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1: T? W TF w 1 V 1 ZD THE INDUSTRIAL AND EDUCATIONAL INTERESTS OP OUR PEOPLE PARAMOUNT TO ALL OTHER CONSIDERATIONS OF STATE POLICY. Volume XVII. RALEIGH, N. C, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1902. Number 38. AGRICULTURE HARRY FARMER'S TALKS. xcm. Editor of The Progressive Farmer: A few days ago a neighbor called us to go with him to a burnt-down tenant house to see a colored child which had been left in the house and had been burnt to death. The house was closed up but not locked, and the whole family, excepting this child, was away. We would not mention this but for the fact that it is a common occur ence and entails a loss on the own ers; not only this, but the horrible death inflicted on innocent children is sufficient to arouse the feelings of every thinking man and woman. It seems that it is confined entirely to the colored race. We have a law for bidding the locking the doors of houses containing children, yet it is a dead.Jetter. What is "the remedy? Can some one devise a plan that will prevent this trouble in the future? The negroes say that to leave the 1 ouse open is just simply to lose all they own, for no sooner is it known than some neighbor will go over and pilfer the house and take every thing they can lay their hands on. We all . know this is true. But lives should not be destroyed this way. No farmer who rents houses to col ored people will escape loss sooner or later. It is out of the question to insure, for no company wishes to carry such risks without charging a rate which will be prohibitive. Any person could be prosecuted for cruel ty for shutting up children, but that would do just about as much good as lynching, and almost every close observer knows that is a failure so far as preventing the crimes for which such punishment is intended to prevent. In all cases of such fires, . the farmers are generally the heav iest losers. Now is a good time to cull out all cattle and other stock on the farm that it will not pay to carry over till spring. A close calculation, will show that many farmers lose money by feeding old cows or yearlings which are worth only what they will bring in beef. We have found it best to keep young stock as much so as pos sible. It will cost several dollars more to keep a twelve-year-old cow than it will a six-year-old, and unless a cow has some special merit we pre fer to get clear of them before they reach twelve years. HARRY FARMER. The Velvet Bean. Editor of The Progressive Farmer : The following clipping is from a Wilmington paper : "Mr. B. G. Worth has growing in his garden a remarkable plant known as the velvet bean. It grew from one bean and is remarkable for the pro fusion of its vine and foliage and the immense size of the bunches of beans upon it. It is also quite prolific and must have .upon it a half bushel of beans. Some of the clusters are fif teen incbts long aiid the shelled beans in a cluster would fill a pint cup. The leaves resemble those of the butter bean. It is presumed to be a forage plant but Mr. Worth docs not known whether it is good for stock or not. Who can tell us? Dr. G. C. Worth has quite a patch of these beans on Greenville Sound, and they have absolutely covered the earth. They are matted all over the ground to a height of three or four ieet. Is not this plant the same that is so highly prized by the Florida cat tlemen as a stock food? I have been unable to ascertain the botanical name of the plant. Would like to "have Prof. Massey tell us something about it, as it seems to me a good thing for stockmen to grow, if what our Florida friends say of it is true. ROBT. S. TAYLOR. Duplin Co., N. C. (Answer by Prof. W. F. Massey, of N. C. Agricultural Experiment Station.) The plant mentioned in the clip ping sent by Mr. Taylor is doubtless the velvet bean, now so largely grown in Florida, but in our climate it can not compete with the cow pea as a forage plant, since it requires too long a season. Where they have eight months of hot weather it is a plant of very great value, but plant ed here in April I found that it had just begun to bloom in October; hence it cannot, of course, be sown uiter the grain crop, as we do the cow pea. It makes an immense mass of growth and merely for the pur pose of accumulating humus in the soil, it may pay in the warmer sec tion of the State. It is all right for South Florida, bat the cowpea will beat it in North Carolina. ' The botanical name of the velvet bean is Mucuna Utilis. MAKE THE BEST OF WHAT YOU HAVE. Conscience warns us as a friend before it punishes us as a judge. Stanislaus. Great Results May be Accomplished by Careful Selection and Development of Any Breed or Variety. Editor of The Progressive Farmer : In . August I disposed of my El berta peaches. I have six trees of that variety and by a careful system of spraying I had peaches of most excellent quality. Many of them measured S1 inches in diameter and weighed 1 pound and 2 ounces, and cut 14 inches clear meat between skin and seed. These found ready sale at one dollar a basket; in fact, no one asked about the price, they were sp astounded at the appearance. I could have sold a great many. I gave Colonel Creecy two of these peaches last year. The Colonel is 96 years old and said he had never seen anything like them before. He..si& must have grown in the days when there were giants in the land. The average size of the Elberta peach offered for sale in the city markets, is about IV2 inches in diam eter and weighs 4 ounces. I thought I was the champion on Elberta peaches. I have wanted to write something about these peaches be fore, but was afraid the discussion would stagger belief, but when I saw in The Progressive Farmer of Au gust 2Gth, the story about the peach es that the State Museum had re ceived from Southern Pines I found myself away behind. But at any rate, I am up with the times about home on peaches. I have also a lot of fine apples, Baldwins, Magnum Borums, and Winesaps, that are very fine. Can't raise any fruit without spraying. I have 13 varieties f of grapes. Have these to spray also. It was said, by Patrick Henry that eternal vigilance was the price of liberty, but in these latter days it is the price of hog and hominy, or at least of success in any kind of bus iness. Farming is as much a pro fession as medicine, law or surgery, and a man succeeds in farming as in other professions in proportion as he is proficient in his profession. He must study the nature and habits of plants and trees, find out their needs and supply them and protect them against their enemies. He may do this in a greater or less degree, without knowing anything else. One of the best farmers I know can't read or write. One of the best .financiers I know does not know his name if he sees it in print. He can calculate the most complicated sum in partial payments by his head, but doesn't, know a figure in theJxok. So, brother farmers, study hard to become proficient in your profession. Make the best out of what you have ; there's no telling what you can ac complish. Take the peach story, for example; see what development. You can take your hogs, your cattle, your sheep, your poultry, and, by careful study and feed and attention, devel op them into anything you want. I have a stock of hogs that I have bred myself and you can't go into any breeders farm east of Biltmore and find a hog that will compare with them. I have had woods cows that would give four gallons of milk per day, and niaketfficeUi1, EYntry are of no particular breed, but I have by careful selec tion of pullets every winter and by introducing new roosters of no rela-. tion to the hens, developed a breed that would surprise you as to results. You will find in among your stock and poultry every year some speci mens finer than the rest. Save these for breeding. Don't throw away your old stock to get new, unless you are situated to take care of the new ones. If you can't swim a herring, don't go and get a whale, but make the best you can out of what you have, and add to it as you are able. JACK JOHNSON. Perquimans Co., N. C. The U. S. Department of Agricul ture has recently issued Farmers' Bulletin No. 154, entitled "The Home Fruit Garden: Preparation and Care." This bulletin was prepared by L. C. Corbett, Horticulturist of the Bureau of Plant Industry of the Department, and contains much in formation in regard to the laying out and care of small fruit gardens.; After Stating the object of a fruit garden, the bulletin describes the relation of the home garden to the fruit interests, the influence of ama teur fruit growers upon communi ties, changed conditions of fruit cul ture,, and the advantages and pleas ures of the home fruit garden. This is followed by directions for cultiva tion of the garden, including modifi cation of the soil, preparation of plants, pruning and protection. Sug gestions are given for adapting plants to the conditions prevailing, combining plants of various habits and growth, and for a combined fruit and vegetable garden. :
The Progressive Farmer (Raleigh, N.C.)
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Oct. 28, 1902, edition 1
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