Newspapers / The Progressive Farmer (Raleigh, … / Oct. 31, 1899, edition 1 / Page 1
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J THE DTDUSTKIAL AND EDUCATIONAL INTERESTS OF OUK PEOPLE PARAMOUNT TO ALL OTHER CONSIDERATIONS OF STATE POLICY. 7 cl. H. RALEIGH, H. 0., OCTOBER 31, 1899. No. 38 PUBLISHED WBKLY rvilnte on your label tells 3 'hen your loney on f date on o weeks. tion will be given In chat fl.' if not properly changed 1: "CONTINUANCES. If a subscriber wishes M-.i-Tn f lil RnbsrrlDtlon. notice to that effect Ka Rnt. Otherwise It la assumed that a nntir.uance of the subscription is desired, and 17. x a r L-foa must be paid when paper Is Jeered stopped. Voey at our sk sent by registered letter jr cione y order. Please don't nd stamp. sare to give both old and new addresses In orderly? change of postofflce. qju of Advertising Rates: ten cents per agate ' Liberal discounts for time and space. rv? item Is marked to remind you that you v-a d carefully examine this sample copy and TrS --5 51 for a year's subscription. Will also v-d "rAVr on t11 8 months for 50 cents, or 'X-rKs for 25 cents. Or we will Bend your f rt-e for one year If j ou will send us $5 in I, w subscriptions, or free six months for $3 in "ew sscriptlons, at these rates. W e want intelligent correspondents in every n--tv in the State. We want facts of value. l-- accomplished of value, experiences of iv-e rlainly and briefly told. One solid, jesobtrated fact, la worth a thousand theo tnt vnnc. ressivb Farmer is the Official C-n of the North Carolina Farmers' State Alliance. PRACTICAL FARM NOTES. Written for The Progressive Farmer by the Editors and Guy E. LSitchell. Hirn'ia Girland's etory, 'Spoils of 0:e." published in 1892. by the Arena tePy, has an interesting word pic o a Grange picnic Thi9 book, by tin way, which does not picture conditions S3 Accurately as it Beemed to picture them when it wa3 published, still has lessens for thoughtful pecplo. Follow ing is a paragraph from the chapter entitle i "The G'ange Picnic" the clos ing sentence of Ida Wilbur's epe'ch. "I hav a dream cf what is coming: I eee a time when the farmer will net need to live in a cabin on a lonely farm. I 3?e the farmers com ing together in groups. I see them with time to r?ai, and time to visit with their 'ellows. I see them enjoy ing lectures ;n beautiful halls, erected in every village. I see them gather like the Salons of eld upon the green in lie evening to sing and dance. I eee cities rising near them with echools. and chureoes, and concert halls, and theatres. I see the day when the farmer will no longer be a drudge aud his wife a boDd elave, tut happy men sad women who will go singing to their phasant tasks upon their fruitful firm? When the boys and girls will cot go West nor to the city ; when life will be worth living. In that diy the moon will be brighter and the a-.ars more glad, and pleasure, and ptry, and love of life come back to the can who tills the Eoii." Mr. II nry 8tewart,of Highlands, Ma c:a county, North Carolina, writing to ilr, M V. Richards, land and indus trial agent of the Southern Railway, c:L::rnmg eheep raising in Western North Carolina, eaye: "Inis mountain regicn is the most favorable locality for various reasons, s the cheapness of lands, the larger tracr.a that might be procured, and the excellent growth of grass possible, as weil a? the most abundant supply of the puress water. Near here there is an enormous quantity of unleached land, held ia large tracts, that may be pre wired for very low prices, varyiDg frr- U to $10 an acre, on which the t'Sbcr standing is worth all the money. "Iheee lands afford a vast quantity the best feed for eheep, while the cHaata is well fisted for the summer pas'.urage and rearing of lambs. So ter during twelve years' residenc3 in 8 locality, I have not eeen a winter ia whioh eheep have needed more than a &'2regate of ten days' hand feeding. to Msrch 1 my sheep last winter -'i no: coat me ten cents each, and I ji c little grain on account of the -t-2, somecf which were two months -'i- ihe V7hcle country traversed by C " K v T - i 1 ttt tt ia e r mil tr w oil 5 K'--i fcr eheep to be kept in smaller tr- a the farms, which may be pro r a fourth of the price of those :orth." problem of raising tea in the iym :r:i part of the United States has ta:r iweuesed for many years. rowiDg of tea on the Pinehurst EE-c at Summerville, S. O f b2gan tea years ago, and the crop for eeaeon of 1899 amounted to nearly Pounds. report on the results of the experi ?ent &t Pinehurst has been prepared y Dr. Charles V. Shepard, special ?-nt in charge of lea culture investi gations and will soon be issued by the U. S. Department of Agriculture as Report 61, emitled, ,4Tea Culture: Tne Experiment in South Carolina." The report states that, from the re eulta obtained on the Pinehurst planta tion it 6eem8 probable that the cultiva tion of tea can be made proQtaUa in the warmer portions of the United States in two ways. One is by estab lishing a plantation on the scale of the experiment at Summerville, with cap ital sufficient to carry the work to a point where the product can be offered on equal terms with tea holding an established place in the markets of the United States. The other is to grow tea for home use in the farm garden. In either case tea growing can be un dertaken safely only whero the tern psrature rarely goes below z?ro, and whera a liberal supply of water can te depended upon. There is probably no place in the United States whero the rainfall is sufficient for the best results with the tea plant, and irrigation should, where possible, b3 provided for in growing tea. The Summerviila ex periment was begun on a small e cale, but the planting has b:en gradua'ly in creased until now over 50 acres are planted in tea. When the plants ar rive at full bearing, the yield should be at least 10,000 pounds. The problem of providing labor for plucking tea leaf ha3 been solved so far as a steady and skilful band of nimble fingered children goes; but; its cose is inordinately high as compared with the Orient. Ii waa indispensable to socure a reliable corps of pickers To meet this condition a comfortable school hou3ewas built and a competent teacher engaged. The colored families of the neighborhood were then invited to 82nd their children to the echool free of charge. They wculd be taught the ordinary branches, and also would be taught to pick tea, and so earn money to buy food end clothing. The offer was accepted, and now there is a good lias of pupils to drar from. The report also describes the build ings ac.d machinery used in making the tea, and points out the most im portant difficulties which confront the establishment cf this new industry in the Southern States. It will contain 9 plates and 4 text figures. Tnere eee mi to bo a feeling of disaat isfacticn in regard to the cotton grow ing industry. This may well be as we see cause for it. The Cotton Growers' Convention, Fair week, expressed this, but it did not seem to get far boyend such expression. The committee of nine may evolve something, and wo hope thay will. But what can be hope d from storing cotton but a temporary higher prico by thus taking advantage of the rise consequent on the shortness of the crop? Will not trying to do more, and to control the crop as was proposed, bo actually an adoption of trust methods which most farmers and cotton grow ers condemn? Will not a general eff irt in this direc tion result disastrously in long con tinued holding by adding interess and storage charges until it may have been better for the grower not to have held it at all? We are convinced that a high pries this year accompanied by a determine tion to hold will secure the planting of a very large crop next year. Do you agree with us in this? If so, let us hear from you, and if not, tell us why it will not. We wish to know. We have proposed a Farmers' Co operative Factory for Wake County. Why should not this facsory be built, equipped, and started to work in 1900? Cn Wake county farmers count on another fair price for cotton in the next decade without this factory? What can they count on for their cotton with'the factory? We will try to answer tho last query in a general way, briefly. We leave to others to diecuss the per cent, of profit in cotton factories. Thoy are hands :m3 profits and you may, if you will, add the manufacturers' profit to the price you will be able to get on tho market for your lint. This you can do by start ing THE COTTON FACTORY, AND in no other way we can conceive will you bo able to do it, or to do half as well as by the factory plan. By this plan you put into operation the progressiva co operation principle which has been so potent for good in other places and in dustries. You withdraw from the falae position of condemning trusts while putting one in operation. You will be come an active corporation helping to make others prosper with yourselves, whereas tho holding stored cotton and attempting to control crops and prices ia of another clas3 of actions which are not only negative in their character, but undesirable to be connected with. HOW THE FACTORY MAY BE STARTED. Let as many farmers as can and will take advantage of this opportunity. When they sell cotton put what they receive above six cents per pound in Tho Raleigh Savings Bank to their own account for stock in the mill. Let this be generally known that the fund has b?gun to accumulate. This knowledge will increase the fund and if you come in and deposit for thi purpose openly, others will do so and it will accelerate the movement toward the factory. Have a meeting of depositors called for some date in the winter. Many of you will have money on interest in the bank, while others who hold cotton longer will have it in storage ready to apply the top of the price to their sub scribed stock when they sell. You can calculate how much cotton factory stock you can pay for individu ally by giving in five per csnt. cf your crop esch year. Rackon stock at $10 per share. Then you can turn your share of income from the factory to ward pay iog for more stock if you like, but count no vr on what ycu have to bank in cotton crop?. Five per cent, of the crop at five cents per pound for five years will be a moderate amount which can bo ppared. Pledge this amount, and more if you cm. Taen crganiz3 your co operative company. Eiect the boat busiaes3 men you have in it to directorships. The businees will then ba in their hands and you have individually only to look out to meet your individual obligations. Tnree hundred farmers with a strong organisation and an average subscrip tion of 10 shares of $10 each will give 30,C00. Tne directors can then raise cash by giving bonds payable in installments acd covering a period of years and be gin to build the factory. The earnest active support which three hundred in terested men can give will hurry the erection and starting of the mill and your cotton in 19C0 should go into your own mill. Wetruat tho farmers of Wake county will try this, and believe it will solve the problem for all those who take part in it. and if for them for others by similar co operation, and there will be no blocking trade or trust organ ization among farmers to accomplish the solution ot the price of cotton by this plan. We speak especially to Wake farmers. If they succeed, tho movement will spread to other coun tie?. F. E E FARM AFFAIRS. THE BLACK RIVBR SECTION OF NORTH CAROLINA. A Great Farming Region of Which the Outside World Has Heard Little. Jorrespondence of the Progressive Farmer. Whilst the newspapers are discuss ing the advantages and productiveness of Porto Rico, Cuba and the Philippine Islands, they overlook the greater ad vantages of soil, climate, society and everything desirable for a home that lie right here at our own doors. We have the trucking lands superior to those around Norfolk and Ports mouth, Va., adapted to the growth of every kind of marketable vegetables and fruit. We have good black river bottoms that produce the finest corn, sugar cane, rice, pumpkins and what ever else usually grows on low lands. Then ac joining these are healthy sand hills on which can be grown corn, po tatoee, peas, melons, bright leaf to bacco and early truck of every kind. I have lived in every section of North Carolina, from Elizabeth City to the foot of the Balsam Mountains, but no where have I found a more desirable country for the establishment of a per manent year round residence. Our climate in winter is so mild that sheep and cattle remain out in the fields cr the woods all winter, and in summer it is not so warm as in Raleigh. Even during the past winter, while in other scciiona the thermometer was many degrees below zsro, our sheep 'and lambs were taking care of them selves in the field. Yet strange to 6ay this section of North Carolina is scarce ly known of outdde of its own borders. While it is the healthiest region I have ever lived in, the people of Piedmont North Carolina imagine that the whole country is infested with malaria. Our drinking water is cool and purer than that of Hillsboro or Pittaboro, and yet some people believe that be cause huckleberriea grow wild in Samp eon, the whole county is one continu ous atretch of miasmatic swamp. Never was a greater mistake. I moved my family from Raleigh to lower Sampson in the month of July, 1896. We have been living at the same place, in Franklin township, ever since, and none of us have had a chill or a case of malarial fever. There he,s never been a case contracted on the place, and yet my farm extends to within 100 yards of Black River, and there has been a mill pond on the place only 75 yards of the house. Just here and on each side of Black River, there are high sand hills covered with long leaf pines and a climate as good as that about Southern Pines or Pinehurst", with rich bottom lands contiguous, that produco corn, Louisiana sigar cane, wheat, oats, rice, cotton or any other staple crop a man needs to make. Recent experiments have proven that the sand hills of Sampson and Duplin counties prcduce as fine bright leaf tobacco as the golden belt of Gran ville, Wairan and VatC3, and the cost of cultivation is not more than half as great. A farmer living near the rail road can have as many as 15 different money crops a year if he engages in S trucking, anl then make his own sup plies of corn, beef, mutton, p'srk, &c , at home. Scuppernong and other grapep, haws, deg tongue vanilla, and various medi cinal plants grow wild in the woods and we have bouquets of wild fbwers in the vases from the time of the trail ing arbutus till the vegetation is killed by the latest frcste. In spring the trees on the hills are festooned with yellow jeisamine, and now hairbells, white and yellow daisies and a great variety of other wild flowers give the sand hills the appearance of cultivated flower gardens. Tne more I see of this section of our State the more I wonder that so little is gnewnof it abroad or even among our own people in other sections of the State. Tnose who have lived here all their lives do not appreciate its ad vantages and capabilities as they should. No one has ever written about it in the large editions of our daily and weekly newspapers. A traveller on the railroads sees nothing of it. He notes the absence of towns and factories at the stations between Fayetteville and Wilmington, and long stretches of piney woo is, wire grass, white sand extend between the stations; but he learns nothing of the fertile lands and beautiful hills and vales that lie along the streams on each side of the rail road. How can he, when no one tells him of them? N. B. Cobb Cottage Hill Farm, Sampson Co., N. O. According to the New York World, this country's grain crop of 1899 promises to be one of the greatest on record. At the same time the short ages in other grain producing countries promise higher prices for our surplus than have been known for years. These are factors of national wealth that nothing can disturb. Tney mean money in the pockets of the people, and a 3 prices are high they mean a vast deal of money to be spent in vivi fying trade from top to bottom. NITR3GEN AND POTASH IN FER TILIZERS. The marked effactonthe growth of the wheat plant, which is usually ob served after the application of far til zars carrying soluble phosphoric acid, such as acid phosphate or dissolved bone black, together with the low price at which plain acid phesp bates can be bought, as compared with fertilizers containing nitrogen and potash, have led many farmers to the use of this material alone, believing that they can supply sufficient nitrogen by growing clover, and that potash is not needed. On these points the field tests of the Ooio Experiment Station are beginning to offer useful suggestion?. Since 1893 the station has conducted two series of experiments on the light, somewhat eandyclay soil of its central farm at Wooster, in which fertilizers of various composition have been used on crops grown in rotation, the rota tion consisting in the one series of corn, oats and wheat, one year each, followed by clover and timothy, two years, and in the other of potatoes, wheat and clover, one year each. Since 1896 both these tests have been duplicated on the heavy, white clay of the Northeastern Sibstation in Cuyahoga county. In all these tests every third plot, be- ginning with No. 1, is left continuously unfertil z)d, and the increase from fer tilizers is calculated by comparing the yield of the fertilized plot with that cf the two unfertilized plots between which it lies. The plots contain one tenth acre each, except in the short ro tation at the Substation, where they are half that siz ?. In these tests Plot No. 2 receives, during the course of each rotation, plain acid phosphate at the rate of 320 pounds per acre, half of which i3 given to the wheat crop, while Plot 30 in the long rotation, or Plot 33 in the short one, receives instead a mixture of 200 pounds acid phosphate, 200 pounds un treated slaughterhouse tankage and 20 pounds muriate of potash 420 pounds per acre in all half the fertilizer in this case also being applied to the wheat crop. The wheat crop grown on Plat 2 receives 160 pounds of plain acid phosphate per acre, and that grown on 30 or 33 receives 210 pounds of the mixture of acid phosphate, tankage and muriate of potash per acre, while previous crops in the rotation have had like quantities. The harvest of 1899 gives the sixth crop grown in the long rotation and the third in the short rotation at Wooster, and the third in both rotations at Scrongville. Following are the aver age results : Bushels of Increase per Acre. Plot 2 P2o SO or 33 Central Station honx rotation 3 60 Short " 2.20 M W W W 5 38 9.91 Substation Long rotation. . . 7 50 11 20 Short 44 ...12 37 16 32 It will be observed that in every case the substitution of tankage for part of the acid phosphate has produced a large gain in the increase of crop, the average for the fifteen crops of wheat; being 5 86 bushels per acre on Plot 2 and 9 64 bushels on Plot 30 or 33, a gain of 3.78 bu3hels for the complete fer;ilizr over the acid phosphate alone. At $15 per ton for acid phosphate, $19 for tankage and 2 cents per pound for muriate of potash, these being the prices actually paid for the fertilizers U3ed in these experiments, including freight, the cost of the application to Plot 2 would be $1 20 per acre, and of that of Plot 30 or 33, $1' 85 For 65 csnts additional cost, therefore, we have reaped in the average 3 78 bushels it c ease of crop. This, however, is only part of the gain, as the corn and oats crops, preceding the wheat, ate showing a large gain in favor of the complete fertil''z3r, as do also the hay crop3 following. It appears, therefore, that the clover ia not furnishing sufficient nitrogen to meet the demands of a fall crop, and that it is more economical to me a fer tilfzr containing a small percentage of nitrogen (ammonia) even though tb.3 cost be somewhat increased, than to uso one which carries only phosphoric acid. This is what is said by a dealer who has had many years of experience at one of the greatest hcrse markets of the country. 'Never in the history of horse raising was there a wider differ ence between plugs and good horses. Farmers must give as much thought to the selection of both dam and sire as they do to the breeding of cattle and other live stock. A coach horse that will bring $300 is as easily raised as a plug that will bring but $15. Such a horee is useful cn the farm until the time when he is ready for the market, and can be used both to the plow and on the wagon. In case he lacks the style or action necessary to bring a fancy price, he is still a general purpose horse and will bring a price that will be pre fl cable to the raiser." For its practical value and as a means of education in the fundamental pro cesses of observing and thinking, no work done in the country school is superior to the accurate systematic study of the weather and its effects on vegetable and animal life, and through these, on human industries. The child should be taught the use of the barom eter, maximum and minimum thr mometers, and the rain guage. He should learn to read the reports and forecasts of the Weather Bureau, and be made familar with the principles on which the forecasts are made. He should also be shown how to use the tables of comparative temperature, moisfcure, etc. The farmer is more closely related to the weather than any other natural phenomenon, and the re suit of his labors depends more directly upon the weather than upon anything else, the character of the soil not ex cepted. N. O. Journal of Education. gQBTICULTUBE CULTIVATION OF TOMATOES. Correspondence of the Progressive Farmer. Tcmato growing is one of the most pleasant and profitable industries for the farmer and market gardener. The fruit can be used in many ways for household necessities, and where a market is near is good money in mar keting. Under ordinary circumstances an acre will produce 200 to 800 bushels of first class fruits. If this be sold in crates of three-fourths of a bushel each, the crop will bring $250 to $500, per acre. In some localities the price seldom drops below five cen:s a pound, but as a general rule choice tomatoes will command at least two cents throughout the season. The tomato may be grorrn cn any average soil, but will yield more satis factory Returns from a light sandy loam, with warm exposure. If the land is too rich from barnyard ma nure, the vines will probably be too rank and fruits not ripen. Tomatoes re q lire considerable nitrogen, and must have suitable fertilizers contain ing this element of plant food. If the ground is well prepared and about half a ton of fertiliZ3r containing a propor tion of available phosphoric acid 7 per cent , potash 6 and nitrogen 4, tho plant feeds will be all that the crop re quires. There are many varieties possessing differing degrees of merit, but, as a rule, the Stone will give entire satisfac tion as a hard, long shipper. The Canada Victor is a fine, solid tomato, desirable for shipping or canning. Among the large varieties the Imperial is one of the best. The old timers such as Acme, Beauty and Perfection each have good qualities, and are always in demand. It is well for the grower to study the conditions of soil, climate and market facilities, before selecting seed, then secure several seed cata logues and read up th3 characteristics of each variety before deciding what to plant Ssed should be obtained fresh every year from reliable growers. If early tomatoes are wanted, -and they are the m )st profitable, the seed may be Ptart ed in bc xs in the houEe, or hot bed a out of doors. For late plants the best plan is to burn a brush heap, in some fair spot, rake off the trash, and dig in the ashes, while warm, and eow the seed broadcast. After raking in and firm ing the surface with a ehovel, place a good covering of fine brush over the bed and leave until all danger of frost is over. These plants will be hardy. Transplanting is best done while the plants are small, only four leaves show ing. A dibble, or sharpened peg about ten inches long, in the shape of a car rot, is the best tool for this work. Where the land is irrigated, ditches should be filled with water until the soil is wet and the plants put in during the afternoon. If the furrows run north and south and the plants are set on the west eide, the beds will hold moisture longer and a stand is easier secured. For general cultivation with a plow the furrows should be at least three feet apart and plants set three feet in the rows. If only a email patch is desired, and land cultivation is the method, the vines may stand two feet either way. Thorough cultivation is necessary for success in tomato culture. When the plants reach one foot they ehould be trellioed, if that plan is desired. Some use poles, tying the vines up, others have frames and some use wire poultry netting. As a general rule the vines will do as well without trellieee, if topped when about two feet high. This is done by clipping back all tho shoots with sharp shears. If the blight or black rot appears the vines demand thorough watering, which in most cases will destroy the causes of dis ease. When the vines become a very dark green they must have water to make the fruits set. Picking is best done in the morning after the vices are dry. All fruits showing even the elightest color should be picked and placed in dark boxes to ripen. Themes; successful gardeners pick the fruits as soon as the under side gets white, and store in boxes to ripen. This insures a more uniform color and enables the grower to mar ket in large quantities. For home uso the solid, half ripe specimens are the best, it put in large five gallon tin cans and eealed, instead of using the smaller bottles. Joel Ehomaker. To keep posted read The Progressive Farmer.
The Progressive Farmer (Raleigh, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Oct. 31, 1899, edition 1
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