4
Has the Largest
Circulation acd is
the Oldest, Larg
est, and only all
Home frint Farm
paper in that Rich
Farming: and
Truckitg section
Between Rich
mond, Va , and
Savannah, Ga.
v
Has the largest
circulation of anj
family agricultu
ral or political
paper published
between R i cb
mond and Atlanta
Show.
Tnvrp
kJJI V M
i- 11 11 M A
j f THE INDUSTRIAL AND EDUCATIONAL DTFEEESTS OF OUB PEOPLE PARAMOUNT TO ALL OTHER CONSIDERATIONS OF STATE POLICY.
Vol. 14. !' RA.LEIGH, If. C, APRIL 11, 1899. No. 9
Ttedat on your label tells -.hen your
atsrlption expires. Receipts "-"noney on
ascription will be given In cha . . of date on
label. If not properly changed in two weeks,
not 1 f rtis-
V ICONTI NU ANCES. If a subscriber wishes
h' copy of tbe paper discontinued at the ex
rirti n 4 f his subscription, notice to that effect
soaiJ be sent. Otherwise it is assumed that a
coatinranceof the subscription is desired, and
1 arrearages must be paid when paper is
oriir red su pped.
Voney at onr risk If eent by registered letter
Or".oney order. Please don't send stamps.
v.t sure to give both old and new addresses in
oniriniJ change of poetofSce.
f- El- f Advertising Rates: ten cents per agate
-tlice Liberal discounts for time and space,
.
T i item marked to remind you that you
v, " j carefully examine this sample copy and
er-Va' tl f'r a ear's subscription. Will also
e' ui pnier on trial 8 months for 50 cents, or
3n'i rth- for 2i cents Or we will Bend your
"a-- free for one year if jou will eend us $j in
retv Mib-.criptIons. or free fix month for f3 In
tew subscriptions, at these rates.
We wMit intelligent correspondents In every
ro-nty in the State, We want facts of value.
r-ults accomplished of value, experiences of
c?ue plainly and briefly told. One solid,
demonstrated fact, is worth a thousand theo
ries. The Editorr are tot responsible for the views
of C rrenondents.
Tbk Frogrissitb Farmer is the Official
Organ of the North Carolina Farmers' State
Alliance-
" i arr standing now just behind the
urtain, and in full glow of the coming
runet Behind me are the shadows on
Vu track, before me lies the dark valley
gnd the river. When I mingle with its
lark water I want to cast one linger
ing look upon a country whose govern
ment ii of the people, for the people,
nd by the popk. L. L. Polk, July
th, IS9C
PRACTICAL FARM NOTES.
Written for The Progressive Farmer by
the Editors and Hoa. Guy E. Mitchell
By the cold weather of la3t Tuesday
(4tb) snme of our readers were made
to appreciate the wisdom of tbe article
(from the Westfrn Plowman) in The
Progressive Farmer of that date,
"Planting Eirly " We adviee you to
give thai article a second reading.
"Experiments With Cotton 1898."
by J. F. Dupgar, makes a valuable
bull-tin (N'o. 101). Sent out by the
Ahbima Agricultural Experiment
S;athn at Auburn. Our readers in
tercptf d in cctton growing should eend
for a rooy. Addree-a "Director Experi
ment Station, Auburn, Ala "
Tbe B ividere (III ) Standard reports
a caa" in which a lady who owned
forty cows killed thirty eight of them
because she had just that little amount
of learning about dangerous insecti
cides
She knew Paris green waa used to
kill lnaecs on trees and reasoned that
the eame agent would kill lice on her
cow3 and on the assurance of a local
druggist that this was true she pro
ceedd to sprinkle her cows with the
deadly poison. The cows licked them
Eelve? aa i3 their way, and as a result
k'.i but two of them are dead.
It is reported in Newark, N J , that
anu'acturera of fertilizers are about
fillet a combination. Those it ter
to
i the movement are the Lester
:r cultural Chemical Company, of
;-r-i-k; U. L Shoemaker & Co , I. P.
sorn a and Charlesa & Carpenter, of
ViU1elph.ii; B)wker & Co., of Bcs
Piaton Frtiliz3r Co., New York;
!ey Fertilizing Co., of Philadel
u ind Boston, and the Crocker Fer
z r Co , of Buflilo
A
r
ti
la reply to an inquiry as to the price
cf cotton in the future, will say that
while we make no pretence to the gift
of propnecy, we are sura that aa long
m th conditions that caused the pres
rt low price of cotton continue in
' r:;p, low prices will continue. One of
tv rf e things will bring abcut an in
?rr ape in price: (1) proper change in
the country's financial system; (2) a
Urease in acreage great enough to
-au;e a cotton famine; (3) thorough
raniz ition on the part of the farmers.
aa to enable them to fix the prices of
cir own products as other industries
- - Taia is the cx ent of our prophecy.
N otwithetandiLg all of Germany's
i ; nihty to and discrimination against
American products, agricultural, and
'Ahfr, it eeems that she is the only
"'-n i iental country of Europe that is
makw g any movrf to adjust her regu
I'Hiona in a manner favorable to the
creased importation of these prod
uots. With E . gland there has been
o trouble. She ha3 always appeared
fc'ad tc receive our meats and other
Naples, and while there has been and
is a good deal of prejudice among Eng
lishmen in favor of their own produc
ticna, so that the best American meats
especially, have been sold as English,
thus bringing better retail prices, no
annoying and unjust regulations have
been placed on our gods. The conti
nental countries, on the other hand,
have made every regulation in force a
pretext for embarraeeing or excluding
American products. Under the plea
of protection to health and of guard
ing the country from disease?, Ameri
can live stock, canned and dressed
meats, fruits, etc , have been excluded
or ridiculously quarantined. Ameri
can cattle on the hocf are excluded
under the plea of disease, whereas they
are the only cattle imported into Euro
pean countries that are free from dis
eases. While the land owning party
in Germany is clamorous for protec
tion and prohibition of American im
ports, the government itself, S-cretary
Wilson states, is now really making an
effort to arrange matters favorable to
the importation of our agricultural
products. The Great ma3a of German
consumers now see that the importa
tion of American meats and other farm
products will make living cheater. Of
all the countries of the Continent, the
Secretary says, Germany ia the only
one which is doing anything to favor
our export trade. The truth of the
matter is, although the Secretary does
not eay so, that tho power which his
department now has of inspecting
German or other package which comes
into this country, and rejecting it if he
thinks it contains matter in any way
deleterious to health, it undoubtedly
recognized by Germany and the fact
that in case of retaliation the United
States could give German trade a fear
f ul blow, is having a salutary effect in
causing her to heed American protests
against her unjust discriminations.
A farm paper that fears to speak out
on all the great questions affecting the
farmer's welfare does not deserve the
support of the firmer. Wiih shame
we confes) that the Southern firm
papers are as a rule much less courage
oua and outspoken in such matters
that are the farm papers of the West.
How many Southern farm papers have
had a word to say regarding the con
stantly increasing power of organized
capital? How many have published a
line urging the farmers to unite for
mutual protection? It is well to watch
these things. Only a few weeks ago
we 8ccicited an ad. from a well known
advertiser one whose ad. appears in
nearly every other Southern farm
journal. After some correspondence,
ne wrote ua: kTo be perfectly frank
with you, the only reason why we
have never advertised in The Progress
ive Farmer is the stand it has taken
against all organizad capital," and
plainly stated that unless we changed
our policy he would not advertise with
us. Now The Progressive Firmer has
never said that capitalists should not
organize; it has only ontended that
the farmers too should crganiz3
should get in a position to assert their
rights, just as capitalists assert theirs.
And this is 'our stand against organ
ized capital ! ' The other farm j Mirnala
had taken no such stand, and so they
got the patronage of this great adver
tiser, We did not get the ad , but we
kept our manhood, and our courage,
and are determined to keep up the
fight, leaving it to the farmers to decic e
whether or not they prefer a paper
that standB with them in their contest
against the San Joae scale and crab
grass, but against them in their greater
fight against the greed of organizad
capital to one that stands with them
and by thorn in their fight against un
just laws as well aa against bugs and
insects.
The letter referred to also gives a
good reason for patronizing thcea who
advertise in The Progressive Farmer
in preference to all others. When you
patroniz9 our advertisers you are not
enrichiDg those who are trying to
browbeat and coerce the press of the
country into supporting the unjust
and oppressive practices of monopoly.
If the time has come when monopoly
can boldly say to the farm prees "Un
less you are blind to our sins, we will
not advertise in your paper," then the
time has come when the farmers should
say We will eupport only those papers
that have the courage of their convic
tions, and will patronizo only those
who advertise in these papers."
Attorney G eneral Walser expresses
the opinion that the anti trust bill re
cently passed by the General Assembly
will in no way interfere with the opera
tions of trusts in this State.
WHY THE ACT ENCOURAGING WIDE TIRES SHOULD APPLY TO ALL
COUNTIES IN THE STATE.
Narrow Tires
Bad Roads
A SAVING OF ?6oo 000,000
All those of our readers who are inter
ested in any species of legislation look
ing toward improvement of the public
highways wi 1 find food for refaction
in what follows in this article.
It is estimated that the public roads
of the United States aggregate 1,500,
000 miles in length. The somewhat
conservative estimates of G3n. Roy
8tone of the U. 8 D jpartment of Agri
culture, places the total wagon trans
portation at approximately 5C0.000 000
tons. Tbe average distance of haul is
placed at eight miles, and the average
cost of transporting one ton that dis
tance is assumed to be $2 This makes-
the total yearly cost of wagon freight
ing a round billion of dollars. All this
is assuming that the roads of the
country are in their present unim
proved condition. Should the roads
be put in first-class condition, and
brought to something like the state of
perfection in which we find them in
foreign ountries, it ia claimed by
those who are in a positiou to knov?,
that this same ton of freight cou'd be
transported the same distance at a cost
of only 80 cents. On this basis the
enormous saving cf 1600,000,(00 a year
in wagon transportation would result
from perfect highways in every section
of the country.
A better idea of the magnitude of
this great saving may be drawn from
tho fact that the total animal value of
all farm products is something like
13,000,000. OOO.and that theaaving above
referred to would equal one fifth or
twenty per c nt. of that amount The
tax returns of the entire country show
that we are spending $20,000 000 a year
for the maintenance of public high
ways. Thia means just the keeping
of roads open and passable and does
not include any . permanent improve
ment. The maintenance and improve
ment of public highways therefore be
comes a serious problem and one
which should engage the attention of
every thinking individual who is
obliged to employ them in the conduct
of hia business.
A long step in the right direction,
because it means permanent improve
ment, would be the general introduc
tion of the modern broad tired wagon
wheels. This matter is appreciated in
many States to that extent that the
farmer who uses such wheels on his
wagon has his highway tax greatly re
duced in consideration of the fact.
North Carolina has taken a step in
this direction. Broad tires do not cut
up and rut the highway, but rather
firm it, and frequent passing over tbe
eame ground has the same effect as
passing a heavy roller over the sur
face. This effect is shown in part by
the accompanying illustration, which
shows a wagon equipped with the
broad tired Electric Steel Wheels
made by the Electric Wheel Co., of
Q lincy, III. Much more of value along
mis lino may be gleaned from their
book Farm Saving." Send for a free
copy
7
Commenting on the book, "Prin
ciples of Agriculture," by Prof. L. H.
Bailey, of Cornell University, Ithaca,
N. Y., to which we referred last week,
Farmer's Voica says: vVe have read
this book with much pleasure. Prof.
Bailey has a national reputation, and
in his book has told plainly where the
foundations of agriculture are laid. He
explains how the elemental substances
that are used by plants are changed
into forms by which the plants can use
them. There are no technicalities to
confuse those who have had no oppor
tunity to study technical definitions.
Broad Tires
Good Roads.
vs
ENCOURAGING WIDE TIRES.
Those Wbo Use Wide tire Vehicles to be
P xempt, in Certain Counties, From a
Part of Their Road Tax.
The legislature passed the following,
which ia designed to encourage the use
of wide tire vehicles:
Whkbea8, Toe use of wide tire
vehicles on the public roads of the
8tate, as shown by experience, will
both bene fl; and protect roads by pack
ing and smoothing the surface of the
same
The General Assembly of North Caro
Una do enact:
"Section 1 That every person in the
State, who, during the year ending
December 3 1st, 1899, and each succeed
ing year thereafter, owns and uses on
the public roads of the State any wagon
or other draft vehicle with tires as
wide as the standard wide-tire wheels
described in section two of this act.
shall, on the presentation of proof
thereof, satisfactory to the commis
cioners of any county in which siid
wide tire vehicles are used, be paid by
the county treasurer of said county,
out of the road fund of the county or
township in which the same is used,
each and every year, for a period of
five years, a sum eqial to one half of
his or her road tax. Provided, that in
no case shall the amount so paid for
any year be greater than two dollars
on each vehicle, cor in any case shall
the amount paid to any person, firm
or corporation exceed the sum of five
dollars, and provided, further, that in
case any such person pays no road tax,
he shall during each and every year,
for a period of five years, be exempt
from one half of the labor which under
the law he may otherwise be required
to expt nd on the public roads of the
county or township in which he re
sides. 'Section 2 For the purpose of thia
act the standard for wide-tire wagons
and other draf c vehicles shall be as fol
lows: For a one horse vehicle with
skeins 2 by 8 inches or under, or
spindles 11 by 7 inches or under, two
and one haif (2 J) inch tires; for two
horse vehicles, with skeins larger than
3 by 8 inches, not over 3 by 9 inches,
or with spindles more than If by 7
inches, and not over 1J by 10 inches,
four inch tires ; and for all vehicle
with ekeins and spindles larger than
the above, six irach tirea.
' Section 3. This act shall only ap
ply to the following counties: Ala
manca, Buncombe, EJgecombe, Gas
ton, Forsyth, Lincoln, Mecklenburg,
Moore, Orange, (for Chapel Hill town
ship only), New Hanover, Rjwan,Wil
son and Durham.
"Section 4. Tnis act; shall be in force
from and after its ratification."
Do you take, or wish to take, a paper
or magazine published outside of North
Carolina? Taen write to us for price
in connection withThe Progressive Far
mer. We can probably give you a re
ducd rtn and save you money
Scientific facts are treated in such a
manner that anyone can understand
them, and when the subject is finished
the reader will be surprised to discover
that he has acquired a large amount
of technical information. ''Principles
of Agriculture" covers the whole
ground in the way of treating of the
principles that underlie the growth of
vegetables, field crops, flowers and live
stock. The book teaches principles,
alio wing the reader to apply them to
hiaown particular surroundings." The
Progressive Farmer will send a copy
of this book to any address upon re
ceipt of price, $1.25.
PEAS AND OTHER FARMING
MATTERS.
Correspondence of The Progressive Farmer.
The farmer in Stanly county is
somewhat behind with his work owing
to continued wet weather. Scarcely
any plowing nas been done for the
spring crop, and our roads are too bad
to haul over, but the people will haul.
The fertilizer bill will be as large as
ever. Personally, I have been trying
to reduce that bill, but it is a difficult
task. It is impossible to make the
manure we need on the farm where
we have only work stock. If we had
dairy ing in connection with our farm
ing, we might, but it's very difficult to
do anything at that in some sections.
It id here. The best and safest method
I have found is in planting as many
peas as we can get in every year. The
Wonderful pea is a good pea for vine
and large growth for hay, but here it
does not pay for seed. The large white
pea is neither very prolific of vine or
seed. The black does very well. The
Clay about the same. The best all
around for both purpose pea here is
the Whippoorwill. It has a good
growth of vine and produces seed very
well.
Sines I have been sowing peas, I
have constantly improved my land
and had plenty of good hay that will
almost keep up mules and milk cows
without additional feed. The cow pea
is the farmer's friend if wisely man
aged. The hay is aa easily saved as
any hay and gives rich milk and good
butter.
There is a little speckled pea here
that we call the Oregon that is a very
good pea, though very hard. It is extra
early. I have had dry peas on the
vine the 20 th of June. I expect to
plant several acres in peas this year
and manure them well. They pay
more than the same acreage in cotton.
But cotton will always bo our money
crop here and we must raise all of that
we can. We should strive to make it
pay us to raise it by improving our
lands. It is only on the improved lands
there ia any pay in it.
W. T. Cutchin.
Meejta Farm, Shankle, N. C.
THE SWEET POTATO CROP.
Correspondence of The Progressive Farmer.
As the time is at hand when prep
aration for this very important crop
must be made, allow me some sugges
tions from a plan cf setting and culti
vation that has not failed for thirty
yaars to raise a remunerative crop of
this most excellent esculent. It used
to be a custom to pull up high ridges
with a hoe and set the sprouts on these
ridges. This kind of extra work has
proven worthless. I prefer land not
generally rich, especially in nitrogen,
and have raised an excellent crop with
no ammonia applied except that in
pine straw and leaves, putting the
leaves in a broad furrow and putting
on them three or four hundred pounds
of acid phosphate and muriate of pot
ash, three hundred pounds of the
former to fifty of the latter. I throw
two furrows on this preparation and
am ready for setting the sprouts, leav
ing the middles to be torn up with
cultivator ten days later, thus destroy
ing the weeds that would otherwise
start with the potato.
I cultivate almost as flat as cotton
and much in the same way, plowing
with cultivator right up to the plants
so that all the hoe work necessary for
an acre can be done easily by one hand
in a day. At the last plowing I throw
a little dirt to the plants so the roots
may not be exposed to frost.
One important point for keeping
sweet potatoes in winter is to put up
for late keeping only those raised from
the vine ; they keep much better, are
better to eat and can be raised cheaper,
I try to set a patch of sprouts early in
May and manure this higher so that I
may get the vines earlier and by the
last of June or first of July I set with
vines the crop for winter use, seldom
digging any set with sprouts ex c apt
for early eating. Hog3 dig the main
crop set in sprouts, putting hogs on
these early in September, thus starting
hogs early and getting potatoes eaten
before extreme cold weather. I eet
half an acre in vines last year between
the8:h and lO hof July and housed
from the same 100 bushels of potatoes,
leaving enough in the patch for 15 hogs
two weeks.
For me there is no crop I raise that
pays better in proportion to cost of
raising than the sweet potato. It
makes good pork, good milk, and ex
cellent food for the table. I have noticed
several years that the average cost of
raising sweet potatoes with me is less
than ten cents per bushel. I usually
raise them as a second crop, following
truck peas. It is a very good succes
sion, and I never use any more fertili
zer for the potato crop after peas.
As to keeping sweet potatoes, I have
very little trouble. I put them in a
long bank, small and large all together,
not taking time to scrap them out, and
one advantage of having the potatoes
hang together in bunches is, they can
be piled up higher in the bank. I put
on six or eight inches thick of pine
straw and dirt ten inches thick at base
but thinner at the top, leaving a ven
tilation at the top, but covering well
to keep out the water. In this way we
seldom lose 5 per cent, of the crop and
the busy work of harvesting is not
hindered in sorting out the small and
large potatoes, there being more time
for this later, and the small potatoes
find a ready market in the cow stall or
pig pen. We usually take out enough
from the long bank to meet the de
mand for two or three weeks and do
not open it in freezing weather. I do
not dig potatoes after the old style,
but bar of? one side with a turn plow,
and letting the horse walk back in that
furrow, throw out the potatoes with
the plow and pick them up. D. L.
Ballair, N. O , April 4. 1899.
AN APPRECIATED TRIBUTE.
Livingston. N. O., April 4. 1899.
Correspondence of The Progreseive Farmer.
I have been taking your paper ten
years. During this time, and previous
to it, I have taken quite a number of
agricultural papers in addition to the
sample copies of agricultural papers
have bean sent to me whichI have
carefully examined. With this oppor
tunity for making a comparison, I do
not hesitate to say that your paper is
one of the very best of which I have
any knowledge. No farmer in North
Carolina, in my opinion, can afford to
do without it ; I certainly could not,
although I take two other agricultural
papers. Any farmer who will take it
and read it carefully and carry out the
many suggestions made will in the
course of a year get the valu3 of his
subscription several times over, and I
am glad to eay further that the paper
has, in my opinion, been steadily im
proving for some time of late.
In addition to this, your paper is an
admirable channel in which the people
may discuss public questions. You
are ever ready to give all sides a patient
hearing, which ii greatly to your
credit, and too rarely met with inmost
other papers. I have myself had Occa
sion to differ with you pretty sharply
sometimes, and you have always given
me a fair showing.
I make these statements voluntarily
because I think it is simply due to you
that I should do 80.
I greatly regret that my continued
invalidism has made it impossible for
me to contribute to your columns for
sometime. Wishing you abundant
success, I am,
Yours sic ce rely,
Geo E Bosgs
THE OPPORTUNITY OF THE UP
PER SOUTH.
In Mitchell county, N. C, this past
season, a farmer who farms by modern:
methods, made 43 2 bushels of wheat
per acre over an entire field, by actual
survey and measurement. Of course
Mitchell county is in the mountain,
country, and has never been a cotton
growing section, but the lands there?
are very similar to a large part of the
upper Piedmont, where cotton has
been grown for generations on a soil,
and in a climate, well adopted to the
growth of the grasses and clovers, and
there is no reason under the sun why
over the wide rolling c'ay region of the
Piedmont section of North Carolina
the finest crops of wheat and graea
should not be grown, and the old
gullied and washed hillsides be cov
ered with sod and redeemed from
washing and destruction. The crop ot
43 2 bushels of wheat per acre is a Ions
way ahead of half a bale of cotton at &
cents per pound, and the rolling hills
of the Piedmont section should never
have been devoted to the continual
culture of cotton, which has resulted
in the terrible gullies that now disfig
ure the country, and make some tracts
almost irreclaimable except at an enor
mous expense.
Steep hills that nature intended to be
covered with grass and to support
flocks and herds have been brought
CONTINUED ON PAGS 8 1