to support the banker,
the corporations, the trusts and their
hireling tools, you should keep right
on voting an old party ticket. Peo
pie's Advocate.
Are national bankers honest? They
are all "sound money" men yet they
persist in paying out dishonest (f) 50&
silver dollars. Queer, isn't it? Mis
souri Commoner. ,
Failures for last week were 263 and
only 253 during the corresponding
week of last year. That returning:
prosperity is coming too sudden; it
knocks everybody; Tff. their feet.
Farmers' Tribune.
A poor fellow stole a bicycle a few-
weeks ago, out in Iowa, and was sent
to the penitentiary for three years.
Taylor, the defaulting State Treasurer
of South Dakota, stole $300,000 and ia
sentenced to two vears. Chicago Ex
press.
"The money power within a gener
ation has changed the financial fea
tures of the nation, wiping out tho
small manufacturear and trader, mak
ing the masses more and more tho
helots of the classes." Washington.
Republic.
John Sherman eays he ia willing
that Republicans shall divide the Ben- '
ate offices with the Democrats and
recognize the Senate on thia basis ; but
the Populista must have nothing. The
Bank of England will not turn John'a
picture to the wall. Brockton Dia
mond.
r
:j-'S,.