re
t i
mind you that you ous&l to send usLOQ
.rgt for-cne yearr
The Progres
iTe Farmer is a
rood paper far
tboTe the ayer-
e nd possibly
JJe best advertis
ing medium in II.
C Printers' Ink,
"The Progres
sive Farmer is a
good paper f&i
above the aver
age" -and possibly
the best advertis
ing medium ia M,
C." Printers' Ink.
THE INDUSTRIAL AND EDUCATIONAL INTERESTS OP OUB PEOPLE PARAMOUNT TO ALL OTHER CONSIDERATIONS OF STATE POLICY.
7ol. 12.
RALEIGH, H. C, JUNE 29, 1897.
Ho. 21
r
n
mk RKE.
r 1 1 f
I" ,FTt
I i i
,s2 RATIONAL FARMERS' ALLI
ANCE AND INDUSTRIAL
UNION.
president Mann Page, Brandon
7 Vice President C. Vincent, Indian-
nclis Ind.
Secretary; Treasurer W. P. Bricker,
. jogan Station, Pa.
LKCTUREES.
j p Sossamon, Charlotte, N. O.
Hamlin V. Poore, Bird Island, Minn.
F. H. Peirsol, Parkersburg, W. Va. -
RATIOS U SCXEOUnVE COMMITTEE.
Mann Page, Brandon, Va. ; R. A.
uthvorth, Denver, CoL; John Bre
."Vw Va.; A. B. Welch, New York;
v A. Gardner, Andrew's Settlement,
'a
JTJDICIABY.
B. A. Bouthworth, Denver, Colo,
r" w. Beck, Alabama.
Si. D. Davie, Kentucky.
CAEOLISA 7ARMSE3' BTATB ALU
ANCS. Pdent Dr. Cyrus Thompson,
SlcL'ands, tf. C. . tm,
Vioo-President Jno. Graham, Ridge-
"secrtary-TTcasurer W. 8. Earnon,
Jilisboro, N. C.
Leturc-r-J. T. B. Hoover, Elm City,
'"S?3ward-Dr, V. N. BeaweU, Villa-
oc N. C.
Chaplain P.ev. P. H. Massey, Dur-
'am, N. C.
Door-keeper Geo. T. Lane, Grcens-
oro N. C.
Assistant Door-keeper Jas. E. Lyon,
rrliam N. C
" gerge?.nt-at-Arma A. D. K. Wallace,
litberfordton, N. C.
State Business Agent T. Ivey, Hills
5 5TC, N. C.
Trustee Busmoss Agency Fund w.
i. Graham, Machpelah, N. C.
;E?mvs committee ox the south
CAROLINA FAKMEE3 STATE ALLIANCE.
A. F. nileman, Concord, N. C. ; N.
J. English, Trinity, N. Cr James M.
idewborne, Kins on, N. O.
:Ara alliances judiciary, committee.
Jchn Brady, Gatesville, N. C. ; Dr.
..P. Harrell, WhiteviUe, N. C; T. J.
sndler, Acton. N. C.
st th Carolina Reform Press Association.
GJlztrsJ. L. Ramsey, President;
prion Builer, Vice-President; W. S.
ferjs.-?. Secretary,
PAPEKS.
tZi99Mlv Fanner, State Organ, Raleigh, N. O.
!?-carr. , Hickory, N. C
irur Home, Beaver Dam, N. C.
t Populist, Lumbtrtoii, N. C.
te People's Paper, Charlotte, N. C.
te TestibTiie, m Concord, N. C.
t e Plo w - Boy. Wades boro, N. C.
aroiir.a Watchiran, Bailbbury, Is. C.
achoftkt above-named papers are
traesledto keep the liet itanding on
i first page and add otfiers, provided
fj are duly elected. Any paper fail
? to advocate the Ocala platform will
di cpped frcm the list promptly. Our
v,pls ca:i now see what papers are
xliished in their interest.
A.GKICXJLTXJHE.
Prospects for a fine hay crop are
ood.
Mis3i3ippi and Florida have a smaller
)ttn acreage than last year.
Nothing can take the place of fre
lent tilLgo. Manure and rains will
i much more profitable, if the ground
frequently stirred.
Another industry much neglected by
srth Carolina farmers is the fruit in
i"try There ia much money in it for
- m? enter prising men.
In no other business is there eo little
iccrtaicty because of probable flue
ations ia prices as the dairy business,
irm&rs keep an account of the money
u rake on your butter supply. It
y surprise you.
See that the roots are not torn in
Itiv-itiDg your crops. They are as
3 -LtitiI to the life of a plant as rains
d arteries to our existence and any
; Einution in the number areas dam
- fog to the plant as a proportionate
caber ol arteries would be to us.
Cake that small boy by the ear if you
d him stealing birds' nests. Better
" "l-i tench him what good friends of
1 an the birds are. Do you know
' itch of the birds are your friends, by
J way ? Some of them have a bad
&e among the farmers who hardly
arve it. Says the exchange.
)cn't think that you can make a
ice?sful farmer without using your
"a. B'arming is getting in line with
- ier occupations in demanding unin-
rupted attention, system and order.
3 more study and brain-work you
' ' on your farm, the greater will be
'Profit from it.
arrcers would be surprised to know
much they are losing by allowing
3da to go to seed. If you have a
r t covered with them, better use
r mower at once. Even if you have
Modern mower, it would be better
&se a scythe or even a hoe rather
n allow the weeds to go to seed.
WEEKLY DIGEST
Of Experiment Station Bulletins.
No. 76.
apple leaf folder and leaf cetjmpler
Bulletin 36, of Missouri Station, treats
of two insects which have within re
cent years becomes quite destructive to
orchards and nurseries in that State.
Complaints of the ravages of the
Lesser Apple Leaf Folder became so
general that the entomologist of the
station was eent to a badly infested
nursery near Kansas City, to study the
insect and experiment witn remedies
The one year old apple trees standing
in the nursery rows were found so
badly infested that they looked as if
fire had swept over them. Very few
leaves were exempt from the attack. In
many cases a single cluster of unfold
ing leaves contained threo or four
larraj. These little worms attack the
bud just as it has begun to unfold its
young leaves. One, two, three, or all
theleaves from a bud are rolled together
and fastened by a silken thread or web
wound around them, and inside of this
the worm feeds, grows, pupates and
comes forth a moth to lay eggs for an
other brood. The moths of the first
two broods are of an orange color while
those of third and last brood of the
season are ash gray. The larvae of the
first brood began to appear May 8th,
and these developed into moths by May
14th. These began to lay eggs at once
and the second brood hatched out May
23d and were fully developed mons by
June 23th. The eggs deposited by this
second brood began to hatch July 10th
and were fully developed gray moths
by August 20th. The season was early
and the several broods are usually
about a month later than above noted,
in Missouri, and still later farther north
and earlier south of that State.
As soon . as the young worms have
folded the young leaves about them,
they begin to fesd upon the interior of
their cages and this causes the leaves
to turn brown and gives the appearance
of having been scorched by fire- Usually
a'Eingle leaf i 3 sufficient to feed a 7orm
till it pupates and is transformed into
the moth st8g3. -
The Leaf Crumpler is similar in habit
to the Folder, but attacks plum, cherry,
peach and quince trees as well as apples
and wild crabs, and they appear some
what later in the season and are single
brooded. The moth appears in June,
and the eggs hatch in about a week
The moth is gray and nearly an inch
frcm tip to tip of wing; the larvae is a
brown worm with a few scattered hairs.
It draws tho edges of a leaf together
and fastens them with a fine web and
lines this case with a silken web. The
case is small at one end and large at
tho other, like a horn, and the worm
hides in this in day time and ventures
out to feed at night, on the tender leaves
and buds. At the approach of cold
weather they fasten their case to a limb
and hang in the pupa stage during
winter.
The old remedies against these in
sects, were to gather the cases of the
Crumpler, during winter, and burn
them and destroy the first brood of the
Folder by squeezing their cases between
the thumb and finger and thus mash
the worms within.
Bat the experiments of the Missouri
Station at the nursery above mentioned
showed that spraying with poisoned
Bordeaux mixture is effective against
both. Spray thoroughly just as the
buds aro ready to burst open, and
again after the blossoms fall, and you
will rid your tree3 of these insects and
of the codling moth and such fungus
diseases as apple scab, etc.
For spray iog nursery stock, four
spraying nozzles were arranged behind
a wagon soas to spray four rows at
os ce. Drive slowly, and turn at the
end of rows and go back over the same
rows.
APPLE GROWING IN NEW JERSEY.
This is the subject of bulletin 119, of
New Jersey Station. A statistical sur
vey was made of the State in 1895,
which showed that one tenth of the
farmers of that State are engaged in
fruit or berry culture on a commercial
scale, with an average of over 12 acres
each, and 79 out of every 100 growers
reported the business profitable.
The above statistics were procured
by a farm-to-farm canvass, and this
bulletin was issued to give the most
commendable metheds in growing and
marketing practiced by the most suc
cessful of these practical farmers.
The favorite soil ia an open, porous
soil underlaid by clay not too close and
tight, so that the roots and air may
penetrata deeply. Some gravel and
eand in the eubsoil ia considered advan
tageous. The soil should contain an
abundance of potash, phosphoric acid,
and lime, and should be well supplied
with decayed vegetable matter by ap
plying barn manure or turning under
an occasional crop of field peas or
clover.
'Of every 100 orchards 80 were on
high land and 20 on valley land ; and 58
of every 100 sloped northwest 20 north
and 22 sjuth. ,
Choice of varieties ipjlargely governed
by the demands of the markets, though
soil and climate are also factors. The
717 growers report 114 varieties, but
scarcely any one grower had more than
10 of these 114 varieties. Those most
largely grown are as follows, in the
order named : Baldwin, Smith's Cider,
Hagloe, Ben Davis, Orange Pippin,
Main's Blush, Red Astrachan, Fallo
water and Rhode Island Greening.
Golden Russet, York Imperial, and
Johnathau are also becoming popular,
as evidenced by the later plantings.
Of every 100 growers, 77 bi.iy trees
from local nurseries, 20 from New
York State, and 3 from other sources.
Two-year old trees are most generally
preferred for setting and fall planting
is more largely practiced than spring
planting. There is much controversy
over proper distance, but the tendency
seems to bo towards close planting and
severe pruning, possibly on account of
high price of land. The station advises
at least 40 feet each way for the most
vigorous growers.
Pruning is mostly done in spring. Of
every 100 apple orchards reports, 40
are in sod, acd generally pastured; 20
have clean culture ; 37 have crops grown
in them, and 13 are plowed annually
and 10 plowed occasionally.
Of every 100, manure is used by 80.
Of these 80, 60 use barn manure an
nually, 12 use it occasionally, 3 use
commercial fertilizers exclusively, and
5 use a mixture of barn manure and
commercial fertilizers. Manure is used
at the rate of 5 to 20 toss per acre, and
the commercial fertilizers at tho rate
of 200 to 1,000 pounds per acre.
A majority of the growers ppray for
fungus diseases and insect, but only a
few practice thinning out the young
fruit, though these report it profitable
and the practice is spreading. Thinned
fruit is larger, of better color, yields as
many bushel?, sells higher, cofts less
to gather and sort, andis much less
exhaustive to the treeland soiL
The average yield was 60 barrels per
acre ; but the most successful growers
exceed 100, showing that the average
coulcfeasily be brought up to 100 bar
rels per acre. The average price realized
was $1 per barrel, or $60 per acre, and
the average cost of cultivating, prun
ing, spraying and picking, was $22 40
per acre. This does not include cost of
packing and marketing, as freight rates
and commissions vary so much that it
was difficult to get reliable data on
those points, but there was much com
plaint against both the railroads and
commission men.
The best market is the local town or
city, and the best package a paper
lined basket holding a third of a bushel.
One of the most successful orchards
in the State made the following report:
Two year old trees were procured from
a local nursery and set in fall, 33 feet
apart each way, on a sandy loam, with
clay subsoil, sloping southwest. In
July or August of every y ear, crimson
clover is sown and the crop fs plowed
under the following May. The orchard
is. then harrowed every two or three
weeks till July or August, when 1,000
pounds per acre of an even mixture of
acid phosphate and muriate of potash
is applied and seed of crimson clover
again sowed. The average yield in
1895 was 130 barrels per acre, bringing
f 142 50. The average total expense of
cultivating, pruning, manuring, spray
ing, thinning, harvesting, packing, and
marketing wes $45 per acre, leaving a
net profit of $97 50 per acref" Pruning
was generally done in late winter, the
tops being kept open to sun and air.
UTILIZING UNMERCHANTABLE APPLES.
This is the subject of bulletin 57, of
Virginia Station. The bulletin states
that , a large portion of the Virginia
apple crop is unmarketable nearly
year, and especially in years of heavy
crops. This is due to the-fact that very
few Virginia orchardists thin the fruit,
and many neglect fertilizing, pruning
and cultivation, and many very old
orchards are of seedling trees, all of
which conditions tend to the production
of small, knotty and defective fruit.
Very little evaporating has been
done in Virginia, but considerable fruit
i3 8undried every year, and much of
thi3 poor fruit has been converted into
brandy by distilleries, and still many
thousands of bushels go to waste-every
year. A former bulletin (No. 48) of
the station treated of evaporating, and
this one is devoted to the manufacture
of cider, vinegar, jelly, and marma
lade. That the station might treat these
subjects advisedly and make reliable
recommendations to the apple growers
of Virginia a complete set of machin
ery was purchased and a full season's
run was made, notes and accounts be
ing carefully kept throughout. The
machinery was purchased at the State
Fair at Richmond on most favorable
terms, is of latest build, and is fully
illustrated by cuts in the bulletin. It
consists of a pulping or grinding ma
chinp, run by steam, a hydraulic press,
a steam evaporator, for converting the
cider into jelly,' and a steam cooker
and colander for making apple butter
and marmalade. The mill has a capacity
of three or four thousand gallons per
day.
. Before purchasing this outfit, the
station had a hand mill and press, and
the bulletin gives the following com
parison of cost per gallon by the two
methods: To run the hand outfit a
day. took 4 men at $1 each, 3 boys at
25 cents each, and 125 bushels apples
at 8 cents each, a total of $14 25, and
the output was 250 gallons of cider, at
a cost of nearly 6 cents per gallon.
With the larger outfit, a day's run
took 5 men at $1 each, 20 bushels coal
at 10 cents and 750 bushels apples at 8
cents, a total of $67, and turned out
3,000 gallons of cider at a cost of less
than two and a third cents per gallon.
; This outfit cost $700 and the station
operated it on the toil plan, working
bp the small, unsalable fruit of sur
rounding farmers. Fruit was brought
in from a distance of ten miles and
customers were served as fast as they
could unload. After taking toll, each
custcmsr received nearly 3 gallons of
cider for each bushel of fruit, and the
daily tell yielded 500 to 600 gallons of
eider to the mill. The tollage for the
-season, at one and a half cents per gal
yon, amounted to $750, or $50 more than
the cost of the outfit. By adding vats
in which to wet down and re press the
pomace for vinegaror jelly, this income
can be considerably increased.
For xnaking jelly, 20 pounds of sugar
was added to each 100 pounds (11 gal
lons) of Juice, and this yielded 40
pounds of jelly much superior to aver
ago jelly, at a cost of ,3 cents per pound.
For making marmalade, 80 pounds
of apples were sliced and cooked in 8
gallons of cider and 35 pounds of sugar.
This made 116 pounds of marmalade at
a cost of less than 2 cents per pound.
The manufacture bf vinegar is simple
and profitable. The station was con
verting 5,500 gallons of its toll cider
into vinegar when the bulletin went to
press, with every promise of success,
though no figures are given as to cost.
The statement is made that though
thousands of bushels of apples go to
waste every year, in Virginia, there is
not a well equipped vinegar factory
in the state, and good cider vinegar is
high and hard to got.
The bulletin gives directions for the
operation of the machinery and the
manufacture of cider, jelly, marmalade
and vinegar.
DEEP PLOWING.
Correspondence of the Progressive Farmer.
In your issue of May 18th you make
the following statement:
"Most lands are benefited by deep
plowing, but after crops are planted
shallow and frequent cultivation is
best. It has been demonstrated that
corn should never be cultivated to a
deptu of more than two inches."
The benefits to be derived from plow
ing corn and other crops are twofold.
1. To admit the air to the roots of
plants.
2. To make the soil loose in order
that the roots of the plants can pene
trate it more readily.
The killing grass and weeds may
be regarded as incidental. If the land
be stirred sufficiently often to accom
plish the two objects named there will
be no grass nor weeds to bother.
The authorities are divided on the
subject of deep plowing, some recom
mending one thing and some another.
One party advises that corn be plowed
four times, the two first deep, the two
last shallow. This appears to be about
as good advice as can be given for the
large-majority of cases. Were it not
for breaking the roota of the corn, it
would doubtless be best to plow deep
first, last and all the time. Hence it
follows that the roots take possession
of tbo soothe depth of plowing ehould
be proportionately reduced.
But by constructing tho drill! wido
apart, say 8 feet, the stalks therein be
ing half the usual distance apart of 4
feet rows, a strip from two to three
feet wide, midway between the rows,
can practically be plowed deep at each
plowing, thutf affording the much
needed protection in time of drouth.
Corn should be plowed soon after'
each rain. The roots in the middle of
the rows are fine and can safely be
broken when the ground is moist. At
all events the damage from breaking
these small roots is doubtless far less
than would follow a lack of thorough
pulverization. Hence, the first and
second times plow deep throughout,
then employ a cultivator next the corn,
but continue the deep plowing in the
middle. From the 1st to the 10th of
June drill cowpeas between the corn
rows and cultivate thoroughly, thus
raising two full, , or nesrly full, crops,
one of corn, the other of peas. s
Bryan Tyson.
Long Leaf, N. C.
Are your reapers, your harrow, and
other tools under shelter? Sit down
and count the number of tools you have
out alike in sun and storm. Then cal
culate the amount you have spent for
repairs, new tools, etc. Then make an
estimate of the per cent, of the money
paid for repairs and new , tools, that
might have been saved had you given
your tools proper attention. Perhaps
you may arrive at some conclusions,
not altogether unprofitable.
PROTECTION OF MELON VINES
Correspondence of The Progressive Farmer.
One of our neighbors recently set out
to have a first class watermelon patch.
He plowed thoroughly, manured heav
ily, in fact, did everything necessary,
except look after the young plants
after they came up. The plants came
up strong and all looked well. About
this time he discovered some insects
(striped bugs) on the plants of two hills.
The next morning he w&s" going to
sprinkle on the plants, while the dew
was onf a mixtaresoak,nd-eheJ
He forgot it and delayed his visit for
three or four days. When he went,
the bugs had cleaned up the vines, root
and branch, not a single one left
Having no more seed, he then planted
his patch in corn.
But not so at our house. We, too,
went in for a first class patch, but we
had an eye. to protection. We con
structed some decoy beds according to
plan recently given in your paper,
(small beds 6 to 8 inches square in im
mediate vicinity of the patch in which
watermelon seed are thickly sown;
(these beds should be well supplied with
stable or other manure). We dusted
the plants in the hills early of a morn
ing while the dew was on with about
equal parts of soot and wood ashes,
mixed, shaken through a bucket. (The
application should not be too heavy,
lest it injure the young plants. But I
never knew them so in jured but once,
and then the application consisted
wholly of strong ashes, the quantity
administered being unnecessarily large.
Two thirds soot and one third ashes
may be better.
After the application of soot and
ashes, dirt was drawn around the plants
clcsa up to the bottom leaves, thuspro
tecting the stems.
But the stems of the plants in the
decoy beds were left exposed and a
sufficiency of bugs to destroy several
patches flocked to them. The beds
were visited (early in. the morning is
the best time) and the bags destroyed
until they have seemingly been exterm
inated. As 'a result the vines in the
hills were not injured in the least and
are thriving luxuriantly. .
Bryan-Tyson.
Long Leaf, N. O. .
The turnip crop should be a leading
one, says Home ar d Farm, as a large
supply can be secured from an acre of
land. The growing of turnips for win
ter is during the summer season, but,
while the growing of turnips is done
somewhat carefully after the ground
is ready for the seed, the proper prep
aration of the ground ia not always
made. Weeds grow rapidly during
warm' weather, and to protect the tur
nips the land should be plowed cow,
harrowed, and the weed seeds permit
ted to sprout, using the harrow as often
as may be necessary to destroy them.
Just before seeding the turnips (usually
in July) the land should be worked
deep with a cultivator, and then har
rowed down again &3 fine as possible.
Thi3 will not only cause fewer weeds to
appear, but will also incrssso tho crop
cf turnip3 both in tha yield and quality.
CRIMSON CLOVER AFTER COR 17,
As a general rule wheat is the least
profitable crop in the rotation, espe
cially as the wheat harvest ia apt tc
occur in the hottest and dryest time in.
the season, writes S. Peacock, in. Penn
sylvania Farmer. -
And the sudden removal of the par
tial shade afforded the young clover
by the standing wheat, only too fre
quently causes a failure in the clover
stand. For this reason many attempts
have been made to omit wheat fronx
the rotation, with more or less euccess.
The best method, no doubt, is to sow
crimson clover in the corn after tho
last working in August. This not only
brings the sod one year earlier,bufc
also acts as a catch crop to prevent tho
loss of available fertilizsrs during tho
winter eeason.
Unfortunately, we do not always
seem able to get a stand of clover from
sowing in the corn. The corn crop
use3 an immense quanity of water and
mineral fertilizers. Frequently the
seed sown in August fails to germinate.
and the time and eeedare-irrVc
the disarrangement of" working plans.
The rainfall does not regulate this
"catch," as I have known good stands
obtained during a dry season, and bad
stands obtained in a fairly wet season
No doubt the quantity of availabla fer
tilizer present has much to do with a
successful stand.
All the clovers are rank potash feed
er? ; give them enough potash and phos
phoric acid and they will not only fur
nish all the nitrogen they need for
their own development, but also ft r
several successive crops. The most
successful method I have known for
insuring a clover crop sown in corn, is
to apply liberal minerals to the corn ;
that is, to fertilize the corn both for
itself, and also for the proposed clover
crop. As is well known, kainit has &
beneficial action-in absorbing moisture?
from the air. So great is thii action
that during periods of severe drought,
it has been known to carry a crop
through successfully when untreated
The best preparation, therefore, to
insure a good stand of crimson clover
and at the same time to greatly aid tho
corn crop, is to sow kainit and acid
phosphate, the former preferably early
in the spring if its action in absorbing
moisture i 3 an object. On light soils,
150 pounds of muriate of potash per
acre, and 500 pounds of acid phosphate
should be used. Do not think the quan
tities are too great; it will pay to feed
crimson clover liberally. If the soil is
a heavy one, the land should be limed
and the potash application much tho
same as with the light soil ; the phos
phate would preferably be some form
of bone or bone tankage. The potash
and phosphates may be safely applied
in the fall of the previous year.
It is well to remember that the most
of this potash and phosphoric acid ap
plied to the crimson clover will be held
by the roots of that crop ready for ther
next step in the rotation, and joined tO
a liberal supply of ammonia obtained
from the atmosphere, will be as nearly
cost free as anything can be cost free
in the world.
PLOWING PREVENTS DROUGHT.
It will be found that where the soil
is kept loose by plowing and cultivation
its capacity for absorbing and holding -water
is much greater than where it is
neglected. Thus every weed and sur
plus growth must be scrupulously Sept, .
do wnt as everything that grows is con
stantly drawing moisture from the eoir
If we can get the upper and lower
moisture in the soil to meet the battlo
is won, for the cultivation is favorablo
tolhe capillary action of the soil in
drawing moisture from below, and cul
tivation will prevent its evaporation
from the surface. If, however, there
is a dry streak of soil a foot or moro
below the surface, vegetation will suffer
accordingly. Rural Wcrld.
Water in which soot has been dis
solved ia excellent to keep off bugs and .
injurious insects. It has a slight emell
of sulphur, and to this, perhap?, is dut
its virtue in repelling them. A little?
soot in water, if put on melons and
cucumbers before the eggs are laid, will
keep off the striped bug. '
Clover for hay should be cut before
it fully matures, that is, just as tho
heads are beginning to turn brown. It
cut before the sap fully leavarthe roots
the plants will send cut new chocta and
will bo in better condition for pro
ducing a crop the next cccscn-Unzi
would bo the czzoii tho clover is czt
after tho hzz5 aro troT72.r.