North Carolina Newspapers

"V 03 THE INDUSTRIAL AND EDUCATIONAL INTERESTS OF OUR PEOPLE PARAMOUNT TO ALL OTHER CONSIDERATIONS OF STATE POLICY. Vol. 15. Raleigh, N. C, January 22, 1901. No 48 Affricultui . TOBACCO GROWERS MUJ UNITE. Their Only Hope Lies in Agreeing Unon Some Plan of Warfare Against tho Trust and Standing as One Man ini Executing It. ionvspoinlt'iK-e of The Progressive Farmer. I heartily agree with The Progress ivo Farmer that the organization of the North Carolina Tobacco Grow ers' Association should bo pushed tuitil a much stronger and more complete organization is effected. Now that the election is- over and the minds of the people can be reached, it seems to me that we farmers should be up and doing. We axe certainly confronted with four more years of trusts and with nearly every article of commerce already ontrolled by a trust, is it not the duty that producers owe themselves and their children to try to place them telves in a position not to be robbed f the fruits of their toil? We know that farmers can rule their products if they would. It is videnced on all sides that capital is now ready to assist in all honorable ways to help the producers to ob tain living prices for their products. Recently a fifteen million dollar or ganization has been formed to con trol the rice crop, embracing dealers and rice producers for the purpose of raising the price of rice. In several Northern States the fruit growers have united with dealers to control the price of fruits. The cotton plant rs are organizing and seem to be in a fair way to control the price of otton. Then with three-fourths of our tobacco crop already controlled by the tobacco trust, is it not time that we should use every effort to get to gether upon some plan to protect urselves against this gigantic mo nopoly? My last paper brings the news of the sale of the P. H. Hanes and B. T. Hanes tobacco factories of Win ton, N. C, ta the R. J. Reynolds branch of the Continental Tobacco Co., thus cutting off another strong bidder in the field for our tobacco. In my judgment there is no way n earth to fight this trust business xcept to get up a farmers' trust and tontrol our tobacco, put it into one rganization and dictate the prices it should be sold at. I have always been an advocate of the Jordan plan ; it may not be quite perfect, but it can bo made so, and framed so as to give farmers justice as it is now intended. It only re mains with the farmers to complete it and frame it so as to give equal justice to all. Mr. Jordan believes sufficient capital cam be secured to handle the entire crop of the bright belt, viz. : Virginia, part of Tennes see, North Carolina and South Caro lina. The advantage we have is that no ther section produces our kind of tobacco and the farmers of such a small scope of country, it does seem to me, might get together and con trol our product so as to reap some thing for our labor. If it goes on a few more years as in the past, what will become of us all? We are now confronted with poverty and will in the next genera tion be confronted with ignorance. We cannot educate our children. It is a mystery to my mind why farmers are so hard to get to act to gether for mutual protection. Every mercantile branch of business has its "boards of trade and associations for mutual protection, and their ten dency is to walk hand in hand with the trusts, and still farmers stand and look on, and are robbed in silence. I say it is time to wake up and get a move on us and come to gether like men and fight every trust that is robbing us. You may ask any tobacco man and the first thing he will say is that jou cannot get the farmers together. They say if you could unite them, that they could oarry out any plan they might adopt. So the verdict is that it remains with the farmers to protect their interests, and we might as well get at it now and make a pull together to place ourselves in a position to better our condition. I believe if the Jordan plan were properly understood, it would be ac cepted by every farmer in the bright belt, and I believe when understood by dealers they could be induced to co-operate with us. It certainly would not hurt, but benefit, them. In advocating organization, I would say we do not want the earth with a barbed wire fence around it, but want justice and a fair profit on our labor. Suppose we had an or ganization complete and would de mand just five cents per pound more on our tobacco. Do you suppose for a moment it would disrupt trade? Not in the least ; the manufacturers would simply advance their plug and smoking five cents and the consumer would have it to pay. Five cents a pound advance would hardly be no ticed by consumers, and it would pay farmers handsomely and manufac turers would get the same profit as they get now. I believe the best way to proceed is to get an up-to-date man thoroughly familiar with the tobacco business in all its channels and put him in the field to lecture and organize the peo ple. A good man could do it by the next crop. Let the executive com mittee confer with Mr. Jordan and select a man. Then let the Presi dent of the North Carolina Tobacco Growers' Association make a call for funds to proceed with the work. I think we have been holding our meetings in the wrong place. I would suggest that at an early date a rousing meeting should be called to meet in Danville, Va., where we can come in contact with the Vir ginia farmers and also invite the Danville Tobacco Association to meet with us, also all North Caro lina and Virginia dealers, and discuss the situation and plans and see if we can't all farmers, warehousemen, and dealers get together on some plan agreeable, and that will treat all branches of the business fair and be a benefit to all. With these few lines I send greet ings fcr success to the Tobacco As sociation and The Progressive Far mer, and hope to live to see the day when we farmers may rejoice to gether in the day that the North Carolina Tobacco Growers' Associa tion was started. And I stand ready and willing to unite with my fellow men in settling upon some plan to benefit one and all. T. L. Lea. Caswell Co., N. C. Always set two or three hens at the same time. Furnish feed and water. When they hatch, give the chicks to one mother, and set the other hens again. They will hatch two or three broods, if given plenty to eat and drink. Feed - the chicks clean, sweet food, and furnish fresh drink the same as you would for a week old child. When old enough for grain, sprinkle a little air-slaked lime on the grain to prevent gapes. I have raised over 300 chickens in this way. G. E. Liller, Mountrille, Missouri. - ii m m SUCCESSFUL TOBACCO RAISINtt. Successful tobacco raising depends upon strict attention to many details, and if they are not attended to at the proper time, failure is certain. Barn your beds well, and manure them with hen manure, and do not sow the seed too thickly, for stout plants are essential. Plant in well prepared land Give rapid but shal low culture, gradually bringing up a little soil to the plant with a hoe. Top at from 10 to 12 leaves, and keep off worms and suckers. When the bot tom leaves are ripe, break off and tie four in a bunch and loop on a com mon tobacco stick. As your tobacco ripens, keep on priming to the top. Now, if you do not understand the curing, you had better hire some one who does. Go slow and watch for sweat. If you have done your part well it will sell for $10 to $30 per hundred at present prices, but if you are given to much sleep and take many holidays, you will have the longest face in town when selling day comes. Orinoco and Improved Flanigan best. W. R. Lambert, Guilford Co., N. C. Mention The Progressive Fanner when you writ to advertisers. NEW DEPARTURES IN NORTH CAROLINA AGRICULTURE. A few weeks ago we clipped from the American Agriculturist a well written review of North Carolina agricultural conditions by Prof. Benj. Irby, Corresponding Editor of The Progressive Farmer. Last week's edition of the same paper contains another article from Prof. Irby, sub ject "New Departures in North Carolina Agriculture," which we are sure will be of interest to our readers. Prof. Irby said : The agriculture of this State has undergone considerable change in the last decade. Railroads have opened up new sections and numer ous factories are building up in the various parts of the country. The former makes transportation easier and the latter concentrates a large number of consumers, thus creating the best market, a home market. There is no risk in a good home mar ket. People will economize on al most anything but food ; this they will have if possible. The factory people get their money in a way that enables them to pay cash, hence the farmer need not run any credit busi ness in disposing of his stuff. The branches of farming that would naturally buildx up around these factory centers would be truck farming, fruit growing, dairying and poultry raising. Our trucking in the eastern part of North Caro lina is growing in importance to such an extent that its influence is now sensibly felt on the Northern markets. At first a few crates of berries were shipped, then a few hundred, then a carload, and now trainload after trainload of North Carolina berries are hurried to the Northern markets in season. The growing of berries is no longer a side issue, but the main feature with hundreds of farmers. ADVANCE IN TRUCKING INTERESTS. Growing vegetables was soon taken up and now early lettuce, radishes, cabbage, asparagus and tomatoes from Eastern North Carolina are competing for a place in the big mar kets and holding their own wherever introduced. The southeastern sec tions aro peculiarly adapted by na ture for this business. The lands aro gently rolling and of a fine quality sandy loam, with a good clay subsoil. These lands were once not so highly prized. When the farmer thought his all in all was cotton and corn, they sold for $5 to $10 per acre, but now the same lands cannot be bought for $100. And why should they, when that amount is often cleared from one acre in one year? Of course many fail and realize nothing, but that can be said of any business. The New Jersey and Maryland trucker his the advantage of the North Carolina trucker of only a few hours in transportation, but that is nothing compared to the advantage of the latter in growing stuff earlier by several weeks- The climate is so near semi-tropical that the palniet toes grow wild and of fine size down near the coast. The rainfall is quite regular and abundant. Irrigation is easy and cheap, as water san be got ten from nearby streams, or from deep wells. The health is excellent if water from deep wells is used. Tho trucking business has grown to enormous magnitude. Hundreds of Northern gardeners are recognizing the superior advantages and are com ing into this section. They find lumber cheap with which todo their building, and good railroad facilities. Fruit growing of all kinds is attract ing the attention of farmers in vari ous parts of the State. The poaches of Southern Pines are rivaling the famous Georgia peach, and vineyards of that section are ex ceptionally fine. Western North Carolina has always been noted for fine apples. At our State Fair in October there was a collection of ap ples from Yancey county that for quality were equal to tho display at the Chicago Exposition. North Carolina apples were awarded pre miums at the Paris Exposition. The great drawback is the people have not learned to pack and ship this fruit. The State has a fortune even in her wild fruits, strawberries, blackberries, dewberries and huckle berries. Bulb culture is growing to be an important industry, and the day is not far distant when we will rival if not supplant the Bermudas in growing the supply of lillies and many other bulbs. Some of the lead ing florists of the North are now having their bulbs grown in North Carolina. THE DAIRY INTEREST IS FAST GROWING into an important industry, and with the passage of the Grout bill we may expect a decided move forward. Milk sells readily in Raleigh at 20 cents to 30 cents per gallon, butter 25 cents to 35 cents per pound. By arranging to run our dairies in the fall, winter and spring at full blast, and resting up the stock in May, June and July, good prices can be obtained for our products. All we need in this State in the dairy business is better and more intelligent and systematic work. Judging from the thousands of letters coming in from all parts of the State, asking about poultry, one would think the whole State was go ing into the poultry business. One of our eastern. towns now ships eggs to the Northern market by the car load, and chickens are being shipped out of the State in enormous quan tities. Our labor is not so efficient, but generally speaking it is an error of the head and not of the heart. The negroes as a rule are peaceable and easily controlled, and when prorly supervised, render abundant returns for their wages. These wages are not large, not more than half or two thirds of what is paid in the North. With intelligent, patient supervision, the negro labor in Jhe South is supe rior to any other that can be ob tained. This statement is made after years of experience with Irish, Ger man, English, French, Northern and Southern white labor. The negro makes but few strikes and is not always calling for higher wages than the farm can pay. He is a fine imi tator and easily adjusts himself to circumstances. He has strong local attachments, and though liable to roam in his early life, generally comes back to his old home to settle, and if given a half showing will make a good citizen and first-class laborer. These are not the senti ments of a Northern man, but of one who was born and raised among these people and came in contact with them in every way of a typical Southern plantation, and has been using them as laborers for many years. My advice to any Northern farmer coming among us is to take the negro as he finds him in every way and adapt himself to the social condition that he finds in the South and be glad that he has such good cheap labor. The Old North State is developing in agriculture in a sure, quiet manner that means peace, prosperity and plenty for the years to come. Watch the date on your label. HONEY IN PECANS. Mr. J. H. Everett, of Georgia, be lieves that the growing of fiie pecan can be made a lucrative business. About ten years ago he began his ex periments with twenty trees. These are now bringing from ten to twenty pounds of nuts annually each. Esti mating 100 trees to the acre and ten pounds to the tree, ths annual yield would be $100. In the Atlanta Jour nal Mr. Everett is quoted as follows : 4 'The trees will grow ay where, and I believe they ar destined to be the salvation of worn-out lands in the State. The nuts will keep two or three years, are marketable any time, and my experience with the in dustry is that it is certainly better than life insurance and as good as a Klondike. I planted 100 more trees last year, will plant more this year and continue to plant them as long as I am able. "I find that it takes the trees about ten years to bear well, but a man will soon become independent with enough of them, and I certainly be lieve that the industry is a great one." The first creation of God was the light of sense ; the last was the light of reason. Bacon. HARRY FARMER'S TALKS. Correspondence of The Progressive Farmer. The season for planting Irish po tatoes is drawing near. Harry Far mer has had some bitter experience on this crop in following the example of farmers of 30 or 40 years ago who did not have any bugs or blight or scab to contend with. But for sev eral years he has had nice potatoes by the following plan : Break the land good and deep, then harrow well. Lay off rows 3 or 3 feet apart with a shovel or turn plow so as to make a furrow 5 or 6 inches deep. In this furrow sow some good ammoniated fertilizer at the rate of 300 pounds to the acre ; then rake in a little soil on this fer tilizer. Now you are ready to drop the potatoes. If there has been any trouble with scabby potatoes, as soon as you cut them, take about one-half pound flower of sulphur to the bushel of potatoes and mix it thoroughly with the cut potatoes. Then drop one piece to the hill about 12 or 15 inches in the row. Put a small amount of soil on the potatoes, just enough to hide them, then put more fertilizer about about as much as used at first with some fowl house manure or cotton seed meal (but never use stable manure.) Now throw one furrow on the row and your potatoes are planted. I prefer running the rows east and west and have the furrow run on the north side of the rows so that it will pro tect the young potato plants from the cold winds in the spring. As soon as the potatoes are seen along the rows stir the soil so as to break the crust. Then keep the top of the soil loose by stirring after each rain until the potatoes bloom, then hill lightly so as to protect the young tubers from the sun. I have had good success with potatoes worked this way. The yield may not be so large as where heavy applications of stable manure is used, but the qual ity of the potatoes will be much higher. I use second crop for seed, generally of my own raising. Now is a good time to plan for your chicken crop. If your hens have not laid well this winter there is a cause for it. If you fed them properly the fault is in the breed. Some chickens like the Game do not lay like the Leghorns and Plymouth Rocks. For eggs in the winter raise your hens in the spring. Chickens hatched the last of February or first of March will lay all through the winter, beginning in September, when eggs are scarce. Old hens do not lay in the fall because that is the moulting season and thev can't make eggs and feathers at the same time. How few farmers take an agricul tural paper ! One in twenty is about the ratio. About two out of five who take and read one try to im prove. These are sad figures for me to write, but it is true. Twenty years ago the number did not exceed one-fourth of what it is today, so you see that we are improving slowly. I only wish that a copy of The Progressive Farmer or other good farm paper could enter the homes of every farmer in the State. In ten years we would have one of the richest States in the Union. In my own neighborhood, we have kept a Farmers' Alliance alive and have saved thousands of dollars and you can see an improvement in the homes of all those members who have been faithful. Politics has given us trouble, but we have tried to keep, our brethren together, although the membership was composed of men of every political party. And if you could induce the farmers to join the Alliance or Grange, and get them to reading more, it would help greatly and build up the agriculture of the South. The man who tries to keep farmers from organizing is the farm ers' wor? t enemy. "Plow deep while sluggards sleep, You'll have corn to sell and keep." From now till spring is a good time to subsoil or plow very deep where the land is not too wet. If you have never tried it, do so this spring on a small place and note the difference. If you have no subsoil plow, you can use any sort of plow that has the wings or mouldboard bolted on. Take two horses and plows, let one go ahead and turn the soil over as most farmers do In breaking land ; then let the other fellow in the same furrow with a plow without the wing. This doss not turn the subsoil out, but loosens it up. Harry Farmer. Columbus Co., N. C. SOME GOOD FARMING IN DAVIDSON. Correspondence of The Progressive Farmer. On a recent trip through Randolph and Davidson counties. I chanced to see some farm work that deserves special commendation. An old farm that a few years ago was overrun with broomsedge, sas safras bushes and briars, having been stripped of every becoming feature, was abandoned and given up as worthless. When in this con dition the old farm originally about two thousand acres was divided up and sold to small farmers, all of the purchasers being natives of this sec tion. They had, however, a keen in sight into the wonderful possibilities of this old place. The first steps taken in the process of restoration were cleaning off the rubbish, hauling away the surface rocks and deep plowing. This is heavy clay land and required a strong team to make a good job of the first real plowing the land had ever re ceived. The plowing was done in late sum mer and fall and left in this rough condition to freeze and pulverize during winter. In early spring it was harrowed down deep and fine sowed in oats with 300 pounds high grade fertilizer to the aore, drilled in with the oats. A splendid crop of oats was harvested and the summer being seasonable an immense growth of crab grass sprung up all over this old rundown field of 70 acres. The change in the general appear arance of every feature of the old place was so marked that a livery man in a town 30 miles away heard of it, went there and bought the hay, baled it up in the field and shipped it to his stables. The owner of this field told me that the oats and the hay paid him back the purchase money for the land and for all the work he had done on it besides. This field has been kept in wheat, clover and oats ever since, and is improving all the time, as the increasing yields from year to year clearly testify. I haye seen this 70-acre field in wheat several seasons and it always produces a good crop ome 30 bush els to the acre. There are thousands of acres of just such run down old fields in the red clay lands in all this piedmont section of the State, that might be re-claimed and brought into profit able cultivation. Wherever I find this constructive idea of farming prevailing even in a limited degree, I can see that the leaven is working wonders all around. These farmers are thrifty and hopeful and it is really refreshing to see with what vigor and enthusiasm they are push ing their work. Nearly every home I saw along the way looked neat and inviting. Horses and cattle are fat f and slick. There is absolutely no need for North Carolina people to be sending so many millions of their money out of the State every year for supplies, when they can be produced here in such great abundance. More about this section upon my return. J. Edom Smith. Fewer farmers and better is what the good of the whole country re quires. A farmer who can grow fifty bushels of corn to the acre is worth a great.deal more to the coun try than two farmers who grow but thirty bushels. The wants of the fifty bushel farmer are usually equal to the wants of two thirty bushel farmers ; that is, he is a better cus tomer to the world at large than both these. Henry Wallace. Will you do us a favor? When you write to any man who advertises in this paper please state that you saw his advertisement in our columns.