Newspapers / The Progressive Farmer (Raleigh, … / May 12, 1896, edition 1 / Page 1
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a n 'Largest Circu) ii ! tios of any Paper !l I in the Scutli At lantic States. Flint Your Ad vertisement In Rich Soil. 8 1 i -'i fE".,nc u u - - i THE INDUSTRIAL AND EDUCATIONAL INTERESTS OF OUR PEOPLE PARAMOUNT TO ALL OTHER CONSIDERATIONS OF STATE POLICY. Vol. 11. RALEIGH. N. C, MAY 12, 1896. No. 14 I 11 ii fr t&ri H , f kJkJJL f JLj t U-1 3 T3 NATIONAL. FAWMERS' ALLI ANCE AND INDUSTRIAL UNION. President Mann Page, Brandon, Vice-President II . C. Snavely, Leb anon. Pa. Secretary-Treasurer u A. boutb- worth, Denver, Col. EXKCUTiTH l:-OAW. rl. L. Louck3, Hurc-u, S. D. ; W. P. T,rieker, Cogau Station. Fa ; J. F. Wii letts, Kansas; W. L Peekc, Ga. JUDICIARY. H. A. Southworth, Denver, Colo. R W. Beck, Alabama, it. D. Davie, Kentucky. SC-S-TB CACOLINA AI,VIEiiS, STATIC ALLI ANCE. v President Dr. Cyrus Thompson, liich'and5, C- V sctvrei?i'icat Jnc. Graham,Eidgo wav. N. C. i-fitrvy-Tre.03iircr W. K bors-?3. i-eci-ircr J. T. P. Hoover, E;mCi;y, "'Steward -Dr. V. N. Sciv.reU, Villa- J r.',:-.-. is. C. i '..r -Lro :" rcr Gr-o. T. Lit e, o rc-cn d r -n. C." i intUoor keeper 0 a?. 11 Lyon - v- f 1 vTit-:.; -Ar'.is A 1). K. VvUiiVJ, ! -- - t n.ot- j .j I v'-.iV f-io Ar-'iV s;".'''v' ;.y.:..'.-:: , i. it.!. x- n n !- .-h Trii tv. , t .: Joru.s i. ileb; : ine, II'r;d cn, I. C 3,2 ALLIANCE jrDlClARV CO II 31 iTT John Brady. Gatesville, N. C. ; Dr. J.i?. Ucrvcll, Whit, ville, C. ; 'i'. J. Candler, Acton, N. C. :ta Carolina Reform Pre?s AssocUtioc. Cf5eeraJ. L. lvuey, Ix,-csuirnt; iluion, Butler, Yice-Precideni ; W. S. fzT-tes, Secretary, PAPEliS. aite Vsrer, State RaleU-i, N. C. Cuca2:rM leV:' - sre -ry, r-k -c J ' k BfttUer. v aiLRei -, N. O. Our Home. Paver Dam. ... . Tlie Pcpnll . Lu v' bw ton, . . C. Tue Pf o; le's Pay-r. Luarlotte. . C. . Tae Vestioule. . - ou.rd, C. ' Ta P1o--ot. V adeshoro, N. C . ac. of ike above-namsi papers ae rsauczicd to keen the lisi stavHng on Je first pace arid add cthes, provided & sj? are duly elected. Any paper fa il tr.g to advocate Vie Ocala xdxiiform will he, dropped from the list promptly. Our ;3?s ca:i new see zvh.at pacrs arc -nblished in their iniw.ti. GrRICXJX.TIJEE. Tne cardinal essentials of spraying are to begin early, act promptly, apply thoroughly mixtures carefully pre pared. ' M .ke hay while the pun shines," is g ol. Bat you can't naire any hay unless you have land that will bring pras or clover to rmke it, and this will r.quiro seme cdljito cn your part. In China ten acres is a monster farm Large holdings are sometimes handtd down through many generatiocs intact, -:o that sevei al hundred people hold it i i common, so great is their reverence ;or their ancestry. As tho twig is bent, the tree inclines, if there are twigs around the garden ihat keep the rays of the sun away from it they had better bo bent eff en entirely so as to c.st no shade. Shade tree3 have no buainesa around the gar den. For best results in garden cultiva tion, it wi'l be well to have the ground dry and freo from trash when it is plowed Coarse manura will be an abomination to the one who has to cul tivate the garden. Nothing but well rotted manure should be used. Thero is such a thing a3 so running a farm that it and its outrio depreciate in value with each succeeding year that a crop is taken from it. No method will pay in the long run unless so con ducted that there is a constant addition to the value and productiveness of the land. Sell when ready. It never behooves us to work ourselves up to a point where we think an animil will bring more money by keeping it awhile. The feed, time and care given to other stock will make up the difference. At a later date wo are apt to take a less price than we were f ormerly offered. One-sixth of an acre of good land near the house, if w ail taken care of and properly planted with the most prolific varieties of strawberries, rasp berries, blackberries, gooseberries, cur rants and grapes, would afford a plen tiful supply for a family of six or eight the whole year. Fifty apple trees, six cr&b, six cherry and six plum trees ould complete the fruit plantation. BUILDING A SILO. Mr. R W. Blanchard, Woodland, N. C , asks us to give him some informa tion about building silos. Prof. F. E Emery, of the N. C. Experiment Sta lion, recently lad an article on this subject in the Biblical Recorder. As? Prof. Enery is well acquainted with tho subject, wo give it in full. lie s ly s : "We have been asked to give direc tions for building a silo 'for use on finall farms.' Tnero are several ways thai are simple, durable and cheap. O e following the originals very closely i3 simply a hole in tho ground. The word pilo comrs from the Egyptian siro, and it ij said in Epyt that wheat used to be s'.ored hi a j ig shaped cavity in the earth, tho top of which was sealed up when fl icd with grain in order to save the grain from vroiwi'd. Tqq German-? uecd to preserve eu,rar beet tops by ecoopu.g out a place on whic'i to pile tho tops, ard tiicn ever with a few ir.chea (-.i:x or tigh) of eurtb. Ther; are h,.v.u: flii iti X jr'h Ciro !ina wkih have bx-n mr.-l-e- bv vti tx c ivatior (r-und or ftp; are) in the earth and wi!i;-U i b- -;vdtd . Iuil-X ab jve iho ; uriT-ce :..: : v-i ever. ?.v.:-i' .'i bo rut iii ae c;v i Co'Vi r.lah lock and Dr;iry Furi, feat It um ;..:b. dv.-r-', r a numb'-r of th ni of s '.3 ivi bt :n in re :y only one s:-ii U3 :egulai' u -o. i 'ijn to ! a ex'.';.' ,.ud ail '-a : the hard iabii- of iiftir-g out the cd.rjc is tco e.ow -ir.d o.-tt? tt-onvich. -Tne moiern s;.lo is built ab-.ve the ground and should bo round or npiare ivi'.h the corners cut til, making it to ward tho hupo of an octagon, but rec-Iiy t iS;irg -. If much less cf the cor-i-t?. Trds dees very we'll, but the cir cle preserves tne consents better. A circular si!o may bo built according to the placs detailed by cus and minute directions in the North Carolina Ex periment Station Bulletin SO. These eilos are buiit of ich studding set on a circular foundation and bourded up 'round and round with half inch fencing. At A Sc II. College and Oj cohrechee Frrm thero may be soon si:o3 built of stav s exactly like a straight sid;d tank with an earthen or cement botom. To build a silo firnt sclact a site which will be ea-y to reach with tho w&gons and from which tho farm s;eck can be easily fed. Make a frost proof fourda acd raie it j it enough above the level of ti'je earth so the drip from tho roof will not spatter the wood work. To get the circle and level it when doing the mason work, set up i stake in the plat where the niid-iie of ihefcitoito be, and at tho height the wall is de sired. With a garden line and stick scribe a circlo on th-3 gn uad, using a length of the line for a radius equal to half tho diameter desired for the silo, add to this the thickness of tho founda tion wall, and scribe a second circle. O itside of the outer circle asd five or six feet from it tet six or more stakes arid saw cfl or drive down level wi:h that at the center. Nail straight edge boards frcm ttake to stako on the out side and level with the tops of the stakes. A mason's level-board cr a stretched line with one end cn tho cen ter post and the other end on the circle of board? level with the foundation. "Cut 2x8 or 2x10 inch plank two inches thick into about two feet lengths, but cut so they will join together well on the top of tho wall and nail down to the cemented foundation with twenty penny nails. Cut a second lot of the same plank and fit over the li st to break joints with them. Now set up the 2 4 studdiug at the outer edge of the sill just put on. Then brae 3 and begin boarding up by cutting the first board from full width at one end to a half inch at the other and begin at the narrow end and nail to a stud ; spring to the next and nail, and so continue round and round until the proper height is reached. Do the same on the inside, then put paper round the inside, and put on the second inside course of boards. All the boards should have boen dressed to even thickness. The outside may have been covered with German siding. Put on plate as for sills, and put on roof. A door must be left at the bottom, and other doors above and aside from the first from which to feed the silage. A door in some convenient part of the roof above the plate serves for use in filling the eilo. All the doors may be double the width of the space between two studs, and for the height of each the stud in the middle may be cut out. The doors should be made of the same material and just as thick as the inside boarding, 80 when shut there shall be no projec- tion into t'r ti!o, but . .11 sliall bo plain and smooth. )' ' Lay a.;-. .uut flior ati plaster over with csmeii which piaster sheuM be spread up ovei4ne f jdation wall to the wood work to make air tight every possible crevice and leave a tight, smooth interior. "Lave a narrow spr.ee under the plate on the oufs'do for air to p'ies out, arid opin a space at the bottom by loosening the lower Btrip around. Air passing up b tweon tae walla w ill tend to lengthen the life of the silo. ' The tank silo is sot on the inner edge of the foundation, so the piasiered wall forriu a straight line down with the staves Then cement is banked up cn the outside at the foot of the staves to ra-aktt the whose air t iht. "Tne dours of the stave fi'-lo nvi,y ex tend from hoop to hoop arid eon; of four or five staves ea-ed the rgbt ingbs and e'eatd tobr. T.se hocps ura broad a - d lovpc iron bands 'vhieh are dra-vn up tih by b.'lu-loroi-gh h-.iiS on fach end." A cueuor isi!u 10 ree" i-j di.-.rnrter aid 22 feet a-:r-p will hold enough sihjg at . iv.it.'nd- n-.r cubic fo-.t. and feeditK j i'! poun-ta per cow p -r Cay, to 1 -.Ft s:x i CO ' s x liionths and tdl-jw 2 s percent I. .- . W 4 ) 'io:s ;,.i.-. wi-.r ce of. "percent wb t 'O a. r,i;;." i crir;' by dry or f.n-?i:g. ii. !h.- pjlo KC'p; tv-ciVdy v.-fll, thvro U'oz!d be Oino ilaew u span--. ra'h"r tlrvn to fail .hort wh-vi the hUed Groom-g is bu": sec nd u-y to diet. Eieakh is procured by keeping the per; s of the skia open, and this can only be done D3' tho use of the carry 1 comb cr d. the brush, for these remote the dr.ad epiderms thrown cfl on the form of poiicleii. In addition, do not bo afraid to 1 so soap and water occa sionally. PJSOFIT AND LOSS IN FERTILIZ ING. L t us look more carefully into tho practical workiug of fertilizing. S.-k ntista get hold c a great cumber of facts and then carefully st'idy and corrcllato in order to establish any law in nature. lie would bo a very useful, not to nay wise, man, who would col lect enough f;'.cls to give us a few laws that wouid guide us unerringly in fer til z'n our farms. Suppose ono could buy and apply, pay $10 worth of fertilisii and re cp at harvest 150 more than he would have done had ho used no fertilizer! This would bo 50 per cent, cn hi;j invest ment. This has been done. If lawn could be established by which 30 psr cent, could usually be reab'z d by fertilizing, farm ing would be tar more profitable than it now is. I believe this to bo possible; at least, until our farming lands had been brought to a high degree of fertil ity. The trouble is, one has bought f 100 worth of fertilizer and reaped only 50 more than ho would have dona had he bought no fertilizer. He has lost 50 per cent. No paper could give space for ali the facts, but after reading, study, obser vation and experiments extending through several years, I venture to write: Law No. 1. One must know what his land lacks in plant food to profitably fertilize. Law No. 2. One must know what a plant feeds upon before he can profit ably supply the proper nourishment. If these are not laws, will a wiser man show their error and give us at least two better ones? These two things being known; then, when and how, and how much fertilizer to apply to different plants, on differ ent soils and under different circum stances is a field for unlimited study, thought and experiment. No one need hope to reach perfection in this field What most of ue d m't know here would make a large book. But some novice who does not know what his land lacks, nor what his plants feed upon, cuts the Gordian knot by buying all three of the essential ingredi ents and with them enriching his lands so they will grow any crop. Well, he learned much when he learned that of the many things plants feed upon only three were essential in a fertilizer, and what these three essen tials were ! But he has neither cut nor untied the knot. For, as a fact, this manner of fertilizing has already been shown to be unprofitable on most soils. This is because most soils do not lack all the essential ingredients, and the money paid for those we already have an abundance overbalances th9 profit derived from the one or two we lacked. I take fuur different experiments which were run through three years at our Agricultural Station at Lexington, Ky. One of thee years was a wet sea son and the other two dry. Notice the different combinations of the three in gredi-Oits. as well as the results. Where all three of the essential in gredients were used, there was an in crease of yield and u financial profi: of 24 per cent. On the plots where nitrogen and phos phoric a?id in combination were used tvvo ex per iniertts showed smll increase in yield of crop and two small decrease. Finan ial h ss of 01 per cent., nearly thr whole cost of fertilizers. Oo plots w here nitrogen and potash ws ie ;-: !, all four of the experiments each ytar ebowed large increase in crop. Financial pr; flo ;f 03 per cent. H-re, as W rhn first case, tho profit; was cut do-vii by tho hih cost of the nitro g,-n. O.i the plot 3 where pho?phci ic aeH an-. I p h wtre vj,ed, iheie wa some 1 ;c i?o iu en p. Financial prciiw of no i : ot O 1 pi 4- ii alone was !ie.a iovo ex oreo-v i-i inien'.s s'-iov;ed ? mall iu- op, 000 fch;iwca tbo same oi:-' t-;U de'.:rea- o in crop, .s - el 1 e ai-i. r... :. Oi- -'here p 'losphorio a id aloo : n-1 experiineiiti blrowed Hm-ali I wos '0 mere.:.? crop, three tunali cicrcafees. Fina;:e:--.al !o s of leO per cent. Wliero p ash alone vv ua ued ail four of the; e-sp .'liments eho -ved very large iere: so ia crop, and a financial profit of 17'. 8 per cent. Tnete experiments were taken from the station bf cause of greater accuracy, and hence more reliability. These ex pe.imcuts show that potash alone is the most profitable. These experiments agree with some I have kno77n tried by fanners. But thes:- experiments are net a safe universal guide. They were made on the lower Silurian (Trenton limestone) formation. Ex poriments made on tho s lbcarbonifer ous formation showed very different resist 9. They fud'c ited that phospaer''c acid was the ingredient most needed on that formation. Again the so experiments were made with corn. They would not give same results for other croj. s Nevertheless, many of the experi mental stations are insisting upon the benefits of potash cn worn lauds Crop ping has exhausted the potash. L'-stly, ho who farms on the Trenton limestone formation will not be ap!; to regret giv icg his worn land a coat of about 200 p urds cf muriate of potaeh to the r.cre, every three or four years. J.W. Harris, in H.jrce and Farm. No farmer can afford not to have good walks about his premises frcm he house to the barn and to other out buildings. The cost will be but a tr:fle when compared with an ill jd temper in a muddy time. Lfe on the farm is much as the farmer makes it. If he wants to trot around ia the mud, he will have no walks. Look about you, and see how many havo them and how many need them. WEEKLY WEATHER CROP BUL LETIN For the Week Ending Saturday, May 2, 1896. Central Office, Raleigh, N. C. The reports of correspondents of the Weekly Weather Crop Bulletin, issued by the North Carolina State Weather Serv:c9, for the week ending Saturday, May 2J, 1896, indicate very favorable conditions, both for work and growth of crops. Cool nights the first few dayt of the week brought the mean tempera ture slightly below the normal, but the last five days were warm, bringing the average for the week about four de grees per day above the normal. Fine seasons occurred nearly every whereon May 1st and 2 ad, the largest amounts exceeding an inch along the central portion of the State. The general pros pects are now very favorable indeed, and farmers are working spirits. Eastern District. Reports are nearly all quite favorable for tbi3 dis trict; very few places did not share in the beneficial showers of May 1st and and 2d, and the conditions have been fine, both for farm work and for grow ing crops. Cotton planting continues, but approaching completion ; much has come up with promising stand and looks vigorous; seme being chopped. Corn about planted, except on bottom land ; stand fair, with fine green color and growing" rapidly; but little was prevented from coming up by previous drought; some little damage by cut worms reported. Setting out tobacco plants progressing, and p. anting pea nuts will ha general during the next two weeks. Gar Jens, wheat and oats have improved; Irish potatoes look fresh and promising; sweet potatoes have sprouted nicely and a few have been set-out. Lrge shipments of ber ries and peas to the North. Central DisTxiici?. t die heavy rains cceuir d in a few c-jnt' ..d ooun ties, washing lands to some extent ; m others the weather continues too dry. Planting late corn is going on vigorous iy; corn is- quite large for the season Cotton has not come up quite as well cs hoped for, but the good seasons at the end of the week will improve the stand. Wheat looks well but is head ing low; spring oats have improved;! rye nas rusced some, Sweet potatoes have sprouted well. Tranaplantir-g to baoeo cou: menced to""be pushed in a few counties the iastof the week, whioh indicates advanced growth of plants Many re povis still received of damage by potato bug, bud and cut worr in cora, and insc-ew on iobacco, but rainy weather will diminish thes-e pes is I 1 Western District Showers. which j o.eu.Ted throughout- the divitri"t 00 ihe last th. ee das ef the week were: ! j a-t what -.v-issn-.-eded a-' dee me io i.mo ' eo prevent ai-.y to; ious d o h:v."J been ihreatcried b. dvc eeert:s to have bern ? Uy very htie r, but everv mjgo by d.-y tni. bv iviins -it was grei - j Cotton is up with good stand in some j p!ac:s, but aicny farni'irs have not yet J 11 1'soea p: anting cotton, 'jera pirat ing i generally about finished, except late corn, and where up is look icg well. Tnose who have not fiaished planting are rapiily getting the seed in the ground, All email grain is reported a good condition a3 a rule. Tubacj plants are plentiful, but setting cut has not begun get. Farmers well advanced with vcrk. Tho pr.ceseion ispaeiingon the farm 68 it is elsewhere in life, and we are either keeping up with it or falling be hind. Old timers are pursuing the came methods their fathers did, and others are finding new ones to save timand money. Modern and impi oved methods keep one well at the froni of tho procession. Ic requires no effort to fad back, but to keep well to the front does tske exertion on the part of cno who seeks a position there. UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, Office cf hie ecretaty, Washington, D. C , May 3 l&Oo. Correspondence of the Progressive xOtrmer. Tais Department having learned that requests have been made upon com rnercial seedsmen for seed put up in papers similar to those used by the government and printed in simulation thereof, it yppiars proper to notify all seedsmen, so far as may b? possible, that the Department of Agriculture cannot permit tho government seed contractors or any ecedsmen to sell peed in packets bearing the name of the Department of Agriculture cr any words which miht cause the receiver of the package to believe that it was a part of the government seed distribu tion. This Department is taking great pains to have ail the eeed supplied it for this elistribution carefully tested, and it is obviously improper for anyone to represent as government seed any seed not thus inspected, tested, and paid for by this Department. No seed can be distributed free of postage through the mails except that delivered upon the order of members of Congress by the Depart msnt of Ag riculture or sent out direct from this Department. The act of March 3, 1875, confines the franking of seeds by mem bers of Congress to these seeds which they receive for distribution from the Department of Agriculture. Chas. W. Dabney, Jr , Acting Socretary. Clover and ccrn form a simple cattle food combination that is hard to beat for producing milk or butter of good flavor and color. Good clover hay and corn meal will produce excellent milk, and so will clover hay and corn ensilage. There are some farmers who believe that first class clover hay and sweet ensilage, with plenty of corn in it, moke a perfect butter ration, and th.t one will not receive enough more milk or butter by adding other grain, to pay for the extra cost. Haverly What was all that dis turbance at old Marital's golden wed ding? Austin It was caused by a Colorado man who bad come under the impression that it was a silver one. LIVE STOCK. VERY PROFITABLE CO Ed BIN A TION. There is great profit in a wise com hination of the evrine and covs. There much waste of milk which cannot bo us( d on the farm m any other way. Tne nnik ntUls variety to the food of the hogs and tends fOoilord a balanced nation. No ford ia more p datable to the p'gs than rail. A vigorous diges tion is promoted and a dip-'sdicn to take on 11-jsh is extended. For shoats the sow milk is especially appropriate. In the estimation of s me practical feeders, whose conclusions are to be re specte.', the icid in the sour milk ia good for r.he older p)o; those more than four onth o7d is particularly valoable and equivalent to u-ing eooLed food in many icttanci'S. Western Kara!. - . s t - - AN IN IELLIG r NV HCR-iH. Tn-- horse c-'uTeh Dr Goodell, cf very ietel'.i- Seltra M s j. . di ives i r r?ext aiiirr.al. a eel a few uys ago saved h;s owner a reee sum for repairs, says the News uf t la it tr-ty. Tile here v i;'.;;;vlir;g io front of a J'.tvr..j., -' Mifoo fKHi-- ineu-etor mac- when :v r ;o. vnv came d;vih- ins down th? ii. t on the side where (he d. et r's t-.:m waj standing. A coIhWeu w.as iroeoiocnf, and try ctators expected to s.-e a gid p 01 ash up, but he deewt's eerie footed thtto. lie, .oo. fotesaw the dauber and Drang up or. the Sxdewalfr, drugging 'bo buggy after hiin. At soon as the runaway had passed, tho intt -lli'nt animal backed out into lee street again and stood there as complacently us if ho had done nothing io be proud of. FEEDING OATS TO FiiRM STOCK. O lis baa been lonsr rccocn'zod as one of the very b?et grah s 'or most classes of farm animals. Tiis is especially true of horses and young stock of all kinds, unless it be pigs. Tne weight of evidence of many careful feeelmg ex periments is against tho profitableness of feeding oats to young pigs except as a 8T!aH part of their ration. One year with another oats are relatively higher in price than is corn in mcs: parts of the United States. It is not alone a c mpariscn of the price per bushel, but of the relative weight of a bushel of oats find one of cc-i n that must be made. Tous jeor, however, with the largest crop of oats ever grown in this country, the price is exceptionally low, lower than for many years. There is no reason why farmers should not feed oats freely at present prises, except in localities ia which the crop was a fail ure or very poor. How then to feed is a question abou!; whieh thero is much difference of opinion. For horses and celts, calves, sheep and lambs tho writer would feed grain unground. For cows, steers and begs it is an ad vantage to grind it. Good oat straw 13 a valuable food, and if the feeding is carefully done there is much to com mend the plan 0 feeding sheaf oats. If large quantities are fed at once much cf the straw will be left uneaten. Where thero are convenient facilities for cuttir g U09 sheaf oats, a large per centage of straw can be utilized by so doing. Tne greater danger of injury by rats and mice if the oats are loft uro threshed is about the only reason which can be urged in favor of threshing tho crop in many cases. There are horses whiohdonot properly masticate oats, but these are rather exceptional cases. If the grain is mixed with cut straw, hay or stover, it will be better eaten. Young animals pretty thoroughly mas ticate their food and the writer has not found sufficient gain fromgrindini to repay the cost of the work. Thia does not apply to p'gs, however. It is bet ter to have oats ground if to be fed to hogs of any age. In many cases a mixture of oats and corn will bo better than either grain fed alone. The younger the stock the larger may be the propor tion of oats. Many insist that oats alone are much better than any mix ture of corn as food for colts. Tho writer has a higher appreciation of the value of corn, reasonably used, as a food for even young animals, than have many feeders, but he uses oats freely in present conditions. It would be a consumation much to be rejoiced over if the present low prices for oats would lead to the much larger use of this grain as food for the human ani mal. Its use for this purpose has great ly increased within the last quarter of a century, but it may wisely become more general. Let every old subscriber send us on new subscriber this week.
The Progressive Farmer (Raleigh, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
May 12, 1896, edition 1
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