Newspapers / The Progressive Farmer (Raleigh, … / Aug. 9, 1898, edition 1 / Page 1
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fT8 Farmer is ft oo& paper fr Ibore the ayer gead possibly JJe best adverti Ic2 medium ia N. C. Printers' Ink. Has the Urges circulation of any family agricultu ral or political paper published between Rich mond and Atlanta MIE1 1 x 'A THE ITOUSTEIAL AND EDUCATIONAL INTERESTS 0E 0UE PEOPLE PARAMOUNT TO ALL OTHER CONSIDERATIONS OF STATE POLICY. 7ol. 13. RALEIGH, N. C, AUGUST 9, 1898. Ho. 2? MMESSIYI PUBLISHED WEEKLY The date on your label tells you when your subscription expires. Receipts for money on subscription "will be given In chance of date on label. If not properly changed In two weeks, notify tis. Money at our risk If sent by regin- ered letter or money order. Please don't send stamps. Be sure to Rive both old and new addresses In ordering change of postefflce. Basle of Advertising Rates ten cents per agate line. Liberal discounts for time and space. We want Intelligent correspondents in every county in the State. We want eacts of value, results accomplished of value, experiences of value, plainly and briefly to d. One solid, demonstrated rcr, is worth a thousand theo ries. The Editon are rot responsible for the views of Correstondents. The PROGRESsrvE Farmer is the Official Organ of the North Carolina Farmers' State Alliance. am standing now just behind the .urtain, and in full glow of the coming .unset. Behind me are the shadows on Ae track, before me lies the dark valley xnd the river. When I mingle with itt 4ark waters I want to cast one linger ing look upon a country whose govern ment is of the people, for the people, nd by the people L. - PolK July tht 1890. EDITORIAL. NOTES. We gave last week a letter from a nrominent and able man from Cistern North Carolina, Mr. H. L. Stevens in which he announces his intention of leaving the Democratic party and j fining the Populists. He gives good reasons for this action. Since Mr. Simmons has his hand in the letter-writing business, suppose he should take time to write a short letter explaining to the people what he knows about the oyster frauds, in Pamlico and Carteret counties. This would be fine reading if he ju3t would show his disinterested patriotism and give the actual facts as he knowB them from beginning to end. Lt us have ycur version of it, Bro 8immons. When we charge the Cubans with cruelty, we must not forget that in our Ravolutionary struggle. Washing ton hung Tories in New York, and at the end ot the war those who had re mained loyal to Eogland were treated to large dos98 of tar and feathers. In oae town in our sister State, 8outh Carolina, 24 of the loyalists were hung at one time and a few British prisoners met the same fate at the hands of our ancestors jiat after the battle of King's Mountain, in this 8tate. Were the poet's dream a reality could we were to see ourselves as others see us the Cubans would receive hardly so much criticism. Certain laws require certain funds to be collected and paid into the 8tate Treasury by the Secretary of 8tate. Oj the five principal ones of these ac counts the total turned into the Treas ury from January 1st, 1881, to JaDUiry 12;h, 1895, under the party in effice dunning that time, on these accounts, was 1480,731 17 which shows a monthly average of 2 493 60. On the 12th day of January 1895, the present incumbent was inaugurated into the office cf 8ec retary of State, and has since that in cluding his collections up to July 1st, 1893, turned in on the same five ac counts under the same laws, $150,590 45. which is a monthly average of 18 579.00, or, 6 C80 40 more per month by Dr. Thompson than by his honored predecessors. Will the News and Ob server, Mr. Simmons and others who want (?) honest and decent government tell the people why they never have one single time made decent reference to the above facts, but have persistently enneavored to cover with disgrace those who on behalf of the people are asking for the reason why these facts are true? The Democratic Executive Commit tee of Harnett county has issued a manifesto to the voter of that county which proves that Baron Munchausen ia a back number. Joaepbus Daniels in the prime of his young manhood cannot hold the Harnett county com mittee a light. They say that the in stitute for the whi;e deaf and dumb has passed under the control of a negro politician The institute for the white deaf and dumb is located at Morgan ton, in Burke county. Its Principal is Prof. E. McK. Goodwin, a Wake county man, a white man and a Demo crat. There ia not a single negro con nected in any way with the institution This committee further says that we have seen our penal and charitable in etirutiona turned over to incompetent and corrupt politicians. This may be V v e, but our charitable institutions in tt3main are still under the control cf Democrats, the ones that the present State administration found in charge when they came into power. This committee takes up two columns in the County Union with just such false hoods as the two mentioned. And yet one of the men who signs this eo called addreea professes to be a Christian teacher, the official head of a great re ligious denomination in his section. We find the following item ia a Democratic paper, which was evidently proud of it: "A Western man had three men working in a saw mill in the woods. Daring McKinley's campaign he went to the 8a w mill to see how the men were going to vote. He found that each had a different political faith. Oae was a Republican, one was a Pop uli8t and the other was a Democrat. A farmtoy had just killed a fine wood chuck and he offered to give it to the man who would give the best reason tor his political faith. 44 Tm a Republican,1 said the firet man, 'because my party freed the slave, put down the rebellion, and never fired on the old flag,' 44 Good !' eaid he. 44 4And I'm a Populist,' Bid the sec ond, 'because if my party should get into power every man would have a pocket full of money.' 44 'First rateT said he. 4And now you, why are you a Democrat?' 44 'Because, sir,' said the man trying to think of a good Democratic answer, 'because because I want that wood chucs V " Just consider the Western man as the people, the wood -chuck as the offices, and the three men the three parties, and you will find it reads more like truth than fiction. We beliave all the Democratic papers that have either published, or com mented upon Mr. Mewboorne's letter to Mr, Simmons have attributed the authorship of eaid letter to Governor Ruse ell. The Progressive Farmer does not pretend to sncn proficiency in judging of stylos, nor to such superior insight into the minds and hearts of other men, as will enable it to know who is the author of any given piece of writing. And, not having these powers of divining the authors of let ters, it may be excused, if it ehall re fuse to believe in the superior powers of insight claimed by its neighbors, and hold on to the old-fashioned notion, that the man whoee name is signed to a letter is to be regarded as the author of it, until such time as he disclaims its authorship. J. M. Mewboorne's name is signed to the letter to Mr. S.mmons, and it is Mr. Mewboorne's letter, whoever may or may not have written it. Bat why is this letter attributed t) the Governor? The answer is not far to seek. It is intended, by charging the authorship of the letter to the Gov ernor, to draw the attention of the public away from the crushing facts which the letter discloses. This is the explanation of all the fog that is made about the Governor b?iug the author of the letter. The facte disclosed by the letter are simply crushing to Mr. Simmons' former management of the Democratic party; and the Democratic papers seek to minimize the force ot these facts upon the public mind,- by raising clamorous cry, that Governor Russell the author ot the letter. Oar Democratic friends are very mad be cause of the Mewboorne letter. The fault seems to be grounded in the character of the information ; and for the character of the information Mr. Simmons and his party are respon 8ible. The letter of Mr. Mewboorne is a crusher ; and the brethren are making some very funny antics in trying to dodge its force. Better stand still, boys, and take the storm while it rages. It will not hurt you any worse, if ycu stand still and take it, than it will if you caper about in it; and then theie is the advantage to you of standing still, that you will have husbanded your strength to be used in repentance and amendment when the storm is over. It will ba noticed that Mr. Simmons says that the "statements" in the let ter reflecting upon the integrity of himself or p litical methods are "lies This is a superb dodge. Tnere is hard ly a "statement" of that kind in Mr. Mewboorne's letter. But, be it known to all men, that the letter contains some "questions" which are "stun ners" and Mr. Simmons has very pru dently neglected to answer them. The people draw their own conclusions. PRESERVING CORN STOVER. Correspondence of the Progressive Farmer. 8ome years ago the Virginia Station issued a bulletin giving an account of I the great success of a corn busker and fodder cutter used by the station. Thi3 brought so many inquiries that the station has found it necessary to issue another and more exhaustive bulletin, No. 73, fully treating of the whole eub jact of harvesting and preserving the fodder of the corn crop. Chemical analyses and feeding tests at several stations have proved that only about half the nutritive value of the corn plant ia stored in the ear, the other half residing in the husk, stalk and blades. The corn crop being by far the most important of all American feeding crops, the proper saving of half its value is a problem ot vast import ance. Some varieties of corn mature much earlier than others, hence it is not pos sible to name a date for beginning tbe harvest of the plant ; but the best time is wben the ears are sufficiently hard ened and the tips of the bottom blades begin to turn yellow. Then the work should be done quickly, the horse power machines, that have become eo plentiful and cheap, being recom mended for this work. In the warm, damp portions of the Gulf States fodder cannot be cut and shocked in the field ; it will mould and decay. In such places the blades are stripped from the standing stalks, which lets the sun in to the ground, which eoon becomes covered with a fine growth of crab grass hay that is worth more than the corn fodder would be. But in all other portions of the United States the whole corn plant should be harvested by cutting near the ground and preserving in silo or shocking in the field, thence to be hauled to the barn and husked out and stored away as soon as convenient after it has sufficiently cured. The Virginia Station finds it best to make shocks twelve hills r quare, put ting 144 hills of two Btalka each, or 288 stalks in a shock. To prevent molding it ia best to cut the middle eix rows and place in shocks, and then wait a few days for this to cure before cutting and adding the other eix rows, three on each side. In drier climates ehocks may be sixteen hills square. As soon as the stalks as well as tbe blades have dried out, haul to the barn, husk out and store away. It is a common practice with most farmers to husk the corn in the field and reshock the fodder, to be hauled out and used as required throughout the fall and winter. The bulletin says: By this means losses occur in several ways, the portions last usrd have been exposed to the winter's snows and winds, and when placed before the ani mals much of it would be trampled into the soft ground, and yet more spoiled by the excrement of the cattle being fed, while the stalks would be a nuisance for months to come. Another method, and one we have used once, is to stack the fodder as soon as husked, being careful to place the butts at all out the weather. If covered with poor hay or straw this answers very well, only open to objections of feeding, as mentioned above. In many of the Northern States stover is housed and fed in tbe barns, but may be so handled better there than here, as corn is more dwarf in its habit, the cold climate causing a rapid growth, but a smaller plant. In the South we should fled much difficulty in handling it in barns if housed as hauled from the field, hence the many implements for re ducing the siza of pieces of stalk. The ordinary silage cutter has been utilized by some for this purpose, but the short pieces of hard stalk are apt to injure the animal's mouth to such an extent as to make its use unprofitable. For some years so-called shredders have been used with success, they diff iring from the cutter in that they first crush the stalk as it passes through the rolls, and then tear or shred it into small pieces by the action of spikes, saws, or teeth ; but not knives that give a shear cut. For some years we have been using an implement of this sort, only besides shredding the stover the corn is husked by the same operation, its work having, been discussed in bulletin No. 33, Since this bulletin was pub lished in 1873 we have been using the same machine, hueking all our corn from thirty five to seventy acres and housing the stover in barns so far as room allowed, and the balance waa placed in stacks or ricks near the build ings. We were warned that, the stover wauld not keep either in tbe barn or in stack, eome backing their asser tions with the statement that they had "tried it." "So far as our experience goes, we can say that not once have we had the slightest trouble in this respect, in keeping perfectly in both barn and stack." Fodder taken from the stack March 31 was just as green and bright as when put into the etack on November 20, and was free of mold or odor. Its only protection had been a topping of straw. The shredded' fodder is often baled and thus placed upon the market or stored in small space in barn or ehed Thus it is seen that shredded fodder possesses many advantages. It is more easily handled, more cheaply stored, more perfectly preserved, more com pletely consumed, and the waste makes good bedding and a fine absorbient of liquid manure. J. L. Ladd. Bay City, Texas. NATURE'S METHOD OF FERTILIZING. Some Very Interesting Suggestions From the Former State Chemist of Florida. Correspondence of The Progressive Farmer. It is surprising how little the hints that nature gives as to the best meth ods of securing soil fertility are heeded by the ordinary farmer. In a general way all arable soil may be said to be the re3ult of the growth of plants. Freshly disintegrated rock is generally quite unfertile. Kindly nature takes up the process just where sun and rain and frost have left it Some form of scanty vegetation comes, then decay, then more plant growth, more decay, until fiaally the broad forest with its deeply-rooted sources of nutriment, its annual leaf fall, finally turns barren rock dust into fertile soil. This is na ture's method of manuring. It is thus that the available plant food from deep underlying layers ot subsoil are brought to and concentrated upon the surface. But treea and deep-rooted plants not only pump up from below a vast store of already soluble plant food, but they are directly concerned in its increase. Even the most tender rootlet, from the acids which it secretes, is able to bore its way ioto the disintegrating frag mentsof rock and thus liberate and bring to the eurf ce nutriment, which would otherwise remain eecurely locked up. In this way vegetable life becomes the active instrument of its own increase. It will thus ba seen that when left entirely to nature's handi work, the tendency with all soils is to constantly improve. The more closely we follow nature's ways in our methods of fertilization, the more certain we are to be on tbe right track, A soil covered wit h vege tation, whether growing crops or grass or even weeds, is, other things being favorable, an improving soil, while one kept barren of vegetable growth either by plowing or otherwise, is either sta tionary or retrograde in fertility. The old plan of "summer fallowing" as a preparation for fall crop3 is there fore an eseentially faulty method. The disintegrating effect, of sun, rain, and atmosphere are apparent enough and the following crop may be abundant and seemingly remunerative. But it is secured at the expense of permanent soil fertility. Humus, the most precious of all.soil constituents, is to be sacri ficed, whuVfrcm the absence cf root lets to abaorb it, there is always danger that some portion of the soluble lib erated food will be carried away by drainage or mechanically removed by heavy rains. Artificial fertilfzira in the hands of an intelligent planter will not be used merely to obtain a single crop. Every thing should ba directed with reference to permanent soil improvement. Re membering what has been already said as to tbe role which vegetation plays in nature's method of manuring, it will not be at all difficult to combine the two. All progressive agricultural authorities are now urging the use of clover, cow peas and other similar leguminous, heavily fertilized when necessary with potash and soluble phosphates, as the only practicable plan of securing simultaneous eoil and crop improvement. Fall fertilization ia of course often advisable in the case of fruit trees, and in the lower Gulf States; where winter gardens are practicable, it is of course imperative. Indeed, the earlier these things are attended to, the better the results. If the progressive horticul turist has taken care to have hia ground covered by a heavy summer growth of cow peas or some other equally effectual gatherer of nitrcgeii and humus, he occupies a distinct vantage ground. The problem of fer tilization is greatly simplified. He can probably stop buying nitrogen and pay out his good dollars, for phosphoric acid and potash. Neither of these fer tilizing elements are likely to waste and after the summer rains have ceased, the sooner he gets them incor porated with the surface soil the bet ter. For this purpose a harrow is superior to a plow and some form of light cultivator better than either. Norman Robinson. FARM SLOVENLINESS. Many farms are estimated below their true value because ot slovenly ap pearance. Weeds higher than the fences, trees blown down and left to rot in the same place, fences out of re pair, gates and barn doors off of hinges or swinging on one hinge, unsightly litter in door-yard and at the barn; these and many other such evidences of carefulness depreicate the value of any farm, says Colman's Rural World. The soil may be excellent, the water facilities all that could be asked for, and all natural advantages requisite to make a good high priced farm may ex is 5 and yet that farm scarcely makes its owner a living. It can almost pass for a truism that the farmer makes the farm. Many reason that there is no money in keeping the farm neat, no cash in carefully keeping the barn yard and that there is no time for these mat ters. Such reckon at random. Pleas ant surroundings do very materially aid us to do better work; man euc cumbs to ruch influences unconscious ly. The farmer with neat premises will have better crops, better stock and get more enjoyment out of life, A man who justly appreciated the commercial value of a neat, well kept farm made many dollars buying farms that the owners had neglected, at low prices, making them attractive and selling them for more than were paid. Tne repairs were made at small cost of money, the outlay being mostly j idi cious labor and taste. The great difficulty is that farmers try to care for more land than one man can possibly at teed to properly, hoping thereby to increase hia income. The harvest many times is disappointing and discouragement follows, but un fortunately, the difficulty is not placed on the right scale. Farming, aa all other avocations, gives us returns in proportion to the kind of labor ex tsnd&d. Attention given to these seem ingly trivial matters will give larger returns than are anticipated, and na ture will aid us to beautify the farm home and wherever the sons and daughters go this charming spot will be fondly cherished, whereas, now, too many remember the farm home as a wilderness of weeds and brush. PREPARE WINTER PASTURAGE. Bulletin 44 of Mississippi Station shows that it is an easy matter to pro vide good grazing for stock during winter and early spring, at least throughout the Southern States. While the station has had great sue cess with barley and with bur clover, or California clover, alfalfa has given greater satisfaction and hairy vetch and turf cats have done still better. In the station's experiments with alfalfa better results have always fol lowed fall sseding than spring seeding. Sow in August or September twenty pounds seed per acre. On one cc casion seed sown October 31 gave two cuttings during the following summer and fur nished fine grazing the next fall and winter. The land must be thoroughly prepared and finely pulverized. To avoid bloat, feed and water stock be fore turning them on alfalfa till they get used to itand never turn them on when it is wet with dew or rain. Hairy vetch also belongs to the fam ily of legumes. Our first seed was sawn in 1888 and we began distribut ing the seed to farmers of Mississippi in 1889, and it has constantly grown in greater favor every year and is now planted in large areas on many farms for bosh winter grazing and hay. While excellent crops have been grown in brown loams and stiff clay e contain ing little lime, like clovers and most other legumes it does best on lime beds. We have not yet fully determined ita adaptability to light, sandy eoils. In a few instances it haa given good re eulta on these soils, but in the majority of cases vetch haa proven a failure when sown on light, open eandy tola. Vetch haa proven to be an excellent crop for either soiling, 'grazing or bay. Stock of all kinda are fond of vetch, and the hay ia richer in protein than. clover hay, and is more digestible. In September, 1896, we seeded cne of our pasture lots containing one acre to vetch and turf oats. This lot was grtzedby both hogs and cattle from the middle of November to the 1st ot May, when all stock was kept off the land. The crop was cut for hay May 17 and yielded one ton and seventy-two pounds of curled hay pex acre. On tho station farm we have several fields of vetch that were sown five years ago. These fields have yielded annually about ten bushela of seed per acre. Tho seed ripen and are 'gathered in June. A f tPT tho aaari Viorl Vnw .1. A i. um uuu uccu gawcrcu ctMJiX year the land was plowed with two horse plow and eown to cow peas, and we have never failed to get a large amount of excellent hay. With the first ram? in the fall the vetch seed- that had been shattered out on land when vetch was gathered, would come- up and grow eff rapidly. This plant i not in jared by cold or frost. The stand of vetch on these fields is perfect and about six inches high now (Marcb). No seed haa been put on this land in five years except those wasted in harvest ing the crop each year. There ia no quicker or cheaper way in which to enrich our land than by growing two leguminous crops (vetch and cow peae) on it in the same season, and both of these crops utilized for stock food. Turf oata and hairy vetch: We have gotten more and better grazing from these two plants when sown together, than from either when so wn separately. The seeding ehould be done in August or September, using one and a half bushels of oata and one bushel of vetch seed per acre. The preparation of land and seeding is same as for oats. These two plants make a happy com bination, both mature about the same- time, and while oats ia exhaustive to land, the vetch ia a renovating cropv and I think will add more fertility to the soil than will be removed by the oats. We have not found a better combina tion than is furnished by these plants for winter and early spring grazing. The station has now abouc forty acreat that is furnishing excellent grazing for our 8to?k. The college farm has over 100 acres in oata and vetch, about one half of which is used for winter pas ture and the remainder to be harvested for seed and feed. Neither of these plants is injured by our coldest weather, and both can be grazed from the middle of November until the first of April, and if a crop of seed or hay is desired, the stock should then be taken off the field, and tho crop for hay will be ready to harvest by the middle of May, or a crop of seed can be harvested by the middle of June. Tho college farm had, last year, fifty acres sown to turf oats and vetcb. The crop was harvested in June, and the yield of seed per acre was fifty Dusneia. xne iana on which this crop was grown was a fine piece of valley. After the crop was gathered the land was broken broadcast with a two horse plow, and planted to cow peas. One part eown broadcast and the other planted in drill. The broadcast peas were cut for hay in the fall, and those planted in the drill were cultivated and the peas gathered for soed. During the harvesting of the oato' and vetch in June, enough seed of both scattered out on the land to perfectly reseed the field. And with the first rains in the fall the seed of both oats and vetch came up, and now the land is perfectly covered with a green mat of oata and vetch to a depth of eix inches, and is furnishing fine grazing; for the cattle. The oats and vetch can be sown im the cotton field at the last plowing, and after the cotton has been gathered the oats and vetch will furnish good grazing until spring. Do not let the potatoes lie in the ground undug after they are ripe. The chances of loss from mice, pocket gophers and rot are greater than most people can afford. Pick fruit for market aa soon as it o mature. Soft, ripe fruit cannot be handled so it will reach consumers in good condition and buy era do not want it. Pride in the American woman stopped her from using tobacco. Hcvr long will it be until men will reach, that point of intelligence!
The Progressive Farmer (Raleigh, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Aug. 9, 1898, edition 1
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