x1" ""
Tbe Prczrea
lire Farmer ii a
3od paper far
ibore the aver
se and possibly
the best advertis
ing; medium in N.
C." Printers' Ink.
Has the largest
circulation of an?
family agricultu
ral or political
paper published
between Rich
mond and Atlanta
y 111 11
THE INDUSTRIAL AND EDUCATIONAL INTERESTS OF OUR PEOPLE PARAMOUNT TO ALL OTHER CONSIDERATIONS OF STATE POLICY.
vol. ii y
RALEIGH, II. C, OCTOBER 11, 1898.
Ho. 33
PUBLIC ED WEEKLY
The date on y label tells you when your
subscription exp; C Receipts for money on
subscription will Viven In change of date on
label. If not properly changed in two weeks,
notify ns.
Money at our risk if sent by regt ered letter
or iconey order. Please don't send stamps.
Fe sure to ive both old and new addresses In
ordering change of postoffice.
I iBasie of Advertising Rates: ten cents per agate
line. Liberal discounts for time and space.
Ve want Intelligent correspondents in every
rounty in the State. We want tacts of value,
results accomplished of value, experiences of
vilne, plainly and briefly to;d. One solid,
demonstrated tact, is worth a thousand theo
ries The Editors are rot responsible for the views
0f Correspondents.
The Progressive Farmer is the Official
Organ of the North Carolina Farmers State
Alliance.
" 1 am standing now just behind the
urtain, and in full glow of the coming
timet Behind me are the shadows on
ie track, before me lies the dark valley
ind the river. When I mingle with its
lark waters I want to east one linger
ing look upon a country whose govern
ment U of the people, for the people,
Ind by the people, L. L. Polk, July
itt, 1890.
EDITORIAL, NOTES.
It is to bo hoped that in the not far
distant future some magazine publisher
will realize that some people some
time like to read some articles on
ecina subject other than that of war
and battle. The stories of battleships,
eieges, generals and camps are getting
too monotonous to be much longer en
dured.
We are pleased to give our readers
so many interesting letters from Prof.
F. E. Emery, of the N. 0. A. & M. Col
lege, and we trust that every farmer
will give his letters a careful reading.
He is working to get the farmers and
dairymen out of the ruts of a half cen
tury aeo and he deserves the hearty
cooperation of every farmer who
wishes to be really progressive.
The same may be said of the very in
terestine letters which we occasionally
receive from Prof. Banj. Irny, from
whom we hope to hear ofcener in
future. By the way, Prof. Irby and
hia partner, Mr. Young, have quite a
fiae stock of farmers' supplies. They
deserve success. See their ad. on
page 4. . ,r
Dr. Cyrus Thompson will address the
people on the issues of the day at the
fallowing times and places:
Idorganton, Burke county, Tuesday,
Ox. 11
Hickory, Catawba county, Wednes
day, Oct. 12.
Mooreaville, Iredell county, Thurs
day, Oct. 13.
Salisbury, Rowan county, Friday,
Oct.. 14.
Hillsboro, Orange county, Saturday,
Oct. 15.
Wadesboro, Anson county, Wednes
day, Oct. 19
Gaatonia, Gaston county, Thursday,
Oct. 20.
Lincolnton, Lincoln county, Friday,
Oct. 21.
Shelby, Cleveland county, Baturday,
Oct. 22
As a speaker, Dr. Thompson has few
equals, and probably no superior, in
the State, and when we consider that
ha also has truth on his side and
4ithrice is he armed who hath his quar
rel just," we are safe in promising a
treat for all who hear him. Let there
be a full attendance.
The Democratic papers, including
the News and Observer, now talk much
of the manhood of the Populists in
leaving the Democratic party in 1892,
when Cleveland was re nominated, but
aay "as how the Pops had now ought
to come back, being as the Democrats
have now got religion." We predicted
early in the campaign that the Hypo
cratic speakers would test the merits
ol "soft soap" this year instead of using
rotten eggs as they did in 1892, and the
prediction has been fully verified. Yes,
they tell the Popa that the Populist
party in 1692 was "a pure white lamb, "
but now why, it makes 'em sick to
even talk of its condition now. This is
ia keeping with all their other actions
pure and "undented hypocrisy.
Here ia what the News and Observer
said oE these honest Populists on Aug.
lUh, 1892:
"The Weaverites are mere hirelings
to elect Harrison. There is no honesty
of purpose ia them."
And here is what it said of them on
Aug 17th, 1892:
'The Weaverites cannot play the
traitor longer. With falsehood on
THEIR LIPS AND TREACHERY IN THEIR
HEARTS, THEY HAVE BASELY SOUGHT TO
poison the minds of the people. See
what a box these treacherous and
despicable fellows have put them
selves in."
But now it uses soft soaD and tells
these treacherous, despicable" Popu
lists, with "no honesty," and with
falsehood on their lips" that they
ought not to sacrifice their "noble and
righteous" principles by fusing with
the Itepublicans.
Sane people need no glasses to see
the treacherous wolf of 1892 crouching
in the News and Observer's sheep's
clothing of 1898
Hon. Geo. E Boggs, of Waynesville,
has, as our readers know, always op
posed fusion in any form. But like
many others he realizos that this year
the Populists hve a choice of two evils
Hypocratic rule or fusion. They
have wisely chosen the leaser of these
evils fusion.
In the following extract from a letter
of Mr. Boggs to our associate editor he
voice3 the sentiments of many. Ha
says:
"I have always opposed, and do still
oppose fusion with any party, but I
do not think this the proper time to
discuss this question. The People's
party c flared to co-operate with the
Democrats, but they, under the lead of
goldbugs and railroad monopolists,
slapped the Populists in the face and
are now trying with slander, false
hoods and appeals to passion and pre ju
dice to destroy the Peopla's party. I
believe it is the first duty of Populists
to fight such grossly ur just treatment
to the last man and the last ditch. Let
fusion be settled later on and all unite
as one man in opposition to such treat
ment. It is unwise to try to swap
horses when crossing the stream."
We have been shown the following
article set double olumn with scare
head in the News and Observer:
11 WHAT FUSION DOES.
"A negro who Had Been in Political
Accord 'With Populists Skipped.
(H. E. C. Bryant, in Charlotte Observer.)
"Tarboro, N. C.,8ept.l8 (Special )
The following story is told me: Dr.
Mayo, one of the leading Populists of
Edgecombe county, had on his place a
negro politician by the name of Henry
Dancy. Of late Dr. Mayo, has been,
as it were, bootlicking Dancy. He has
treated the negro as though he was his
equal. As a result, Dancy became
uppish. He took the little negro house
boy oft to one side the other day and
told him that he would give him a dol
lar if he would tell him which room
Miss Mayo, Dr. Mayo's grown daugh
ter, occupied. The negro boy told the
cock; the ccok told Mrs. Mayo, and
the result is that impudent Dancy has
skipped to parts more distant. The
affair is the talk of the neighborhood."
In this connection the following let
ter makes interesting reading :
Epworth, N. 0., Sept. 30, '98.
Editors The Progressive Farmer, Hal
eight N. C :
The article enclosed, "What Fusion
Does," I brand aa an infamous and
slanderous lie, and his informant a
caluminator and coward I live in
No. 6 township, near Ep worth, in Edge
combe county.
Respectfully
W. T. Mayo.
Is this hot enough for you, Mr. Al
phabetf
THE MEADOW IN THE FALL.
C irreapondence of the Progressive Farmer.
I am one of the number who believes
thoroughly in keeping stock off the
meadow in the fall. I will tell you
why.
Self-defense is the first law of nature.
I am not on the farm altogether "for
the fun of it," nor am I working "for
my board." I wish to make farming
profitable as well as pleasant. This
may seem selfish, but this is a bread
and butter world, make the best of it
we may.
Now, I am satisfied that it costs me
many times more to pasture my mead
ows after haying than the little extra
milk I would get would bring. So I do
not follow that plan. I know there is
a great temptation when pastures are
short in the fall, and the miik supply
ia getting short, to turn the cows into
the rank after feed which has grown
up since haying. We are apt to think
that all increase of milk thus gained is
so much clear profit.
But let us see. In what condition
are the grass roots left after a season
of this clos3 pasturing! If we examine
them we shall find that many of the
roots are bare and easily yield to the
sharp frosts of early winter when no
enow lies on the ground to protect
them. Next spring the grass plants
will be fewer in number, and those
which have survived are weaker than
they would have been had the cows
been kept cff.
Then, too, when the ground is moist
and soft, the hoofs of the cows drive
many of the plants down and kill them,
leaving the surface rough and uneven
for the mower.
I have noticed that meadows thua
treated grow poorer and poorer, and
make very unsatisfactory returns in
haying.
So that I prefer to feed my cows oats
and peas or corn in the fall when pas
tures bgin to fall cff than to turn
them into the meadow. It seems to me
that we must guard against losses in
this direction as well as othera I
know there are hosts of men who do
pasture their meadows after haying.
I venture the prediction that if those
men will try keeping the herd off a
few years and note the result, they
will go back to the old way.
E L. Vincent.
Broome Co , New York.
FALL SOWN CROPS.
For fall sown crops the soil require s
different treatment from that given in
spring. Having grown a crop during
the summerit is pretty well loosened
to a considerable depth, and seldom
requires plowing in fall to a depth of
eight or ten inches unless manure is to
turned under for the purpose of light
ening the soil. Work on the surface
is what is mainly required, letting the
clover crop do the real sub soil work.
A cutaway or disk harrow run over
the ground after the summer-harvested
crops, followed later by a shallow plow
ing will put soil in first class condition
for the fall sown crop. The real labor
required to prepare soil for fall sown
crops is so light that there is hardly
any excuse for permitting ground to
remain bare Selected.
DO NOT PASTURE MEADOWS IN
AUTUMN.
There is no time of the year when
we farmers should be more careful of
our next year's hay crop than just now.
It is an old practice and a bad one
which some of ua have followed for
generations, of turning stock into the
meadow just as soon as the hay is well
secured. I have found from repeated
trials that it causes a loss in the long
run and no longer sanction such meth
ods Of course, every dry year pasture
gets short in July, August and Septem
ber, so when the farmer sees a good
living for his stock in his newly mown
meadow it is a great temptation to turn
them in, and in nine cases out ten in
goes the stock.
How much better would it b9 if
farmers would only get into the habit
of sowing plenty of fodder corn early
in the spring and summer, having it to
use at this time of year when it is so
much needed and so well liked by the
stook. No doubt in same sections
nearly all farmers been taught the re
sult of pasturing meadows in the fall
from experience, but in parts of Ohio,
Michigan and Indiana I have observed
that farmers are pasturing their mead
ows. The ground is so bare when win
ter sets in that much damage is done
to the unprotected plant roots.
The best crop of mixed hay I ever saw
was on a new seeding. After the wheat
was cut several showers brought forth
the seeding to such an extent that sev
eral neighbors warned me that if I did
not cut and remove this second growth
from the field it would smother out
the plant life and ruin the crop for the
coming season. From what I had read
on the subject I ws led to believe that
no damage would result from letting
it remain, but on the other hand, great
and lasting results would be accom
lis tied toward the. rebuilding of soil fer
tility. Had this surplus crop been
harvested it would have made two
tons of hay per acre ; so you can see
that it was a large amount of green
stuff to let go back on the ground. In
the spring I rolled down the clover and
what other grasses there were (it should
have been cut in the fall) and got the
best crop in my experience.
This was not the end, however, of so
great a nourishing crop. To day this
some field produces the best crops cn
my farm, and American Agriculturist
readers may be sure that hereaftert
what growth comes after the first cut
ting (June clover excepted), either
from weat, oats or hay it will remain
on the ground for two purposes one,
the rebuilding of the soil and th other,
winter protection, EUas F. Brown,
Michigan.
FALL OATS AT THE SOUTH FOL
LOWED BY COW PEAS
OR GRASS..
A Timely Talk by a Practical Georgia
Farmer.
Correspondence of the Progressive Farmer.
There is a saying here in Georgia
that farmers spend the first six months
of the year killing grass and the other
six in buying Northern ba'ed hay.
There is no doubt but that this ia to a
certain extent true. I have seen many
a crop where the grass was worth more
than the crop planted, if it could have
been gathered at the right time and
properly cured. The South is natur
ally a grass country, and there would
be no need to import a pound of forage
into this or any other Southern State,
if the farmers would turn their atten
tion to the natural advantages they
have over the North in making hay out
of our natural grasses such as crab
grass and crow foot. Pea vines, prop
erly cured and housed, are far more
nutritious than any hay that we get
from the North. But the farmers' time
is so absorbed over that money less cot
ton crop that they don't have time to
attend to anything else.
Oats are one of our surest grain and
forage that we can raise if planted
early enough to get well rooted before
freezing weather sets in. From my
own experience I prefer sowing in the
first days of October. Land for all
small grain should be plowed deep and
thoroughly fined; the general plan
hero is to plow in the seed, but I think
the best way is to plow your land first,
and then work your seed in with an
Acme harrow, rolling the soil after
wards to firm it as well as to leave the
land smooth for cutting. Oats will
grow on almost any kind of land that
is not too wet. A well-drained low
land that is rich in all of the different
plant foods is the proper land for this
country, on account of the spring
drouths with which we are sometimes
Evfnictsd. Oats require considerable
nitrogen, but not to excess.
It is necessary for farmers to know
what each crop requires, and also the
needs of his soil. If oat lands are poor
in nitrogen, an application of 200
pounds to the acre of cotton seed meal
at time of sowing will be sufficient to
start the crop off. Oats have a reputa
tion of being exhausting to the soil. An
analysis of the plant shows that it does
not require so much potash and phos
phoric acid as some other plants. A
proper fertilizer for oats should contain,
besides the nitrogen, from 10 to 12 per
cent, of phosphoric acid and from 5 to
6 per cant, of potash, the amount to be
regulated by the needs of the soil. An
application of 50 pounds of nitrate of
soda to the acre in the spring would be
very beneficial,' as it is the most soluble
of all kinds cf nitrogenous fertilizers
and the most easily taken up and as
similated by plants. There are times
when plants require some special ele
ment to force more vigorous growth,
and thus the solubility becomes a mat
ter for due consideration in their use.
The soil is generally deficient in some
one or more special requisites for the
largest yield of any crop. Tnere is
what is known aa dominant plant food,
that is, one in particular that appears
to be most useful to some special crop
Thus oats and the other small grains
seem to desire and need nitrogen
most'y. Bit nitrogen ia the least avail
able of all kinds of plant foods that
exist naturally in the soil, and at the
same time is the most eaeily loss from
the soil by drainage. Thus it is ex
plained why in the spring an applica
tion of nitrate cf soda would be a bene
fit, and how if we use cow peas in our
rotation of farm crops, (or, in other
words, precede the oat crop with cow
peas in order to furnish the nitrogen)
and buy only the cheaper chemical ma
nures, we could by that means save
the most expensive part of the fertilizer
bill If we have fertilized our land as
weshould do for the oat crop, we should
have, left in the soil, sufficient plant
food to produce a heavy crop of peas
or grass.
I have a field that has been alternated
in oats and peas for five years, and it
now has a crop of peas about ready to
cut for forage. The oats were cut the
last of May and made a heavy crop,
and owing to a severe drouth the peas
were not planted until the first week
in July. The oat ground wa3 plowed
and harrowed down smooth and rows
marked out three feet apart and planted
18 inches, using about a dczsn peas to
the hill of the Unknown variety. The
crop received only one cultivation.
They now stand at least from three to
four feet high and cover the entire
ground, and are loaded with pods; a
fair estimate of the crop is from 3i to
4 tons to the acre. Ten years ago this
field was so poor in fertility that the
common speckled cow pea would not
grow without fertilizers. The change
has been made by using the cow pea as
a base, for humus and nitrogen, and
using phosphoric acid and potash. The
field has had no other manure for ten
years; part of the time I have cut the
peas for forage, and some years have
plowed in the entire crop, after it had
been picked of the pea pods and the
foliage dried down. This field will now
produce any kind of a crop.
The low price of cotton must even
tually lead Southern farmers to adopt
some other crop besides cotton to fur
nish the necessary money to pay farm
expenses, and I see no reason why hay
should not be one crop in the rotation,
at least to produce enough to supply
our own markets. That the growing
of grass and cow peas for forage and
as a money crop is on the increase,
there can be no doubt. Every pro
gressive farmer must see the need of
studying the fertilizer question so as to
save buying the expensive part of that
which these crops require.
O. W. Morrill.
THOROUGH PREPARATION OF
THE SOIL.
Correspondence of the Progressive Fanner.
A few years ago the Rev. W. R
Brown, of Empire, N. 0., informed me
that upon a certain occasion a tenant
commenced laying off for corn, being as
I understood it the first or leading row
through the field. The row waa crooked
and Mr. B informed him that he would
straighten it if he had to run a half
dcz?n times, Ha accordingly ran a
number of times, cutticg first from
one side of the furrow and then from
tbie other until he fiially got it suffi
ciently straight to answer. No person
appeared to have the most remote idea
that this extra plowing would result in
any advantage, other than straighten
ing the row, but Mr. B says that the
corn of this row was twice as good as
that of any of the other rows.
The above shows the effect of thor
ough preparation. A loose bed from
12 to 16 inches deep and of a proper
width should be made before planting
the corn. In cultivating, said bed can
be craduallv widened until all the
a -m
ground between the rows be broken
deep. This deep tillage will exert an
immense influence in time of drouth.
More than this, the corn in the drill
can be twice as thick as shallow plow
ing will admit of, and will then ear
better and be better every way than
the shallow plowed. When the people
come to understand this matter prop
erly they will see that they cannot
afford to cultivate their land shallow.
It would, however, be better for the
land to be'subsoiled in the fall or early
winter, but when inconvenient to do
fiis, it may be plowed deep, as afore
said, in early spring, provided that it
is done with a narrow plow of proper
construction that will not throw the
subsoil out of the furrow and expose it
to the air. It is advisable to expose
the subsoil to the air if done at the
proper tima. but not after the winter
pas3es.
If the people would cultivate less and
fertilize more they would, as a general
thing, succeed far better. They could
then retain command of their crops
and as a result would not less all in
time of extreme drouth, as is now fre
auentlv the case. Nine times out of
ten when a farmer fails in his crop it
is his fault rather than that of the
season.
The soil must not only be kept up,
but the fertility thereof generally in
creased over what it now is. It will
be an easy matter to do this when we
work in accordance with God's natural
laws.
Clover and cow peas, in connection
with proper fertilizers, are the greit
levers that are destined to revolutionize
the agriculture of this country. The
corn rows are preferably wide, say 7
to 8 feet. The corn should be planted
in the drill sufficiently clor 9 to make
from 50 bushels per ecre up, according
to the richness. The cow peas are
preferably drilled midway between the
corn rows. An excellent fertilizer for
corn is a good dose of stable manure to
which about 200 pounds each of acid
phosphate and kainit per acre have
been added. Stable manure contains
an excess of nitrogen and it is neces
sary to add these elements in order to
correct said feature. About 300 pounds
each of acid phosphate and kainit may
be applied to the peas, in both cases in
the drill and well mixed with the soil,
preferably several weeks before plant
ing. The peas at most need but little
nitrogen in the soil; they draw it frorn
he air, far cheaper than buying in the
market By reason of this fact, in con
nection with certain chemical changes
that will take place after the cornstalks
and pea vines are turned under, the
farmer will be exceedingly well com
pensated for his outlay. The above
quantity of fertilizer may seem largo.
but it will prove economy in the end.
Follow wich wheat and clover, apply
ing bushels and 15 pounds per acre,
respectively.
Bryan Tyson.
Long Leaf, N. C.
CARE OF CORN FODDER.
Every man of experience knows that
the value of corn fodder as a stock food
depends very largely upon storing it
away in good condition. There is no
other product of the farm that suffera
more or deteriorates more rapidly from
being wet rained upon than corn fod
der. It therefore becomes a necessity
to handle fodder with great speed and
promptness when it is in condition to
stack or mow away.
The wise farmer will leave the-
shucked corn lie upon the ground for
day 8 at a time, knowing that ripened
gram will etffirbut little if indeed at
ail, while he immediately hauls in the
loader and stores it away when it is in
good condition, thus avoiding the time
and expense of re shocking it, to say
nothing of probable later loss in food
value. Anything that will facilitate in
this labor is of positive advantage to
the farmer. The Electric Handy
Wagon, manufactured by the Electrio
Wheel Co., of Qiiincy, III., would help
out amazingly. In the flrtt place it is
so low and so easy to load that a load
of fodder may be placed upon it from
the ground; in the second place tho
whole operation may be performed by
one man, thua saving the expense of
another man. Their book, "Farm.
Savings," illustrates how it may ber
dons and tells all about this and other
things you should know. Send for a
copy before you begin to haul in ycur
corn fodder.
POINTERS FROM ABROAD.
Mr. John E Kehl, United States
Consul at Stettin, in writing of the
German farmer, says that in order to
compete with American modern labor
saving machinery and large tracts of
lands he farms in an intensive way and
generally produces full crops. Thip
however, would not enable him to fight
against competition if be did not re
ceive State aid and bal not quite a per
fect system of cooperation. "Co
operation is the farmer's stronghold
and bulwark," say the Gar mans. There
are co operative credit banks, dairiea,
stoam plows, and there is also co opera
tion in drainage and irrigation. As a
rule, the farms are devoid of small un
dergrowth, stumps, stones and creep
ing vines, and timber ia very well cared
for.
An illustration of the thoughtfulnees
for small things in Germany is given
in the attempt to retain or increase the
arable surface of lands about two miles
east of Mannheim. At that point the
valley of the Bbine is about twenty
miles wide, the lower or river terraca
consisting of agricultural lands exceed
ing rich in loam and old river deposits,
while two miles east of the river the
second terrase rises to a height of abou
forty feet, most of which consists en
tirely of fine sand covered at various
places by a thim film of loam and now
used for the training of pines. Passing:
through several miles of artificial forest'
one emerges upon better soil and ordi
nary farm lands used for growing
wheat, oats, potatoes and carrots. The
removal of the edge of this sand ter
race was begun early in t i.e spring, the
material being transported by cars over
a temporary track. The sand is re
moved by means of specially con
structed dredges, writes Mr. Walter J
Hoffman, United States Consul at
Mannheim, and already about six acreo
have been exposed, reducing the sur
faco to the level of the farm lands on
the lower or river terrace. The top
crust of loam has been carefully re
moved from the sand terrace and car
ried down to the newly exposed sur
face of eterile ri7er gravel to form new
acreage, and there distributed, having
a depth of six or eight inches. Over a
great portion of this new surf ace young
cabbage plants are growing, and other
crops will be started as rapidly as tho
loam has been leveled.
This example of the rigid economy
CONTINUED ON PAGE 8.