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4 H ' ..." '"Hi"1 -u"" ,.. fv If .J? - X C "v lias the largest cirexlatisa cf facsuy egncslta ral cr political paper published between Rica csond and Atlanta mm aadpoibly rr. Kt advertis Bediiua la H Priattm' Izh fim IHE37IIIAL AID OwCAYIOIAL BJTimOTS Of CUE PAElMOim? TO ALL OTUD C3I3DI2AfI0I3 CI C7Af3 fOOT. Vol. 13 RALEIGH, U. 0.flHARCH 1, 1898. Uo. 4 A ID A r WTO ricialtiire wgg ALL AMTOD THE FASH. B J. Irs y it- P fMO- of AgrfemU thU m.au Ail taction matla o th f bfru"" ;C "V .11. k. r...r1 hv IV.f. rm, i-fdfior un niiu - j jrv- . , . i ji , fRUf. IKtfY'a WEEKLY LltTTEK, I JOW TO 0S0W OOSJT CH3ATLY TX TBU I CO C 114. The day has passed when it will pay So raise cottoa or tobacco and buy corn -a the ttoath. When cotton sold for 35 c?ol per pound and corn for $1 per Cuhfl, there was tome excuse for the Hjuthern fmer buying corn from the (fople of Illinois. Tben they could lear about 10 cents per pound on cot od, but outon at I cents is really -aada ac a lose. The cotton farmer has '-ottsa down so that he is afraid to Xunt hitorn time, and he h&s eut Tr until there is only a bare exist (aw for i he laborer. f No if he has to bay fted for hi w took to purist on while thpy are siaking thi S cent cotton, then low in leed will ba his inoomo. It is true that ihre bushel of o-irn cam be frown in jie corn blt to ooe here in the South, j far as expense goe; but tnat wms porn ha-? to ps through the hands of fhree middlemen, and freghted several Vaadr-d mila. All of this oosts hear I j and the ooasumsr has to fool the Tn qif sion naturally arises how to hi8j tha corn chapst. i Try to bare a sod of corns kind for corn to grow on; a elorrr sod is preferable. Pea stnbblo u excellent ad oan had by any farmer. I? cotton lanes are sowed with crim on clover in 8-ptember, the land will ;a ocoupird during the winlsr and Wve for ealy pasturaire and then out ;i turned und-r early enough to make , fine corn crop the following season. Tna cloTer or the peas Uarure an Wndance of organic natter in the pil and plenty of nitrof nous mattar. thus the raru expentiTe eltment of a lot only wich littla cost, but mads to ay for itself in food stuff grown If we will look on any frrtilinr pack ye see only three eleraens enumerated, lami'iy : nitrogen, patyuurui tuu n abundance by the clorer, the re itining two oan be easily supplied, as hey ar the least expensire. The cun crop requires a good supply ,f niircRMi, as this crop, like all of its Is&s, baa a rather poor faculty of col tun tnrcgQ from the soil. Ilence y ii bit to rapply it in a readily sola- form, and there is no belter form raain dfcaying plants rich in nitro It h frrtiluMr has to be de inded on entirely for all there ecssa clameom, theo it would be best to a fcrni with at least Si to 8 per 3at nirr g;!n. t to 10 per cent, phe? ionii, ind 3 . 5 per eenl potash. It Ji to u & good grade cf fertiliser. ) eoeu 3u-t as much in freight to itdla a low gradi at a kith grade, ad it c8U m much to distribute a 3w gradaaaahihgrads. Ilf your dealer kaa o high grade, en get him to order it, and if he oaa't it, then do your own nixing. I Of courw it goes without saying that fithe manure on ths farm should be tully sred and put on the land, f fwi,,, t i imtly to be ussd as a Wemeot. It ii best to break corn V4 m fall or winter. This, of Cm: nnos done if the land is -upied by a Pl0Ter crop , Daad e8LrI Ituuiually y .pUd atld cuhirate on a lersL Woi ts,r 6h uid be driiied ftbui W t f01"0 PliS. It IthreeV11 fer,llxr bout ttro lUb- forT wnretb0 corn Krain co- reiM0ll, namely: that t,Q ro,:,r wiH hare to search " me rertllT. y the I .-.V r,XHt down to the fertili- jj --o lncorporaiea m mo ti j, , muure possible, use reno- .. - Kr.a auppiftment with fer r win no longer need to on tn Vpliron 9 M scai rm!nor corn, as U It . . , uau uuru uuo, tn J" armer iQ bad habita to with an ecapty wagon and 33 Ag return with a load of corn. He gets to dependent that hs is hardly worthy of the tills of farmer. Learn to lire at home, and 1st your stock feed on horns raised corn. A CHjLRCH rOB A VBXT D BUSTS, T. A CBi&i man has written to the 7arraeraf Toioe suggesting the making of molSnOss froci msloss on a comocr cial scale; and the editor of the Voice is of opinion that the inggtstioa is a good one, indicating what he calls "a chance for the and West." He cays: "Oertaialy here is a field for inreetisr tion and experimentation at least, with a fair promise of changing ths almost eecert lands of ths West into a garden spot, wita industry abounding " But hers is the testimony of the Kansas man : "For the last half dtnn y ears I hare made caolastes frees watermelons for eur own family use. It is beauti ful in color, delicious in fUror, and, in my estimation, equals the maple syrup of the Cast." Tats is from Kansa, and now the 8uwannee(Fla ) Democrat says that two farmers in Polk county hare been making syrup out of watermelons. Tney found the market so glutted with melons that they cote uded to turn ihem into syrup. So thay procured aa ordinary cidsr press and pressed the raats of the melons into watermelon oder, and boaliag this down, they made a splendid syrup. Oat of 8 00 melons they made orer 100 gallons, whiea sold at $0 cents a gallon. Tne Cedartown 8anard says the syrup is ery fine and pr3e a future for watermelon sy up in the earning years la N rth Carolina and adjoining 8aies thousands of watermtloas are allowed to rot in the fields or are given to hogs after the Tinea begin the wilt Perhaps corns cf our own farmers can profit by the expriincs of these Kan sas and Florida farmers. SUGAR DUET QIBD FOR DISTRI BUTION. By tne ouurtcsy of the 6cretary cf Agriculture, who has done so much to stimulate interest in the sugar best in dustry, the Experiment Station vril hare, for gratuitous distribution to farmtrs in the different counties of the State, Barer a I pounds of selected eugar beet sa?. In soorcanoo with the wishes of the Secretary, the beet seed will be distributed in North Carolina only to those who promise to follow directions in regard to planting, culii yaiiBg, harrcsting, and who frill send samples for analysis, and giirc us full information as to ocst. Tae farmer who undertakes the . work should be able to realise a good yield, and as the beet is very excellent for tabic use and PITOVJ A ej8i tSJst j)tc 9 f ssj ft ejOOaeiLf stl farmer will be fully repaid for his time and trouble north Oardina is not lecatsd in the isothermal belt in which it is known that the sugar beet is grown most sue c::: fully for commercial purpeses; but should wc be able to crow a beet with a suOciently high percentage of sugar, tSxiii will dcubtiess lesd to tSie erection cf a factory in the Cats, and there will be c&any benefits t9 cossc to csr people co n ee cu ene. Ths Ixpertssssst fjiticn tvim bs very glad tc rcceiTC applicaticss tsst cnar bet seed cn the cond fossa s Above named, and to ccrrcepoad with anyene intsrested in ths subject T7. A. TTxrj, Actlzj Director ff. O. Exp't BtaVn. coutfo sansxi. vben the farmer cneers at the ccicn lifio study cf agriculture he ia trying to look out of the bees: of his head. Every farmer is a scientist that strives to gain a knew ledge of the facts and foross ab?ut him, and further a knowl edge of the law that governs their action- He is the best farmer, that oan brin to his aid the largest knowledge ot nature's forces, and the best skill in the management of these forces. To take advantage of his own knowledge, and all the knowledge of other men that he can absorb ie the true way to be practical. Tnat is wisdom. To re fuse to do this is folly. To be able to handle this knowledge to his own prcfis and advancement, that is skill. Knowl edge ot the sciscee of this or that comes through study, making the mind familiar with it. Ski 1 comes through practicing what a man knows. With out practice there oan be no skill. Hoard's Dairyman A good speech is a good thing, but the verdict is the thing Daniel O'Oon neU. GOOD ROADS WILL SAVX YOU 50O,coo ANNUALLY. The average cost of moving a ton one mile over our country roads is 23 cents, and to move a ton ten miles it will cost 3, cr SO cents per mile, and this does not include the driver's time. The average distance of our farms from their local market or mill is tsn miles. The average price of wheat on the farm la 10 cents lets than it is at the local mill or market. This seems to ind ioate beyond all doubt that the average cost cf transporting wheat from the farm to the nearest market is 10 cents per bushel and this is about SO per cent of the priss of wheat at the average local mill. Now it costs 10 cents a bushel to haul this wheat because the roais are poor and if the roads were good the average cost of hauling would be eut in two and thus 10 per cent, would be caved to the farmer. This saving would not only apply to wheat, but ever; thing the farmer cells or buys. It is fair to COOD BOADS say that tV caving made by good roads in a few years would be euQcint to give every farmer an asphalt pave ment from his front door to the neartct market. The total amount of farm products sold ia this cotsutry casually is about (3,000,000 COO and the amount of pur 'kaeee md by the farmer is about $1,809 000,000, heacs good roads will 19 eer cent, on these ameuete or $4 (09 009 annually to the American farmer. The best road machines in the world arc wide tires, T ey take the place and render almost unnecessary the road scraper, etc. Tne narrow tires cut the best roade to piece in a ihort time and make the bad roads worse. The wide tires improve and preserve the good roads and make the bad roads into first class highways. SROA.D TIRED WACOXft. v The Missouri Experiment Otation has made a large number of ex peri ments during the past two years with ths draft of bread and narrow tired wagons. These tssts have been made mith the ordinary a arrow tired wheel and wi n rz iash tires, on macadam streets, gravel and dirt roads xn si: conditions, on meadows, pasture, stub b'M and plow fl?de both wt nuuua CeacnclaJ V Cecte ef Green Crepe Turned Uader flceeciaieaJ ftnpleyoeat ef Fertilisers. JmmmmwLm ml tk Pi Immc The writer was -much intcreeted in reading the following-extract from a bulletin of the litnnesota Experiment Station: It is an important subject, ax d one which should interest every Southern farmer. "For these reasons farm manures possess a value ever and above the market price of the nitrogen, phos phoric acid and potash they contain. J Their bulk ie mostly humus, a valuable material that exists in very small quan tities in commsreial fertilisers. "For the same reason clover, peas and other green crop even weeds turned under are largely beneficial to land, aside from the nitrogen they have gathered from the air and the phosphorio acid and potash their long roots may have brought up from the subsoil." The humus contained in green crops, turned under at maturity, exerts a beneficial effect on the soil by render ing it loose, thus restoring, to a great extnt, the original new ground prin ciple. Green crops thus turned will also exert a remarkable influence in re sitting the ordinary effects of drouth. But there are yet other important advantages derived from turning green crops, implied, but not directly ex pressed, in the above. While tin green crepj arc undergo D rector EL J. Waters, gives the results of thoeo tests. The brood tires pulled materially lighter on ths macadam street and the gravel roads. Also on dirt roads in all conditions except when coft cr sloppy on the surface, underlaid by hard road bed, and when the mud was very deep and sticky. In both ef these conditions the narrow tires pulled considerably lighter. It should be borne in mind, however, that the roads are in these conditions for a comparatively short period of time, and this at seasons when their use has naturally been re duced to the minimum. The tests on easadows, pastures, stubble land, corn iand and plowed ground in every eon dition, from dry, hard and firm to very wet and coft, chow, without a tingle exception, a large saving in draft by the use of the broad tires. The bulk of the hauling done by the farmer is on the farm, in hauling feed from the fields and hauling manure from the barns, etc The actual ten ni ge hauled to market ia inaienifieant N a now TIRES D4D ROADS -ry Bulletin No. S9 o the Station, by in exparison with that hauled about ca the farm, inasmuch as a large pro .; ttoa of tire products of the average farm ie sent to market in the form of live stock or its products. Thcee exeorixneats further indicate that six inches is the best width of tire for the farm and road wagon, and that both axles should be the eame length, eo that the front and rear wheels fchall run in the eame track. A profutaly illustrated bulletin giving full report of these tests ie now ready for free distri on tion upon application to the Director of the Missouri Experiment Suition at Columbia. It is clearly shown by these experi ments that in many instances where tne narrow tire is very ir j arious to the road or field, the broad tire proves positively beneficial when the came load is hauled. Whsn it is considered, therefore, that the average draft of the broad tire is materially less than the narrow tire, and that the injury done to the roads and farms by the narrow tire can be almost wholly cor rested by the use of the wide tires, tfc ere remains no longer any good rea eon fcr the use cf the narrow tired iog decern post tion the oxygen of the ah", or cf rain water, unites with the carbon of the plants and forms car benie acid gas. This gas ia a powerful sol veal and acts on certain rebellious elements in the coil, reducing them to plant feed. Farm manures generally undergo a rotting p recess after they arc hauled out and plowed us der, thus generating carbonic acid gas, as above described. Hence, tey poenai a value over and above the market price of the nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash they con tain " They should be applied fresh and plowed under, not thrown into heaps to rot. Green crops, to be of mueh value when turned, should be prcperly fertilised, thus producing a rank growth. Orope of the legume family, inch as clover, cow peas, beans, etc., are the proper ones to grow to turn under. They do not require nitrogenoue fertilizers, at least not to any considt rabla extent, as they draw the necessary nitrogen from the air. Hence, by applying nhosphorio acid, and potash to any one of said crops ws virtually grow nitro Aen, which, if purchased in the market (uttrats of soda,) is far mors costly than sithsr of said elements. Acid phosphate (ssually called b the farm ers, tei8) supplies the former (&hos phoric acid) and muriate of potash or kainit usually supplies the latter (pot ash.) It is a comparatively simple matter to fcrtilirs cow pens cr clover; all that j is necessary is to put on about 100 pounds acid phosphate and 400 pound kainit (or its equivalent 100 pounds muriate of potasb) per acre, broad casted, and then plow them in. These feruling materials will promote a rank growth of clover or peas, which in turn will absorb a large quantity of nitrogen from the air, and the entire mass, if turned under, will improve both the physical and economical con dition of the coil. Tne peas should be sown in drills about four feet apart and well culti vatsd until the vines become too large. If you desire to raise peas for edible purposes the rows should be wider, say five feet, and if the Unknown pea (con sidered best for all purpose) be plan tad the planU in the drill should be at least two feet apart, thus g'ving 10 square feet for each plant. I euxgeet, as an experiment, that some plants be given from four to five feet distance in the drill. Peas, as a general thing, are too much crowded for bearing purposes, but for fertilising purposes they may be thicker. Ia thinning, pull up the vines, don't eut them off, as the stubs exert a bad influence). Try at least one acre as above. When the vines and peas are ripe, say to. wards fall, after the weather has turned cool, turn well and let lay until the fol io wing spring. Then prepare and plant in swest potatoes and treble the ordi nary yield. One acre properly pre pared for gathering nitrogen, etc , and for manufacturing humus and oarbonic acid gas, in connection with proper cultivation, would revolutionise farm ing ia this country. Will you try an acre, only one! Bbtajt Trsosr. Long Leaf, N. O. D&BP PLOWING. CtRfpaaM f Tkc PresrniT Farmer. In fi-o other operation on tne tarm is there so much reform needed in the South as in the mode of plowing. Host farmer plow only dp encuh ip; sup ply a good mouthful for the first heavy rain that falls, which sweeps the soil away to some lower land, where it is not needed. The very cream of the hillsides ia thereby rendered a hideous deformity to the lao d scape. There is sound philosophy in deep plowing. It enables crops to resist, drouth by preparing a place for the re ten tion of moisture. It gives greater room for the roots of plants to travel in search of food. Itsuppliesdrainage and it increases the capacity of the soil for retaining and utilising fertilisers. Many of our farmers plow as if they only owned four inches of surface. In England, since the inauguration of deep plowing, the productive capacity of the soil has been greatly increased. Where lands have been plowed deep, the crops remain fresh and green during a drouth, while the shallow-plowed fields parch up and waste away. Continuous shallow plow ing means poverty for the farmer, pov erty for tne land and poverty for our CMate. Every year where shallow plowing is done, will chow a small yield m products cf the farm, and the farms on which it is practiced arc be coming scarified with red gullies. Sterility cf coil will most assuredly re sult from shallow plowing. Deep plowing is deep sense a cure guarantee of success, and tha only means of assuring the highest develop ment. We should be careful not to deepen our soil too suddenly. It can be done with best results gradually only a few inches deeper each year. Farmers cannot afford in thsir present straightened circumstances and low prices of produce, to continue the came old careless mode of cultivation. Go let us change. Usscsr N. Clark, Balcigh, N. O. By actual experience, writes O. E. Morrison, of Waldron, Mich , in the Practical Farmer, we have proved that by working in partnership eny reason able debt can be paid, Ii is customary here for the wife to have the butter, eggs and poultry money for her own, the husband taking everything elss Now who ever heard of a business firm of two or more members where they ran the business in that way f Instead of dividing the profits, they divice the butiness, and a divided business is like a divided house, it cannot stand. We started out when married as full part ners, and now at the end of nine years can say we know it is the way to be financially successful. Wish every P. F. family would try it. Whatever is worth doing at all is worth doing wclL Lord ChcrierCeid. j POOR ECONOMY. Those farmers who didnt core to take Tcs PEOGSTHsrva Fabizs or any otner agricultural newspaper, but pre ferred politicial ones and were hum bugged by the 'Limbless" cotton agents, can sympathies with the hero of this story. Some years ago, cays an exchange, the editor of a weekly paper, published in a Pennsylvania town, was very much surprised by a call from an eld farmer who stated that he wished to subscribe for the paper and wanted to pay for it for ten years in advanca This declaration was followed by his puting twenty dollars down on tha table, the subscription price being two dollars per year. The editor expressed his surprise and gratification at thia and remarked that he had been trying for a number of years to induce him to take the piper, but that ho had per sistency refused to do so, on the ground that it was a useless xpenso. Wei), replied the farmer, it would hare been much better for me if I had been taking it as I would have saved a good deal cf money had I been a subscriber and had read the paper. He went on to state that a emooth-tongued wender of agri cultural machinery had managed to cheat him out of about 309, and just a few days after a neighbor had lent him a paper, the one he was now subscrib ing for, and there was a notice in it warnicg people against having any thing to do with the man who had swindled him out the fSOO. " This ia just one of the many illustra tions that might be given of the falsa economy that prevents a man from euosoribing for papers on the ground that he can't spare the money. Thesd kind of men have divided into classes, misers who deny themselves the ordi nary comforts and enjoyments of life for the purpose of hoarding money, or those who are bo proud of their igno rance that they deliberately turn away from the opportunity of acquiring knowledge. Daniel Webster once made the state ment that it would be impossible to make up a newspaper without getting in something worth reading. The lato Senator Plumb, of Kansas, a man cf ability and a very astute politician, subscribed for every paper in his 8tate, giving aq his reason for doing eo that he could not otherwise keep up with public opinion hnd know the wants and deeires of his constituents There is absolutely no reason why farmers should not keep just as well poo ted in his calling as men do in other lines of business and in the different professions, except for the fact that he will not read. This just states the casa in a nutshell. The editor of this paper is well acquainted with a farmer, a very intelligent and successful ona, who takes six cr eight agriculture! papers and what is more reads them and adopts the suggestions that aro suitable to his eoil and crops. He ia not a man that wastes money, but simply takes these papers for his own pleasure and improvement. It ia almost needless to say that if every farmer in this, section was aa well posted aboct agricultural matters as the gentleman alluded to above, this would be tlia garden spot of the South. Nothing In the way of agricultural advancement escapes his notice V AN DURING THOUGHTS. North Oorclinians will no longer ba com pel U d to writa to coma farm j lumal in another ctate when they wish to questions regarding the farm or any thing on it. Tea Pnoasxsarvs Fan::nt is here to serve you. Profs. Unery and Irby arc practical farmers, in sympathy with the great eommc n peo ple, and they know the farms of If rth Carolina almost to perfection Ila farmer in this or adjoining states can afford to do without their letters. C?nd on j our inquiries. Write us your ex periences. Tell us your mistakes, fail ures and successes. Tell your neigh bors too what we are doing and get tnem to subscribe for a year. If they say lio" to this, ask for a six month's subscription fifty cents. We will alsa take trial subsriptions, at three months for 25 cents. The farmer who is horrified at the idea of burning his corn, practically does the tame thing when be stmts his fattening stock, when he feed it to poorly bred animal, when he attempts to make it take the place of shelter, and when he is careless in his methods of hauliDg it. To feed a poorly bal anced ration is one way of burning it. To waste corn is certainly worse than warming one's self by it cn a wiatc? day. Fcrmara JqvlxzlzL
The Progressive Farmer (Raleigh, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
March 1, 1898, edition 1
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