Newspapers / The Progressive Farmer (Raleigh, … / Sept. 24, 1901, edition 1 / Page 1
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EV i5NJ .1 1 7 IN ' . V I.I 1 ft ,, I'm I 13 I I I I b i. - r ' i - r-....J jt jj? ' THE INDUSTRIAL AND EDUCATIONAL INTERESTS OP OUR PEOPLE PARAMOUNT TO ALL OTHER CONSIDERATIONS OF STATE POLICY. Vbl- 16- Raleigh, N. C, September 24, 1901. Ho. 33 iculture. OIE FASIIEBS. Some Thoughts Concerning Hit Trials, Unties and Blessings. Correspondence of The Progressive Farmer. Some people in our great land ap preciate and respect the farmer, but there are yet very many who do not respeot him or his vocation, not realizing that they are only a few months from starvation and that the noble farmer thrusts himself between these who lightly esteem him and their certain destiny were he not to stem the many disasters and provide for the physical needs of the other wise helpless millions. We have often heard of local dis asters, some East, some West, some North, and some South, but we do not remember the year that has brought to the farmer more disas ters than this year of grace 1901. They have occurred in the mountains and on the coasts ; East, West, North and South, almost over our whole land we hear of disasters by flood, hail and wind, and occasionally all combined, and yet with these trials and losses confronting him the far mer generally is still on his feet and pushing on his work of feeding the hungry millions. What a noble place he fills ! and how bravely he stems the disasters as they pass upon him ! Surely the farmer deserves the re spect and commendation of the world about him. But there is one duty to himself and his fellow-farmer that he seems to forget largely ; he seems to think that he is a little world to himself and ' forgets Romans 14:7. The greatest duty and highest privilege of the farmer just at this time is or ganization. How can we live as a craft much longer without thorough organization, when the men in every department around us are thorough ly organized to handle all our sur plus, and leave us no voice in our own productions? A few men pro pose to say to us what we may have for our cotton seed. Surely if we were organized as they are we would say to them just what they oould have them for ; and not our cotton seed only, but cotton and every other surplus produot which we have to dispose of. Some of us can look back with thankful hearts to the lesson a farmers' organization taught that great cotton bagging trust, and we ought to look forward with ear nestness and determination to a per fection of the very best plan by which we can attend to our own affairs without having others diotate to us how little we may have after we have done the work. Brethren, why not put our heads together and effect such an organiza tion as will stand and help us to rightly use the privileges of our noble occupation? We can enjoy more of the blessings a kind Provi dence has put along life's journey than any other occupation known. We are in closer communication with the works of nature than it is possible for others to be. If we will we can study those laws which en able us to enjoy to a greater degree the development of those things which sustain life. There are really less temptations to evil in a well directed community of farmers than with the same numbers of any other occupation. We are, if we so deaire,more closely allied in our work to the great Giver ot all blessing as we study the soil tnd its needs, and then by supplying those needs in the proportion our plants draw from the soil ; we drop the living seed into the earth and watch for development until we see the blade, the stalk and the full ear f corn. Who can study these things without growing wiser, better and happier, and surely so when the heat ;trd burden of cultivating is over nndwe shout 'Harvest Home" and wo enough garnered for man and ast and some scattered about in the fields for the dear little birds that so kindly catch the bugs and worms that oome to destroy our ten ler crops; and then as the long nights come we sit around the blaz es lire in the old homestead, and "with gratitude to our kind Father for his continued and multiplied blessing, and with good will to all, we retire to rest with the peace ful ness that the busy "world of other crafts may not know, leaving all to Him who has promised us "seed time and harvest." If we are not content with such a life, we are un grateful. D. Li. Craven Co., N. C. FABM NOTES FROM WABREN. Correspondence of The Progressive Farmer. As I have not contributed to the columns of The Progressive Farmer in some time, I will let you hear from me again. I have been a sub scriber to your paper nearly ever since it was first published by Col. L. L. Polk, and don't see how I could well get along without it. I like Harry Farmer's Talks think them just splendid ; hope he will continue to continue to contribute to these columns. Our crops of all kinds, exoept grass, are very short. Cotton is be ing pioked, but will be short work, there4 being only about a half crop in this community. Some few have not finished pulling and saving fod der yet. I say pulling fodder be cause some are still following the old plan of pulling or stripping off the blades, and I don't think they will ever learn or get out of the old rut until they die. Quite a number of the farmers in this community are practicing the new plan of cutting the whole stalk down, while ethers are cutting off the tops. A quantity of hay is being saved. I endorse F. H. D.'s article in the last issue of your paper on farm ers taking a vacation. I have in view some of our neighborhood farmers, young men, some of them married and some single, who stick so olose to the farm and labor so hard that they seem to think that they haven't the time to lose a day, much less two or three days or a week, to visit their neighbors or to attend a protracted meeting a few days. And some of them have never visited the State Capital or gone on an excursion for a short distance to see any of the sights of the world. More than that, there are soores of boys and girls just growing into manhood and womanhood that never have been inside of a railroad car. If asked why, they will tell you that times are too hard. Go out, young man ; it will help you, especially in gaining knowledge. J. F. P. H. Warren Co., N. C. ALLIANCE PBEMIUMS AT STATE FAIR. Alliancemeu should notice the pre miums offered by the State Allianoe for best exhibits made at the State Fair this yerr by Sub-Alliances and individual Alliancemen. They are as follows: PREMIUMS FOR SUB-ALLIANCES. To the Sub-Alliance making the best exhibit, first pre mium $15 00 To the Sub-Alliance making seoond best exhibit 10.00 PREMIUMS OFFERED INDIVIDUAL ALLI ANCEMEN. To the individual Allianceman exhibiting the best bushel of wheat II 00 To the individual Allianceman exhibiting the best bushel of oats 100 To the individual Allianceman exhibiting the best variety of corn 1 00 The best bushel of meal (corn) 1 00 The best bushel of black peas 1.00 The best bushel of blaok eye peas 1 00 The best bushel of white peas 1 00 The best bushel of clay peas.. 100 The best bushel sweet potatoes, yams 1 00 The best bushel sweet potatoes, any other variety 100 The best bushel of Irish pota toes 1 00 The best bale of crab grass hay 1.00 The best bale of hay from cul tivated grass ' 1.00 The best bale of olover hay . . . 1.00 The best tobacco wrappers, one pound 1.00 The best tobacco fillers, three pounds 1 00 The best tobacco cutters, three pounds 1.00 The best bale bale of cotton. . . 5.00 The best bacon ham, made by exhibitor 1.00 The best 10 pounds of lard 1.00 The best butter, three pounds 1.00 PREPARING FOR WHEAT. Correspondence of The Progressive Farmer. By the time this reaches the read ers we ehall be hard at work outting our pea vine hay and as soon as the hay is off we shall begin preparing the land for wheat. Our wheat will be sown on land that was in oats last spring, the oats being followed by cow peas. Before I go any further, I must tell you a little about our cow peas, there is such a difference in their growth. It was caused principally by the manner in which the land was prepared. Part of the land we plowed thoroughly with a two horse plow, the peas being worked in with a cutaway harrow followed by a smoothing harrow. The vines on this land are simply splendid. Now, on another part of the field the peas were plowed in with a scooter plow and the land harrowed over after ward. While the vines here are good owing, I am inclined to think, largely to the abundant rains we have had, still they do not begin to show up with the ones where the land was thoroughly broken. If we had had a drouth in August, as we some times do, they would doubtless have been a failure. I tell you about this, but I trust the reader will not think that we planted these peas in this manner ignorantly. It was simply a question of planting part of the field in this way, or not at all. The weather was turning dry in June when the work had to be done, and it was simply out of the question to do such a large amount of heavy breaking at that time. Still if it could have been done it would have paid handsomely, not only on the pea crop, but also in helping to pre pare the land for wheat this fall. Where the land wm broken with the big plow in June there are no weeds and scarcely any grass. Nothing but pea vines. The land, has settled and become firm without being hard and is in an ideal condition for sow ing wheat. All that will be neces sary on this land after the vines are off will be to work up the surface thoroughly with a disc or cutaway harrow, work in the fertilizer and let it stand two or three weeks be fore planting. It will not be neces sary to re-plow. On the other hand, where the peas were plowed in with the scooter there is considerable grass and quite a good many weeds. The physical condition of the land is poor and it will be necessary to re-plow. This plowing will render the land too loose for wheat, which requires a very firm seed bed. We will there fore have to do a great deal of work with cutaway and roller before this land will be in condition to sow. Of course this extra work will liberate plant food. The weather is cooler now and we have more time; but where one has very much to plant, this matter of extra tillage becomes quite an item. It is doubtful also if this land will maEe any more wheat, if it does as much, as where it was broken thoroughly last June, and the surface simply worked up before planting this fall. The conditions on this land are right and it will be a hard matter to duplioate them. This illustrates very clearly the fact that we are never working or fertilizing entirely for the present crop. Future crops will be benefited or injured according to the way we work now. Even if it does seem a little hard just at present, we are saving work for ourselves later on. We may therefore safely lay down the principle that it will always pay to prepare our land for eaoh succeed ing crop in the best possible manner. In preparing for your wheat, friends, see that the conditions are right before you plant. See that your seedbed is fine and firm with out being hard. Work it over until iMs just right before you sow. It is also a good plan to work in the fer tilizer about two weeks before plant ing. From 300 pounds to 600 pounds to the aore of a fertilizer analyzing 2 per cent, nitrogen, 8 per cent, phos phoric acid, and 6 per oant. potash, is about right for wheat on most soils. We have found a clay loam to be the best land for wheat, and from October 15th to November 1st the best time for sowing the seed in our locality. We usually sow about one bushel per acre, although, if the seed is large it might be advisable to use somewhat more. Be careful to sow the seed as evenly as possible and work them in about two inohes deep, unless of oourse if you have a drill for this purpose, which would be preferable. We like to roll the land after sowing, and then run the smoothing harrow over it lightly to scratch the surface. F. J. Merriam. Fulton Co., Ga. HARRY FARMER'S TALES. XLIV. Correspondence of The Progressive Farmer. We mentioned a book on farming some time ago whioh was well suited to the average farmer, but we did not know anything, about "Suooess ful Farming," by Wm. Rennie. This book, while written by a Northern farmer, should be in the hands of every farmer. The illustrations are splendid. We were pleased at the cut showing a brush harrow. We had used one several times, but did not know how to make one. It will have to be seen to be appreciated. Everything most needed on a farm is illustrated by suitable cuts ditch ing, fenoing, harrowing, hay tools, &o. The borfk can be had of The Progressive Farmer. As the weather grows cooler make a small bed, one 4x6 feet will do for a small family, and sow it in radish. It will give the children something that they like. If the sun shines very warm it can be shaded with bushes or pine boughs and watered occasionally, whioh will make them grow rapidly and be crisp. As many farmers will be gather ing corn shortly, 1 we would suggest that the seed for next year's or op be seleoted now. Go over the field and select the oorn that comes nearest to your ideal. We have improved our oorn by selecting the second ear from the top. This causes the oorn to make two ears to the stalk. Label the corn so that next spring you can tell what kind it is. Cow peas for table use should be gathered while they are bright. If they are left in the field and take several rains, it will make them un salable, but will do little injury for seed purposes. If you would keep up the flow of milk, feed the cows some every day. As the weather grows cooler and the ground dries off the pasture will fail and oows need feeding. Cotton is selling lower than we predicted last spring, and the farm ers that planted nothing but cotton are in a hole. It is unwise to put all your eggs in one barket. Mixed farming is always the best. It will help to keep up the fertility of the soil also. We noticed a piece of corn a few days ago that was planted after oot ton and it would do any farmer good to see the or op. The corn is good and the peas still better. That land with a little phosphate and potash will produce a bale of cotton to the aore next year. The ootton crop last year would not exceed 800 pounds of seed cotton to the acre. Let the young farmer who would succeed make up his mind once for all to rotate his crops. This alone insures success. Without it, failure will be written on his farming sooner or later. Harry Farmer. Columbus Co., N. C. WE ARE LEARNING. The Western farmers feed shred ded corn stalks to their stock and sell their hay to Southern planters who haven't learned that corn stalks when shredded are worth as much as timothy hay. Mt. Olive Advertiser. But Southern farmers will learn after awhile that this method of saving and utilizing their corn crop a large part cf it at least is as valuable to them as it is to the farm ers of other sections of the country. And when they produoe more feed of this kind they will produce more beef, and more cattle means richer and more productive lands. All of whioh means more prosperous farm ers. Henderson Gold Leaf. Live Stock. SHEEP IN THE SOUTH. XIV. Third Cross Successful Why Wooliness Fat Lambs Steamed Food Express Ship ment Cheap Ewes Can be Had Illustra tion Tabulated A Medium Estimate It Bears Investigation More to Follow. Correspondence of The Progressive' Farmer. Management and breeding with the Shropshire at the head of the flock for three more years brings us to the end of the ninth year with 200 half-blood Merino ewes, 205 half Shropshires, also 120 ewe lambs. By selling off the Merinos, a flock of 35 young ewes of Shropshire, Merino and Dorsett cross remain; that is of the third bross from the original, and perhaps as many as the owner will care to keep. If the foregoing suggestions have been adhered to, this high grade young flock will please the eye, attract attention and satisfy all, including the owner who will be proud of his business and success. Lambs from such ewes if made fat will find a market under only fair management. Assuming that the main purpose of the flock is mutton. I would secure another Shropshire ram of the same charac teristics as the former only in a markedly higher degree of excellence if possible. The question might be asked, 4 'If mutton is the objeot, why not at first and all the time cross up with Shropshires?" I answer that, while mutton is the main purpose, yet wool is always an important second ary purpose ; one in whioh the profits of the business, taking an average of years, may be inoreased without detraction from the mutton profits of a grade flock. The ewes started with were per haps the best common wool sheep to be had. The Dorsett improved the form and size of sheep, also the quality and weight of fleece, and in creased the fecundity of the stock and rearing of twins, and give a most desirable fiock of young ewes for the following Merino cross in heriting a tendenoy to wooliness. The offspring from the Merino cross are finer and with decidedly more density and weight of fleece than could have been had with two crosses of Cotswold. I believe we shall have gained two pounds of wool per head more than could have been gained by any other crosses. This additional weight can be maintained and increased if the right Shropshire be chosen. Three hundred to six hundred pounds of wool clipped annually from a flook, is a considerable profit, while the quality will surely be improved and command a higher price per pound than that bred up from common coarse wools by the mutton breeds alone. Now turning our attention back to the first start with 125 ewes and sup posing the purpose in part was to furnish early lambs for Northern or even near-by city markets, the man agement of the flock would be much the same, except that the lambs shall all have come by the first of Febru ary. The lambs that are to be mar keted should be in a flock by them selves, and neither docked nor cas trated. Their mothers fed so as to produoe milk as before suggested r only increasedly so. Feed the lambs with great care from the start, and I insist that it will pay largely to cut and steam the feed for these mutton lambs and their mothers until they are mar keted. Steam cookers can now be had reasonable. A large covered kettle set on a furnace and con nected by pipe with a steam box is a convenient temporary arrange ment. Marketing the ram lambs from the flook during nine years of breeding up to a high grade standard, would develop into considerable of a busi ness. The first requisite is to learn to prepare and have the lambs fat and of first quality to sell, and the man that can do this can soon find out ways and means, where and when to reach the best markets. So I need not disouss that matter in detail further than to say that if the lambs are fair size, well quar tered and quite fat, early, say last of February to first part of April, it will surely pay handsomely to ship in small bunches to our farthest Northern markets, by express, in neat light boxes. If five or ten planters in any county who are now growing and perhaps almost entirely depending on cotton would agree to go in the business ; to "meet together gay monthly, to co-operate in buying and selling, finding and developing wool mutton and spring lamb markets, they would see in less than three years that they had established an industry worth tens of thousands of dollars to them selves and to the country in whioh they live. Some may say, "But we oan'tget so many ewes." Well, I do not have any to sell, nor do I just now know who has ; but let ten or twelve re- sponsible planters say to me they want 1,500 ewes for the foregoing suggested purpose and I will take in terest enough in the matter to put them in a way to find the sheep.. , To place before the mind our illus tration in business yet brief form, I will itemize and recapitulate as fol lows: FIRST THREE YEARS BUSINESS. Fleeces sold 670 ; 2,680 lbs. at 20 oents $ 625 Cost of keeping three years 536 Keeping over wool inoome . 89 Cost of 125 ewes at $3 '. 375 Cost of Dorsett ram 100 Amount of cost $564 ' Old ewes sold ) 330 , Dorsett ram sold Weather lambs sold, 170 at $3 net 510 840 Net inoome over all cost $38 At end of three years have 150 one and two years old and 70 ewe lambs, all Dorsett cross. SECOND THREE YEARS BUSINESS. Fleeces sold 885 ; 4,310 lbs. at 21 cents $ 905 Cost of keeping three years 880 Wool income exceeds keeping. 25 rino ram sold with them Deduct cost of Merino ram. .100 550 Weather lambs sold 225 at $4 net 900 Income over cost $1,475 At end of sixth year have 160 one, two and three years old and 95 ewe lambs, all Merino cross. THIRD THREE YEARS BUSINESS. Fleeoes sold 940 ; 8,460 lbs. at 22 cents $1,903 Cost of keeping three y's $1,299 Cost of Shropshire ram. . 100 1,399 Net profit on wool $ 504 , Weather lambs sold 290 at $4.50 net.. 1,305 Net income $1,809 Stock on hand at close of ninth year : Merino ewes 200 at $5 $1,000 Shropshire ewes 205 at. $7 1,435 Shropshire lambs 120 at $5 600 Amount $3,035 The above table is the summing up of a nine years' business in breeding up a flock of high grades from 125 common ewes, given in three periods to show clearly the progress made by three crosses with a well defined purpose in view. The aim is high and the attainment clever. However, it will be noted that medium rather than maximum prices have been observed throughout. The weight of Tfleeoe and price for wool may seem large to some, but surely not to those who have bred high grade sheep. The cost of keeping is put at less than $1 per annum for first three years and over $1.25 per annum for last three years, not including the extra high feeding required for mar keting the spring lambs. The cost of keeping increased as the size of the sheep and fleece increased ; but the value of the sheep and the net income increased still more in com parison. A study of this illustration will show that it would be more profitable to buy 125 ewes of the highest grade at $7 per head and go on breeding and improving them for nine years than to have bought the 125 common CONTINUED ON PAGE 8 ' 0
The Progressive Farmer (Raleigh, N.C.)
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Sept. 24, 1901, edition 1
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