PBOGEBSSIV
FARMER
i
Largest CircuU
tion of any Paper
in the South At
lantic States.
plant Your Ad
Terti semeot in
Rich Soil.
THE INDUSTRIAL ANDC . OATIONAL INTERESTS OF OUR PEOPLE PARAMOUNT TO ALL OTHER CONSIDER. ilOHS OF STATE POLICY.
RALEIGH, N. 0., FEBRUARY 4, 1896.
Vol. 10.
No. 51
THE NATIONAL FARMERS' ALLI
ANCE AND INDUSTRIAL
UNION.
President J. P. Willetts, Topeka,
Vice-President H. C. Suavely, Lob
anon, Pa.
Beer wiry-Treasurer Col. D. 1 . Dun
can, Columbia, S. C.
EXECUTIVE BOARD.
H. Ii. Loueks, Huron, S. D ; Mann
Page, Brandon, Virginia; L E. Dean.
Honcoye Falls, New York; H. C LDem
ding. Secretary. Harrisburg Penusyl
far; Marion Butler, RaleJgb, N. C.
JUDICIARY.
R A Southworth, Denver, Colo.
E." W. Beck, Alabama. .
-A. D. Davie, Kentucky.
r.ET;l CAROLINA AR!!ER3, STATS ALLI
ANCE. President Dr. Cyrus Thompson,
Richlauds, . O.
Vice-President Jno. Graham, Kid ge
way, N. C. .
6retary-Treasurer W. 8. liarned,
Hi'.lsboro, N. O. .
Lucturer J. x. i- owve;, wmv..;,
NS?eward-Dr. V. N. ScaweU, Villa
N C
nChapiain-Rev. P. H. Massey, Dur
Door keeper Geo. T. Lane, Greens
boro. N. C. T
Assistant Door keeper Jaa. Lyon,
Durham, N. C. ttii
Serjeant -at Arms-A. D. K. Wallace,
Rutherfor too, N. C.
SUte Business Agent T. Ivey, Hi ls-
bOrO, N. C -m. J TTT
Trustee Business Agency Fund w.
Qrahara, Machpelah, N. C.
aXSCTIVE COMMITTED OF THE NORTH
CAROLINA FARMKR3' STATS ALLIANCX.
A. F: Hileman, 'encord. N. C. ; N.
C. Engli-h, Trinity, N. C; James M.
Mewborne, Kius on, N. C.
STaTzS ALUIAN02 JUDICIARY COMMITTED
John B-ndy. Gateeville, N. C. ; Dr.
J.F. Harrell. Whit.ville, N. C. ; T.J.
Candler, Acton, N. C.
Jerta Ctrolina Reform Press Association.
0lcrsJ. L. Hamp,eyy President;
izron Butler, Vice-President ; w. b.
fcrxea, Secretary,
PAPERS.
Fresnive Fanner. Stt Organ, g- g
Sc?lau' Hickory', N'. C:
if' -'U't-i ,r- 3 i
"K Vi - Wp.dei-Nj'O. .-..I .
Carolina. Watchman. lbar, e..
i?a.i of the. above-named papers are
twplvi to ke-ep the list standing on
ite ilrtt oaae and add others, providea
cv tireduly elected. Any paper fail-n.-j
to advocate the Ocala platform utll
"33 drcnjx'f-d from the list promptly. Our
zszKi'e 'can now see what papers are
yiibUh?d in their interest.
A.GRICTJLTTJE
In Cul .rado increased interest i
fchown in hog raif ing. Immunity from
swine dieaes and the abundance of
cheap forage is having ( fleet in turning
attention to the profitable porker.
In addition to other thoughtful things
done for swine and their comfort, give
them sheds which are high and capable
of admitting plenty of fresh air. This
is essential to the best thrift. All liv
ing, growing things do best under best
conditions
There is a continual advance in the
nature of methods which might be
made available for general use, but the
actual appropriation of these methods
to their own personal use by farmers
in general is a matter of slow growth.
It is well to be conservative, but wrong
to be old fogyish.
One secret of successful farming lies
in the ready anticipation of what each
season's work is to demand of the
farnier, and it is in the doing of many
things out of season, as seme short
sighted people would look at it. Try
to transfer a part of the spring work to
the winter months.
The Agriculturist says that beans
and peas for seed purposes may be kept
from the ravages of weevils by placiDg
them in a coarse linen or cotton sack,
then dipping the whole into a pot or
kettle of boiling water, allowing them
to remain for two or three seconds, and
then thoroughly drying the eeeds.
The advantages and profits to be de
rived from warm stables, is not con
fined to the yield, but it also enables
the farmers to deliver a better quality
of milk to our creameries, consequently
enabling the manufacturer to make a
better quality of butter, and therefore
pay larger dividends to his patrons.
The farm reflects the character of the
owner. This is seen in the location of
buildings and yards, tanks, orchards,
pastures, drives, etc. All these are a
part of his life's machinery. The bet
ter the arrangement, the less friction.
The farmer must take advantage of
every short cut he can find. Superior
tactics on a common farm may save
nough labor in a year to amount to
the wages of an extra man.
FREE SEED DISTRIBUTION.
Correspondence of the Progressive Farmer.
Washington. D. C, Jan. 26 In ac
cordance with a resolution of the Sen
ate, Secretary Morton was present at a
joint meeting of the Committee on Ag
riculture of both Houses on Wednee
day. January 15 th, for the purpose of
explaining his action with reference to
the purchase and distribution of seed.
The Secretary professed himself ready
to answer any and all inquiries made
by members of the committee, and his
replies to such inquiries presented,
among others, the following facts:
AGGREGATE EXPENDITURE-THE LAW
FOK PURCHASING AND DISTRIBUTING
SEEDS.
No specific amount was separately
appropriated for seed distribution
prior to the fiscal year 1S65. Since and
including that year up to date the total
amount expene ed aggregates 2 550,000.
The section under which this expendi
ture has been made reads as follows:
The purchase and distribution of
seed by the Department of Agriculture
shall be confined to buch as are rare
and uncommon in the country or such
as can be made more profitable by fre
quent changes from one part of our
cjuutry to another, and the purchase,
propagation aud distribution of trees,
plants, shrubs, vines, and cuttings
shall be confined to such as are adapted
to general cultivation and to promote
the general interest of agriculture and
horticulture throughout the United
States.
DIFFICULTY IN SECURING NEW AND VALU
ABLE SEHDS.
Every annual appropriation act for
the purchase, propagation and distribu
tion of seeds contains the words '"as
required by law." Every year adds to
the difficulty of finding genuinely and
useful seeds "rare and uncommon to
the country," adapted to general culti
vation and to "promote the general in
terest of agriculture and horticulture
throughout the United States' The
pressure to suppiy Congressmen bus
led to the purchase of seed on very im
perfect evidence as to novelty aud
value, the vast majority of so-called
ne.v seeds and plants off .'red by seed-
men and horticulturists being merely
old varieties under new names. Hence
the distribution was kept up during
the past three years with great diffi
culty and doubt aa to its legality, aud
every seed found anywhere offering
reasonable proppecta of usefulness in
any part of the country was purchased
nnd liberally distributed.
SEEDS DISTRIBUTED RESULTS OF SUCH
DISTRIBUTION.
From July 1, 1892, to July 1, 1895,
the tot il distribution aggregated nearly
27.000,( 00 package?, of which 21.809 994
packages were distributed to Senators
and Representatives. During the term
of office of the present Secretary mem
bers of Congress have received 3 G50,
104 packages of seed more than during
the corresponding period under his pre
decessor. Although thus diligently
carried out, the seed distribution has
been unsatisfactory to the people and
not calculated to promote the general
interest of agriculture and horticulture.
Indeed, by inducing the people to ex
pend labor upon things they supposed
to be new, but will prove to be either
common or unsuitable, the government
has actually imposed upon them the
loss of money, time and labor.
LEGAL ADVERTISEMENT FOR PLANTS,
TREES, ETC.
In a final effort to carry out the law
in strict accord with its requirements
the Secretary, after consultation with
the Attorney General, caused an adver
tisement for plants, trees, etc,, stating
the requirements of the Department in
the language of the statute, to be pub
lished in the lawful numbers of papers
and addressed to all seedmen and hor
ticulturists on the Department list.
Tne latest date at which seed could be
delivered in Washington to be avail
able for suitable distribution was No
vember 1, this arrangement giving only
from 70 to 100 days in which to clean,
test, sort, and label the seed for dis
tribution to members of Congre.
CHARACTER OF THE BIDS RECEIVED
Bids were called for to be opened
July 1, and the board appointed to open
and examine the same found only three
which in form came up to the require
ments of the advertisement. One
offered flower and vegetable seed and
two kinds of grasses. The board found
the flower and vegetable seed were not
rare, and the Agrostologist attached to
the department reported one of the
grasses to be widely grown in this
country, and offered for sale by leading
seedsmen for a number of years, and
the other common in those parts of the
country where it is considered valuable,
while in other sections condemned as
an objectionable weed. Another bid
offered "rare and useful flower seed,"
new mangel, turnip, and spinach. The
flower seed ran from $25 to $128 per j
pound, and the board decided that at
these prices they were not adapted to
general cultivation. The vegetable
seed 8 offered were decided to be neither
new, rare, nor unique.
The third bid offered several vege
tables and only three specimens of
field seeds. The varieties were neither
new nor rare, the great majority hav
iog been already distributed by this
department. It was further found that
the total amount of farm and field seeds
offered under this bid if purchased
would have averaged less than 10
pounds of seed for each Senator, Rep
resentative and delegate in Congress.
In the hope of finding something con
forming to the requirements of the
law, informal examination was made
of the bids set aside as defective in form
and of bids received after July lt.
None offered anything conforming to
the requirements of the statute. Among
things claimed to be new were 100
pounds of teosinte, a sub tropical Amer
ican grass. Seed of this plant was dis
tributed by the department in 1886,
and has frequently been advertised for
sale bv leadinc: saedtnen. In none of
the bids were offered trees, shrubs,
vines, plants and cutting3 as defined in
the law.
UNSATISFACTORY NATURE OS" REPORTS
RECEIVED
While one purpose of the law was to
secure reports os to results of actual
experiment, the reports actually did
not amount to one hundredth of one
per cent, of the persons supplied. Nor
were those received sufficiently definite
to be of any benefit A careful re
view of the department reports, espe
cially those of the chiefs of the Seed
Division during the past decade, in
which over $1,100,000 was expanded
for free s?ed distribution, fails to reveal
a single instance of benefit to agricul
ture attributable to thi- distribution.
SOME COMMENTS ON THE SEED BUSINESS.
Of hundred of papers, mostly agri
cultural, received at the department,
not one is found to commend the dis
tribution, many of them persistently
ridicule it, most of them condemn ic,
while grange associations and other
agricultural bodies have alopted re?o
lutions to the sima effect.
Market the pork sooner and raise an
other lot of pigs. Ei ly maturiiy
makes deeirable hams and bacon. Many
farmers persist in feeding up their h gs
to mountains of fat, although retailers
want leaner meat and smaller pieces
for their customers.
DIVERSIFIED FARMING.
D versified farming throughout the
entire region where cotton has hereto
fore reigned supreme has, during the
past season gained a foothold where it
will hereafter firmly stand upon its
intrinsic merits. It is a fact that the
wise policy of diversification has now
become succe s f ully establishe d. Home
grown supplies, sufficient to more than
meet the home demand, and a satisfac
tory advance in the price of cotton, to
bacco, grain and orchard produces,
have culminated in a most satisfactory
and encouraging condition of affairs.
With a determination to continue to
diversify cropping, raise much and
buy little, the outlook for the coming
year is one of hopeful promise. The
safety of the farmer lies in the line of
complete independence of cotton, grain,
transportation, or other grasping trusts
or monopolies. American Agricul
turist. S xty per cent, of the world's supply
of sugar is contributed by the sugar
beet, much as this fact may surprise
us. Most of us would declare that we
bad never tasted beet sugar, for, of
course, we would know it if we had.
This does away with the fallacy of beet
sugar being yet but an experiment.
GROWING AND HARVESTING
POTATOES.
The potato crop can be grown with
as little expense as the corn crop, and
even cheaper. With proper machinery
for planting and digging, at least three
fourths of the laoor can be saved. The
elavish labor of planting by hand, or
the common way, is dispensed with by
the use of the two horse planter, by
which one man and team will plant
from seven to eight acre s a day, and
the work will be done far better than
it can be done by hand.
Tne depth can be regulated much
better by tbe use of the planter than it
can be done when the furrows are
made in the ordinary way by the plow.
The width between hills is regulated
perfectly, so that they may be made
any desired distance apart from ten
inches, thirteen inches, seventeen
inches, up to twenty 6ii inchea.
The pieces are left in a straight row,
which cannot be done by hand plant-
iog, and this enables the cultivator to I
do the very best work. If the cultiva
tion is properly done at the first, so
that ail weeds and grass that have
started to grow are fully destroyed,
and at each subsequent cultivation the
same is accomplished, there will not
only be a larger j ield of crop, but the
growth of weeds and grass will not be
there to so seriously interfere with har
vesting the crop, as is so frequently
seen in the potato field. Clean ground
is important if a good crop is to be
harvest d
Tne planter will drop any desired
depth, from three to five inches, just
as it is set to do, so that a regular depth
id always had ; and this is very import
ant. Dsep planting often means doub
ling the yield of crop; for in a dry sea
son, unless tbe roots start out below
the drying out line, they will perish,
end the plant cannot be eustsined in
growth. If a wet season corn's, then,
y frequent cultivation, the excess of
moisture will be assisted in its passage
away from the roots of the plants, both
in passing downwards and escaping
with the -air by evaporation; so that
deep planting is, in all cases, to be
practiced.
The coverers of the planter leave the
rows freely ridged up so as to shed the
rains, leaving the soil open to admit
the warmth of the sun, a.) favoring
growth to the greatest extent.
The next important matter is har
vesting the crop. The elevator digger
will do this work both rapidly and
well, leaving the potatoes on the top of
the ground ready to be gathered up
without any uncovering with the hands,
and this ia a' very important; item, as
one person can gather up the potatoes
when lefs on top of the ground as faat
as three persons can uucover after thg
plow or any of the old fashioned two
horse cheap diggers. In fact, one per
Hon will gather up and sack four times
much as can bs done by the hrnd,
as is always the case when the common
plow or digger is used, so that the econ
omy of the elevated digger, used gen
erally with four horses, is a settled and
fixed fact. With tha planter, digger
and sprinkler, a crop of potatoes can
be grown and harvested much cheaper,
as far es Lbjr and every thing el ?e is
concerned, than a crop of corn can be
grown and harvested, for with the
planter six to eight acres can be planted
in a day with one man and team of two
horses, and the digger with one man
and four horses the same number of
acres can be dug in a day. The sprink
ler used with one horse on two wheels
will effectually destroy the bugs, so
that a full crop may be had, and that
with little expense. E S. Teagarden,
in Western Plowman.
Upon the form of the carcass depends
not only the power of endurance, but
the capability to produce the greatest
possible amount of wool to the least
weight of carcass. It is quite as pos
sible to put a strong and healthy con
stitution as it is to put a heavy fleece
upon a sheep with long, slender legs
acd neck, and a thin, lathy, loose body.
POULTRY YABD
POULTRY POINTS.
Do not expect eggs unless the hens
are in a bright, healthy condition;
neglect neither food, exercise, cleanli
ness nor protection ; and then have a
purpose in feeding, and feed for that
purpose. Do not feed merely to keep
the hens alive and to' satisfy their
hunger.
Regularity in feeding procures rapid
growth in chicks. More food of the
same kind given at long, but irregular,
intervals will not give them the same
vigor or size. The man who follows
haphazard ways in anything these
times will get behind the procession.
If the hens stop laying at this eeasoD
of the year, as is not unusual, a change
of feed for a few days will often start
them into business again. Always, and
with any variety of hens, variety in
feed brings the best results. Appetites
are renewed and new elements supplied.
There is nothing like going to market
with attractive goods. Eggs should be
clean and in tidy packages ; but do not
make a rule of washing them, for it
takes away the appearance of fresh
ness. If the soiled spots are wiped off
before they become stains, nothing else
is required.
There is a surplus of small potatoes
this year, and they can be utilized as
poultry focd. Boil, mash and mix with
meal and bran ; feed while warm. Feed
moderately, and not every day, remem
bering that hens need a variety. Too
many potatoes will make light colored
yolks.
As a ueual thing scalded chickens
sell best to the home trade, and dry
picked to the shippers. Dry picking is
more easily done while their bodies are
warm. Be careful not to break nor
tear the ekin. The same directions
should be observed in dressing turkeys,
but always dry pick them.
As a health measure, where large
numbers of fowls are compelled to
range on a limited enclosure, air slacked
lime should be liberally used. L.9t it
be scattered late in the evening, after
the chickens have gone to rooat. It
will greatly counteract the decompos
ing matter which is so deleterious.
It must not be overlooked that the
largest proportion of the meat sold eff
the farm, in the shape of turkeys,
geese and ducks, costs the farmer little
or nothing; and if some knowledge
could be gained of the actual cost it
would be shown that the receipts are
nearly all profit, and this should en-
exmrage him to increase his stock.
Hens pay better as producers of eggs,
and ducks are alo excellent layers,
but the largest profits from poultry are
procured from turkeys and geese, as
they can support themselves a large
part of the year unaided. Western
Plowman.
FATENING POULTRY.
Correspondence of the Progre give Farmer.
In 1865-7 I became interested in how
to make the farm pay, and occasion
ally lectured on the eubjoci before
farmers' clubs. In the studying chem
istry I learned a large proportion of
the carbon fed was txpended in keep
ing up internal heat and supplying
nerve force. Ia the summer time ten
pounds of fl s'a to the bushel of corn
c:uld bo secured, while in the winter
four pounds was near the average.
I was eatiofied that the maximum of
! fleh to the bushel bhould be tr-nty
pounds. I instituted experiments in
the winter of 1867-8 that would settle
this question to my satisfaction. I
chose chickens of the improved breeds
but not full blood, but all had ecjiess
to all the corn they could consume.
My theory was reduce combustion
of carbon to the minimum and the re
mainder would be deposited as fat
When the blood passes to the lungs it
comes in contact with the oxygen, it is
decarbonized or burned up and con
verted into heat at d nerve force. To
reduce the combustion of carbon and
convert the remainder into fat, two
conditions were necessary. A warm
room would reduce the combustion of
cerbon, and convert it into heat. The
fowls must be kept quiet and free from
worry, reducing the expenditure of
never force to the minimum. These
two conditions secured there would be
an increase and rapid deposit of fat.
I chose a cellar which gave me the
first condition. I put 150 chickens in
a cel'ar 16x16 feet, and at the end of
the fifth day had secured the second
condition. The fowls ate and drank
when hungry and remained perfectly
quiet. I fed them two weeks and
they were fatter than any fowls I ever
saw on the market, and the increase of
flesh was twenty pounds to the bushel.
I sent these to the Boston market
and received 26 cents a pound, a pre
mium of 2 per cent, over the highest
market price. I doubled the flesh for
the amount of corn fed and the flesh
was tender and nutritious. The oldest
fowls were as tender as a spring chick
en well fattened. An old grey headed
rooster netted 18 pounds and was per
fectly tender. Six young turkeys
weighing gross 3J pounds each netted
seven pounds each. One of these rolled
off of the table bursting open, and
showing fat one inch deep.
These experiments were continued
and I invariably received the same
results.
My experiments demonstrated that
two-thirds of the carbon was wasted as
usually fed, and under proper con
ditions could be saved.
In fattening poultry we have the old
English system of stuffing over a hun
dred years old. Of all animals fattened
on the farm for the market, the tur
key and the chicken is the hardest to
control.
If rooms are reasonably dry and the
weather uniform, there is no danger of
disease during fattening. Fowls have
good digestive powers and can eat and
digest a good deal more than is needed
for internal warmth, and under favor
able conditions this is deposited as fat.
The more rapid the deposit of fat tbe
more tender and nutritious are the
fowls.
SECOND EXPERIMENT.
We have concluded our experiments
on the native breeds at Bryson City.
We gave the native breeds the same
attention and condition accorded to
the others, and they failed to fatten.
We also fed sixty odd turkeys of tho
bronze variety and signally failed to
fatten them. Why were the first ex
periments a success and the last a fail
ure? The chickens and turkeys fat
tened m the winter of 1867 8 were fed
regular or had access to all the corn
they could eat and they did not roam
around and developed but little nerve
energy. The native breeds were not
fed and never compelled to forage over
a large territory every day to get food
and developed great nerve energy and
expended more nerve force in one day
than the well fed breeds did in twenty.
The well fed fowls did not, when con
fined, feel the loss of their liberty, and
with a warm room and plenty of feed
were quiet, and the expenditure of
nerve force was reduced to a minimum.
The native breeds, compelled to roam
over a large field each day, developed
immense nerva force and the combus
tion of carbon to supply this was in
creased to the maximum, and when
housed they felc the loes of their liberty
and ihe expendi ure of nerve force con
tinued, and with this the combustion
of carbon to supply the nerve energy.
We have demonstrated the fact that
fowls that are forced to grub for a liv
ing are worthless for fattening pur
poses. It is folly to buy the improved
breeds and leave them to forage for a
living. When they have developed
sufficient nerve energy to do this they
are worthless fcr fatteniog purposes,
It was the intention of tho writer and
otheis to build houses for fattening at
central points in the South and fatten
for the Northern market buying by
the carload and shipping in refrigera
tor cases, reducing the carriage one
half to vvo thirds of that by express.
Miliior s of dollars would have been an
nually distributed among tho farm-?r3.
The experiments made have demon
strated the folly of such an undertak
ing. Is is the heigh th of business folly
to buy improved breeds aud turn them
out to grub for a living, whether they
be fowls or animals. It pays to have
the best breeds and give them warm
shelter and an abundance of good feed,
reducing combustion to the minimum,
saving feed wasted ia keeping up in
ternal heat and suppling nerve force.
A dollar saved is a dollar made. Good
stock and good farming pays, while
poor stock and poor farming never has
nor never will pay. Gxd breeds of
poultry well handled pays. Tne im
proved breeds at 4 a dozen will pay
to fatten, and the other kind are dear
at a cent a dozen. From February un
til J une first clasa poultry is high. Dur
ing thia time the South should furnish
the poultry and eggs, and this she
should do becausa of her salubrious
climate.
Fifty million dollars annually could
be put into the farmers' pockets from
the sale of poultry and eggs if our
farmers would awaken to their in
terest. Any of the non setters if well
handled, will net two dollars each for
their eggs, and connected with an incu
bator, will double and treble this
amount. Eggs from the improved
breeds shipped everyday will sell to
first class hotel for 25 cents a dozen
the year around. Tne market for fresh
eggs in first clas condition has never
been half supplied. We offer to con
tract fresh eggs of the farmers from
the improved breeds that are well fed
at 20 cents a dozen the year around to
hatch incubators, and 25 cents a dozen
for the eggs of Pekin ducks, well hand
led. There is as much difference in the
quality of eggs from well fed and
housed chickens and those left to forage
for a living and receiving no shelter,
as that of the milk of cows well kepi
and those left to shift for themselves.
The quality of the first ia twice that of
the last. The first will live on one-half
the food and furnish three to four
times the net value to the owners.
Fowls fed on nitrogenous food and
well housed will not be subject to at
tacks of cholera.
There is an immense field open in the
South to those who will go into the
business and conduct it on business
principles. In a future article we will
point out the way by which the im
mense demand for first-class poultry
and eggs can be supplied from the
South and the investors make money.
James Murdoch.