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rjte Prosres tWt Farmer ii 11 cood paper fr -We the aver seand possibly be best adrertia Icz medium in N. printers' Ink. Has the largest circulation of any family agricultu ral or political paper published between R i c h mond and Atlanta 1 THE INDUSTRIAL AND EDUCATIONAL INTERESTS OF OUR PEOPLE PARAMOUNT TO ALL OTHER CONSIDERATIONS OF STATE POLICY. Vol. 13. RALEIGH, H. C.t APRIL 19, 1898. Ho. 11 iiMJ'tJuiMliDDl v m rvy y i ii ii. i if ii ii ii ii ii. Agriculture ALL AROUND THE FARM. EDITED BY BENJ. IXBY. RALEIQH, N. Q. Prof. BnJ- IrT. lat P-otpsscr of Agricul ture At? icultural Mid Mechanical lege. Kal ian' has become a reeular coi tributor to this department. AU OJieb"on relating to the farm garden or orrbua will be answered by Prof. Irbv. " PROF. IKtVS WEEKLY LETTER. Q ROWING ENSILAGE. II is no longer a question with dairy men and stockmen as to whether cn gilage pays or not; but the question now i3 how to grow it in the cheapest, and handle it in the most economical way. What lands to plant, how to plant, what to fertilize with, and how to cultivate, what machinery to handle it with and how to feed it. t Theee are the questions that now interest the progressive farmer, a3 helias long since decided that he must raise ensilage. Any land that will make good corn will grow good ensilage if corn is planted. It might bo remarked just here that corn has been found to be the best of all crops. Some use sorghum, peirl millet. teosmite, pea vines, and anything that grows a large amount of stuff. Com seems to fill the bill best of all Sorghum comes next. " A rich, mellow, loamy soil will grow the best crop and a good clay soil if properly worked will give fiao returns. Apply manure broadcast and plow deep with a two horse plow in fall or winter, followed by a subsoil plow. Break again in spring about the first of May. About June first run over the land with a Clark's cutaway harrow, leav ing the land level. Lay off the rows and apply a fertilizer rich in nitrogen in the drills. Plant with a Centennial planter, as it does the best work, and eaves seeds. Plant in rows 4 feet apart and 1 foot in the drill, two grains to the hill. It 15 better to have two small stalks than one large one. The land should be left level when planted. If it is a stiff clay run over the land with a smoothing harrow just before the crop comes up. This will bieak the crust and kill the fine grass and weeds. When the corn gets up three or four inches, run the smoothing harrow again, running across the rows as though you would tear the crop up. It will be found that but few stalks are injured and the land gets another good cultivation, as a double harrow will easily go over fifteen acres a day. In about one week more run around the ensilage with a single horse cultivator. Next with a double shovel, and lastly with a single boree cultivator. Try to break the cruet after every rain, as it will do the crop good to cultivate it and keep the land from baking and teed to hold the moisture. Lay it by when about feet high. It pays to plant a variety suited for ensilage; like Vir ginia Easilage, Alosby's Prolific, or Cock's Proline. With theso you get a small stalk, two or three medium size ears, and if there happens to be a ekip or poor stand it will send up shoots to fill the space. Cut when the ears are glazed, or just passing out of the doughy state. If the field is large it will pay to buy a ccrn harvester, but if it is small the most economical method is to cut by hand. Use a common weeding hoe with helve cut cfl to about two feet. Keep sharp and cut etalk about four inches above ground. Pile on every fourth row, laying the cornacrosa the rows in nice even piles. Then it will t easier to handle afterwards. Haul into the barn on a broad frame ci&da for the purpose. In unloading, it c2 carefully, as it is much easier handled when not tangled. Use an Ohio feed cutter and elevator tramp the ensilage into the silo. 80 n eights or covers for the silage, 68 the top will rot away, and this will aoa form a covering. &veral styles of siloa will be dia cus3ed later. m ORGANIZATION. As eoon as a farmer begins to get comfortably fixed on his farm, aa soon 43 kQ has received a competence and J really for the first time enjoy life, begins to talk of moving to town, d finally pulls up and goes. Once e he is soon lost sight of and disap While in the country he was respected and perhapa a leader, once in the town or city he ia over looked becomes a cipher. Why should a farmer leave a coun try neighborhood with which he has become identified and interested! The country society is not what it ought to be, and this dissatisfied farmer thinks he will find better by moving to town. Now let him stay in hia country home and go to work and help improve the condition of himself and brother farmers and make a better society right at home. Organfza them, get better roads, better schools, better society, better facilities for doing business, do more business, encourage smaller farms and more intensive farming Don't be selfish. At a recent farmers' institute in New York, the question was asked, "which i3 best for the farmers' interest, .the grange or farmers' club?" Mr. Van Dresser said : "I believe the grange ia one of the best organiza tion3 for the farmer but if you don't have one form a farmers' club. Be euro and have some sort of an organ ization. You will find it of great bene fit to yourselves and your youDg peo pie. We ought to use every means in our power to make our young people happy and contented on the farm Take them to the grange, to the club and the institute. Just go along this line of progression and you will be sur -prised at the results that will ensue " Mr. Litchard said : "The grange has one advantage over the club it has a national organization to back it up. We have nine of them in Alleghany county, through which we have in eleven years saved $45,000 in fire in surance premiums. All depends on the farmers, however. You might aa well whistle against the wind as to at tempt to start a grange or a club in some places. You can distinguish one of these townships as soon as you drive into it no organization, poor school, no roads, no telephone; don't want anything that's going to cost a cent!" Let us look at some of the advan tages of organization.' Where I liv'e we have a lively grange of 105 mem ber? ; it has existed for twenty five years and has just celebrated its quar ter centennial with much eclat. This grange has kept its membera from moving to town. It has accumulated property worth up in the thousands. It runs a very successful fair, that is a credit to any place. It buys and sells much of the home produce and sup plies, ships clover seed to the same eastern granges that it buys buckwheat flour from; buys corn, flour and bran, etc., and saves on these articles many timea the cost of maintaining the grange. Thia neighborhood encourages all kinds of legitimate enterprises and is alive and full of progress. In the home neighborhood of this grange 8 tar tod the county telephone system that ia giving such general satisfaction with its 150 mile a of wire and 125 phones. The two schools here reflect the enterprise generated ; State normal graduates are employed by the year and each school has a fins library. . Talk about farmers moving to town for rest, social and intellectual com panionship ! Why, there is not a town in existence that will compare with the advantages that "can be built up right at hox9 as in the case above men tioned. With a good organization- for all lines of co operation, good schools, telephones, plenty of good reading, daily mails, good roads, no saloons, what on earth need a farmer move to town for! If his neighborhood hasn't got these, the best use he can put hia head and hands to is to work them up. The very labor of doing thia will educate and give new and better ideas. The future of thia country dependaon the condi tion of the country homes. - H. K. 8mith, Putnam Cc., 111., in Farmers' Voice. . OUR FARM GARDEN. Much is said and written about farm ers having good vegetable and fruit gardens, intimating that Jt is an easy matter to grow and attend the same. Without doubt the farmer and his family need and deserve the very best of garden productions, but they have only a meagre chance for them. True, they have the land ; some, but not all, have the manure and skill. The time required is frequently lacking. Just when the garden needs care some im portant field crop demands immediate attention, This is given, and the gar den is necessarily left over to the ten der mercies of weeds or the women and children. Just when a man's labor is of the utmost importance, to secure, oven a fair crop of "sasa," very few farmers have any desire to fusa in the garden, -even if they have time and considering the result of average farm gardening, they are justified It would be cheaper to buy the vegetables than to have wasted labor, manure and seed, aa is of ten done. The science of gardening, or fruit growing, ia as distinct and far re moved .otn farming as farming is from manufacturing. "Every man to hia trade," that is, to follow the "bent of his inclinations." But many farmers are so situated as to be unable to get a supply of fresh vegetables every day and must grow them if they would have them at all. But ah, how many do without rather than to expend the time and trouble to have a garden, yet thsy could have some, even if not the best. It does not take so much trouble to have peas, lettuce, rt dishes, early potatoes, cabbages, tomatoes, etc, growing in connection with ordinary farmers' crops, even if they will not be ideal productions. While planting early potatoes a few paaa can be scattered along in the fur row, giving the harrowing when the peas show above ground. Instead of waiting for the potatoes to show, the peas then show the rows, making after cultivation simple. When setting out the rows of early cabbages alongside the potato patch, a few lettuce plants can be set between some of the cabbage and radish seed between the rest. When replanting corn a few early tomato plants set in, tho missing hills will actually pay more than the same hills in corn, the same cultivation doing for both. Such vegetable plants can now be had so cheaply from local garden ers or from advertisers that it really costs lesa than the seed and trouble in growing, to say nothing of the risk of poor seed cultivation. For instance, I bought 1,000 celery plants this year that cost $1 35 delivered at my railroad station; plants that I could not grow and sell for three times the money, that were just aa good as any I could grow. Every plant grew, and has matured for sale. Here is an idea that I know to be practical. In moderately thickly settled farming communities a good gardener can get a good trade and liv ing by supplying farmers with vege tables, especially early ones, delivering them from house to house, and if ha will take trade in eggs, butter, poultry, etc., it will eventually result in his do ing all the gardening, besides turning an honest penny in merchandising. Regularity of delivery and strict hon esty are re quired. Practical Farmer, PRACTICAL, FARMERS. A correspondent, who has received a sample copy, says Wallace's Farmer, write s us that the paper is well enough but he is a practical farmer and has no time to read when farm work com mences, ana tnereiore tninss no will not subscribe just now; that ha does not believe much in book farming any way. Another farmer ctropa in and says: "Our folks were not raised on the farm and we made a good many miatakes in beginning, but since we have been taking your advice on clover we have doubled our yield of grain per acre." This man would not think for a moment of doing without his favorite agricultural paper. Which of these men ia the practical farmer! We are greatly amused at the ego tism of some men who call themselves practical farmers. They assume that they and their fathers before them too learned all that is known or can be learned with regard to the business which deals with more complex and difficult problems than any other busi nesa followed by mortal man, a busi nesa which ia now engrossing time and talents of some of the very ablest men not only in this country, but in the civilized world." The men who have done the greatest service to agriculture are men who are willing to learn even from the man who prides himself as "practical ' and needa no instructions. They are diligently groping after facts, principles, experimenting in every pos sible way, interrogating nature, and reporting truthfully what she says. Instead of being egotists they are hum ble inquiries after nature's methods and will spare no labor nor pains to find the truth. The so called "prao: tical" farmer assumes that he and his father have found this out long, ago and do not need the help of the exped ience and researches of other men which it ia the province of the agricul tural paper to give. WHY HAVE FARMERS AND FARM PAPERS SO LITTI-E INFLU ENCE ON LEGISLATION? , At the meeting of the Farmers' In etitute held at Shelby, Iowa, last month, Hon. H. M. Bey era, former speaker of the Iowa legislature, was asked to de liver an address on the subject of the influence of agriculturists and agricul tural papers on legislation. He began by stating that had lie been choosing subject, he would have made it, "Why have farmers and farm papers so little influenca on legislation!" and that he would have discussed it as thus stated. He stated in brief that there were over 200,000 farmers voters in the 8tate of Iowa; that, in fact, they constituted a majority of all the voters in the 8tate; that their influence, if properly directed, would be all powerful in legis lation, whereas, as a matter of fact, it was comparatively little ; and that if one half or one fourth of them would agree on any one measure, there would be no question, whatever, of its enact mrnt by the legislature. He stated further that farmers having elected a Senator or Representative assumed that their whole duty was done; that every other interest in the State was organ ized and represented in the lobbies of the legislature; that they aimed to head ofl any legislation that would affect their interests adversely, while the member was left unsupported by farm ers and uninstructed with regard to their interests. He stated further that the farmer was about as likely to de faat in the coming election the man who had stood faithfully by h's inter ests aa he was to support him, and cited the instance cf one representative in the last legislature who stood with un daunted courage and heroism that ex cited his utmost admiration for every measure that was jast and right. The corporation interests told him plainly that if he did not keep quiet he would be defeated for nomination and the fr.rmers weuld not stand by him. His r ply was, in substance, that he would c t his duty and take the consequences, took them and was defeated. Mr. kjera suggested that if farmers would go on and perfect their farm organiza tions, discuss measures that affect their interests, advise thoir legislators through their farm paper as to what legislation they desire, there would be no difficulty in securing it. Mr. Byers bad a largeaudience, which gave him respectful attention. In talking with a number of farmers about the address the following day, one farmer made this significant? "Has it come to this, that having elected members of the General Assembly, we must follow them up and tell them how to vote!" The indictment made in this remark was a rather severe one more severe, we think, than the facts in the case warrant. He ia a very superior man who is thoroughly versed in the prob lems of legislation that affect the farm that he is able without the advice of farmers to know just how he should vote. The agrecultural interests are like the Commandments, exceeding broad, and there should be some way of advising the legislator of the general sentiment of farmers on any given topic. We know of no way to do this more effectively than through the col umns of a reliable farm paper. If the members of the legislature thoroughly understand that the agricultural paper of the State voiced the average senti ment of the farmers of that State on any given subject, farmers would have very little to complain of in the way of legislation. The agricultural paper is the bond of union, and the only bond of union that has yet been devised, or we believe can be, between the farm ers, and hence it is and should be their exponent and mouthpiece their watch man on the water tower. One great reason, in our judgment, why farmers have so little influence in legislation and suffer aa compared with other clasaea ia because they do rally around and support to the extent they might an agricultural paper that that ia faithful to their interests and seeking on all occasions to promote them, not merely in the way of grow ing crops, but in securing legislation that will give them a price for these crops, and protect them from excessive taxation. The best day's work that any man can do on the farm thia year ia rallying hia neighbors to the support by eubscription to the agricultural paper that is faithful to hia interests. No army, however large, can win a victory unlesa they follow their colors and stand by their leaders. There ia no way in which farmera can secure defeat so readily and certainly aa by eacouraging in any way the men, whether in the lobby or in the press who aim to assassinate the private character of the men who are standing unflinchingly by the farmers' interests. Until farmers cease to encourage thia assassination of their friends they should not expect anything else than to have their own interests assassinated in legislation. Wallace's Farmer. FARM FACT AND FUN. Cotton continues very low. There has been scarcely any change in price for the past two months. The Free Press thinks that a big crop will be grown in the South this year, which will keep the price low, and we advise the farmers of this section to all make their provisions at home. Grow plenty of grain and raise plenty of hogs, poul try, etc , and plant some tobacco and aa little cotton as practicable. Kinston Free Presa. Have you taken an inventory ! Do you know just how much you own and owe! If you knew these facta a year ago, and ascertain them to-day, you will see at once how much you are ahead or behind on the year's work. Hew many farmera know this! How long could any mercantile busi nesa run that didn't take an inventory and find out just how it stood! The farmer needs to do this just as much as any business man. Don't let April go by without finding "ju3t where you are at." Farm and Home. WTHE 1898 PLANTING. It is very natural to infer that the tobacco planters of Virginia and the Carolinaa will aim for at least a good sizsd crop thiayear. Firstly, because they have had much better returns from it than cotton or other crops, and then prfcBS have kept up at a high average and advanced with heavy sales, though the quality has been nothing extra. There is, therefore, room for an improvement in quality, which of itself should be an induce ment to higher prices and fully as good prices if the crop ia not so fine, says Southern Tobacconist. In fact, low grades are highest and medium in strong demand. This is what has made the '97 crop a profitable one, rather than the higher prices heretofore in the finer but lighter weight grades. The fine and fancy cutter and wrapper has a limited de mand as well as price; there ia about a fixed standard of both. WHAT A NORTH CAROLINA FAR MER CAN DO. He can raise from 200 to 300 bushels of sweet potatoes or from 100, to 400 bushels of Irish potatoes to the acre, and for $50 he can build a house that will keep them the year round. He can plant one acre of artichokes and fatten 50 hogs on it; the hogs can do their own digging and waste nothing. He can raise all kinds of stock 100 per cent, cheaper than it can be done further north. He will not have to fertilize hia land to make it yield a good harvest, al though here, as elsewhere, judicious fertilizing generally pays. He can run a farm without a mort gage on it. He can have vegetables on his table the year round. Ha can plant one acre in cane and make 200 gallons of beautiful, clear syrup with no sorghum twang to it. Bees require no attention further than taking what honey you wish. Wet land, sown in red top, forms an everlasting meadow, of the finest hay in the world. One bale of cotton ia the average yield, although one and a half bales per acre ia not an uncommon crop. One hundred peach trees can be planted to the acre, and three to five bushels of choice fruit per tree can be counted on after the third year. Cot ton Belt. ROTATION OFCROPa Where our supply of manure ia lim ited we must adopt a system- to make it go farther and 'do more, which ia a good plan if we have ever so much manure at our disposal. The crops to be used in our rotations must of course be governed by locality and soil, aa well as climate. Here we generally begin with corn, which ia preceded by a good top dressing of stable manure, if we have it; then cornea potatoes or oats; the third year wheat, which ia seeded to clover, which ia mowed the fourth year, and, if very good, the fifth year. Thia in its turn ia plowed under the following fall and corn planted. Manuro should be thinly scattered on the clover during the winter month8, although the common practice here is to top dreia the wheat, but better reaulta will follow light sprinkling over the clover, thereby enabling the farmer tqget tho most from hia otherwise inadequate supply of stable fertilizer. Thia method will soon do away entirely with the expensive and wasteful application of commercial fertilizers on the averago farm, a procedure that will sooner or later render the farmer indesd inde pendent. We may set it down as an axiom that every acre of land should be self sustaining. Mason Co., W. V. tdLOH,TIOXJLTXJKE Your fruit orchard may be fertilized with stable manure and planted with pumpkins, yellow globe beets, and red stock beets as profitable feed for young hogs. Tne80 will keep the weeds down, prevent the land from washing, and shade the ground; always have your orchard lands producing such protect ive and profitable crops. Southern Fruit Grower. VINES AND TRHLISSES. Many people are prevented from planting grape vines under the idea that the putting nip of the trellis ia a difficult and expensive thing to do. But the first year a light stake will be all that ia required to train the einglo shoot to, and even the second year, when two or three bunches of grapea may be grown, the stalks will be all that ia required. A trellia made by setting posts six feet apart and five feet high above the surface of the ground will accommodate a single vine. For supports, wires should be stretched be tween the posts, but the wires must not be left tight when cold weather cornea on, as the contraction of tho wire by cold will surely break them. -Ex. A PLEA FOR HONEY. Many a weary house mother exerts herself to put up ro we on rows of jel lies, jama and canned fruit, often in the extreme heat, when the same amount of time, more healthfully spent out cf doors, would supply her family with a like quantity of sweets quite aa wholesome and palatable to the aver age household, says Country Gentle man. Of course a variety ia desirable and I would not do away with tho time honored preserve closet, but its daiatiea might well be diminished in quantity and supplemented with thoco which require no manipulation. Es pecially where there are children it ia desirable to have a supply of natural sweets honey and maple syrup as it ia noticeable that a child can eat much more freely of these than of candy or jama without ill effects. ATTEND TO THE ORCHARD. There are too many farmera who think that when an orchard ia onco planted all they have to do ia simply to wait three or four years and then to pick the apples and take in the money. For such there ia nothing but sure di3 , appointment. The orchard must bo cared for just aa corn or anything elsa on the farm. There ia no farm complete without an orchard and all kinds of fruit, from the strawberry up to the apple, twelve months in the year. There is nothing so conducive to the health and happi ness of a well regulated farm family tz plenty of good, delicious fruit the year around. Now, the orchard as an annex to tho farm. I would say all, outside of fam ily use, for a commercial purposo, plant only about six leading winter varieties, for they can be picked and cared for when other work on the farm ia not pressing. For such an orchard take the most suitable ground on tho farm, and the larger the orchard tho cheaper and better it cin be managed, and with more profit, because there to quite a decided advantage in a good sized orchard. Philip Lux. WHEN YOU WRITE THE PRO GRESSIVE FARMER About anything, please give ua a liz of your nefghbors"and friends who do not take The Fab me n, but who you think may possibly be induced to givo it a trial. Give postoffice addrec3 o each one. Give ua aleo the names and addresses of all of your neighbors who take farm or reform papers. Any per son will do ua a favor by complying with the above request. If you cannot renew your subscription now, kindly give the Iht of nr.nica, anyhow.
The Progressive Farmer (Raleigh, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
April 19, 1898, edition 1
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