rn
PEOGEBSSIYE FifiMBR
Largest Circula
tion of any Paper
in the South At
.ftflt Your Ad
; rtisemcnt la
ich Soil.
lantic States.
THE INDUSTRIAL AND EDUCATIONAL INTERESTS OF OUR PEOPLE PARAMOUNT TO ALL OTHER CONSIDERATIONS OF STATE POLICY.
RALEIGH, N. C, NOVEMBER 26, 1895.
7ol. 10.
No. 42
El
i
.
BE NATIONAL FARMERS' ALLI
CB AND INDUSTRIAL
UNION.
president J. F. Willetts, Toneka,
vice President-H. C. Suavely, Leb
e votary-Treasurer Col. D. P. Dun
in. Columbia, 8. C. '
EXECUTIVE BOARD.
i i L. Loueks, Huron, S. D. ; Mann
no Brandon, Virginia; I. E. Dean,
,1-0. kVllc TCp.wYork: H. C. Den
.,, crrtary. Harrisburg, Pennsyl-
at.ii; Marion tsuuer. naien,
JUDICIARY.
il. A. Southworth, Denver, Colo,
a. W. Back, Alabama.
1. D.ivie, Kentucky.
OBi ii .JAROL1SA FARMERS ST ATX ALU
ANOT. rnKimt Dc Cyrus Thompeci?,
-ich)ancK C.
v ;.-. .'resident Jno. Graham, Rulge
av. in. l'. .
t-'tary-TTcvisurer W. 8. Barnes.
.-i. h is". C. .
1, (Hirer J. T. B. Hoover, Cuy,
3?e-ar.i-Dr. V. N. Seawe'.l. Villa
Sium-Rev. P. U. Maesey, Dnr
orper-Geo. T. Lane, Greens
ire. N. C. t t
AswtantDoor keeper Jaa. E. Lyon,
r-atCArmB-A D. K. Wallace,
iSS'lluBASont-T- Ivey, Hal-
h C
Trustee Business Agency Fund-W.
Graham, Machpelah, N. C
-.XECUTIVB COMMITTEE OF THE NORTH
OOLI5A FARMERS' STATE AIXIANCE.
A F Hileman, Vwcord. N. C. ; N.
J. EnIih, Triuity, N. C. ; James M.
I ew borne, Kins on, N. C.
ATE ALLIANCE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE.
John Ba'dy. Gatesville, N. C.; Dr.
.if. Harrell. Whiteville, N. C. ; T. J.
'windier, Acton, N. C
- irth Carolina Reform Press Association.
. "icers J. L. Ramsey, President;
Hon Butler, T ice-President ; W. S.
tmea. Secretary,
PAPERS.
tereealve Firmer. 8tate Organ, Raleigh,
.ncasiau. X?1?11
t.o --ty. Hickory,
ttfer, Whitakers,
r Home. Beaver Dam,
e Populist, Lnmberton,
e People's Paper. Charlotte,
e Vestibule, Concord,
e Piow-By Wadesboro,
rolina Watchman. iabnry.
N.C.
N.u
N.C.
N. C.
N. C.
N. C.
N.C.
N.C.
N.C.
N. C.
tech of the above-named papers are
rse&tcdto keep the list standing on
t Urn page and add others, provided
1 are duly elected. Any paper fail
1 to advocate the Ocala platform will
iropved from the list promptly. Our
)pie can now see what papers are
.HHahwi in their interest.
AGEICULTURE.
'he eilo ia gradually gaining a foot
. d in Iowa, and as it becomes better
own thin method of preserving green
. d for winter use will bo more gen
- .llv &d pted, eppecially in those eec
ng where dairying is a prominent
turo of the farm work.
'h proper season for turkey ia the
1 fall and winter. In epring and
mnr-r th meat is no longer juicy nor
good flivor; though sometimes
ved at that time, they are much in
' ior to the winter bird for a roast.
' vr youis fattened at the right time,
'or a re idy cash business you can
dbeount the cow and the hen. Oae
iotj of the fowls is suffijient for the
rra, and do your best to keep that
" d pure la any event, when a
t-clas cockerel can be bought for
or If ir, ia an easy matter to grade
tho poultry.
he pimpl. s". and cheapest method of
kin sure of a good fence pos , is to
the tree whtle in full leaf in the
nrnr, and let it peason with leaves
1 branches on unil the fall, and
i v 11 cut up arid ua. M?ide in ths way,
wt-nta will greatly outlet those made
' m winter ftlled trees.
luch hi9 brea said to ure the best
eding and liberal and wise fading.
le h rscs cannot re produced if either
inent is lacking, but let not the neces
, of the proper tnining f if the colt
kept ia the background In fact.
ief ulness will depend very much
i ed upon the training ho receives.
T io demand for le in me it is directly
t it interest t f tie farmer, as it is
prcfiravde to sell at moderate
uhtJithiato make the hoglnavy.
older h hog get the m ire it costs
1:1 ike a pound of giin ; it costs twicj
in.ucn a'i nine months as at four.
rt-tore 8-11 as Qiotr pix
5 oft n the side branches of a farm
fad to py bcU4 carried on
iiigntly. A df zsn hives of bees
mid bring the farmer as much reve
e as a lu Here wheat field. The re
'a the enre of his chickens would
K'A is underrated, and ev n the chil
n aro nut trained to a proper interest;
-h.-m
THE ENORMOUS YIELD OF POTA
TOES. Toe potato crop of 1S95 is a record
breaker, and according to an exhaus
tive report in American Agriculturist,
approximates 282 000,000 bushels. This
is about 100,000,000 bushels greater
than a year ago. Total acreage 3,204,
000 with an average yield per acre of
83 bushels for iha entire country, and
in many o' the big potato States ma
terially in exces3 of this. Toe acreage
was f uddenly increased out of all pro
portion to demand for consumption,
and as a result there is a heavy surplus
above food Ti qi ire merits in many
Sca-ts. This id particularly true in
the Northwest, vnicii has no adequate
outlet at present. In parts of the
Northwest growers have abandoned
the results of their year's work and
will not dig their crop, prices noc pay
ing the cose of digging and hauling
But for this enormous increase the total
crop of the coantry would not bo ex
cessive. iNew li-ngiana nas only a lair
rop, New York a good yield, in the
O io valley drouth did considerable
damage and in the Southern States the
yitld proved liberal. Canada's crop.
according to thin, is about 57.000,000
bushels azainst 45.000,000 one year ago.
The TJ. K. and continent of Europe
have harvested a good crop following
good weather conditions abroad.
Prices are almost unprecedented ly
low in every direction, but may do
better. The crop is only 12 per cent,
larger than that of 1891, when the
December farm price was 37c. per
bus--el, or perhaps 10c. higher than
now. The distribution is unfortunate.
the surplus being confined chit fly to a
few States far from consuming centers,
but wielding an influence on the mod
erate crop grown elsewhere. With the
early offerings out of the way and an
appreciation of the fact that aside from
the excessive supplies in the West, the
crop ia not especially x burdensome.
there is a chance of improvement in
the market before winter is over.
Rotation enables us to use the' ele
ment stored in the soil to better advan
tage, but adds nothing to fertility ; and,
although it is said that cultivation is
manure, it adds nothing to the soil,
merely making the plant food more
available. Crop3 remove fertility, and
we must supply it. Even clover is not
a cure all, with all its virtues.
HOP GROWING IN CENTRAL NEW
YORK.
Eds. Country Gentleman: It is be
lieved that this section produces better
hops, year in and year out, than any
other locality in America, if not the
world. James F. Clark, the largest in
dividual grower hereabouts, who culti
vated this season 125 acres, which ag
gregated 200,000 pounds of the cured
product, often sends his hops to Eng
land, where they not infre quently com
mand the highest prices and net the
grower nice prcfics. Hop culture hav
ing been pursued here so many years,
experience has made the growers wise
in the science of the cultivation of the
vine, so that most of them know pretty
nearly what to do in order to produce
a marketable article. Then, in most
parts the soil is perfectly adaptable for
the growth of tbis particular product.
Tne present sea?on having been an
admirably good one for the proper
growth and development of hops, last
spring's series of hard frosts being
taken into consideration, the crop here
about three fourths was of excel
lent quality. The English Cluster
turned out well, this being the kind
universally grown. The Baravian Red
vine, introduced into these parts sev
eral years ago, did remarkably well,
too, in some instaLces yielding far bet
ter than the English Cluster. Scarcely
any lice were OuS3rved, and, except for
a tew wind storms, gocd weather pre
vailed throughout the harvesting
period. Owing to the cleanness of the
ho s, even the oest and slowest picked
ooeatiucso where they have been
pressed, we,h rather light to the box
Thi- 19 a good sign, however. It bhows
what the quality i.s, for a hop may be
well seeded and flowered, and i free
from vermin, it will al vays weigh
lighter thau an affected one.
Yet;, up to the present time, fewer
hops have ben purchased here by
1
dealers than during any preceding
year for a score back. The prevailing
dry weather has had much to do with
this, sin -e hops cannot be very well
sold and delivered until they are baled ;
and they are best baled when the at
mosphere is laden with a certaiu
quantity of moisture. Then the prices
still continue poor m the local markets,
not higher than 10. per pound being
paid, and in the majority of cases not
more than 7c. or 8c.
Following is what it costs the aver
age grower to produce a crop and get.
it ready for market: 1 cent per pound
for wear and tear of p lee and hop
house, J 3. for use of land, 6c. for har
vesting, including everything, 5. for
phesphate, 3. for twine, nails, &c . ic
for baling; total, 9 cents for every
pound raised ; and these are the lowest
figures at which it can possibly be
done. I made no mention of the labor
of tilling, of tying the vines up in the
spring, training them to the strings,
&c ; and outside of phesphate, I have
omitted to say auy thing concerning the
the application of fertilizers. Then
there is a large quantity of team work
to be done. Beside all this, there is
other labor required whioh I havy not
spoke of. Therefore, to repay the
grower for his labor, h9 must obtain at
least 15 or 16 cents for tvory pound of
hops raised. Thi3 is looking at the
matter in a broad light, of course, for
there are instances where the expendi
turr s are greatly reduced especially at
picking time.
Unles3 there is a picking up in prices
soon to induce greater activity in the
local markets, this year's crop will fail
to be disposed of in due time. The buy
ers, being anxious to buy, have the ir
offices full of simples (loose onee), and
are picking up all the best hops for
shipping that they can get hold of. If
this cours3 continues, all the poor hops
will be left till the las!:. Perhaps this
is the proper way to do, but as it has
never been tried before, it Beems
strange. Unfavorable as the prospects
are, though, mess of the growers are
cleaning up their yards and stacking
or setting the poles preparatory to run
ning them another year.
Teb Hakkb
Otsego county.
FARMING AS A BUSINESS.
The life of a farmer has often been
called a life of drudgery. There is no
occupation that has a larger ratio of
inspiring labor to one whose tastes are
in harmony with rural life. The weak
point in American farming has been
the lack of appreciation of the equip
ments necessary to a successful career.
Too many men have been willing to be
thitves of the soil's resources that they
might swell their bank accounts. To
the young man or woman, fairly well
educated, who will add some technical
knowledge of our special schools of
agriculture to their requirements, there
is no more promising field of enterprise
than farming ; but to insure that eatis
faction in its prosecution which makes
any occupation enjoyable, business
spirit must bo put into it, and toil must
be sweetened by an appreciation of the
attributes which makes rural life at
tractive Charles W. Garfield, in
American Cheese Maker.
You cannot grow a paying crop in a
mass of clods in which a large share of
the plant food is locked up beyond the
reach of the plants you are growing ;
neither will clods hold moisture. Eich
rootlet should have its own little feed
ing spot, and its food to its liking. To
this they are as sensitive as young ani
mals. CLOVER FARMING.
The clover question is of vast import
ance now, for virgin fertility has gone
from most of our lands, and we must
depend upon artificial manure and rota
tion of crops to keep things going on
the farm. There are thousands of
acre3 that formerly produced large
crop3, but are now crying aloud for a
gool baptism of clover, says the Farm
and Home. It would ba well if the
land could be turned over to clover
for a year or two, and then this
crop to be kept growing in a rotation
right along.
But further than this, we have lands
that cannot be built up by clover alone.
They have been 4kclovered" for years
past, and this verj clover farming has
been killing them. Not that the clover
is bad for the soil, but the exclusive
use of clover is gradually subtracting
from the soil all the potash and phos
phoric acid.
Tiie clover simply supplies us with
the nitrogen that the soil needs, and
will not add one ounce of either potash
or phesphoric acid. Cons: quently in
each successive crop these two mineral
elements diminish until the land gets
so poor that no crops will grow oh it,
and yet is being liberally supplied with
clover. The old lands in this condition
need clover, and they need applications
of potash and phosphoric acid. Even
clover declines to grow on soil that is
entirely robbed of tbeso two elements.
In the ea9t, especially, do we find lands
all but robbed of all the potash and
phosphoric acid, and yet the owners
continue to grow clover and wonder at
their poor success. Bat there are still
countless farms in the West where
clover can get all the mineral elements
it needs, and clover farmiog there in
its primitive stages is attended with
good reeuits. But where the crop re
fuses to grow, look out for mineral ele
ments. Tney are lacking generally in
the soil.
Nine tenths, and probably the other
tenth, have the gilt edge taken off them
by eucceteive cropping and through
sheer waste. In order to make farm
ing pay on them now and in the future,
it is necessary that clover should come
in and do i:s work. By a j idiciou?
cultivation of clover unproductive lana
can b9 brought into as good a state of
fertility as it ever was. Drain the
land where needed, avoid all wastes of
manure, and mike a good system of
cultivation where clover comes in.
all crop takeaway e im mineral ele
ments from the soil, acd these must be
supplied artificially. We are getting
to the condition where we must recog
nize the value of mineral fertilizers,
and understand that green manure and
barnyard manure do not supply these
sufficient . for the crops. Mineral ele
ments must be purchased and applied
in the cheapest form, and then be sup
plemented by green and barnyard ma
nures, and chief among these is clover.
NOVEMBER WORK IN THE
APIARY.
The last work of the season in the
apiary should be done in late Novem
ber according to the season and local
ity. Remove the hives to the cellar
before freezing weather sets in. See
that all brood is hatched before re
moval inside, as bees will not winter
satisfactorily in too long confinement.
Bees will stand cold in the fall when
young and haalthy better than during
spring when old and weak from long
confinement. A neighbor winters 350
colonies and does not place in the eel
lar until snow flies ; his loss is seldom
over 5 per cent. Placed in the cellar,
loosen bottom board, elide the hive
in over the bottom, set first row on
scantling and tier up. If the cover
does not rest properly, lay on a board
to keep in the heat. Jar the bees as
little as possible. For out of door
wintering, my hives have three slots
in the honey boards H by 19 in.
They are covered with one thickness
of hop sacking. On that lay a f - by f
in stick parallel with the elots, 1 in
from each eLd Taen lay a covering
of boards $ in smaller all round, fill
the upper story tightly with chaff and
the hives will be in condition to winter.
If snow usually banks against the
hives tight, fill the outer case rather
light. Clean the apiary of all litter.
C. R. Morts, Herkimer Co. N. Y.
CHANGES IN TOBACCO ACREAGE.
The average tobacco acreage this
year was approximately 660,000 acres
against 695,000 acres in the census year
1889, and 443,000 000 pounds total crop
against 488,000,000 pounds in 1889, ac
cording to a final report just published
in American Agriculturist. This re
view demonstrates that the heavy de
cline in acreage and production which
has b?en claimed for the crops of 1893
and 1894 have little in fact except in
the cigar leaf sections. Dacreased in
terest in one section has been c ffset by
increased importance of the crop in
the others. The decline has been most
marked in the cigar leaf section New
England has a crop of superb quality
and s.cze. The New York crop is fair
and much of it fiae, Pennsylvania has
a considerable quantity of poor leaf
and the same is true of Wisconsin.
In the heavy leaf sections yield dis
tinctly unsatisfactory in Maryland,
Virginia and North Carolina Jn Ten
nessee and Kentucky the crop suffered
through f ro8t. Jn the cigar leaf sec
tions New England is credited with
11.000 acres.average yield 1,744 pounds,
New York 5,712 acres, average 1 272
pounds, Pennsylvania 19 439 acres,
average 966 pounds, Wisconsin 14 400
acres, average 825 pounds, total cigar
leaf 50,551 acres, average yield 1.1C9
ppuuds. In heavy loaf sections Ken
tucky naturally has the biggest acre
age, 288,116. Virginia following with
97,650 and North Carolina 85,840. aggre
gate all heavy leaf States 608,522 acres.
Potatoes for the winter should re
main in the ground until thoroughly
matured, and then be well dried before
being stored away. They will do best
in a cool, dry, dark cellar. If put in
pit, they should be furn;shed with
ventilators to admit the air. after
placing supports for the earth which is
thrown over the heap.
HORTICIJLTUEE
SELECTION OF APPLES FOR
PLANTING.
In the selection of varieties of apples
for planting a commercial orchard, the
wants of the market where the fruit
is to be sold rf quirea consideration. In
localities near to large towns, where
usually a quick and steady market can
be found lor summer and autumn ap
pies, early varieties will be found most
profitable for the reason that early
varieties come into bearing young, are
more productive, and are handled with
lesi trouble and expense. Early sorts
ate quickly perishable and cannot be
held over for future sales es read ly as
winter varieties, in casa of a glut in the
market.
Few varieties of apples have a wide
general adaptation for commercial
planting. Tne intending planter of an
orchard can do no better than consult
his neighbors who are practical fruit
growers and find out what varieties
succeed best and pay the mest dollars
with them. Sometimes a variety with
only a local reputation, known only
within a limited range of territory,
succeeds far batter within its range
than any of the standard sorts. Where
such varieties have been well tested
and can be obtained, plant a fair pro
portion of them. As a rule, it is better
to purchase nur3ery stock propagated
as near as possible (other conditions be
ing equal) to the placa where it is to be
finally planted. It some times re quires
a number of years for young trees to
recover, if they ever do fully, from
abrupt changes in climate and soil. If
trees are to be procured from a distance
it is better to buy those grown farthest
to the North in preference to those
grown to the South.
Buy nursery f stock direct from the
grower when possible, as there is less
likelihood of getting varieties not true
to name. Varieties some times get un
accountably mixed and mistakes often
occur with the most careful nursery
men. When stock passes through the
hands of one or more dealers who gen
erally know little and care less about
names, the darger is still greater. In
sist on receiving the varieties oidered
and do not let the nurseryman substi
tute some other variety "equally as
good" that you know nothing about,
for nine times out of ten it will be a
sort that nobody cres to know any
thing about. A O. Bay ley, in Ameri
can Agriculturist.
UNFRUITFUL APPLE ORCHARDS.
When orchards remain for years
without bearing fruit, as a rule the
cause is lack of mineral plant food.
This kind of fertiUzsr is necessary to
maintain the healthfulnees of foliage,
without which the blossom either fails
to set fruit or it drops off before it be
gins to form seeds. Seeds and fruit
both rf quire potash. A dressing of
400 to 500 pounds potash salts or their
e quivalent in hard wood ashes per acre
will restore productiveness to many
orchards that without it will never pro
duce a crop worth harvesting. Another
source of fruit failure is the non fertil
ity of blossoms of some .varieties.
Where fertil; zirs are in sufficient quan
tity and the fruit yield small, try
grafting with pollen-bearing varieties
or set young trees' in the orchard that
will produce an abundance of pollen.
WHERE CUT FLOWERS ARE
GROWN.
Many localities are devoted to roses
exclusively, others to carnations,
violets, emilax and lillies of the valley.
Flatbush ard Long Island City send to
the New York market thousands of
carnations every day the year round
and during November will send in
chrysanthemums by the car load and
as many of the establishments contain
from 35,000 to 80,000 square feet of
glasc, some idea of the output of these
establishments may be had. Then up
the Hudson are vast establishments
that send their product to New York
marketp. Poughkeepsie has over 100. -
000 feet of florists' glass, Tarry town as
much more and Yonkers, Sing Sing
and many other towns contribute daily
to the great head center. It is with
flowers as with many other lines of
trade send the product to New York
and when you want to buy go to New
York. The most extensive floral estab
lishment in the world is the New York
cut flower company ; they deal exclu
sively with the trade. There U no city
in the world where eo many cut flowers
are handled as in New York, and no
country that uses the cut flowers that
America uses.
Boston is alsD a great center for
flowers; the glass houses within the
greater Boston. Brighton. Auburndftlo
Natick, Beverly, Brookline, Cambridge,
Dedham, Hyde Park, Maiden and other
nearby cities include maoy thousand
feet. Formerly "Bpston rosea" in n.
New York florist's window indicated
the best stock known ; that was when
Marechall Neill was in its glory. Now
the leading society rose is the American
Beauty, and Clifton, New York, is
where it i3 grown to perfection, 3 et
Maldon and Dddham send to the Hub,
roses of wonderful beauty. Philadel
phia is third in production and eale of
cut flowers, Chester county, known as
the carnation belt, sending in the
greater part of th(S3 flowers. Roses
are abundant here, chrysanthemums
in their season magnificent in quality
and quantity. VVasbington from its
sccial nature requires flowers in great
quantities ; in the district are over 30
florists' esvablishments, many of them
on an extensive scale. Yet on State
occasions the Washington florists draw
heavily on Eistern cities to help them
out.
Of late Chicago fcas become a great
consumer of flowers, the towns round
about, Rockford, Western Springs,
Surrm3rdale, Springfield and Niles
Center, being the principal supply.
There are in the United States over
4,000 florists' establishments making
upward, of 38,000.000 square feet of
glasi, requiring 12,000 acres of land.
The total value of the establishments
is over $38 355.000. The Massachusetts
portion is $2,000 000, New York $9 000,
000, Connecticut less than $1,000,000,
Pennsylvania $5,000 000, New Jersey
$3 000,000. The cut flower sales for a
year in this State are about $1,000,000-.
New York $3,600,000, New Jersey $1,
200,000, Pennsylvania $1,800, 000. What
New York eel's is not all grown in tho
State, as New Jersey contributes much
to the New York market. W. F Gale.
POULTRY YARD
BRIEF POULTRY POINTS.
Put tincture of iron, a teaepoonf ul to
the gallon, in the drinking water of the
fowls. It is an excellent tonic for weak
chicks, fowls in moult or out of con
dition. If you are going to pack eggs for
winter use, select those from hens with
which the cccks have not run. Eggs
containing no germs keep much better
than others.
Corn is cheap, corn is easily handled,
the hens like corn, therefore corn, and
nothing but corn, is fed. Why not
consider what it is, and what it will do
if fed liberally to any flock.
Are your hens laying? If so, the
dollars are flowing into your pockets.
If not, it will well pay to look into their
condition, the manner of feeding, and.
amount of work they are doing.
If the hens are not laying it is not
their fault. Easy as this 13 to eay,
difficult as are the conditions to control,
the fact is as stated, and the remedy
lies with and in the breeder and owner.
Those who will want fresh blood in
February or March should purchase
new before the flocks are reduced to
winter quarters. Better birds and bet
ter terms will be secured.
Kill every male not intended for
breeding next year, and such as are to
be kept remove from the hens and coop
by themselves. If males are kept solely
to us3 as breeders in early epring, they
should be cared for during the winter
when fertile eggs are not wanted.
Cooked turnips should form at least
60 per cent, of the rations fed the ducks.
They are voracious feeders, and if given
much solid food will become so fat that
all possibility of their breeding when
desired will be destroyed. Keep all
breeding stock undei rather than over
fat.
Whatever is produced at home edds
to the gross income of the farm and
therefore the net balance, provided the
crop be adapted to climate and soil and
is rightly grown. The man who keeps
1,000 hens can very materially reduce.
the feed bill by the use of home grown
grains and vegetables. Fanciers' Re
view. There is seme nutriment in corn
husks, but they are worth more for
making into beds and mattresses than
their feeding value. When well dried
they make a comfortable though rather
noisy bed. It is a good plan also to '
make some into mats, which can ba
used at the door to remove the mud
which in fall and winter adheres to the
shoes. This ia work that can oe done
in the winter, and in some places there
is a fair sale for the mats at fair prices
for all not needed for home use.