North Carolina Newspapers

- r - il; Pre 3 l.3. Farcer-! a C-wi pxptx fax t tha arer e and possibly ths best adverti taj oedisa la N. CV PrlsUrs' I ok. Has the larti circulation of any family agricultu ral or political paper, published between Rich mond and Atlanta ii -Wot 0 THE UTOUSTBIAL AND EDUCATIONAL INTERESTS Of OUB PEOPLE PARAMOUNT TO ALL OTHER COKSIDERATIONS OF STATE POLICY. ol. 13. RALEIGH, N. 0., OCTOBER 18, 1898. Ho. 37 f If FT) A M TD CI TTTlTTi ft 1 II f I I Al 1 W M If II n ii n 1H1M PUBLISHED WEEKLY -J6 f ae on y?ur label tells you when Tout subscription expires. Receipts for money on subscription will be given In change of date on totSrl pxoperly in two wUg Money at our risk if eent by reirtf ered lettAr or money order. Please don't senc I stamp. Be sure to give both old and new addresses in ordering change of poatofflce. U?fciPT,f-dT,rtislng Pt?8: ten cents per agate ne. Liberal dlaconnts for time and space We want intelligent correspondents in every county in the State. We want facts of value results accomplished of value, experiences of value, plainly and briefly to d. One solid demonstrated fact, is worth a thousand the lies. The Editor are tot responsible for the views of Correspondents. Thi Progressive Farmer is the Official Organ of the North Carolina Farmers' State Alliance. tt am standing now just behind the mrtain, and in full glow of the coming ivnsct. Behind me are the shadows on tie track, before me lies the dark valley tnd the river. When I mingle with its dark water$ I want to cast one linger ng look upon a country whose govern ment is of the people, for the people, 2nd by the people. L. L. Folk, July M 1890. TRAVEL NOTES. i To Omaha and Re'.urn By ye Associate Editor. The first thing needful before start ing so I was told, was a health certifi cite, and this was especially necessary if Memphis, Tenn., was in my line of traveL Accordingly I called at theeffiso of Raleigh's health cinder. As he was at dinner, I found no one there except a grinning ekeleton. I shook hands with that not very handsome nor talka tive gentleman and proceeded to make myself comfortable. Finally I secured the certificate and armed with that document stating that I "bad been ex posed to no contagious or infectious disease and should pass all quarantine stations unmolested," I left the city about 4 p.m. Arrived at Asheville 2 a. m. Wednesday, Sept. 21 it and about daybreak reached Kuoxville, Tenn. The country between Morristown, Tenn., and Chattanooga, Tenn., was -i';o prtiticat t&rxning couUy I raw, unless I except .Southeastern Mis souri. Perhaps we have as good farm ing country in North Carolina, but the farmers of East Tennessee are not "one crop" farmers. They also use modern improved farm machinery, and know the value of meadows and improved live stock of all kinds. Hence they seem to be more prosperous than our Tar Heel farmers. Tneir land is. well watered and well drained ; gullies are very rare; clover and peavines are found on nearly every farm ; the many cattle are sleek and evidently not "scrub stock," and nearly every farm has a number of haystacks. The chief products of the farm are: corn, wheaf, oats, peas, cane and live stock. Little cotton is raised. In Mississippi, Ala bama and West Tennessee, I found im mense fields of cotton. At Memphis, whish I reached about 8 p. m., man's free agency is now interf erred with. OaeHeber Jones, M. D., President of the Board of Health, seems to be lord and master of the town. Ho has but to say to one "go" and he goeth; unto another "do this" and he doeth it. There had been even at that time several caaea of yellow fever in Missis sippi and Louisiana, and as several thousand people died in a yellow fever epidemic in Memphis several years ago, she is making every effort to 'stave it cfT this year. For several weeks at the time of the epidemic re ferred to the daily death rate was about 150. Now Memphis has quaran tined against the world and no one can enter the town without permission of Dr. Heber Jones. Accordingly I and several other passengers were hustled eff the train about five miles tbis side of Memphis, and put on a special car under police guard. Thia to me was a new experience, and the idea of being locked up under guard of a big burly policeman with club and pistol was not especially pleasing. I confess I felt rather like a criminal. The car stopped near th3 banks of the Missis sippi, and there I waited very impa tiently about aa hour. The passenger train for S5. Louis had left and so our car was finally "hitched on" to a local freight train, the policeman jumped off, and we "pulled out." Crossing the Father of Waters over a mammoth bridge, we entered Arkansas. Thii was the fifth Sfiate I had been in that day, the other four being North Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama and Mississippi. It din'6 take me long to decide that iamy case, at leest, n way cf the Arkansas traveler,, VX that of the transgressor, is hr While the cart were backed, ed together, and priced about the altogether amaz ing sudde"' a peculiar to a local freight, Sidered myself lucky if I managC keep from butting the next saat cr beig tumbled off on the floor. I managed nevertheless to get consid erable sleep, and reached Bald Knob. Ark., about 8 m. Thursday, Sept 22. Here I boar led the Iron Mountain passenger train for St Louis West ern trains are better equipped .than those of our State. Free reclining chairs, for instance, are found cn nearly every train . The most uninviting region I found was Northeastern Arkansas with its swamps and mud. Just over the lino in Missouri, however, I found some lovely country. Here instead of swamps, is a picturesque slightly mountainous country much resembling Est Tennessee. Here, indeed, is a modern Arcadia: the country is moun tainous and picturesque and the inhab itants are, or should be, distinguished for contentment and rural happiness. On Friday, I reached tt e real prairies and travelled for about 100 miles through what might be considered as one immense corn field. Here and there some wheat had been sown. I did not see as much aa five acres of forest in one tract. All the trees have been set out, and of course wood is too scarce for fences or fuel. Coal is used for fuel and the fences are of wire. Bafore the trees were set out the sunflower wa? the largest plant. Even now an uncultivated field there ia covered each yearly by a growth of eui flower plants, just as an "old field in this section soon has a growth of p'nes. Every farm has its windmill to pump water. Kansas is a paradise for speculators. I heard, for instance, of one man who bought thousands of bushels of corn a few years ago at 12 cents per bushel. He held it awhile, and as the next corn crop was short, he sold it for 50 cents a bushel and made fornin. . LiQthoc, man hsld Lia thousands of bushels for a still higher price and, I think, had to sell for less than purchasing price and cost of stor ing. These are just two instances. There are hundreds of eimilar ones. Land in that portion of Kansas through which I traveled sells for about $25 an acre. There is very little uncultivated land, but when a man does fiad a new ground, he has no trouble with stumps unless they are 8ui fl )wer stumps. Kansas is called the Sunflower Scate, and there were mavy Kansas people at the Omaha Exposition wearing a sunflower badge. In another article I will say some thing of the Exposition. In this one I have not used the editorial pronoun "we," because I intended this for a private letter, and not for publication. EDITORIAL NOTES. The News and Observer recently in sinuate! that some of our fusionist friends in an effort to destroy its in flue nee had lied about its character. Now our candil opinion is that the News and Ooserver is very eadly mis taken. The man who lies about it is its friend, while the man who tells the truth about it is making a desperate effort to destroy its character. Lot it bear this in mind. Several Democratic papers are send ing out supplements giving pictures of "Negro Rule in Eastern North Caro lina." We notice in one letter two flagrant falsehoods. One refers to Dr. Mayo, and in our last issue Dr. Mayo himself branded the statement as a lie out of whole cloth. The other is a libel upon Hon. W. E Fountain, and so disgusted were the Democrats of Tar boro with the effort of the infamous mud slinger to besmirch the character of Mr. Fountain, a thorough gentleman, that they sent the Observer the fol lowing statement denouncing Bryant's libel as a lie without foundation: To the Editor of the Observer: We, citizens of the town of Tarboro, N. C, who are Democrats in politics, have read the article published in the Caarlotte Observer of date of Ssptem ber 20ib, '98, and signed by H. E. C. Bryant, in which the states;of W. E. Fountain as follows: The most un principled, mean white man in this section of the State. The decent white people here look upon him as they would a midnight house burner, and should a riot ever occur, he would be the first man to suffer. He has made himself a menace to the welfare of the community in which he dwells," etc., and desire to say that the above is not true and does both Mr. W. E. Foun tain and this community a great in justice, there being in fact not a shadow of foundation for such statements. T. H. Gatlin, chairman board countv commissioners; Henry Bourne, C J. Austin, H. T. Biss, M D, Wm. Howard, Jas. Pender, Jno. L Brid gers, Orren Williams, Jas H. Bell, Jno. L. Jenkins, F. H Pender, I.W. Jones, M. D , T. P. Wynne, M. D , E. D Barnes, dentist; W. T. DeanB, M. A Curtis. J. M. Spragics, Ii O Terrell, B F. Spragins, B C. Car lisle, Jas R Gaskill, D. Lichten stien, W. R Ricks GusZmder,Wm S. Clark, Jno. F. Shackleford, Presi dent Bans of Tarboro; L V.Hart, Jo J Green, Cashier; Jk A Oates. Thos. H Peters, Wm. A. Hart, J Z mder, John W. Gotten, J. J. White hurst, G. M T. Fountain, H. L Staton. J. H. Brown, J. P. Mallet, O Williams, Jr., R. H Gatlin, J A Davis. W. L. Barlow. Tarboro, S-pfc. 27. Etate of North Carolina, Eigecombe county. I hereby certify that the above is a true copy of the statement, with the signatures, held by W. E Fountain, the same having been by me read and compared with the original. Witness my hand and official seal at. offise in Tarboro, N. C, this 27th day Soptembor, 1898 ED PENNIN3T0N, Clerk Superior Court. The News and Observer recently contained a cartoon showing itself almost swallowed up by an cc?an of "lies" fend "abusa." It had a fewrocke "truth and "facts," but they were tot tering and it was evident that the News and Observer, which was then putting another ocsan on top of the ocean that then existed, would soon be submerged in its own foul products. The Observer's confession was a sad one. Truly, "what a man soweth that also shall ho reap." The following letter, clipped from the Caucasian, is from a citizm of Craven county. Craven county, ycu remember, is held up by Hypocratic orators as the most horrible example of the terrors of negro rule" extant. We recently published an essay from the pen of a lady of Bertie county, another county of the East over which dema gogu' s are accustomed to weep croco dile tears. In it she appealed to the voters of the State not to be fooled by these negro lamity howlers. Having read it, now read this by a citfzon of Craven county, and ask yourself which you will believe : the hirelings of Demo cratic newspapers who go down there to write yarns, or the citizens and voters of the East and their wives themselves! Tuscarora, N. C, 8apt. 27, 1898 As I happen to live in the county of Craven, where you bear such a shout from the Democrats about negro rule, I thought I write something about now things went on before the much de spised Populist party tore up their evil scheme of throwing away our votes. I also saw some of the cartoons about negro road overseers ; we have one negro overseer less in my township than when the "Democrats had control. All this fuss about the negro is a scheme to frighten the Populists back into the Democratic ranks. I hope the Populists in the WesCwill not listen to these "negro howlers'' for it is only to get control again of the 8tate. THey say that we vote with the negro now, but we bad rather vote with them than to have to stand out doors with them and neither be allowe d to vote. We know ho w we were treated when the Democrats were in power. Cm the leopard change its spots or the Ethiopian his skin? No, let every Populist come to the front and get evprvbody who is io favor of a fw AGRICULTURAL BUILDING. OMAHA EXPOSITION. ballot and a fair count to vote with us. ' If there ia any party in the world that loves pie it is the Democratic "nearo howlers " They say to us, "ccme back and vote with us." We have not forgotten the ways of rotten eggs yet ; but I suppose the eggs have given out and now they have nothing to throw but the negro. We know these fellows don't mean what they say, for when p9g leg Wil liams was carrying those terrible ne groes away from Craven county, did not some of these same fellows who are trying to save the State from negro rule, charter a train at Newbern and follow him to a station about seven teen mil63 west of Newbern where he was stopping, and threatened his life if they ever caught him here again? And did not the next legislature, which was Democratic, put a fine on every one carrying tbem out of the State? It was not the masses of the people that wanted them to stay, but it was such men as are in the lead of the great "negro howling" party, now they say they have drawn the color line, but it is not visible after the going down of the eui. Let Populists go to work as ihay never worked before, and in No vember next victory will be ours. Yours, N. F. W. BUSINESS AGENT PARKER TALKS WITH HIS BROTH ER FARMERS. An Interesting Letter Which Should be Heeded Correspondence of The Progressive Farmer. Rjckle93 or ship shod farming in the face of existing low prices is suicidal and will drive any man who persists in it to the wall. The only way to com pate with low prices is with low cost of production. How to attain that is the question that confronts every farmer who is worthy of the name. It can't be done by furrier reduction oi wages; for farm laborers are the poorest paid of any cpss of laborers known. Aja result of this necessity thou rivlannuaMv aro juittirs tia farrrs and imterin g other pursuits that will pay bbtter, thus affording them better opportunities to educate their children and fit raem for positions of usefulness in life oX a higher plane than their fathers arid mothers occupy. We mtist admit that farming has not kept apace with other industries in their spirit of progress. There must be a cause for our lack of the enterprise that charae'erfzos the cotton mill men and the manufacturers of various kinds. We need to find the cause, then apply the remedy. It is possible that we have not put the thought into our business that they have into theirs that we have not ap plied the business principles that they have; that we do not look after the de tails as we should. The up to date manufacturer is making money ; but he who is using machinery and methods of 20 years ago is behind in the race. Lt us draw lessons from their experience. Are we up to date with the implements we use, with our methods of preparation? Do we sow the best seeds obtainable and put the land in the best condition favorable to their germination and the full develop ment of the plant? Or are we content to farm just as our fathers farmed? They may have been good farmers in their day ; but we should be better ones, from the fact that we have the advantage of their experience and in structions and have our own experi ence added, together with that of the spirit of progress that is to bo found with our most prosperous farmers. The st)ge coach cf a few years ago that carried its dczn passengers has been supplanted by the railway cars that carry hundreds; the messenger gives place to the telr graph and tele phone; the spinning wheel and loom of cur grandmothers to the gigantic vitton mills which bv the usp of ma chinery enables one to do the work formerly requiring scores to perform. Go into the harvest field and watch the "binder" as it clips the grain, binds it in bundles and tos3es it out with the deftness of an expert and the rapidity of machinery and compare that with the sickle of former years and you must admit that great is the genius of man, As farmers are we in the front ranks with the most progressive, or are we content with the appliances of yore? These are questions of vital import ance, as they all bear on the bee great subject: How to reduce cost of pro duction. In the di-cussing of these and kind red questions at our Alliance meetings much gocd might be accomplished and an interest and freshness' given to the meetings that will largely increase the attendance. These are legitimate questions that can be discussed with pofil and will repay for the time, research and thought given them. At each meeting select a timely subject for discussion at the next. Appoint one or more to lead the discussion, invite the ladies and see that the young attend. The nights are growing longer and it is possible that meetings at night would be better at tended than in the afternoon. But don't forget the fraternal and social feature. In this way much good might be accomplished. Now is the time for sowing oats and rye, and soon will be time to sow wheat. How have you prepared your land? how will you put in your grain and what kind ef seed will you use? Your crop at harvest may answer these q lestions for you. You cannot eff ord to sow poor seed. It will pay far better to pay a good price for good seed than to sow poor seed even if they were given to you. Use good imple ments, good seed and prepare your land thoroughly and you have made a long stride toward a good crop. Tiii i Agency is ready at all times to aid you in the purchasing of the best and will gladly assist you whenever it can. Ia every way try to make the best crop at the least expense. It costs fbdt iitilemcfr& to put in crop m a crop in a thorough manner than in a ehip ehod way. It costs but little more to cut an acre of good grain than it does a poor one. If this is so, the pro gressive farmer will try to harvest good crops and let his less enterprising neighbor reap the lesser. This is a magniflcient field for discussion as well as action, and I hope the Alliance will take advantage of it. ' In this connection I wish again to call the attention of farmers to our brands of fertilizes: N. C. Farmers' Alliance Official Guano and Acid Phos phate and Progressive Farmer Guano. Theee goods have been tried all over the State and have stood the test that time cJone can apply. If there is no agency near, you send your orders direct to this effice and they will have prompt attention. Fraternally, T. B. Parker, 8. B. A. See to it that all stables and cattle sheds are thoroughly repaired and made weather proof, so that they may be fit places into which to put live stock as soon as the weather becomes cold. Live stock housed in cold, draughty, leaky stables and sheds are in no better, condition, often worse, than if left out of doors. They cannot there make a profitable use of feed give n to them. It will be used to warm tue stables instead of to nourish and feed the animal Ex. Whilst it is too late now to seed Ger man clover alone with any certainty of making a crop, yet we would not hesita'e to sow a mixture of German clover and winter oats or rye, say 10 pounds of German clover and three four tbs of a bushel of oats or rye to the acre. If the winter should be mild, much of the clover will come through safely, and with the oats or rye will make fine green feed or hay in the early spring or summer, besides afford ing much gocd grezing during the win ter and spring. Southern Planter. Winter oats should be seeded as soon as possible, and not later than this month. If the crop cannot be got in during October, it is better to wait until early spring. As a fertilizer for this crop, we strongly advise the use of acid phosphate alone at the rate of 200 or 300 pounds to the acre. The cost of this phosphate is now so reasonable (we had a gentleman in the office a few day 8 ago who had bought acid phos phate, with a guaranteed analysis of 15 per cent., for $8 40 per toe), that there can be no excuse for not giving the oat crop some help on poor land. Oats will pay for fertilizing as well as any other crop. Southern Planter. KEEPING FARM ACCOUNTS. What Method Have Yon Found by Ex perience to be the Most Slmp'e asd Ac curate One for Keeping Farm Ac counts ? (From Practical Farmer.) Every farmer should keep some ac count of his business so that he may know at any time as well as at the close of the year whether he is farming at a profit or loss. The simplest way of doing this as follows : Procure a good sized blank book ; on a left hand page at top write Expense 3 for the year 189-." Oa the right hand p3ge oppo site "Sales for the year 189 ." Each and every cent ehould be set down daily, stating what for, under the head of "expenses." Likewise every cent coming in from sales of produce should be credited under the head of "sales." Begin with the year, marking January on the margin of each page. When January is passed add up and set down the amounts for the month under each head, and write February on the next line, beginning a new month, at end of which3 amounts should be added to these of January, and so on for the other months. By this means it is but the work of a few seconds to compare accounts at any time throughout the year. Or if desired to find what any item of expenditures or sales has amounted to butter for instance it will occupy but a trifle of time to run over the few pages, adding together the sales under that head. We append one month's account, illustrating the idea: Page 1 EXPENSES FOR YEAR 1898 Jan. Clothing, $25 70; pr. shoes, $3; hat, $2 75 $3145 100 lbs sugar. 14 75; gar den seeds, $5 80 10 55 5 ton ccid, $75; papers, $4.25 79 25 Salt, 65 s.; washing, $2; compost, $8 30 8 95 Cording wood, $3.20 ;hands $8 50 11 70 $141 90 Feb. 1.C00 lbs. bran. $10; repairs' tow8gon, .85 10,85 Cording wood, $12 40 ; .-rtiioehj(5 hors,-'tt:v."Tr.' 13 40 Page 2. SALES FOR YEAR 1898 Jan 16 lbs butter, $3 20; 40 bu corn, $24 $27 20 4 hogs, $20; 1 500 lbs. hay, $15 35.00 3 bu. corn. $1 80; 18 lbs. butter, $3 60 5.40 70 bu. yams, $52 50 ; 1 hog, $4 50 67 00 6 bu. onions. $9; 16 lbs. butter, 13 20 12 20 6 dcz. eg?n, 90c ; 75 bu. corn, $45 45 90 40 bu. yams. $30; 12 lbs, butter, $2 40 32 40 $215 10 Profit $73 20 H. B. Mitchell. Athens, Ga. i ' t When I began farming I also began keeping farm accounts. The plan that I use now is simpler and more satisfac tory than the one that I used when I first began. Besides my small memo randum book I only use one account book. The pages are numbered and the front part is used as an index to enable me to turn at once to any par ticular account which I wish to find, the following abridged page from my account book will explain my method of keeping accounts, and also the way my book is ruled : Cr Ma; Ma; July Dec. 1 15 10 1 IS52 00 $27 00 In crop accounts like the above, notes are made as to the condition of weather, time and manner of planting, cultivating, etc. 8eparat9 accounts are kept for each kind of crop, stock, poultry, vegetables and fruits, also ac counts with farm hands, merchants and neighbors. These accounts are accurately kept, so that there can be no question of their correctness. In this way we place the farm operations on a business footing and avoid all trouble with men with whom we deal. One part of the book for an inventory or invoice of property, which ia mads CONTINUED ON PAG2 8. CORN CROP 1897. DB Use of 40 acre: jf land 1160 00 Plowing, bar rowing and pl't ing 75 CO Cultivating and cutting weeds. . 55 00 Husking And marketing 1 600 bushels 30 00 Use of tools 5 00 Total cost cp $325 00 Value crop 22 j Profit lest cost oroduction.