THE INDUSTRIAL AND EDUCATIONAL INTERESTS OF OUR PEOPLE PARAMOUNT TO ALL OTHER CONSIDERATIONS OF STATE POLICY.
Vol. 16.
Raleigh, N. C, April 2, 1901.
Ui
t
Agriculture.
' INTER-STATE COTTON GROWERS'
' 2 ASSOCIATION.
Its
anization and Objects Set Forth by
President Harvie Jordan.
Inter stato Association of
i?ov; w rn cotton producers has been
crtm'l- The headquarters of the
a ci ition was given to Georgia, in
view of the fact that this State took j for by the mills. Not only is this
tl.e initiative in the movement and j necessary as to the lint, but we also
Kv.uise of her geographical location j need full information about tho value
in the cotton belt. I was chosen of our seed to tho oil mills. Xo man
Fro:. tent of the Inter-stato Associa- can protect his products from thein-ti.-.n
mid my postollico address will ; satiable greed of the world, unless he
for the present continue to remain knows their true value and markets
nt M -.iticello, Ga. For theinforma- them in such a way as to command
ti n : your readers who are larg l.v ! the payment of their value.
e:- il m no production of cotton a practical illustration.
a:: 1 ,hould therefore be deeply inter- Tllo 1)rosenr unnuai aessment
e:rl in a movement calculated to
Ki:hX tut-m, i win orieuy our nne
. T "U 1 ' if i 1
, -hject ot this Inter state Asso- this annual dues will go to the sup
i, n- port of the State Association, and 10
a Thursday, February 14th, an cents to tho Inter stato Association.
Intrr st ate Executive Committee of
c tt 'ii representatives from nearly
1 the princi al cotton States met at
th
eapitol in Atlanta to decide
ther or not an Inter state Asso-
ci.it:on of Southern cotton producers
should be organized. Each State
vra- entitled to three representatives
by action of the Inter-state Conven
tion he'd at Macon, Ga., last Novem
ber. Strong delegations were pres
ent from North Carolina, South
Carolina, Georgia, and Mississippi.
Texas was re-presented by proxy an 1
the action of the committee ratified
in advance by the official head of the
Texas Association as to organization.
The n t:nes of the committeemen 10 Ju.r cont of tho f,irmers n Geor
wh.i attended the meeting were as iriu Would subscribe 50 cents apiece
toilo -v
North Carolina General W. K.
Cox, Tarboro; B. Cameron, Stag
vibe, una John P. Allison, Concord;
South Carolina Hon. J. C. Willjorn,
Columbia ; U. A Love, Chester, and
Dr. D. M. Crass. n, Leesville ; Geor
gia Harvie Jordan, Muiiticello;
Pope Brown, Hawkinsville ; Thomas
G. Lawson, Eatonton, and Hoke
Smith, Atlanta ; Mississippi Captain
Juhn F. Jenkins, Natchez.
The delegates from Florida and
Alabama wrote endorsing the move
ment and promising their active co-
operation in the future.
The committee was in session all
ana until late xuurMiay mui
ivriectmg organization and determ
:r.:ng upon a plan of work for tho
tut tire.
ACCEPTED GEORGIA PLAN.
The
present plan of the Georgia
elation was recommended lor
.tion by the other States, botli j
the methoaoi lormiDg urancn ,
- in the various counties r i
:t!a districts, and for raising the j
-ssary funds to carry on the ;
; Lecturers will be sent out by ,
. rent States to present roxnu,
ru.ei- the practical features of the
o nt and to enlist their active
- ration. A Central Bureau of
-Tate Headquarters was deemed
lial, because it is necet-sary to
i medium tnrougn wmcu tuu
ia! and other information
: a from the different States
. . nsolidated, put into coin
!.sv! form and sent out to the
is of tho Association.
tanners of the South have
ha I any source from whenco
A obtain reliable informa-
kerning the varied condi-
'-of theyup, particularly j
fall and winter. There
iny factors which tend to
.e -price that without full
,y correct information the
s are largely in tho hands
ecu'ators who use them for
. . i . I .
t:o purposes, lnero is nut i
thod of f incline out early in i
ter the exact size of the crop I
.t is through the cotton gin-A'e.-kly
reports from ginners
ve the movement of the crop
farms and by the last of De
- r will generally give the size
'-rop without further specula
r guess work.
re is now a wide difference of
n us to the size of last year's
ou the lbears" are using the
cr
svxiiinini figures to help hammer
down prices. If we had the reports
.c .. n . , .
upon Vlich momiK.r of the State A-
s Nation is 50 cents. . orty cents of
Xow, suppo-e that through the
ou - ,rts cf the Association a halt a
cent per pound is gained for the pro
ducers above the price usually fixed
by the spinners and peculators. On
a crop of 10,000,000 hales it would
mean a saving to the farmers of s-jr,-000,000
nt a cost of not more than
:)0,000. It is estimated that :,000
will pay the operating expenses of
the Association in Ge rgia. We
make about 1,200,000 bales of cotton
annually which sold ut a gain of
only one-half a cent per pound over
speculator's prices, would mean a
saving to Georgia farmers of 3,000,
(00 for the small outlay of 5,000. It
to this movement each year, it would
make the Association strong enough
to def e it all efforts of the specula
tors and spinners to depress prices
by giving out their usual fal-e re
ports. A member of the Association
receives back the mt of his dues in
uch statistical information as ho
needs, which must bo printed and
mailed to him. Twenty live per
cent, of the dues is taken up in post
age stamps canceled on letters which
go direct to him, the balance wi.l be
ued in gathering the information
required and in paying the clerical
allli ullicial force oi the Association.
With the producer in possession of
the truth, it will be an lmpoi bhty
lor another crop to be sacriliceJ. at o
cents per pound, when it is actually
worth 10 cents, as was the case in
l&'J'J. Every farmer who sold a bale
of cotton in lb'J'Jat G cents per pound
Ifiwuil ATI f lu i o 1w-n rut irf t 1 r
Nuil, lost 20 Qr eilollgll un ono bale
()f cotton to have paid his dues in
the Association lor 40 yeur?, to have
I)rutection uguini?t such loss. These
ure prtictical truths whicli cannot be
ir ued u.ruinst und it is to prevent
ti . f h losses.
which our people have annually sus
tained in years gone by, that this
Association was created.
WHAT WILL FARMERS DO?
The officers of tho Inter stato As
sociation are : Harvie Jordan, Presi-
dent, Monticello, Ga. ; K. A. Love,
General Vice President, Chester, S.
C. ; John P. Allison, Secretary and
Treasurer, Concord, N. C. Each
Stato has one Vice-President, and
Col. W. L. Peek, of Conyers, was
chosen from Georgia. The President
was instructed to hold a Stato Con
vention of cotton growers in each of
tbo cotton States during the coming
spring and summer, and that each
State be requested to arouse the peo
ple to action before another crop is
harvested and ready for the market.
If no determined effort is made to
check the downward course of cot-
1,w-.1- fm (X unil 7 npnt.
ion, u ma .iuvji . .
cotton next season. The plan of or-
ganization for protection is now fully
mapped out and tho method of work
agreed upon as far as it has been pos
sible. The vital question is, whether
or not the producers are willing to
lend a helping hand to a movement
to be operated in their own interests,
or whether they will continue to de
pend upon the old system of market
ing their great staple crop as in years
gone by, the price to be dictated by
thy buyer. The farmers made a gal
lant fight la9t season and won mil-
jl mi pinners in till Tins time, the
question, of how many bales were
made in 1900 would bo accurately
and positively settled. Wo also want
to know bow much cotton is being
produced in other countries and
what effect thoe crops should have
upon our market. We want to keep
up with the demand for cotton good,
and what such goods are being sold
lions of dollars which would other
wise have been lost.
But the coming season will require
a much better perfected system of
work to defeat the buyers than was
the case last season. The spinners
were not prepared to resist us, and
did not believe wo would stand to
gether, but 'with a year's notice they
will have their interests guarded as
never before. Tho success of this
new Association, based as it is on
sound business principles is in the
t armors. It will be formed into a
mighty tower of strength if they will
rally to its support. Without their
aid, it will, as a matter of course,
cease to exist. Everyman who reads
this should think well before he re
fuses his co operation in a movement
that means so much for his future
intorest
Harvie Jordan.
President Inter-stato Cotton Grow
ers' Association.
THE BOY IN SCHOOL.
For the farmer who thinks ho can-
not alford to let his boy remain in
school during the busy season on the
farm and for the boy who thinks
: that he can plod along as well with
the education already acquired, we
print the following thought-provoking
paragraph from a recent issue of
the Stanly Enterprise. The lesso..
is .o plain that 4,he who runs may
read." We quote:
1 1 -i -j - xll
I In r n t w iiuT'j ti nA xrn Tnnrn to Mr
mg to an employee in one oi our
. - j. i r I A
mills here who had gone just as high
in the line of promotion is his educa
tion would guarantee. He was even
; sail in thinking of the position sev
eral steps higher, to which he was
' eligible, but his education was not
; suflicient. Others who knew less of
1 the routine and mechanical than did
he had overridden him and were
! drawing salaries that he likewise
; should get. He told us his story.
He did not blame his father, but saw
tie awful mistake that had been
made in keeping him at the plow
handles, thinking that a little pres
ent nmney was better than 'book
larnin', when he could easily have
been sent to school This is an actual
fact and needs no comment. It is
only one of many such instances and
has a meaning moral."
CROPS TOR THE FAV.M STOCK.
No Farmer Successful Without Good Stock ;
j For Feeding-, Try Crops Mentioned Here, i
i ( krr..w:iun,b.ii'n of Tlu' irirrwivk l-'-irtiur i
nM , ., c e
Hie lite and prosperity of the farm
is the young animals growing on the
j farm. Every farm should be well
j stocked with hogs, cows, colts, sheep
j and fowls. The provision for the
I feeding of such a crowd requires
somo forethought,
j My experiment with clover gives
i it tho higher place in all fee.ls for
horses and cows. It is so easily
grown on proper land that hs rich or
made so by manuring this grows
clover to perfection. Have often
sowed in early fall or August and
mowed twice tho year following.
Never sow clover by itself ; either
sow rye or oats and a full rate of
timothy seed. When the rye and
clover is mowed off it gives the grass
time to root and the stubbles give
plenty of shade. When the clover
has grown two or three years, then
comes the first timothy grass grown.
For mowing and pasture, the
orchard grass is preferable because j to be supposed that anyone will ob
af ter you have mowed first crop ject to my friend employing the
then you may pasture until late in j most scientific man the country can
the fall. Clover and orchard grass
does well together. First crop should
be mowed early so the second or fall
crop can get a good start before the
hot season sets in.
The alfalfa or lucerne clover is a
rapid grower and may be mowed
often. Southern cow or clay peas
are fine for stock and may be grown
extensively in corn field. But after
all, prepare one aero made rich and
sow common field corn in drills
about 18 inches apart and let it grow
up thick, so tho stalks are small. On
this acre you can grow a vast amount
of fodder for cows.
Why not grow beets extensively
for cows in winter? They make a
fine feed for a change then. Seed
may be sowed as late as June or first
of July. R. R. Moore.
Guilford Co., N. C.
SMALL FARMS VS. LARGE FARMS AGAIN
DISCUSSED.
Mr. Cates Replies to Mr. McAnlay.
Correspondence of The Progressive Farmer.
I notice in a recent issue of The
Progressive Farmor that a gentleman
from Mecklenburg says that in his
opinion some erroneous statements
were set forth in my article of some
days ago. I desire to thank the gen
tleman for his very candid statement,
but I am sorry to have to confess my
inability to see matters in such a
light, even after noting thereascns(?)
j set forth b said gentleman.
I 1 heartily agree with him when he
says a bale of cotton raised on one
aero is cheaper than one raised on
two. Theoretically the' small farmer
is tho one to raise cotton of this
class ; in practice, however, we find
that this does not work. On the
other hand, the man who secures the
large yield is the man who superin
tends tho cultivation of large areas
of land.
My friend from Mecklenburg is
right again by saying that th.3 ten
ants of large farms are the ones who
are
moving
to factories, but he
should also have included a large
number of those who own small
farms, as they are doing the same
thing. There are numerous examples
of this here in my own county. A
common cause exists for both these
vvicc.v ica V 11111 tUC J.UJ. ill. LlU.t5
O
rom lacking capital and proper
equipment for carrying on the work
of a farm economically, under the
present system they are forced to
rely upon themselves for planning
and superintending the work, as well
as for carrying it on. This is where
the small farmer and renter are gen
erally lacking, and it is one lurge
reason why they find it more profit
able to sell their labor to some one
else. North Carolina has for a lomr
i
tone been a mere strip of land be
tween two States, because every
man who tilled the soil demanded to
i be allowed to do so according to the
dictates of his own conscience. For
tunately many of our land owners
are seeing the folly of this, and the
time is almost in sight when the
work on our largo farms will be done
under the supervision of a competent
man, and not for a part of the crop,
but for a stipulate 1 amount, either
money, products of the fiirm, or
both.
Mr. McAulay speaks of depriving
1 so many men of homes by tho large
! J nJ
i J '
and surely no man would sell his
home unless he thought to better his
condition. There is in this State, how
ever, enough land now almost de
serted to more than double the agri
cultural output, if it were only prop,
erly, and economically cultivated.
Would not the large farm system,
instead of depriving people of a home,
bo a fzreat boon to those who have
found it necessary to leave the farm,
and who are now being denied that
freedom and outdoor life to which
they have always been acoustomed?
Tho gentleman again sadly errs by
taking as a standard a few poor de
lude! fellows who, using his own
language, "started off believing they
had the world by the tail, u-ing
the best fertilizers by the ton."
As to small farms affording a
scientific man at the head, it is not
afford to superintend the cultiva
tion of a half-tcre plot. It is not to
be supposed, either, that he could
make it pay. If we expect to put a
special trained man, an agricultural
college graduate, on every filty acre
farm in the State, it looks as if some
of them would have to be imported,
and it is very evident that President
Winston will have to ask for more
money for his college.
It is conceded cheerfully that the
size of a farm should al ways vary with
the capacity of the man in charge,
and in his confidence in his ability
to manage large affairs. Fortunately
these things will adjust thomselves,
and we find that men are generally
advanced or relegated to the rear
according to their abilities.
J. S. Cates.
Alamance Co., N. C.
Horticulture.
THE SAN JOSE SCALE.
Its Appearance Described and Ways of Com
bating it Suggested Care Should be Exer
cised in Purchase of Nursery Stock.
Correspondence of The Progressive Farmer.
Probably most of the readers of
The Progressive Farmer have read
about this insect in various publica
tions. Nearly every experiment
station in the country, including the
Station in our State, has published a
bulletin containing special informa
tion about this pest. But while these
serve an excellent purpose in their
own State, and furnish new informa
tion to workers in other States, we
believe that the readers of The Pro
gressive Farmer would like to have
a recent account from North Caro
lina. The San Jose Scale (Aspidiotus pcr
nicioms) is a small insect which at
tacks various plants, but especially
firuit trees. While very young it is
unprotected, but as soon as it once
settles down and begins to suck its
food from the plant a shell begins to
form over its body and thereafter
the insect does not move, except that
when adult, the males acquire wings,
with which they may fly for very
short distances. When full grown,
the scale over the body of the insect
is about the size of the head jf a pin,
and is ashy gray in color. When a
t ATig is badly infested it becomes so
crowded with scales that they may
overlap one another, forming a com
plete crust over the entire surface of
the bark. If such a twig be exam
ined with a lens it will be found to
resemble a stick covered with bar
nacles. It is only a few hours after birth
that the insects are capable of mov
ing about, for they soon insert their
beaks into the tissue of the plant and
begin to suck tho sap. Once the
beak is thus inserted, they cannot
withdraw it, but remain attached at
that same spot. It is while the in
sect is in its young stage, therefore,,
that it is capable of being transferred
from one place to another. They
are not able to migrate from tree to
tree of their own accord, as they are
so small that one could only crawl
one or two feet before it would be
compelled to insert its beak and be
gin to take food, which, as before ex
plained, would preclude any further
crawling. They are dependent on
accidental causes therefore, to insure
the spread of the species. Chief
among these is the wind, for the
young insects are so extremely small
and light that a moderate breeze will
carry one for considerable distance.
Another means of spread is by crawl
ing on the feet of birds and being
thus carried from tree to tree. For
transportation over great distances,
they must depend on shipments of
trees and plants on which they sub
sist. It is this point that makes it
so important that nurseries should
be examined every year so that in
case the scale secures a foothold in
any nursery ; it may bo discovered
and checked before it is sent out to
the orchardists.
As a remedial treatment for an in
fested orchard kerosene emulsion
spraying is what we recommend.
There are various other remedies, as
petroleum emulsion, whale oil soap,
and fumigation by gas. The fumi
gation of nursery trees we believe
and know to be a very effective
method of combating many of the
insects that infest nursery stock,
and in this connection we wish to
state that the Commission Controll
ing Crop Pests now requires all fruit
trees to be fumigated before leaving
the nursery. Although all the nur
series have not yet begun this opera
tion, many of them have begun and
we would by all means advise per
sons desiring to purchase fruit trees
to patronize home nurserymen, and
ascertain whether or not the stock is
fumigated before purchasing.
This pest has been positively
located in orchards at six different
localities in the State, as follows :
Wilmington, Southern Pines, Aber
deen, Gastonia, Durham, and Way
nesville. It is reported from two
other localities, but we have not yet
received specimens.
At each of these localities the par
ties have been given instructions for
fighting the pest, and personal in
spection by the writer has been made
at three locations. At Southern
Pines it threatened to destroy the
fruit industry, but we now believe
that we have checked it for this
season, and as operations will be be
gun against it again as soon as the
fruit is off the trees, and will be con
tinued throughout the winter, we
believe that in a year we will have it
under control.
We are doing all in our power to
keep the pest from getting the upper
hand. We earnestly advise every
man who has an orchard to make a
careful examination of his trees ?iow
and in case any suspicious insect or
diseased twig is found, send it to this
office and wo will take pleasure in
aiding you. Young trees should be
especially looked after, especially all
that have been set out in tho last
six years. We will be glad to answer
any inquiries regarding insects.
Franklin Sherman, Jr.
Entomologist Dep't of Agriculture,
Raleigh, N. C.
STRAWBERRY CULTURE PICKING AND
MARKETING.
Correspondence of The Progressive Farmer.
This is the most important part of
the business of strawberry growing.
More is lost by slovenliness or ill
judgment at this final stage than
anywhere else.
Fir-t, there is much blundering as
to tho stage of ripeness or unripe
ness at which this luscious fruit
should be picked. Eagerness to get
them to market at the beginning of
the season when prices are high in
duces many to pick them too green.
A little later when they ripen thick
and fast non-hurtling growers are
apt to let them get overripe before
gathering.
A very good rule is to try to let
them get a shade too ripe at first
when the weather is cool and the
process of ripening slow, and then to
try to pick them a shade too green
when the hot days ripen them like
magic. Then with eagerness at first
and indolence a little later, corrected
or modified by this "rule, one may
come nearer tho happy medium.
The exact degree of ripeness which
the strawberry may be allowed to
attain and then stand shipment to
market, depends upon the distance
it must go and the natural firmness
or softness of the variety being
handled, and also upon the manner
in which they are gathered.
It is very essential that the berry
should be full colored before it leaves
the vine. For, although it may
afterwards ripen in a fashion, it can
not gain much in color. Some kinds,
owing to inherent firmness of flesh,
can be allowed to get deep red and
still bear carriage a long distance.
Other things equal, a variety of this
kind is far more valuable than one
that softens as, or before, it colors. v
Not even the fragrance and luscious
ness of the strawberry has had as
much to do with its universal popn
iarity as its beautiful color.
But to get back to the subject in
hand picking, packing, selling.
Much has been said about the im
portance of clean, attractive cups or
baskets and crates, but not too much.
As long as the world is influenced in
its estimate of a man by the clothes
he wears, it will judge fruit by the
packages that hold it.
Much also depends upon the choice
of pickers and upon their manage
ment. A woman makes the best
picker, a girl next and a man next.
The boy well, the boy ranks with
cataclysms. He can Nationize a
strawberry patch in as short order
as Mistress Carrie can a Kansas
saloon. He can trample a five acre
field quicker than a buffalo herd and
more effectually than a thirty ton
turnpike roller. Where there are
only large berries he can gather only
small ones ; where there are only
ripe ones he can fill cup after cup
with rank green ones. His trans
mutiny power in this respect beats
all the Geniis in Arabia. It beats
everything except his cubic capacity.
I dont say cubic capacity of his
stomach. For everybody knows
that a twelve-year-old boy can eat
CONTINUED ON PAGE 8.