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THE INDUSTRIAL MB EDUCATIONAL INTERESTS OF OUB PEOPLE PARAMOUNT TO ALL OTHER CONSIDERATIONS OF STATE POLICY. fol. 14. RALEIGH, N. C, JULY 18, 1899. No. 23 a? f on your label tlis you when your fte exvires. Receipts for money on T: ', eiven In change of date on if not properly changed In two weeks. rUVW must be paid when paper is ,t onr risk if sent by re&iptered letter nOlw - 31 .e ta give both old and new addresses In -t-.t nf nostoftlce. . cr Rate.- tT rents rrii'A.t , "Lr t -ral discounts for time and space. ..... i ! marked to remind you that you v "i VsrWally examine this sample copy and '-'V''. i for a year's subscription. Will also -J ?, -n rnt Or wpi will Send vour j ruos-- .ir one year jf j ou wm send us So in s'rc ri; tions, or free six months for 1-3 in rations, at these rates. We t intelligent correspondents In every th state. We want facts of value. J " ' - ...... t V ti I j f Traliik ATTwrf jJTippa rif !ainlv nd brieflv told. One solid. Irfirated tact, is worth a thousand theo- hs riiOGREssivB Farmer Is the Official acl the North Carolina Farmers' State t am ttandina now iust behind the riair., and in full glow of the coming ivuet. Behind me are the shadows on Ite iracJt, before me lies the dark valley ind the river. When I mingle with its isrk ncters I want to cast one linger ing look upon a country whose govern ent is of the people, for the people, r,i by the people, L. L. Polk, July itt, 1890. PRACTICAL FARM NOTES. Written for The Progressive Farmer by tie Editor and Guy E. Mitchell. Here's a bit of old advice so old that it sounds "chestnutty." Still we be lieve it cannot be too often emphasized, idso we give it again: "5:udy the needs of your local mar fctaad try to anticipate ita needs. If teis strawberries, raiee them If i::etd3 eggs, try to havo eggs. If it rjcij chicken?, rai?e them. If it needs v:Vi63. raise theoa. Always keep y:::e,3 open, and every time you go to toL, which should not be too of teD, try to take something to sell." liipe may now be sown A full de- s:rip:i:a of thi3 crop acd its value was given ia Trie Progreeaive Farmer of iliy o:ri. If you have lost that issue :! tne paper, scd postal card request n: t in UD.a .jr ire? copy oi circular xmu. ii jtvapo ForigQ Crop" to Secretary of Ag ri:ult:ire, Washiogtoo, D. C. Thoee who have our isaue of May 30. h, but wish tD know more of this crop, should a'33 gecd for a copy of this oircular. hope that rape will be more exten sively grown in this State duiin? the c:a:sjr season A.: the Twenty eightn Annual meet icf the Kinsas Board of Agricul Mrc, Mr. J. N Grau, of Mitchell coun r-7 Kin?a?, who is largely and profit-&-.y i:i the sheep business there, read a p-ipjr prepared at the suggestion of S:cr;:ary F. D. Coburn, giving hia -f how beat to manage and care '-r the ilck, and his method of select i-s ULiaials for breeding purposes. th- la'.t 14 years his flek has Ciab?re.l from S00 to 1,000, and as he rue needed by clcs3 attention to b'j z.c99 his otsrvatione should o! ro little interest and value. He -vij a in part: I faitt: n my surplus stock for mar In tbe selection of breeding ewes U7.-r piy much attention to the fine c! :'.o?r, but more to the Constitu" ocd form, no wrinkles on body, i: ece, or long, dense staple of tGd good milking qualities as l o ta be had in sheep as well as in c?. and to produce a good limb they t have an abundant supply of r::-5 i aort out about one-third to Zl- bVif of my ewe lambs for breeders &k ce year old, sending the reat to j for mutton; always feeding tbe n B0 aa t0 get the size of the "ecP th- Qret year. If negketed they - r v smaller every year. By this ' .oe ting and feeding I have in - 'hi average eiza of my flock -'unis. In eelecting the rams, ' J'---: r a g cd conetitution, which " . ' 'ent a caod feeder and al- aJ-! : b-st in the flock, of a good -jr."-. -utton ; shown by well spruEg iith across the ehculders, a :'-t, with front legs well set ; -hort neck and erect carriage; rn with brood nostrils, giving ,,"'r" 0i room to breathe the pure air v'lheraage; with three to four inch c '"TvV)TlNl." ANCES. If a subscriber wishes D'Lol 'v- the r;uer discontinued at the ex-J- f?? i f hi subscription, notice to that effect ;.v; -eat. Otherwise It is assumed that a sio"iJ ' , -.f th snhsrriDtioa is desired, and )le of dense wool, with only a rea- r- able quantity of oil, and weighing C m 17H T.rt 900 nnnna nvt. mf-iifitTr t3 - K" VJ . wean my lambs in September For last two years I have turned them a piece of standing sorghum, giving ?m also same cracked corn, which 75 : given the best of results. As soon as the grass geta dry and poor, which ia about the first of October, I com mence to feed the older sheep one bushel of corn to the 100 head per day. Sometimes I feed corn fodder with corn on until I get my corn husked out; then turn them in the stalk field, and give one bushel of corn to the 100 head per day. My breeding ewes run out every day in the stalk field, from morning until night, except in severe snow storms, when I think it is not best to leave them out all day. Exer cise is necessary for good health and constitution and for raising strong iambs. From about the first of March I feed corn fodder and alfalfa hay until grass starts to grow." Millet is in many sections very pop ular as a "catch" crop. The Agricul tural Department has recently mtro duced eome varieties which promise to create a new interest in the crop. Mr. Thomas A, Williams, the Assistant Agrostologist of the Department, has been making a specialty of the study of various kinds of millets and states that it is his opinion that this plant is destined to be much more largely grown in the United S:atea than it is at present. "It is astonishing," he said, in talk ing with us recently on the subject, "to think that millet feeds about one third of the population of the globe About thirty five or forty million acres of millet are grown annually in India aloue. We have here various varieties. In tbe United States the fox tail mil lets are grown almost exclusively for forage. They are strong and rapid growers acd grow largely from the surface soil. The great mass of strong fibrous roots have a beneficial effect on the'phjsical condition of the soil, par ticularly in the case of new land. A crop of millet on new 'breaking' aids materially in subduing the land for tbe next succeeding crop. German millet is grown a good deal here. It makes a heavy yield of forage under favorable condition?, but does not stand drought so well as the smaller varieties, such as Common millet and Hungarian. The hay is coarser and less valuable than that from the smaller millet, but when the forage can be fed in the green state. This variety is an excellent one to grow, on account of ita heavy yield. Hungarian millet does not resist drought as well as the common millet, but with favorable conditions of soil and moisture, it usually gives a somewhat heavier yield. "A millet ha3 been recently placed on the market under the uame of 'New Siberian Millet,' which is regarded by some as but a form of Hungarian. The Japanees millets form ar, other class. They are comparatively large forms. giving heavy yield of teed and forage under favorable conditions, bus with little ability to stand drought less than any of the commonly grown eorts "Under average conditions, Barn yard Millet is one of the most produc tivo of the annual hay grasses, yield ing at the Hatch 8tation from twelve to eighteen tons of fresh or four to six tons of cured forage per acre. By seeding early in May acd cutting as soon as the plants come into blossom, a second crop may be obtained. "When millet is handled as a pri mary crop, seeding is generally done during the latter part of May or early in June in the North, and, of course, correspondingly earlier in the South; or, if the moisture conditions are favor able, it may be delayed as late as Au gust l?t in the latter region, the gen eral rule being to sow millet as scon as the corn ia planned. "Cutting foxtail millets for hay should never be delayed until the seed has begun to ripen, particularly if it is to be fed to horses. On the other hand, it ia best not to cut too early, as the hay is liable to have a more or le33 laxative i if jet upon the animals eating it. However, it is better cut early than late The hay may be safely cut any time during the period from complete "heading out" to late bloom. "The use of millet as an element in annual pastures may well receive greater attention from farmers in sec tions where there is a general shortage 3 of pasture. Such varieties as Hunga rian and Common millet, which 4sprout' from the root well, are beet to so w for pasturage. 8ome of the Korean varieties may prove valuable for this purpose. There are few of the annual grasses better adapted for use in pas tures. Sheep and calves may be pas tured on thi3 crop with excellent re sults. It would be well to mix some other crop, like field peas, with the millet, or to allow the animals to run on a field of clover, rape, or some such crop for a portion of the time. "In some sections of the country the faxtail millets have gained the reputa tion of being injurious to certain kinds of stock and are therefore regarded with suspicion by many farmers and stockmen Like many other forage plants, these millets become very harsh and woody with age, and are then difficult of thorough mastication and hard to digest. Then, too, at this str gs of growth the beards are stiff and harsh and not only difficult to digest, but produce more or lees irritation in the digestive tract of the animal, and sometimes unite with other in digestible substances, forming compact balls in the etooach and ultimately causing death. This difficulty may be avoided by cutting the hay in proper season, as recommended. No more trouble seems to have been experienced in feediog millets in the fresh state than with ar y other succulent forage. Mcst of the injury has arisen from feeding the hay in large quantities with little or no grain or forage and for extended period." BROOM SEDGE. Much has recently been said both for and against broom sedge, the Andro pogon Virginicus of the botanist, and as I have Been no treatise that gives both sides of the question j istice, I will offer a few remarks that some may find instructive and valuable. That broom sedge has been of great value in some plaaes, mostly the thin ner soil3 of the South, no one can sue C288fully deny. And that it i3 useful still is good evidence that present meth ods of farming are far from what they should be. Broom sedge is valuable orly when the soil has been robbed of its richer constituents by too heavy cropping, and is-no longer able to grow valuable products. The sedge then springs up and acts as a mechanical obstruction in preventing the soil from washing. And, too, notwithstanding the strong claims to the contrary, an exhausted field will be found to have grown richer after being covered with broom sedge for several years, though it is more probable that this is due to independ ent chemical changes than from the effects of the broom sedge. Of course this effect would be lost were the soil not held. Then, again, when burned off in the early spring it makes excellent pasture for cattle, and the milk from cows on this pasture has a delicate flavor that cannot be surpassed. Oa the other hand, it may be said that by proper care the soil will not need the broom sedge, but should be clovered or sown in grass when not in active cultivation, and the pasture would be better and more lasting. It is a great curse to the meadow, though it will hardly get a hold in clover from the fact that the ground should be plowed by the third year. The older men of this country eay that the time was when broom eeige in a "bottom medder" was unheard of, but unhappily it is now the rnle in stead of an exception. There is a very prevalent opinion that broom sedge will not grow upon rich land. The fact is it will grow in the richest soil, but seldom does from the fact that other and quick growing plants precede it and give the sedge no chance. There are spots too poor to grow broom sedge though often but few yards in extent. The proper time for burning of "sage" fields is just before vegetation in the spring from the fact that if burned earlier much of the soil would be lost by the washing occasioned by the heavy rains, and if burned later well, it might not burn, and then you sant your pasture as early as you can get it The beginning of the end of the broom sedge's usefulness is at hand. Let us hop9 so at least. John J. Cildwell, in Home and Farm. THE FARMER AND HIS TAXES Edgar L Vincent, in The Gentleman Farmer. Some things of a difficult nature the farmer may for the time being put away out of sight, and take up at some more convenient season. One problem he must face from year's end to year's end, that of taxation. It is ever pres ent with him. He looks forward to it with foreboding and always with the feeling that in some way be is being unjustly dealt with. As time goes on the question becomes more and more serious Not only are the visits of the tax gatherer more frequent, but the demands made by him become more and more burdensome. New officers are created every year, calling for new outlay of msney. Not only that ; those who are filling offices already in (xlstence demand larger salaries. Hardly are they once warmed in their chairs before they begin to scheme for more pay. New and costly public buildings must be built, and old ones enlarged and made more luxurisus. Mcsl of the public buildings of this country are perfect palaces, beautiful, commodious, elegant in all their ap point men ta. Now, all this is pleasant to think of in a way. We all admire beauty in architecture. Ooe feeling that theee buildings belong to our country, our town, our capital city, our nation, is one which inspires in every heart a certain sense of,prid9. We like to think that our land is in no degree behind any other country in the splendor of its public buildings, and we do not want one of our officials to be in need of any good thing while serving us in a public capacity. Our pride is that we care for those whom we have chosen to honor as well as any nation under the eun. We also take pleasure in pointing to the way in which we care for the unfortunate poor and insane and for the orphan and the old soldier. Some of the institutions devoted to charitable purposes are fairly gorgeous in th?ir equipments and their inmates are main taint d at an expense tar ex ceeding that attending the living of the ordinary man. While our expenses have thus been piling up and are still growing greater, has our ability to pay become propor tionately large? And here we stumble upon the first real difficulty. While the wealth of this county is rapidly increasing the taxable property has not and will not keep pace with thede mands upon it. More and more severe b:cDme the burdens of taxation ; more and more serious grows the problem how these burdens are to be borne, and more and more uncertain seems the future. AU over this country legisla tive bodies are studying upon method? of taxation; but of the hundreds and hundreds of plans proposed, not one looks toward the lightening of the bur den; but rather toward the tightening of the coils, so that no one may by any possible chance escape; and the most disheartening part of it ail is that the more stringent the laws become the more terrible are their results upon the farmer. Whoever escapee, he cannot. Others may hide their property; his is open to the day. Thirty years ago an old lady kept a c:zy inn on the road from York to Scarborough. This house she called "The Four Alls;" and when asked to explain the meaning of this strange sign, she said: "The Queen governs all; the parson prays for all; the soldier fights for all ; and the farmer pay 8 for all." The farmer pays for all. Significant words, yet as true as sig nificant. It is highly interesting to note the effect in the various States of the ex periments made in taxation. Without taking time to make a careful study of the conditions everywhere, it may be profitable to look at two or three indi vidual cases. One might suppose that in the old State of Massachusetts, the tax laws would by this time have reached a state of comparative perfec tion. Whether this is so or not may be determined by the fait that among the distinguished petitioners asking for the repeal of the present law gov erning tne taxation oc mortgages m that State are two professors of politi cal economy, one chairman of the Bos ton assessors who has served a quarter of a century, the present tax commis sioner, the head of the State tax depart ment and scores of local rasessors. The comptroller of the State of New York in his recent report says: "The pres ent tax laws, as administered, (I will say nothing about their provisions) are unfair, unjust and discriminating. ; Certain classes of property are forced to pay more than their fair proportion of taxation, while other classes escape entirely, or pay very little. The entire tax system is disjointed and unsys tematic. Not two counties in the State assess real estate according to the same rule, disparity exists among the towns of the same county. "The report of the tax commissioners of the same State for the current year shows very conclusively how unjustly the burden of taxation falls upon the farm ers. Theyeay: "It is generally con ceded that the personal property liable to assessment in this State fully equals, and probably exceeds, the value of the real estate. The total personal assess ment is onlyabout one-seventh of the assessment of the real property. The enforcement of the law has, in many instances, caused added injustice to rural communities, where the burden of taxation has hitherto fallen most heavily." Now ehow why this is so. "Of all the personal property liable to assessment in agricultural districts, ninety per cent, is of a visible, tangible character, open to the observation of the assessor, and which he cannot over look in the honest discharge of his official duty; while in the cities by far the larger proportion is intangible, easily concealed, and of a kind which successfully defies the most conscien tious effort on the part of the assessor to reach it." Within a few days the writer has re ceived a letter from 'a prominent Ohio farmer asking for light on the methods in force in New York and indicating a decided dissatisfaction with the severe listing laws of his native State. The 8 sate of Illinois is struggling with the same vexsd probiem, and an apt has just emerged from a joint committee of the Senate and House providing for radical changes in the methods of as sessing property. A commission ap pointed to investigate the subject of taxation in New Jersey last year re ported: "As to personal property we regret to say that the assessors appear to make no earnest or honest effort to reach it anywhere except in the agri cultural districts." Everywhere the farmer takes the burden. Professor Plehn, of the University of California, writing a few weeks ago on the tax laws of that State says: "Real estate in California pays nine-tenths of all taxes." But it is not necessary to multiply cases. It is the same story all over this country unfair laws, unjustly administered and the farmer getting the worst of it al the time. Now, let us ask how the farmer is standing up under this load: It is probably true that in some respects there has been an improvement within the past few months, in spite of the present iniquitous tax laws in opera tion. But a single quotation from the annual report of the Commissioner of Labor Statistics of New York just from the press will show how things stand in that great State. He eays: "The farming industry in our State is in a most deplorable condition, with ex ceedingly poor prospects for recovery or improvement in the immediate future. As a rule, no interest has been realized on farm ins ruments during the years 1894 1895 and 1896. Where there were no mortgages requiring in terest payments, a farmer was coneid ered almost miraculously fortunate if his income from products could be made to pay the cost of production, and even that degree of success was only attainable by stinted allowances for household expense?, and by starv ing the soil; and when the farmer was hampered by a mortgage indebtedness, he ran behind and incurred the penalty of foreclosure." An honest, but sad and discouraging confession for a pub lic official of a great State to make; and who can doubt that this statement only voices the true state of affairs in all parts1 of this beautiful country of ours? We all know that farming has been far down in the slough for a long time. We may hope for better things and God grant the hope may be real ized. But if I were to be content to point cut the evils of the present tax laws this article wouli have little value. It is no sign of greatness simply to find fault. The situation is one of the ut- Ma .B jt most seriousness, me very rounaa tion of the success and welfare of this country are being threatened, and we do well to approach this part of our subject soberly and earnestly. How shall we collect the necessary revenue to carry on the affairs of our States! Let us start with this promise: Our country has been able to raise sufficient revenue for all ordinary purposes by indirect taxation. By this is meant the levyiDg and collecting of many without resorting to the assessing of any real or personal property in any part of th8 country. Sometimes, through great economical changes, our revenue has fallen off so that we have been obliged to borrow for temporary needs; but usually we have been able to keep a comfortable surplus on hand. It is true that no State could adopt the same system which prevails in the nation; that is out of the question, but is there not here a suggestion of which we may avail oureelves? In support of the contention that we may defray all State expenses without resorting to the assessment of real or personal property, so far as the State itself is concerned, let us look at the State of New York. In the year 1897, the sum of 120,500,000 in round num bers, was raised by taxation. Of this amount, the sum of $8,708,000 was raised by taxes levied upon insurance, organizations, corporations, inherit ances, excise and similar sourcess. Only one third of the excise moneys paid in was directed to the State treas ury. It has been suggested that an other one third might safely be appro priated by the State, thus decreasing the amount to be raised by about 1 1, 000,000; but this diversion probably would not be popular for the reason that the sums accruing to the various local treasuries are of great benefit in relieving the burden of home expenses. But there are strong arguments in favor of adopting changes in the meth ods of taxing railroads which would add greatly to the resources of the State without materially increasing their burden. The State of Connecti cut has, I am informed, such a system which has been in operation for many years to the complete satisfaction of all concerned. By methods similar to those above described the State of Pennsylvania raised more than $13, 000,000 in the year 1897; and there is reason whatever to doubt that a system might be devised along these lines whereby direct taxation might be entirely abolished as a means of main taining the current expenses of the State, thus leaving each county free to meet its local obligations in whatso ever way it might deem most expedi ent. The New York Tax Reform Associa tion is at the present time advocating a taxation. The features of this bill may be simply stated as follows: In assessing real property, the assessors must assess the value of the land sep arately from all buildings, fences and other improvements, and must set down in separate columns the value of every piece of land and all the im provements thereon. The board of supervisors of each county may direct that all taxes other than State taxes may be levied exclusively on the es sesaed value of personal property alone, or upon the assessed value of real estate alone, including all land improvements, or on the assessed value of land alone, aside from the improvements, or on the assessed value of land improve ments and personal property taken to gether. In cities, the common council may direct how direct taxes, for mu nicipal purposes ehall be raised and may adopt any one of the plans above specified. Under this system, it is maintained, many of the present ine qualities would be removed, and the experience of the State of Pennsylvania is referred to in proof of this position. In that State, as we learn from the re port of a commission appointed to in vestigate the tax in 1872, "less dissat isfaction i3 probably expressed and less trouble reported by officials than in any other State. Real estate is not ro garded as unduly burdened, rents in her large cities are comparatively low, while, under the inducements c ffered by liberal legislation, population and wealth are very rapidly increasing; and this increase continues down to the present time. We cannot resist the temptation to compare tbe results of the liberal policy of Pennsylvania with these which fol low the enforcement of the listing laws which are in force in eome of the States, such as Oaio and Illinois. In those 8tate8 every tax payer is compelled to make a detailed statement of all his personal property under oath. A study measure providing for home rule in five rural counties of Ohio in which the assessed value of farms is more CONTINUED ON PAQ 8
The Progressive Farmer (Raleigh, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
July 18, 1899, edition 1
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