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THE INDUSTRIAL AND EDUCATIONAL INTERESTS OF OUR PEOPLE PARAMOUNT TO ALL OTHER CONSIDERATIONS OF STATE POLICY.
Volume XVII.
RALEIGH, N. C, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 1902.
Number 36.
AGRICULTURE
Harry Farmer's Talks.
XCI.
Editor of The Progressive Farmer:
A few years ago we sowed some
oats in November. The land was so
dry that the plowman could not cut
more than five inches at each fur
row. We laughed at him because he
made such slow headway. The first
oats sown were up before the field
was finished.
OATS SOWN IN DRY "WEATHER
The crop grew rapidly and was
larger at Christmas than the crop is
usually by the first of March, and
made the largest yield of any crop
we ever had. What surprised us
more than anything else, was to see
oats come up in such dry soil. Often
times have we seen them fail to come
in the spring on account of dry
weather. This is something we do
not understand. We notice that
other farmers write about the same
thing. I'here is no doubt that plow
ing land when very dry is best. It
makes the work much harder, but the
crops show the good effects.
A GATE WORTH. PATTERNING AFTER
We noticed a gate a few days ago
that could not be opened by educat
ed hogs. The latch was nothing but
a hasp with a pin to hold it on to- the
staple. It makes no difference
whether the old sow tried to lift the
gate up or pushed it she could not
get it open. There is a hasp made
with a latch to drop behind it when
it is put on the staple. It will cost
about five or ten cents, according to
size.
USES OP RED PEPPER.
Mary Jane is stringing the pepper
now and hanging it up to dry. It will
not be long before we will need some
for the sausage. And a little fed to
the hens will help to make them lay.
Pepper is one of the easiest crops
grown in the garden, and every farm
er should have a good supply on
hand. Just before the first frost
comes, gather about a quart of the
young green pods and put them in a
bottle and pour in some good strong
-vinegar and cork up tight, and you
will have a nice sauce for use all
through the winter. We like to add
a little to our fresh pork and turnips.
It seems to help digest the fats of
pork.
KEEPING SWEET POTATOES
Did you lose any potatoes last
winter ? If you did, can you account
for it? By careful management
there need be but little loss from rot.
Rot in potatoes is caused by one of
three things: housing while wet, ex
posure to too much cold, or housing
them in warm weather in houses that
are too tight. More potatoes are
spoiled by being banked or housed so
close that the potatoes get too hot
and scald, than from any other cause.
The most important thing to do is
to keep the potatoes dry. Every
farmer knows that they go through a
sweat when first dug. The greener
the potatoes the more they yll
sweat. In putting up potatoes in
tended for late use or seed, we sprin
kle some dry dirt or sand all through
the pile. This will absorb all the
moisture, and should the potatoes get
too coldund rot on the outside of the
pile, the soil mixed with them will
prevent the rot from spreading. We
have often saved our potatoes this
way. It is hard sometimes to know
exactly how thick to bank, for when
the thermometer drops to 10 above
zero it requires a thick bank to keep
the cold out.
HARRY FARMER.
Columbus Co., N. C.
Cotton Acreage Must be Gradually
Increased.
At the meeting of the New Eng
land Manufacturers' Association in
New York last week there was an
interesting address on "The World's
Supply and Consumption of Cotton,"
by S. N. D. North, superintendent
of the department of manufactures,
United States Census, Boston.
Among other things Mr. North said:
"If the South shall continue its pres
ent proportion of the supply it will
be growing fifteen million bales of
cotton in 1925, the greater part of
which will come from the fresher
lands west of the Mississippi River,
where cotton can be grown from one
and a half to two cents a pound
cheaper than in the States of the
Atlantic belt. The conclusion is
warranted, therefore, that the future
of the cotton trade is securely with
in the hands of the American pro
ducers if they choose to have it. So
especially clear is, that in order to
gain the control of a crop which has
been worth four billion dollars to
the South 1878, there must continue
to be a gradual increase and not a
curtailment of the Southern
acreage."
If thou wouldst be happy, learn
to please. Prior.
NOW IS THE TIME FOR SEEDING
OATS, RYE AND RAPE.
Notes About Crops That May Partially
Replace Corn.
Editor of The Progressive Farmer :
The corn crop of most parts of Al
abama has failed. To take the place
of corn there is need for the planting
of a larger acreage of small grains
and other forage crops than ever be
fore. These crops should be planted
earlier than usual and they should be
fertilized with all the stable manure
and lot scrapings obtainable.
Fall-sown oats at Auburn have
yielded about 50 per cent more than
those sown after Christmas, and the
former can be fed several weeks be
fore the latter are ready. It usually
pays to sow oats in the fall, and to
risk the danger of m winter killing
rather than to postpone sowing .red
rust proof until after Christmas. The
danger of winter killing can be re
duced by (1) sowing in October; (2)
selecting a location protected on
the north by woodland, or on a
southern slope; (3) drilling the seed
on well-drained land in shovel fur
rows only half filled in covering the
oats; or (4) by leaving the ground
rough or ridged.
The farmer can not afford for smut
to destroy 10 to 25 per cent of his
oat crop as usual. We prevent oat
smut at Auburn by wetting seed for
two hour in water containing 1 oz.
of formalin for every 3 gallons of
water, then sowing or drying the
seed; or by soaking seed oats ten
minutes in water between 130 and
135 deg. F., then cooling and either
drying or sowing the oats.
Turf or grazing oats are somewhat
hardier towards cold than red rust
proof or Texas red oats, but less har
dy than wheat. Turf oats require
earlier sowing and richer land, are
several weeks behind red rust proof
oats in maturing, and are more lia
ble to rust and for the heads to be
incompletely filled.
Oats cut in the milk stage make
excellent hay, and the straw is more
completely eaten than if the plants
are allowed to ripen.
Beardless wheat is hardier and
sooner ready for use than any of the
above. It should be largely sown this
year for either hay or grain for feed
ing purposes. If rust threatens, cut
it early. If cut in the early milk
stage the entire plant is eaten with
relish. Any good beardless variety
grown south of the Ohio River (or
even somewhat further north) will
answer. Among the well-tested vat
rieties of this class are Purple Straw
or Blue Stem, Fultz, Red May, and
Currell.
Rye makes good pasturage or
green feed, to be cut and carried to
stock. Sown in September or early
October, it is the first plant ready
for cutting and for feeding green,
on good land reaching a sufficient,
height about February. It can be
cut at least twice. It makes very
poor hay. It never winter-kills. Sow
1 to IV2 bushels per acre.
All the small errains intended for
cutting early for feeding purposes
should be sown thickly on rich or
well-fertilized land. Those that are
to be cut by hand and fed green
should be sown in narrow drills. All
require liberal fertilizing with nitro
genous material, as stable manure,
cotton seed, or cotton-seed meal. If
these are not at hand, apply in Feb
ruary or March, on the surface, 80
pounds per acre of nitrate of soda.
Phosphate in addition to any of these
fertilizers will on some soils increase
the yield of grain.
Farmers having for sale seed of
rye, oats, or beardless wheat, should'
be able to sell these to advantage by
promptly advertising them.
Dwarf Essex rape has been repeat
edly grown at Auburn for winter
pasturage for hogs, which relish it,
making good growth on rape pasture
from December 15 to April 15, when
supplied with a half ration of corn.
Land must be as rich and as highly
fertilized as for turnips, and prepa
ration, sowing and cultivation are
the same as with that crop, except
that rape is not thinned. Sow 3 to 5
pounds of seed per acre in narrow
drills between September 20 and Oc
tober 20. Seed are cheap, 10 to 12
cents per pound, and they are sold
hv all
rape in March, getting hog pastur
age in May and June.
J. F. DUG GAR,
Agriculturist, Alabama Experiment
Station, Auburn, Ala.
The State Horticulaural Society
will meet in the auditorium of the
Agricultural Building, on Wednes
day night, October 29th, of Fair
week. The Society invites the apple
growers of the State to meet with
them, and to hear the addresses of
Colonel Brackett, tT. S. Pomologist;
Dr. Bailey, of Cornell University of
New York, and others, who will give
practical advice to those engaged in
fruit cultuje.